Rolex Datejust 1603

The Rolex Datejust ref. 1603 is a vintage 36 mm Datejust model known for its classic design and distinctive engine-turned bezel. Introduced at the end of the 1950s, this reference encapsulates the evolution of the Datejust through the 1960s and 1970s, combining Rolex’s timeless style with incremental technical improvements of that era. Below is a detailed overview of the ref. 1603’s production period, case materials, dial and hand variations, movements, and other notable characteristics during its original vintage production.

Production Period (1959–Late 1970s)
Rolex launched the Datejust ref. 16XX series (including the 1603) in 1959, marking a significant update over the previous 66XX series. The ref. 1603 and its siblings remained in production through the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, the 16XX family enjoyed a long run up to about 1977–1981, when Rolex introduced the five-digit Datejust models with new quickset movements. During its production, the 1603 underwent subtle refinements (in movement and design) but maintained the core Datejust identity. By the late 1970s, it was replaced by updated references (such as the 16030) featuring the quickset date function, officially closing out the vintage era of the 1603. All genuine ref. 1603 examples are thus vintage pieces, produced in the mid-20th century.

Case Materials and Bezel Design

The ref. 1603 was produced exclusively in stainless steel, featuring Rolex’s rugged Oyster case measuring 36 mm in diameter. In the 1960s Rolex used 316L grade steel (as opposed to the 904L steel adopted decades later), which provided excellent durability and corrosion resistance. The case has the classic screw-down Oyster crown and screw-back, ensuring water resistance suitable for everyday wear. Vintage 1603 cases also have drilled lug holes (through-holes in the lugs for the spring bars), a hallmark of older Rolex models that makes strap changes easier. A defining visual feature of the 1603 is its engine-turned bezel in matching steel. This bezel has a decorative milled pattern of grooves, offering an alternative to the smooth (polished) or fluted bezels found on other Datejust variants. The engine-turned bezel gave the 1603 a more understated, tool-like elegance compared to the dressier gold fluted bezel models. Notably, early-production examples of ref. 1603 (early 1960s) came with what collectors nickname the “bamboo” bezel – an engine-turned pattern with a segmented, stalk-like appearance. This “bamboo” style bezel was only found on the early iterations of the 1603 and was later phased into a slightly revised engine-turned pattern as the 1960s progressed. Throughout the model’s run, the bezel remained metal (steel) — unlike two-tone or gold Datejust references, the 1603 did not use gold in its bezel. The all-steel construction made the watch relatively more affordable in its day while preserving Rolex quality. The combination of a steel case and engine-turned bezel also makes the 1603 somewhat less common than the ubiquitous fluted-bezel Datejusts of the era.

Dial Variations

Despite being a luxury watch, the vintage steel 1603 was typically offered with conservative dial options. Common dial colors were neutral tones: silver sunburst, white, black, or slate grey. These classic colors complemented the stainless steel case. Compared to contemporary gold or two-tone Datejusts (which often had champagne, brown, or other rich colors), the steel 1603’s catalog of dial colors was relatively restrained. That said, as the 1603 evolved, Rolex did release a wider array of dial options – by the 1970s, one can find examples with darker or more vibrant dials like blue or even champagne (gold-toned) dials, and occasionally with embellishments like diamond hour markers. All dials featured the signature Datejust date window at 3 o’clock, magnified by the Cyclops lens on the acrylic crystal. In terms of dial design and finish, many early 1603 dials have a subtle “pie-pan” shape – a slightly sloped outer edge – which was common in 1950s–60s Rolex designs. Finish could be a sunburst brush (especially on silver or champagne dials) or matte. Over the long production, Rolex also introduced a few dial texture variations (for example, some linen-textured or glossy dials are known, though less common in the steel models). Hour markers on the 1603 varied with the era. Early 1960s pieces often used faceted “spearhead” or dagger-shaped markers at the hours, sometimes with a small luminous dot. By the late 1960s, Rolex transitioned to the classic applied baton (stick) indices – simple rectangular markers – which became the standard on most Datejusts going forward. Some special dial variants featured Roman numerals or other styles: for instance, the “Buckley” dial variant (named after collector John Buckley) has printed large Roman numerals (usually black) instead of applied markers. There is also a known “Wide Boy” dial variant, which has extra-thick hour markers and matching wide hands, giving a bolder look while retaining the basic stick shape. On rare occasions, ref. 1603 can be found with factory diamond-set hour markers (usually as a special order dial), adding a touch of luxury to the otherwise all-steel watch. Throughout the 1603’s vintage run, luminous material on the dial and hands evolved. Early examples (late 1950s to early ’60s) used radium lume (dials from this period are marked only “SWISS” at 6 o’clock). By about 1963, Rolex switched to tritium paint for luminescence, and dials were then marked “T SWISS T” or “Swiss ⦁<25” to denote tritium content. Tritium was applied sparingly on Datejust dials – typically small lume dots at the hour markers and thin strips on the hands. Over decades, this tritium ages to a warm patina (cream or yellow-brown), which collectors prize. In the early 1970s, another dial marking appeared: the “Sigma” dial. Some ref. 1603 dials from circa 1970–1973 have tiny sigma symbols (σ) on either side of the “T SWISS T” at 6 o’clock. These Σ marks indicated that the hour markers and hands were made of 18 k white gold, a practice encouraged by the Swiss watch industry at the time. Sigma dials on a 1603 (mostly on later-production pieces) are relatively scarce and are a notable collectible variation. Additionally, a few 1603s retailed by Tiffany & Co. in the era feature co-branded dials with the Tiffany & Co. logo – these are quite rare as Rolex only allowed a few jewelers to sign their dials.

