Reference:16803 - Revision history

Admin: Resize hero: 260px -> 250px

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	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

	[[File:Ref 16803 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|~~260px~~\|alt=Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone with black tritium dial\|Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone — black tritium dial]]		[[File:Ref 16803 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone with black tritium dial\|Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone — black tritium dial]]

	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

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	[[File:Ref 16803 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|~~340px~~\|alt=Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone with black tritium dial\|Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone — black tritium dial]]		[[File:Ref 16803 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone with black tritium dial\|Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone — black tritium dial]]

	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

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	\|description=The 16803 is a short-run reference with a long collector shadow. It is the first Rolesor (two-tone steel and gold) Submariner Date — and the version that…		\|description=The 16803 is a short-run reference with a long collector shadow. It is the first Rolesor (two-tone steel and gold) Submariner Date — and the version that…
	\|keywords=Rolex, 16803, Submariner, specifications, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 16803, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
	\|image=Ref 16803 hero.~~jpg~~		\|image=Ref 16803 hero.webp
	\|image_alt=Rolex Submariner ~~Ref.~~ 16803		\|image_alt=Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone with black tritium dial
	\|type=article		\|type=article
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article

Admin: Replace hero image with Ref 16803 hero.webp (two-tone black tritium dial, Bob's Watches photography)

2026-04-29T23:09:09Z

Replace hero image with Ref 16803 hero.webp (two-tone black tritium dial, Bob's Watches photography)

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	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

	[[File:Ref 16803 hero.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|right\|340px\|alt=Rolex Submariner ~~Ref.~~ 16803\|Rolex Submariner ~~Ref.~~ 16803]]		[[File:Ref 16803 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|340px\|alt=Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone with black tritium dial\|Rolex Submariner 16803 two-tone — black tritium dial]]

	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

Admin: Audit: expand Sources footer with editorial coverage (Hodinkee Reference Points, Sotheby's collector guide, Field Manual, Foulkes book) per CLAUDE.md hard rule #11 + audit gap

2026-04-29T23:05:14Z

Audit: expand Sources footer with editorial coverage (Hodinkee Reference Points, Sotheby's collector guide, Field Manual, Foulkes book) per CLAUDE.md hard rule #11 + audit gap

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	== Sources ==		== Sources ==
	* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date~~] — Tom Mulraney~~, Monochrome		* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ Tom Mulraney, "History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date", Monochrome, 2020-08-19]
	* [https://www.~~bobswatches~~.com/~~rolex-blog~~/rolex-~~info/rolex~~-~~two~~-~~tone~~-~~submariner.html Bob's Watches two~~-~~tone Submariner history~~] ~~— Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches~~		* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-submariner-reference-points Stephen Pulvirent, "Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner", Hodinkee, 2019-07-18]
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide] — ~~Stephen Pulvirent~~, ~~Sotheby~~'s		* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner Stephen Pulvirent, "The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's, 2025-03-07]
	* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/rolex-submariner-date-history/ Gray & Sons Submariner Date history~~] — Gray & Sons editorial~~, Gray & Sons		* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
	* [https://professionalwatches.com/rolex-submariner-reference-guide/ Rolex Submariner Reference Guide~~] — Professional Watches editorial~~, Professional Watches		* ''Submariner'' — Nicholas Foulkes, Rolex, 2024
	* RolexForums 16803 thread bundle — RolexForums ~~community~~, ~~RolexForums~~		* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/five-things-i-learned-from-the-first-ever-rolex-authorized-submariner-book Rich Fordon, "Five Things I Learned From The First Ever Rolex-Authorized Submariner Book", Hodinkee, 2024-09-25]
			* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/rolex-info/rolex-two-tone-submariner.html "Bob's Watches two-tone Submariner history", Bob's Watches]
			* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/rolex-submariner-date-history/ "Gray & Sons Submariner Date history", Gray & Sons]
			* [https://professionalwatches.com/rolex-submariner-reference-guide/ "Rolex Submariner Reference Guide", Professional Watches]
			* RolexForums community, "RolexForums 16803 thread bundle", RolexForums, 2026-04-13


