An automatic stainless steel and eighteen carat white gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust reference 16234 model. This example has a black dial, simple and classic silver 'stick' marker dial, with white printing and a Roman chapter ring, just clean hash indices. This dial is wonderful as it really has many color 'personalities'. As can be seen in the images taken of the watch, it appears very dark black. However, in direct sunlight it is a gorgeous, almost a bronze like, colour!
The watch comes on a Rolex Jubilee style stainless steel and white gold bracelet, with the center links in eighteen carat white gold. The fluted bezel is also in solid eighteen carat white gold. This is a more modern case that has the lug holes covered. Known as the "no holes" case. This was an improvement that Rolex made to the Oyster case toward the end of the 1990's, making this one of the first iterations of this case.
The watch is powered by a Rolex, Swiss made, thirty-one jewel automatic caliber 3135 movement that powered the majority of all Rolex models since its launch in 1988, from the Datejust to the Submariner. These later models can be identified as they do not have the earlier, characteristic, 'pie pan' style dial. This model also comes with the more ergonomic 'Quick Set' date function, and the newly designed smaller profile case, all of which were introduced in the 1970's.
The dial is marked "Swiss Made" at the bottom, below the six o'clock marker. This signifies that the luminous material used on the dial had now moved away from the radioactive Tritium. The new material came from a Japanese company called Nemoto and Co., which specialized in producing luminous paint. Their new compound, called Luminova, was photoluminescent rather than radioactive, making it entirely harmless. Additionally, it was not prone to fading or discoloration like its predecessors; tritium and Radium. Luminova was far superior to tritium, and by 1998, Rolex began using it on their watches. These are now rare and collectible, as the production run was around two years, and are marked simply "Swiss". By 2000, Rolex had switched to Super Luminova, a slightly improved version of Luminova that was sold through a different supplier. These dials were marked "Swiss Made", like this one presented here. Being that this watch was made in 2000, it is one of the first batch of the Super Luminova dials. In 2008, Rolex announced a switch from Super Luminova to its own proprietary compound, Chromalight.
The watch was made circa 2000 with serial number P954XXX . The watch is in very good original condition, it is worn, but unpolished. The dial is perfect with all the original Super Luminova luminous material present and glowing evenly under UV light. The same goes for the classic Rolex baton hands, all of which match perfectly The bracelet is very tight with little sign of sagging. The watch has come straight from a full service and comes with a Foundwell one-year warranty against mechanical failure. The watch is a very complete example with its original Rolex paperwork and green leather wallet, box, outer box with the correct reference sticker, hang tags and service documentation, including latest service. A great opportunity to own a classic, easy to wear very complete Rolex now twenty two years old.
