Rolex Datejust Ref. 16018 & 69178 - His & Her Pair 'Chevy Diamond Jubilee Award'
Hard to believe - but the Datejust has been around since 1945. It is far older than its bigger and attention-hogging Submariner brethren. The Datejust was Rolex’s idea of the perfect everyday watch. The robustness of the Oyster case, combined with the elegance of an Oyster Perpetual. The 4-Digit Datejusts was the first series to become available with a myriad of dial colors and case and bracelet materials — something that has stuck with the Datejust name ever since. What the 4-digits watches do lack, is a quickset date — something that was resolved with the introduction of the 5-digit pieces in the late 1970s.
There are levels to collecting. For starters, this is a solid-gold Datejust which are rare to begin with - Rolex did not make a lot of these so it didn’t compete with its more expensive sibling, the Day-Date, which were exclusively produced in solid gold.
Not only is this one such example of a solid gold Datejust, but this also houses a factory stone dial. Throughout the years Rolex produced a number of highly exclusive, limited production, stone dials. These were dials made from shaved down pieces of Onyx Malachite, Coral, and in this case - Tiger's Eye. These dials were fragile and difficult to work with - but when they got it right they offer such depth and natural beauty it easy to see why collectors lust for these pieces. While these were also made as Day-Dates, we actually prefer the cleaner dial of the Datejust which allows for more of the stone to come through to a truly stunning effect.
What we have here is something very interesting: a duo of solid yellow gold Datejusts ordered by the American auto manufacturer Chevrolet. The the best of our understanding, these two pieces were given as awards to individuals at the highest performing dealers, something Chevrolet calls "The Diamond Jubilee Award." Of course, both of these watches fit that name perfectly with their factory diamond dials and Jubilee bracelets.
The duo features a full-size 36mm Datejust Ref. 16018 and a 26mm Lady Datejust Ref. 69178 — both of which date to circa 1987. Other than their case dimensions, the spec is basically identical, both featuring 'champagne' dials with a repeating-debased Chevrolet 'bowtie' motif and factory applied diamond indices, 18k Jubilee bracelets with signed hidden clasps, a 'quickset' date function, and magnified sapphire crystals. Even the condition of these two is matching, with both having been previously polished and showing only light signs of wear throughout and exhibiting stretch in the bracelets. Flip them over and you will find that the casebacks also share a matching factory engraving that reads: "Diamond Jubilee Award 1911 - 1986" and the Chevrolet 'bowtie' logo.
To round out the package, these two both include their punched papers, a shared inner box with the Chevy Diamond Jubilee Award badge on the inside of the lid, a serialized hangtag, and a period Datejust booklet.
This then, is a quirky, interesting, and possible unique duo and its hard to imagine a better 'his & her' set than this.
Movement:
Automatic-winding chronometer certified calibers by Rolex.
Bracelet/Strap:
16018: Rolex yellow gold Jubilee bracelet with 20 links and signed hidden deployant clasp. Previously polished and shows heavy stretch and light signs of wear throughout. Sized for ≈7.5" wrist.
69178: Rolex yellow gold Jubilee bracelet with signed hidden deployant clasp. Previously polished and shows heavy stretch and light signs of wear throughout. Sized for ≈7" wrist.
