Rolex 1981 ahh for a time machine

[TKH]

I know some of you are anoraks like me anyway i collect all the bits and in my stash i have a 1981 Price List

enjoy

[ben4watches]

Brilliant, love it, if only.

[Browners]

That matches perfectly with my 1665 and its original receipt

[chrisparker]

Was the Cosmograph cheaper than a Submariner Date back then?

[Andyg]

I bought my first 16750 (a 1980/1 watch) second hand for £325 from a gezzer I found in the Exchange and Mart in 1983. i even got the box and papers.

My only regret is that i was offered a Daytona at the same time for £350 - I didn't buy it because it didn't have a date.

[JGJG]

There’s insufficient use of “ditto” in modern corporate communication.

[lostp]

I wonder what’s performed better over time, a Rolex or the stock market?

[murkeywaters]

There’s insufficient use of “ditto” in modern corporate communication.

Ditto that!

[Danstone]

Was the Cosmograph cheaper than a Submariner Date back then?

It was indeed, and even at that price they struggled and dealers couldn’t give them away. Up until the late 80’s the Cosmograph was the runt of the Rolex litter. Then collectors and auctioneers started bigging up the Paul Newman dial vintages, which funnily enough had always been the least popular dial version of a deeply unpopular watch, and prices for vintage pieces went through the roof leading to the Daytona mania that we still have today.

[JP Chestnut]

The Cosmograph in gold was over seven times the price of the SS version. If the current gold Daytona was that much more than the SS version, it would be over $90,000.

[chrisparker]

It was indeed, and even at that price they struggled and dealers couldn’t give them away. Up until the late 80’s the Cosmograph was the runt of the Rolex litter. Then collectors and auctioneers started bigging up the Paul Newman dial vintages, which funnily enough had always been the least popular dial version of a deeply unpopular watch, and prices for vintage pieces went through the roof leading to the Daytona mania that we still have today.

At that time the Daytona and Speedmaster were a similar looking, similar spec watches - any idea of the price of Speedmaster Pro in 1981, presumably it was similar to the Daytona?

[AlexM]

The Cosmograph in gold was over seven times the price of the SS version. If the current gold Daytona was that much more than the SS version, it would be over $90,000.

Great point.

[Dark Side of The Loon]

Interesting that the plexi Daytona could be bought on leather... in the days before the modern Rolex crocodile straps with deployants, I wonder what straps they were? I presume they were fitted with a Rolex buckle... but were they sourced individually by dealers or was there an ‘official’ strap?

ETA: Likewise the yellow gold Sub was available on leather too... thought they were only ever supplied on bracelets...

Thanks for this, OP.

[browjam]

OMG £527 for a sub

[csinclair85]

Oh my days. Imagine

[Mike Wood]

Aren't these prices current..?

:-)

[gcleminson]

Aren't these prices current..?

:-)

Yes absolutely they are Mike and I'm just about to PM you about a watch on your site :-))

[David_D]

OMG £527 for a sub

If you apply RPI, that comes out at about £2,000 ....

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/mone...ion-calculator

If my Excel calculation is correct, that means that (SS Sub) price has increased by nearly 3 1/2% above RPI every year.