Calibers (Movements)

One of the key reasons Rolex introduced the 16XX series (including ref. 1603) was to upgrade the movement from the older 10XX series. Early Rolex 1603s (from the late 1950s through mid-1960s) were equipped with the Caliber 1565 automatic movement. The Cal. 1565 was part of Rolex’s new 1500-series of movements, featuring 26 jewels, a free-sprung balance with Breguet overcoil, and bi-directional self-winding. It ran at 18,000 vph (vibrations per hour), similar to its predecessor, but introduced an important innovation: an instantaneous date change mechanism. Unlike earlier Datejust movements where the date wheel would slowly turn over a couple of hours around midnight, Cal. 1565 flips the date disc exactly at midnight via a cam and jewel lever system – a feature that became a hallmark of Rolex date watches. Around 1965, Rolex updated the movement to the Caliber 1575 in the Datejust 1603. The Cal. 1575 is essentially an improved high-beat version of the 1565. It increased the balance frequency to 19,800 vph (2.75 Hz), providing better accuracy and stability. The Cal. 1575 also continued the instantaneous date change feature. Early versions of Cal. 1575 did not hack, but in 1972 Rolex added a hacking seconds function to it. From that point, pulling the crown out stopped the seconds hand, allowing precise time setting – a subtle but useful upgrade for the later 1603s. Both Cal. 1565 and 1575 are Chronometer-certified movements (dials are inscribed “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified”), reflecting Rolex’s rigorous timing standards. It’s important to note that neither the 1565 nor 1575 in the ref. 1603 have a quickset date feature – the date can only be advanced by moving the hands through midnight, as was typical of watches in that era. The quickset innovation (where the date can be set independently via the crown) arrived with Rolex’s Cal. 3035 in the late 1970s, and that upgrade led to new reference numbers (the 16000/16030 series). Thus, all vintage 1603 Datejusts have a non-quickset date and a comfortable 42-45 hour power reserve. They rely on the wearer’s motion (or manual winding) to keep the rotor-driven movement running. Overall, the 1603’s calibers are lauded for their robustness and longevity – many still keep excellent time today, decades after production, which speaks to Rolex’s engineering of the 1500 series movements.

Hands (Types and Styles)

The ref. 1603 saw a transition in hand styles from the late 1950s into the 1970s, reflecting changing design tastes. Early examples (circa 1959–1964) were often fitted with dauphine hands – these are faceted, triangular hands that taper to a point, a style popular in the 1950s. Rolex used dauphine (sometimes also called alpha or leaf hands in certain variants) on the initial 1603 to complement the angular markers of the early dials. It’s not uncommon to find a 1603 from the early ’60s with dauphine hour and minute hands and a simple needle-like seconds hand. By the mid-to-late 1960s, however, Rolex transitioned the Datejust to use baton hands – straight, stick-shaped hands with flat ends. Most ref. 1603 watches from the late ’60s onward have the classic baton hands in polished metal. On luminescent dials, these hands have a thin strip of tritium lume down their center (early radium dauphine hands also had small lume fills). The seconds hand remained a slender central sweep seconds, sometimes with a small lume “lollipop” dot towards its tip (depending on the dial’s lume configuration). Some special dial configurations came with unique hand styles. The “Wide Boy” variants, for example, include extra-wide baton hands (much thicker than standard) to match the oversized hour markers. These wide hands give the watch a bold look and were typically used on a few 1970s dial options. In the case of the Buckley dial (printed Roman numeral markers), Rolex often paired painted hands that contrast the dial for legibility – for instance, a white Buckley dial with black printed numerals would have black lacquered hands, rather than the usual steel, so that the hands stand out against the light dial. (This was a notable departure, as most Rolex hands are metal; the Buckley configuration is one of the few with painted hands to match the indices.) Overall, the hand material on steel 1603s was either stainless steel or white gold (especially in the 1970s when white gold hands accompanied sigma dials). The style evolution from dauphine to baton is a key identifier when dating a 1603: if you see dauphine hands and older style markers, it likely dates to the early 1960s; if you see the familiar stick hands, it is likely mid/late-1960s or 1970s production. All hand sets for the ref. 1603 are centrally mounted and maintain the high legibility that the Datejust line is known for.

