1970s Rolex Watches

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About 1970s Rolex Watches

The 1970s pushed every Rolex sport model further while Swiss watchmaking fought the Quartz Crisis. Every pre-owned 1970s Rolex in our inventory comes from the decade that gave us the Explorer II ref. 1655 "Steve McQueen," the Sea-Dweller Double Red ref. 1665, the Red Submariner 1680, the first gold Submariner (ref. 1680/8, 1969), and the Oysterquartz. This is the decade where the Submariner added a date, the Daytona switched to screw-down pushers, and Rolex pivoted into sapphire crystals and quickset movements at the close of the decade. WatchGuys authenticates every 1970s Rolex in-house and backs each one with a 2-year warranty.

Collectors often describe the 1970s as the most varied decade in vintage Rolex because the catalog runs from tool-watch purity (the matte-dial 5513, the COMEX-issued 1680, the Double Red Sea-Dweller) to the first true luxury sport references (the gold 1680/8, the two-tone Datejust, the Oysterquartz). Most sport references from this decade still use acrylic crystals, tritium lume, and the caliber 1570/1575 movement family, making them visually and mechanically distinct from the 1980s references that followed. Browse our wider vintage Rolex collection, or the adjacent 1960s Rolex and 1950s Rolex filter pages for context on where these references came from.

Which Rolex Models Come From the 1970s?

The Rolex Explorer II launched in 1971 as the ref. 1655, a fixed 24-hour bezel tool watch with a bright orange freccione hand, nicknamed the "Steve McQueen" after a Rolex advertising campaign. You can browse our dedicated Rolex Steve McQueen collection for Explorer II 1655 inventory specifically. The Rolex Submariner produced the Red Sub ref. 1680 from 1969 through 1975, transitioned to the White Sub 1680 from 1976 to 1979, and continued the non-date ref. 5513 throughout. The Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 Double Red ran from 1967 to 1977 and established Rolex's saturation dive credibility with its helium escape valve and 610-meter depth rating. The Rolex Daytona moved to screw-down pushers with the ref. 6263 and 6265, pieces that carried Paul Newman dials into the late 1970s. The Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 ran through 1980 with matte dials and Pepsi or all-black configurations, and the Rolex Explorer ref. 1016 continued its long production run throughout the decade. On the classic side, the Rolex Datejust transitioned late in the decade from the non-quickset ref. 1600/1601/1603 to the quickset ref. 16014 and 16030, and the Rolex Day-Date (often called the Rolex President) moved to the ref. 18038 with sapphire crystal in 1977. The Rolex Milgauss ref. 1019 ran through 1988, the Rolex Air-King ref. 5500 continued, and the Oysterquartz launched in 1977 as Rolex's answer to the Quartz Crisis.

1970s Rolex Price

Pre-owned 1970s Rolex prices cover the full spread from entry-level to grail. Air-King ref. 5500 and non-quickset Oyster Perpetual examples in honest condition typically start in the low four figures. Vintage Datejust ref. 1601 and 1603 with Pie Pan or standard dials usually sit in the $3,500 to $8,000 range, climbing into five figures for solid gold or rare dial variants. Explorer ref. 1016 and GMT-Master ref. 1675 from the 1970s range from the low five figures to the high five figures depending on dial, hands, and case sharpness. Submariner ref. 5513 trades roughly $12,000 to $30,000 for clean matte-dial examples, the Red Sub 1680 runs from the mid-five figures into six figures for early Mark I dials, and the White Sub 1680 sits in a similar but typically slightly lower band. The Double Red Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 runs from the mid-five figures into six figures depending on dial variant (Mark I through Mark IV) and case condition. The Steve McQueen Explorer II ref. 1655 trades from roughly $28,000 upward, with early "straight hand" Mark I examples commanding significant premiums. Paul Newman Daytonas on ref. 6263/6265 remain six-figure to seven-figure watches. Our team can pull recent comparables for any specific 1970s reference on request.

1970s Rolex vs 1960s Rolex

The 1960s set the template. The 1970s pushed it to scale. A 1970s Submariner is a matte-dial 5513 or a 1680 with date and Cyclops, versus the 1960s gilt-dial 5512 and 5513 no-date. A 1970s Daytona is a screw-down-pusher 6263 or 6265, versus the 1960s pump-pusher 6239 and 6241. The GMT-Master 1675 ran through both decades, but 1970s examples are matte-dial and more plentiful. The Sea-Dweller 1665 and Explorer II 1655 are both 1970s originals with no 1960s equivalent. Late 1970s pieces also bring the first structural modernizations, sapphire crystal on the Day-Date in 1977 and the Submariner 16800 at the end of 1979, which close the gap to the 1980s look. In general, 1960s pieces carry a premium for earlier dial configurations, while 1970s pieces offer broader selection and strong collector names like Double Red, Red Sub, and Steve McQueen.