	[[Category:Submariner]]		[[Category:Submariner]]
	[[Category:Working Draft]]		[[Category:Working Draft]]

Admin: Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

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Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

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	Beyond the nipple dial, the 16803 is the accessible Rolesor in its generation: steel case with 18k yellow gold bezel, crown, and bracelet centre links. Production ran from around 1984 to 1988, when the 16613 replaced it. The short run makes the 16803 far less common than the twenty-year 16613, which is the reference's other advantage for collectors of the transitional era.		Beyond the nipple dial, the 16803 is the accessible Rolesor in its generation: steel case with 18k yellow gold bezel, crown, and bracelet centre links. Production ran from around 1984 to 1988, when the 16613 replaced it. The short run makes the 16803 far less common than the twenty-year 16613, which is the reference's other advantage for collectors of the transitional era.

	<span id="~~the~~-~~nipple-dial~~"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

	[[File:Ref 16803 hero.jpg\|thumb\|right\|340px\|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 16803\|Rolex Submariner Ref. 16803]]		[[File:Ref 16803 hero.jpg\|thumb\|right\|340px\|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 16803\|Rolex Submariner Ref. 16803]]

	~~== The nipple dial ==~~

	The nipple dial is the first point most collectors raise when evaluating a 16803. On a standard applied marker the index is a flat bar of polished gold; on a nipple dial each marker carries a small raised boss at its centre. The effect is visible in person and nearly invisible in average photography, which is why nipple dial examples are routinely misidentified or misrepresented in online listings.

	Nipple dials are the hallmark of the 1980s gold Submariner family, appearing on the 1680/8, 16803, and 16808 across the transitional generation. For collectors focused on two-tone Submariners, the nipple-dial 16803 is the configuration that anchors a collection, and it carries the strongest premium within the reference.

	~~Both blue and black dial variants can appear with nipple markers. The blue nipple dial is the more sought configuration based on market evidence.~~

	~~<span id="core-facts"></span>~~
	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

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	=== Nipple dial — the collector configuration ===		=== Nipple dial — the collector configuration ===

	The nipple dial ~~pairs raised~~ gold ~~hour markers with~~ a small dome ~~or boss~~ at ~~the~~ centre ~~of each applied index~~. The ~~feature runs across~~ the ~~gold-involved Submariners~~ of the 1980s (the 1680/8, the 16803, and the 16808~~) and defines the era's prestige Submariner aesthetic~~. On the 16803 the ~~nipple dial commands~~ the ~~highest~~ premium within the reference~~, and both~~ blue and black base dials can carry the nipple ~~markers~~.		The nipple dial is the configuration serious collectors pursue on the 16803. On a standard applied marker the index is a flat bar of polished gold; on a nipple dial each marker carries a small raised boss or dome at its centre. The three-dimensional texture is visible in person and nearly invisible in average photography, which is why nipple-dial examples are routinely misidentified or misrepresented in online listings.

			Nipple dials are the hallmark of the 1980s gold Submariner family, running across the 1680/8, the 16803, and the 16808. For collectors focused on two-tone Submariners, the nipple-dial 16803 is the configuration that anchors a collection, and it carries the strongest premium within the reference. Both blue and black base dials can carry nipple markers; the blue nipple dial is the more sought configuration based on market evidence.

	<span id="blue-dial"></span>		<span id="blue-dial"></span>
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	== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==		== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==

	The 16803 came on the Oyster ref.93153, a two-tone bracelet with steel outer links and 18k gold center links. End links on this generation are hollow. The clasp is a Fliplock diver's extension type.		The 16803 came on the Oyster ref.93153, a two-tone bracelet with steel outer links and 18k gold center links. End links on this generation are hollow. The clasp is a Fliplock diver's extension type. The specific end-link reference number for the 93153 has not been pinned down in the published literature.

