Rolex Datejust 1600

Reference 1600 is the archetypal stainless steel, smooth-bezel model from the 36mm Datejust 16xx series, which had a long production run from the early 1960s to the late 1970s. It is powered by the Rolex Caliber 1575 (or 1570), a robust automatic chronometer movement from the non-quickset date generation. The technical specification denotes a 36mm Oyster case constructed entirely from stainless steel (0 suffix), fitted with a smooth, domed bezel (0 prefix) and an acrylic crystal. Early examples often featured ‘pie-pan’ dials. The significance of the Ref. 1600 lies in its status as the quintessential utilitarian Datejust of the vintage era.