Trusted Dealer

Why Buy 1970s Rolex From WatchGuys

Pre-owned 1970s Rolex for sale is the most collected and also the most misrepresented segment of vintage Rolex. Service dials passed off as originals, relumed hands, polished cases, and swapped bezels all matter more on a 1655, 1665, or Red Sub 1680 than on almost any modern reference. Every 1970s Rolex at WatchGuys is authenticated in-house against year-correct standards and sold with the same protections we apply to our modern inventory.

Common Questions

1970s Rolex FAQ

• What Rolex models were made in the 1970s?

  The 1970s Rolex catalog included the Explorer II ref. 1655 (launched 1971), the Sea-Dweller Double Red ref. 1665, the Submariner ref. 1680 (Red Sub and White Sub) and ref. 5513, the Daytona ref. 6263 and 6265 with screw-down pushers, the GMT-Master ref. 1675, the Explorer ref. 1016, the Datejust ref. 1600/1601/1603 and later quickset 16014/16030, the Day-Date ref. 1803 and later 18038, the Milgauss ref. 1019, and the Air-King ref. 5500. The decade also launched the Oysterquartz in 1977 as Rolex's answer to the Quartz Crisis.

• What is the Steve McQueen Rolex?

  The Steve McQueen Rolex is the Explorer II ref. 1655, produced from 1971 to 1984 with a fixed 24-hour steel bezel, a bright orange "freccione" arrow-tipped 24-hour hand, a matte black dial, and a 40mm stainless steel case. The nickname comes from a 1970s Rolex advertising campaign featuring Steve McQueen, even though McQueen's personal watch was actually a Submariner ref. 5512, not the 1655. The 1655 was designed for cave explorers and speleologists but sold poorly during production, which is why clean original examples in unpolished condition are now highly collectible.

• What is a Red Submariner?

  The Red Submariner is the Rolex Submariner ref. 1680 produced from 1969 through roughly 1975, identified by the word "Submariner" printed in red on the dial. The ref. 1680 was the first Submariner with a date window and Cyclops lens, and the red text was used on the early production. Rolex switched to all-white printing (the so-called White Sub) from 1976 through 1979. Six distinct Red Sub dial variants (Mark I through Mark VI) exist with small differences in font, printing, and layout, and specific Marks command significantly different prices in the vintage market.

• What is a Double Red Sea-Dweller?

  The Double Red Sea-Dweller (DRSD) is the Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 produced from 1967 to 1977, named for the two lines of red text on the dial reading "SEA-DWELLER" and "SUBMARINER 2000." The 1665 was Rolex's first saturation-grade dive watch, rated to 610 meters (2,000 feet), with a helium escape valve developed with COMEX and a domed crystal without the Cyclops date magnifier. Four dial variants (Mark I through Mark IV) exist, with the earliest Patent Pending examples being the most valuable. After 1977, Rolex moved to the single-white-text ref. 1665 "Great White" through the early 1980s.

• How much is a 1970s Rolex worth?

  Pre-owned 1970s Rolex values start in the low four figures for Air-King and Oyster Perpetual pieces, run $3,500 to $8,000 for most Datejust ref. 1601 and 1603 references, and climb into the five figures for Explorer 1016 and GMT-Master 1675. Sports references carry the real premium: a Submariner 5513 runs $12,000 to $30,000, a Red Sub 1680 ranges from the mid-five figures to six figures depending on dial Mark, and a Double Red Sea-Dweller 1665 and Steve McQueen Explorer II 1655 both trade in the mid-five-figure and up range. Paul Newman Daytonas on ref. 6263/6265 remain six-figure to seven-figure watches. Condition, dial originality, and case polish history drive most of the spread within any reference.

• When did Rolex switch to sapphire crystal?

  Rolex phased in sapphire crystal starting in 1977 on the Day-Date ref. 18038, then rolled it out across the lineup over the following years. The Submariner 16800 launched with sapphire crystal, quickset date, and 300-meter water resistance in late 1979, and the Datejust moved to sapphire with the ref. 16200 series in the early 1980s. This means nearly every 1970s Rolex sport reference (5513, 1680, 1665, 1655, 1675, 1016, 6263, 6265) uses acrylic crystal, which is part of what gives them their distinct vintage look. Replacement acrylic crystals are inexpensive and easy to service, which is actually a practical advantage for long-term ownership.

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