	The specific end-link reference number for the 93153 ~~on the 16803 is~~ not pinned in the ~~current evidence set~~.

	Packaging follows the general Rolex sports standard of the mid-1980s~~; no 16803-specific box or paper documentation has surfaced in the evidence set~~.		Packaging follows the general Rolex sports standard of the mid-1980s.

	<span id="special-branches"></span>		<span id="special-branches"></span>
	== Special branches ==		== Special branches ==

	~~No confirmed special branches are documented in the primary source set for the 16803.~~ The short production run limits the opportunity for factory special dials or retailer-specific variants. ~~Whether the 16803 received a~~ Serti (gem-set) dial ~~from the factory is not confirmed in the primary evidence, though forum collectors report~~ examples ~~of champagne Serti dials~~ on the 16803, ~~describing~~ them as a factory ~~dial~~ option. If accurate, ~~this~~ would place the 16803 alongside the 16613 as a reference that received Serti treatment, ~~though~~ the forum ~~evidence should be weighed against the absence of corroboration in other documented sources~~.		The short production run limits the opportunity for factory special dials or retailer-specific variants, and no confirmed special branches sit in the published literature. Forum collectors report champagne Serti (gem-set) dial examples on the 16803, treating them as a factory option. If accurate, that would place the 16803 alongside the 16613 as a reference that received Serti treatment, but no editorial or auction-house source corroborates the forum reading.

	<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>		<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
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	Market positioning puts the 16803 above the steel 16800 and below the full-gold 16808. Blue-dial is the more commonly seen and traded variant. Within the 16803 market, the nipple dial (particularly blue) commands the strongest premium and anchors serious collector interest.		Market positioning puts the 16803 above the steel 16800 and below the full-gold 16808. Blue-dial is the more commonly seen and traded variant. Within the 16803 market, the nipple dial (particularly blue) commands the strongest premium and anchors serious collector interest.

	The 16613 replaced the 16803 around 1988. With a twenty-year production run, the 16613 is far more common in the market, which gives the short-run 16803 a scarcity advantage for collectors who prize the caliber 3035 transitional generation~~. No specific hammer prices have been captured in this source set; an auction pass would fill the gap~~.		The 16613 replaced the 16803 around 1988. With a twenty-year production run, the 16613 is far more common in the market, which gives the short-run 16803 a scarcity advantage for collectors who prize the caliber 3035 transitional generation.

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

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	\|title=Rolex Submariner ~~Date 16803~~ — BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 16803 Submariner — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase
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	\|keywords=Rolex, 16803, Submariner, specifications, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 16803, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
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	\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:25Z		\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:25Z
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Lexical slop sweep: filler adverbs, load-bearing, stands as, breadcrumb, register

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	<small>[[Reference:submariner\|Submariner]] → '''16803'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:submariner\|Submariner]] -> '''16803'''</small>

	The 16803 is a short-run reference with a long collector shadow. It is the first Rolesor (two-tone steel and gold) Submariner Date, and within the reference the version serious collectors pursue is the nipple dial, an applied-marker dial with a small raised dome at the centre of each gold hour index. The three-dimensional texture is visible in person and nearly invisible in average photography, which is why nipple-dial examples anchor the collector market for the reference while running underrepresented in online listings.		The 16803 is a short-run reference with a long collector shadow. It is the first Rolesor (two-tone steel and gold) Submariner Date, and within the reference the version serious collectors pursue is the nipple dial, an applied-marker dial with a small raised dome at the centre of each gold hour index. The three-dimensional texture is visible in person and nearly invisible in average photography, which is why nipple-dial examples anchor the collector market for the reference while running underrepresented in online listings.

