Reference:16550: Difference between revisions

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===Cream and rail dials===

Some white dials have aged to cream or ivory. European Watch Company ~~describes~~ a defect in the white dial paint; Sotheby’s catalogues describe the ~~cream~~ tone as aging. ~~The published accounts describe the color and, in European Watch Company’s case, a paint defect; they give no~~ paint chemistry or factory correction date. Italian collectors use ''panna'', meaning cream, for this color.

Some white dials have aged to cream or ivory. European Watch Company attributes the creaming to a defect in the white dial paint; Sotheby’s catalogues describe the tone as aging. Neither gives paint chemistry or a factory correction date. Italian collectors use ''panna'', meaning cream, for this color.

“Rail” refers to the vertical alignment of the C in <code>CHRONOMETER</code> with the C in <code>CERTIFIED</code>. It appears on black as well as white dials, so cream and rail are separate features. Auction catalogues identify cream rail examples from around 1985 through 1988, though their dates remain estimates for individual watches.

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===Nipple-style dial===

Christie’s and Antiquorum have catalogued three 16550s with raised, cup-shaped luminous markers, described as “bicchierini” or nipple-style dials. Christie’s attributes case 8399062 to two Beyeler dials requested for the 1982 Basel fair, with one later fitted to that watch. Antiquorum called case 8584610 a prototype in 2020, then described case 9376077 as a prototype in 2021. In the later catalogue, Antiquorum said it had seen three such examples on the market, including the Christie’s and 2020 Antiquorum lots. ~~That~~ is ~~an auction-house count~~ of ~~known~~ sightings, ~~not a production total; neither catalogue cites~~ a Rolex production record ~~for the story~~.

Christie’s and Antiquorum have catalogued three 16550s with raised, cup-shaped luminous markers, described as “bicchierini” or nipple-style dials. Christie’s attributes case 8399062 to two Beyeler dials requested for the 1982 Basel fair, with one later fitted to that watch. Antiquorum called case 8584610 a prototype in 2020, then described case 9376077 as a prototype in 2021. In the later catalogue, Antiquorum said it had seen three such examples on the market, including the Christie’s and 2020 Antiquorum lots. Antiquorum’s count is a report of market sightings. The two auction houses present the dial origin as an attribution, rather than citing a Rolex production record.

==Case, bezel and crown==

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==Bracelets and end links==

The Vintage Rolex Field Manual lists the 16550 with ~~bracelet/~~end-link ~~combinations 7206/~~58, 7836/580, 78360/580, ~~78360/~~593~~, 78360/~~501B ~~and~~ 93150/501B. Antiquorum’s 2020 prototype lot records a 78360 bracelet with 501B end links ~~on case 8584610~~. ~~The manual records~~ published fitments, and ~~Antiquorum documents one 78360/501B~~ example~~. Neither source ties every combination to~~ original delivery ~~on every 16550~~. A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head.

The Vintage Rolex Field Manual lists six combinations for the 16550:

* 7206 with end-link 58

* 7836 with end-link 580

* 78360 with end-links 580, 593 or 501B

* 93150 with end-link 501B

Antiquorum’s 2020 prototype lot also records a 78360 bracelet with 501B end links. These are published fitments and an individual example; original delivery still needs watch-specific evidence. A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head.

==Auction examples==

~~Auction records show how~~ dial labels, measurements ~~and dates apply to~~ individual watches:

The lots below record catalogue dates, dial labels, movements and measurements on individual watches:

{| class="wikitable"

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See also [[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II family]], [[Reference:Movements|Movements]], [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets and clasps]] and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]].

~~==Gallery==~~

File:Ref 16550 hero.webp|Explorer II 16550

@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 ===Cream and rail dials===
-Some white dials have aged to cream or ivory. European Watch Company describes a defect in the white dial paint; Sotheby’s catalogues describe the cream tone as aging. The published accounts describe the color and, in European Watch Company’s case, a paint defect; they give no paint chemistry or factory correction date. Italian collectors use ''panna'', meaning cream, for this color.
+Some white dials have aged to cream or ivory. European Watch Company attributes the creaming to a defect in the white dial paint; Sotheby’s catalogues describe the tone as aging. Neither gives paint chemistry or a factory correction date. Italian collectors use ''panna'', meaning cream, for this color.
 “Rail” refers to the vertical alignment of the C in <code>CHRONOMETER</code> with the C in <code>CERTIFIED</code>. It appears on black as well as white dials, so cream and rail are separate features. Auction catalogues identify cream rail examples from around 1985 through 1988, though their dates remain estimates for individual watches.
@@ Line 111: / Line 111: @@
 ===Nipple-style dial===
-Christie’s and Antiquorum have catalogued three 16550s with raised, cup-shaped luminous markers, described as “bicchierini” or nipple-style dials. Christie’s attributes case 8399062 to two Beyeler dials requested for the 1982 Basel fair, with one later fitted to that watch. Antiquorum called case 8584610 a prototype in 2020, then described case 9376077 as a prototype in 2021. In the later catalogue, Antiquorum said it had seen three such examples on the market, including the Christie’s and 2020 Antiquorum lots. That is an auction-house count of known sightings, not a production total; neither catalogue cites a Rolex production record for the story.
+Christie’s and Antiquorum have catalogued three 16550s with raised, cup-shaped luminous markers, described as “bicchierini” or nipple-style dials. Christie’s attributes case 8399062 to two Beyeler dials requested for the 1982 Basel fair, with one later fitted to that watch. Antiquorum called case 8584610 a prototype in 2020, then described case 9376077 as a prototype in 2021. In the later catalogue, Antiquorum said it had seen three such examples on the market, including the Christie’s and 2020 Antiquorum lots. Antiquorum’s count is a report of market sightings. The two auction houses present the dial origin as an attribution, rather than citing a Rolex production record.
 ==Case, bezel and crown==
@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 ==Bracelets and end links==
-The Vintage Rolex Field Manual lists the 16550 with bracelet/end-link combinations 7206/58, 7836/580, 78360/580, 78360/593, 78360/501B and 93150/501B. Antiquorum’s 2020 prototype lot records a 78360 bracelet with 501B end links on case 8584610. The manual records published fitments, and Antiquorum documents one 78360/501B example. Neither source ties every combination to original delivery on every 16550. A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head.
+The Vintage Rolex Field Manual lists six combinations for the 16550:
+* 7206 with end-link 58
+* 7836 with end-link 580
+* 78360 with end-links 580, 593 or 501B
+* 93150 with end-link 501B
+Antiquorum’s 2020 prototype lot also records a 78360 bracelet with 501B end links. These are published fitments and an individual example; original delivery still needs watch-specific evidence. A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head.
 ==Auction examples==
-Auction records show how dial labels, measurements and dates apply to individual watches:
+The lots below record catalogue dates, dial labels, movements and measurements on individual watches:
 {| class="wikitable"
@@ Line 172: / Line 179: @@
 See also [[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II family]], [[Reference:Movements|Movements]], [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets and clasps]] and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]].
-==Gallery==
 <gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
 File:Ref 16550 hero.webp|Explorer II 16550