Lapis Dial 16019 Rolex Datejust, White Gold

Stone dial Datejusts, particularly in white gold as this example is, took a very particular type of buyer in the mid-70s. This wasn’t the top of the Rolex catalogue in period, the Day-Date had already emerged. For both a stone dial and precious metal, you were adding a very significant premium to the base model. So much so that the retail value of this watch would’ve exceed most standard Day-Dates. And in white gold, you’re paying far over the odds to have what largely appears to be a steel watch. They are rare today simply because that proposition made almost no sense to anyone in 1978. And it’s hard to argue with. Except that, with hindsight, this is the greatest category of Datejust that’s ever been made.

For the 16019 (9 for white gold), you’ll largely find stone and wood dials. No one really stepped up to that level of premium without also opting for some more individual dial choice. Most are burlwood, some are lapis, but onyx dials exist in white gold Datejust well. And there are one, maybe two, examples of red jasper dials in white gold cases as well. So far, no one knows of a green jasper/bloodstone. I would be surprised if the grand total of all stone dials in white gold cases surviving today exceeds 50 examples, but the truth is no one really knows.

White gold stone dials attract an immense premium, simply because they account for the tiniest fraction of production. For context, the most recent Lapis Datejust to auction in yellow gold was last year, at 57K USD. This one is asking 200K. But then again that’s a times multiplier and these are far more rare than four times a yellow gold case. So perhaps that’s a bargain! (Read: sarcasm). Markets always become unintuitive in extreme rarity, but it’s hard to argue with the level of beauty.

This example is quite lovely overall. The case has seen a very light polish, but nothing remotely abusive. It has been worn, but that's not a bad thing. The dial shows no hairlines which is all-important here. It comes from a well-regarded Malaysian retailer.