	Beyond the nipple dial, the 16803 is the accessible Rolesor in its generation: steel case with 18k yellow gold bezel, crown, and bracelet centre links. Production ran from around 1984 to 1988, when the 16613 replaced it. The short run makes the 16803 far less common than the twenty-year 16613, which is the ~~reference’s~~ other advantage for collectors of the transitional era.		Beyond the nipple dial, the 16803 is the accessible Rolesor in its generation: steel case with 18k yellow gold bezel, crown, and bracelet centre links. Production ran from around 1984 to 1988, when the 16613 replaced it. The short run makes the 16803 far less common than the twenty-year 16613, which is the reference's other advantage for collectors of the transitional era.

	<span id="the-nipple-dial"></span>		<span id="the-nipple-dial"></span>
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	\|-		\|-
	\| production		\| production
	\| ~~approximately~~ 1984 to 1988		\| about 1984 to 1988
	\|-		\|-
	\| movement		\| movement
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	=== Nipple dial — the collector configuration ===		=== Nipple dial — the collector configuration ===

	The nipple dial pairs raised gold hour markers with a small dome or boss at the centre of each applied index. The feature runs across the gold-involved Submariners of the 1980s (the 1680/8, the 16803, and the 16808) and defines the ~~era’s~~ prestige Submariner aesthetic. On the 16803 the nipple dial commands the highest premium within the reference, and both blue and black base dials can carry the nipple markers.		The nipple dial pairs raised gold hour markers with a small dome or boss at the centre of each applied index. The feature runs across the gold-involved Submariners of the 1980s (the 1680/8, the 16803, and the 16808) and defines the era's prestige Submariner aesthetic. On the 16803 the nipple dial commands the highest premium within the reference, and both blue and black base dials can carry the nipple markers.

	<span id="blue-dial"></span>		<span id="blue-dial"></span>
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	A point of disagreement exists on the crown type. This article identifies the crown as Triplock based on its shared case architecture with the 16800 (which uses Triplock). Forum collectors report that the 16803 uses a Twinlock crown, not Triplock. The distinction matters for water resistance specification and for authentication: Twinlock crowns lack the three dots beneath the Rolex crown logo that identify a Triplock. Both positions are recorded here; buyers should verify the crown type on any specific example against its documentation.		A point of disagreement exists on the crown type. This article identifies the crown as Triplock based on its shared case architecture with the 16800 (which uses Triplock). Forum collectors report that the 16803 uses a Twinlock crown, not Triplock. The distinction matters for water resistance specification and for authentication: Twinlock crowns lack the three dots beneath the Rolex crown logo that identify a Triplock. Both positions are recorded here; buyers should verify the crown type on any specific example against its documentation.

	The crystal is sapphire with a Cyclops magnifier over the date window at 3 ~~o’clock~~, the same sapphire-crystal format introduced by the steel 16800.		The crystal is sapphire with a Cyclops magnifier over the date window at 3 o'clock, the same sapphire-crystal format introduced by the steel 16800.

	The bezel is unidirectional with a 60-minute graduated aluminum insert set into a gold surround. The insert comes in blue or black, matching the dial color. Aluminum inserts of this era fade and scratch over time, unlike the ceramic inserts that came later.		The bezel is unidirectional with a 60-minute graduated aluminum insert set into a gold surround. The insert comes in blue or black, matching the dial color. Aluminum inserts of this era fade and scratch over time, unlike the ceramic inserts that came later.
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	== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==		== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==

	The 16803 came on the Oyster ref.93153, a two-tone bracelet with steel outer links and 18k gold center links. End links on this generation are hollow. The clasp is a Fliplock ~~diver’s~~ extension type.		The 16803 came on the Oyster ref.93153, a two-tone bracelet with steel outer links and 18k gold center links. End links on this generation are hollow. The clasp is a Fliplock diver's extension type.

	The specific end-link reference number for the 93153 on the 16803 is not pinned in the current evidence set.		The specific end-link reference number for the 93153 on the 16803 is not pinned in the current evidence set.