If you’re in the market for a pre-owned luxury watch, then Kibble Watches is a good place to start. This family-owned business down in Clerkenwell, London specialises in buying and selling pre-owned watches, sourced from collectors who care passionately about their timepieces.
Their website is packed full of incredible watches dating back as far as the 1940’s from brands in every genre. Of course, one of their best-selling names is Rolex. For over a century, this Swiss watchmaking powerhouse has been synonymous with precision, prestige, and timeless style, and you don’t need to be a genius horologist to know the value in purchasing a pre-owned Rolex watch.
And so, we thought we’d peruse Kibble’s selection of Rolex watches and pick some of our personal favourites from the line-up.
1973 Rolex Datejust 1601 Rare Sigma Dial on Jubilee
For many watch collectors, part of the fun of collecting is obsessing over the different design details that separate common models from rarer editions. For Rolex collectors, one of these is the “Sigma dial”, a display that is marked by a “σ” symbol to certify the use of gold. In the case of this 1973 Rolex Datejust, the vertically brushed silver dial is marked by “σ T SWISS T σ” at 6 o’clock to confirm the use of gold on the hour markers. The T’s also highlight the use of tritium lume at the hourly intervals.
The 36mm stainless steel case comes with its own 18ct white gold fluted bezel joined alongside domed plexiglass crystal. As is expected from the Rolex Datejust, the date is presented at 3 o’clock beneath a large cyclops window. This is powered by the Rolex Cal. 1570 movement, first introduced in 1965, with Superlative chronometer-certified status. The watch is completed by a Rolex Jubilee 6251 H bracelet with a Rolex folding clasp and 55 endlinks.
- Reference : 1601
- Movement : Automatic Rolex Cal. 1570
- Age : 1971/1980
- Specific Age : Circa. 1973
- Case Size : 36mm
- Case Thickness : 11.5mm
- Lug to Lug : 44mm
- Lugs : 20mm
- Condition : Pre-Owned
- Box & Papers : None
- Case Material : Stainless Steel
- Warranty : 12-Months Non-waterproof Warranty
- Price: £4,750
1997 Rolex Submariner 14060 "2-Liner" Tritium
A classic steel Rolex Submariner is almost a prerequisite for any serious watch collector at this point, and this 1997 Rolex Sub ticks many boxes. It has a beautifully slender 40mm steel case with a 13mm height and the original steel Oyster bracelet. The iconic Sub bezel is present, engineered from black aluminium with unidirectional rotating functionality and a white printed dive scale.
For the dial, the Rolex Submariner 14060 keeps things classic in black with applied white-gold disc and baton indexes filled with glow in the dark tritium and matching luminous Mercedes hands. There’s also not a date window in sight, which will be a bonus for many lovers of the clean dial look. The time-only functions are powered by the 1990 Rolex Cal. 3000 movement with 27 jewels and a frequency of 28,800vph. This really is a great Rolex watch for someone just getting started in watch collecting.
- Reference : 14060
- Movement : Automatic Rolex Cal. 3000
- Age : 1991/2000
- Specific Age : July 1997
- Case Size : 40mm
- Case Thickness : 13mm
- Lug to Lug : 47mm
- Lugs : 20mm
- Condition : Pre-Owned
- Box & Papers : Papers
- Case Material : Stainless Steel
- Warranty : 12-Months Non-waterproof Warranty
- Now Sold.
2004 Rolex Explorer II "Polar" White 16570 SEL Full Set
This 2004 Rolex Explorer II is a real treat. The Explorer II is one of the more affordable sports Rolex watches on the market and to find it with a white dial and 40mm case feels like a perfect pairing. The model was specifically made for Spelunkers, otherwise known as cave explorers and researchers, who needed to keep track of time and whether it was am or pm via the large luminous 24-hour hand and 24-hour bezel.
The 2004 Rolex Explorer II "Polar" White watch offers exactly that; a steel 24-hour bezel upon a 40mm steel case with a TwinLock screw-down crown, a two-gasket seal system and sapphire crystal glass. The dial is finished in white and generously adorned in Superluminova across the applied indices and hands, including the bright red GMT hand. The watch is fuelled by the Rolex Cal. 3186 with a Parachrom hairspring for greater durability against knocks and a power reserve of approximately 50 hours.
- Reference : 16570
- Movement : Automatic Rolex Cal. 3186
- Age : 2001/2010
- Specific Age : August 2004
- Case Size : 40mm
- Case Thickness : 12mm
- Lug to Lug : 47mm
- Lugs : 20mm
- Condition : Pre-Owned
- Box & Papers : Box & Papers
- Case Material : Stainless Steel
- Warranty: 12-Months Warranty
- Now Sold.
1991 Rolex GMT-Master "Pepsi" 16700 Tritium Dial & Hands
Like with the Rolex Datejust mentioned above, another popular design feature for collectors of Rolex watches is the “Pepsi” bezel. Just as its name suggests, this is a bezel coloured in the well-known Pepsi colours of red and blue. The upper half of the 24-hour bezel is done in a navy blue for indicating the night hours while the bottom half is red for the day hours. In the instance of Kibble’s 1991 Rolex GMT-Master, the bezel is engineered from aluminium and pairs with a 40mm steel case and Rolex Oyster bracelet.
To match with the colouring of the bezel, the Rolex GMT-Master presents a black dial with tritium-filled white gold discs and baton indices, Mercedes hands, a sweeping lollipop seconds hand and a bright red GMT hand. Those into their GMT watches will know the GMT-Master is one of the most famous “true GMT” watches with an independent hour hand. The time-zone hopping function is powered by the automatic Rolex Cal. 3175 hidden behind a coin-edged case back.
- Reference : 16700
- Movement : Automatic Rolex Cal. 3175
- Age : 1991/2000
- Specific Age : Circa. 1991
- Case Size : 40mm
- Case Thickness : 11mm
- Lug to Lug : 46.5mm
- Lugs : 20mm
- Condition : Pre-Owned
- Box & Papers : Box
- Case Material : Stainless Steel
- Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
- Price: £8,995
1973 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day Date 1807 Bark with Bracelet
Last but not least, another unique feature found on just a handful of Rolex Oyster watches is Rolex’s “bark” texture, a finish that is often found on the centre links of a bracelet and bezel that resembles tree bark. This 1973 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day Date 1807 boasts the very same, presenting the bark motif across the 18ct yellow gold bezel and bracelet. Since Rolex no longer creates watches with this texture, this is a truly special find and one certainly worth considering if you’re a fan of unique Rolex watches.
The bark texture of the bezel and bracelet contrasts against the brushed and polished finishing of the 36mm case and shiny champagne dial. The latter presents a framed, magnified date window at 3 o’clock and a crescent-shaped day window at 12 o’clock. The yellow gold hands for the hours, minutes and seconds are marked by tritium pips and come powered by the Superlative chronometer-certified Rolex Cal. 1556 automatic movement.
- Reference : 1807
- Movement : Automatic Rolex Cal. 1556
- Age : 1981/1990
- Specific Age : Circa. 1973
- Case Size : 36mm
- Case Thickness : 12mm
- Lug to Lug : 43.5mm
- Lugs : 20mm
- Condition : Pre-Owned
- Box & Papers : Box
- Case Material : 18ct Yellow Gold
- Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
- Price: £11,950
In just five watches, you can already see the variety and exclusivity of the timepieces available to view on the Kibble Watches website. If you’re someone on the hunt for a pre-owned Rolex watch, or any pre-owned watch for that matter, we highly recommend taking a gander at the vast selection of timepieces on their website.
