Introduced in 1969, the Rolex Submariner ref. 1680 marked a pivotal moment in the collection's history as the first Submariner to feature a date display. Produced in both stainless steel and 18k yellow gold, the precious metal version elevated Rolex's professional dive watch into the luxury sports watch category, while retaining the robust construction and timeless design that had already made the Submariner an icon. Early yellow gold examples were fitted with the distinctive matte black "nipple" dial, featuring applied gold hour markers that became a defining characteristic of the reference.

Offered here is an exceptionally unusual interpretation of the ref. 1680. Dating to 1971, this watch has been transformed into a striking no-date aesthetic through the installation of a period-correct matte black Rolex ref. 5513 feet-first, non-serif dial, while retaining its original yellow gold hands. The look is completed by a domed T19 crystal in place of the original Cyclops crystal and a stainless steel Submariner bezel insert with silver numerals, creating the appearance of a yellow gold no-date Submariner, a configuration Rolex itself never produced. Importantly, the watch is accompanied by its original yellow gold "nipple" dial, allowing the next owner to return it to its factory specification if desired.