Other Notable Characteristics and Variations

Aside from case, dial, movement, and hands, a few other characteristics define the vintage Datejust 1603:

• Bracelet Options: The 1603 was commonly paired with Rolex’s Jubilee bracelet, a five-piece per link metal bracelet renowned for its comfort and style (the Jubilee was originally designed for the Datejust in 1945). The Jubilee gives the watch a dressier look and is extremely supple on the wrist. Through the long production run, the bracelet style evolved: early 1603s came with riveted-link Jubilees (individual links secured with visible rivet heads on the sides), in the late 1960s Rolex moved to folded-link Jubilees (the link outer shell is folded around the center), and by the mid-1970s, Jubilee links became more solid (sometimes called “D-link” for their profile) though still with hollow centers. All these bracelet types have a 20 mm lug width to fit the 36 mm case. An alternative was the three-piece Oyster bracelet, which gives a sportier aesthetic. While less common on a Datejust, some buyers opted for the Oyster bracelet (especially since the all-steel construction of the 1603 could lend itself to a slightly more casual look). Rolex also offered leather straps as an option; in those cases, the watch would be fitted with a Rolex steel deployant or pin buckle. Regardless of type, bracelets in the vintage era had hollow end-links and tended to stretch over time; a well-preserved original bracelet (e.g. a USA-made C&I Jubilee or Swiss Jubilee dated to the watch) can add collectible value.
• Crystal: The ref. 1603 uses an acrylic plexiglass crystal with a Cyclops magnifier over the date. The crystal is gently domed. This plexi will show scratches with wear (unlike modern sapphire), but those can be easily polished out. The use of acrylic lends a warm vintage charm and won’t shatter as easily as sapphire. The Cyclops (introduced in the 1950s Datejusts) magnifies the date ~2.5× to aid readability – it’s a defining feature of the Datejust line.
• Bezel and Case Variations: As mentioned, the unique engine-turned bezel is a standout trait. Within the 1603 lineage, the early “bamboo” style bezel is a noteworthy variation. Additionally, the case underwent minor tweaks – for instance, cases from the 1970s have slightly different fonts for the serial and reference engravings, and by 1970 the case back interior was often stamped with the quarter and year of manufacture. However, dimensionally the case stayed consistent at ~36 mm width and ~12 mm thickness, with a Twinlock crown (Rolex’s screw-down crown with two sealed zones, water-resistant to around 50–100 m in that era). All ref. 1603 cases feature the classic smooth lug profile (no crown guards) and polished sides with brushed lug tops.
• Transitional Dial/Part Changes: Several transitional changes occurred during the 1603’s long run, which can be interesting for collectors. Around 1964–1965, Rolex switched the date wheel style from earlier open 6’s and 9’s to closed 6’s/9’s on the Datejust. Early 1603s (with Cal.1565) often have open-centered 6 and 9 digits on the date disc, whereas later ones (with Cal.1575) show closed loop 6/9. This is a subtle dial detail that can help date a watch. The switch from radium to tritium in 1963 and the appearance of “Swiss‑T<25” marks by the mid-60s is another key transition. Furthermore, dials from the late 1950s into the very early ’60s might lack the “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” text if they were from just before Rolex received certification for all Datejust movements – however, virtually all ref. 1603 should have chronometer dials, since the model was introduced after the Datejust line had fully gone “Officially Certified.” Lastly, the introduction of the hacking seconds in 1972 and the Sigma dial in the early ’70s were the final notable evolutionary tweaks before the reference was discontinued.

In sum, the Rolex Datejust ref. 1603 represents an iconic vintage configuration of the Datejust. It was produced during a golden era of Rolex watchmaking, combining a stainless steel Oyster case with an elegant yet under-the-radar engine-turned bezel and a variety of classic dial styles. It went through movement improvements (Cal. 1565 to 1575) and design updates while staying true to the Datejust formula of a reliable, versatile, and refined wristwatch. Collectors today appreciate the 1603 not only for its timeless looks but also for the charming details that place it in the 1960s/1970s context – from the lume patina on a pie-pan dial to the feel of a riveted Jubilee bracelet. As one of the less common vintage Datejust references (since most people opted for the fluted bezel models), the ref. 1603 holds a special appeal to those looking for a classic Rolex with a twist. Whether paired with a suit or dressed down on a casual strap, a vintage Datejust 1603 remains a testament to Rolex’s enduring design and quality in the mid-20th century.