New Discovery
Genesis of Solid End Links (SEL)
Found on Rolex Datejust
Last week I published a super-detailed story on the history of the Rolex Turn-O-Graph, and Rolex Thunderbird. Even though it might appear I have moved-on with stories, I have been working on updating and expanding that article every day since I first published it, (worth a look-see if you haven't seen it since I originally published it :-) and recently I made a discovery which I think is pretty profound! It was previously believed the first Rolex watch with a Rolex Oyster bracelet that featured Solid End Links, commonly referred to in its acronym form by vintage Rolex collectors and scholars as "SEL", came into existence with the yellow gold Rolex Submariner (Reference 1680) which Rolex introduced in 1969.
Above we see a Rolex Submariner brochure from the early 1970s, which features the stainless steel Submariner (Reference 1680), as well as the yellow gold Submariner variant, along with the first commercially available Rolex SEA-DWELLER (Reference 1665). It's interesting to note, for all the hardcore Rolex history buffs, the photo in the upper right hand corner of the diver is none other than legendary deep sea diver, oceanographic expert and Rolex U.S.A. Executive, T. Walker Lloyd.
Rolex introduced the first Rolex Submariner model with a Date in 1967, with the introduction of the stainless steel Submariner model (Reference 1680), but it did NOT feature Solid End Links. This model was a huge hit and two years later, in 1969, Rolex introduced a premium luxury version which featured a number of details which differentiated it. This included, among other things, nipple indices (5 minute markers on dial), as well as Solid End Links.
First SEL Rolex Model
I believe I just discovered an even earlier Rolex Datejust that featured Solid End Links (SEL), and while I don't have an exact date, would imagine this model was made, based upon its design language characteristics, in the late 1950s, or early 1960s. I would date it this way based upon the combination of dauphin hands, and the applied ROLEX sans-serif logo on the dial under the Rolex Crown/Coronet, coupled with the sharp pointed late art-deco 5-minute dial indices. I shared my discovery with Nick Gould, and sought his opinion, and he said, "Who knows? Maybe it was a prototype Renè-Paul Jeanneret let out into the wild, as he frequently did?"
I want to point out while this photo from RPR (pictured above) could be an optical illusion, I don't think it is. If you look closely, the end of the center link SEL, is elongated and raised up highly as it juts out—just like a current modern Rolex Oyster Bracelet with SEL— to be held in place by a pin, which as we see has a rivet.
Just for frame-of-reference, so this all makes sense, I am including the image below from Craft and Tailored that shows a 1958 Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph 6609 which also is on a yellow gold riveted Rolex Oyster Bracelet, but it clearly lacks Solid End Links (SEL). If you look closely you will notice the end links are attached to the bracelet with a standard for the time broken (NON SEL) end link that lies completely flat and is flush with the outer links and joins the bracelet to the end link.
My second observation, and that is the fact that the SEL mode pictured two images up is on a riveted Rolex Oyster bracelet, which pre-dates the yellow gold Rolex Oyster Bracelet that was introduced on the 1969 yellow gold Rolex Submariner, as we see in the image below from Luca Musumeci. Notice the first generation, gold Rolex Submariner model Oyster Bracelet did NOT feature a riveted bracelet, but instead features the much more modern milled Oyster bracelet.
On a side note, the first generation yellow gold Submariner models, with the cobalt blue dial and matching bezel insert, with nipple indices remain one of my favorite vintage Rolex sport models. These models were just magnificent!!!!
Just for frame-of-reference, I am including the photo above of this magnificently beautiful example of a 1957 Rolex DATEJUST model featuring the THUNDERBIRD bezel insert, which features a remarkably similar dial and hands as the Datejust pictured above with the SEL. Both of the applied ROLEX letter logo, along with lumed dauphin hands., and the exact same bezel. This beauty was auctioned by Christie's back in 2015, and is a Reference 6609, that was made in 1957. The primary reason I added it to this story is to accurately date the SEL model.
SIDENOTE
I reached out to Cameron Barr from Craft & Tailored, to get his insight on this mystery, and he kind of freaked me out with his self-proclaimed "nerd rage", as he went off in detail that almost send my head spinning. He pointed out a potential point of confusion with my story, which I want to clarify. Solid End Link (SEL) can mean two different things. The way I was using it suggests that if the center end link is solid in construction and appearance, it's a Solid End Link, which is the case with the watch pictured below (pun not intended).
Cameron pointed out the other meaning, which also makes sense. In the early days of the Oyster, it featured a stamped end piece, that were typically pretty flimsy and janky, particularly if yellow gold was used as its relatively soft.
Then, over time, Rolex evolved the construction to make the end cap look like it was machined or milled from a solid piece of metal, when it was just stamped. Apparently this was the case with the first generation of yellow gold Submariner models. In other word, they looked like they had a solid center end link, but it was still stamped.
Then a few years later, Rolex beefed up the construction and milled the end links out of two separate parts. Then, in or around 2011 Rolex went all in and milled the entire end link out of one solid piece of metal, and this is the way they remain today. This beefier construction makes them much more solid and bulletproof. The really strange thing about the watch pictured above is its center end link is milled or machined, as we can plainly see from the side profile.
For now, this will remain a bit of a mystery until I can get to the bottom of it ;-)
