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Bob’s Watches Acquires Vintage Rolex Won on ‘The Price is Right’
The Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany & Co. dial came from the original owner, who won it as a prize on the game show in the 1970s.
This 1978 Rolex Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany signature was worth a few hundred dollars when the game show contestant took it home in the 1970s, according to Bob’s Watches, and today, it is considered to be one of the rarest Submariners ever made.
New York—A vintage Rolex won by a contestant on “The Price is Right” in the late 1970s has been acquired by Bob’s Watches, where it is now for sale for nearly $40,000.
On an episode of the game show filmed about 50 years ago, one contestant opened a door to reveal what would become quite the valuable prize—a 1978 Rolex Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany-signed dial.
The timepiece is now considered one of the rarest Submariners ever made, but in its “The Price is Right” era, it hadn’t achieved that status yet.
“During the late 1970s, a base-model Rolex Submariner 1680 retailed in the low hundreds only, probably in the $300 to $400 range,” Bob’s Watches CEO Paul Altieri said in an interview with National Jeweler.
“Despite the Tiffany & Co. co-branding itself having some cache, its scarcer status wasn't particularly well understood at the time. The watches were appreciated as functional tools above all. It wasn't until long after the fact that the market could truly come to appreciate the worth of these unique Tiffany-stamped dials.”
The reference 1680, the first Submariner to feature a date display, debuted in 1967 and was in production until 1979. It hit the market about a decade after Rolex and Tiffany & Co. had initiated a partnership to sell Rolex watches through the retailer.
Rolexes of nearly every model were delivered to the stores, and the Tiffany team put their logo on the dial.
The branding was done by hand at first, and then stamped, until eventually, Rolex had the marking done in its own factory, which led to a wide range of variations within these co-branded timepieces. Some Rolexes that were sold through Tiffany & Co. never received the co-branded mark at all.
The collaboration ended around the 1990s, and since then, Tiffany-signed Rolexes have risen in popularity with collectors, according to Bob’s Watches.
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On an episode of the game show filmed about 50 years ago, one contestant opened a door to reveal what would become quite the valuable prize—a 1978 Rolex Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany-signed dial.
The timepiece is now considered one of the rarest Submariners ever made, but in its “The Price is Right” era, it hadn’t achieved that status yet.
“During the late 1970s, a base-model Rolex Submariner 1680 retailed in the low hundreds only, probably in the $300 to $400 range,” Bob’s Watches CEO Paul Altieri said in an interview with National Jeweler.
“Despite the Tiffany & Co. co-branding itself having some cache, its scarcer status wasn't particularly well understood at the time. The watches were appreciated as functional tools above all. It wasn't until long after the fact that the market could truly come to appreciate the worth of these unique Tiffany-stamped dials.”
The reference 1680, the first Submariner to feature a date display, debuted in 1967 and was in production until 1979. It hit the market about a decade after Rolex and Tiffany & Co. had initiated a partnership to sell Rolex watches through the retailer.
Rolexes of nearly every model were delivered to the stores, and the Tiffany team put their logo on the dial.
The branding was done by hand at first, and then stamped, until eventually, Rolex had the marking done in its own factory, which led to a wide range of variations within these co-branded timepieces. Some Rolexes that were sold through Tiffany & Co. never received the co-branded mark at all.
The collaboration ended around the 1990s, and since then, Tiffany-signed Rolexes have risen in popularity with collectors, according to Bob’s Watches.
The owner of the prize watch wore his Rolex for decades before selling it to Bob’s Watches and sharing the story behind it.
“The initial owner wasn't a collector by definition; he merely individually appreciated the watch he won. He used to wear it and maintained it over time and never saw it as an investment,” Altieri said.
“That is very much a positive part of the story. He owned the watch for intrinsic value, not the monetary value it has, and it is true ownership history like this that is very important to collectors today.”
The listing description says the watch is in “great, honest vintage condition with wear consistent with age.”
Altieri said the owner’s enjoyment of the watch adds to the character and individuality of the piece.
“This is no typical vintage Submariner; it is his Submariner, with a unique history to add to its emotional and historical value,” he added.
“We just recently bought the watch. It is rare to get a piece like this, and to do it in an original condition and with a clear history is even less common. This is one of those perfect scenarios where the specific watch, the specific dial, and the written history all came together. That is why we are here in the vintage watch world.”
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