What is a factory diamond dial?

A factory diamond dial was made and set by Rolex as a catalog option. The diamonds are small round brilliants of consistent size and quality, set in gold mounts that Rolex made for the purpose, and the dial itself is a standard Rolex dial with the correct printing, finish and hour layout for the reference. Rolex offered these on the Date, Datejust and Day-Date in precious metal cases, with eight diamonds at the hours and baguettes or batons at 6 and 9, or ten diamonds with batons at 3 and 9, depending on the era.

The point is that everything on the dial is Rolex work. That is the difference collectors are paying for, and it is a large one.

We look at three things. First the mounts: factory settings are small, uniform and finished on all sides, with the diamonds sitting low and level. Aftermarket settings are often larger, sometimes hand-made and slightly uneven, with stones at different heights. Second the dial: an aftermarket diamond dial is frequently a standard dial with the original markers removed and holes drilled, which leaves marks on the back and a printed minute track that does not line up with the new stones. Third the stones: factory diamonds are matched; aftermarket ones vary in size and color.

Turn the dial over if you can. Factory diamond dials have Rolex stampings on the back and no trace of a previous marker layout.

• Uniform low settings, matched stones, correct dial printing: factory.
• Uneven settings, mixed stones, drill marks on the back: aftermarket.
• Diamond markers on a steel Datejust from the 1970s: almost always aftermarket.
• Diamonds at every hour including 3 with no date window clearance: aftermarket.

Factory diamond dials were offered on gold and two-tone watches: the Date 15037 and 1503 in yellow gold, the Datejust 1601 and 1603 in gold and two-tone, and above all the Day-Date 1803 and 18038, where diamond dials were a standard part of the catalog. Steel sport models never came with diamond dials from the factory in the vintage period, so any diamond-dial Submariner or GMT-Master is aftermarket. The 15037 we sold, in 14k gold with a matte blue factory diamond dial, is a good example of a reference where the option was available and the dial is correct for the watch.

Yes, relative to the same watch with a standard dial, and far more than the same watch with an aftermarket diamond dial, which usually sells for less than a plain example because it is no longer original. How much more depends on the reference, the dial color under the diamonds, and the condition of the settings. Rare combinations, such as a matte colored dial with factory stones, bring more than a common champagne dial. See the 15037 below for a sold example, and our reference article for what to check on that model.

The same rule applies. Rolex made diamond bezels for certain gold references, and those are catalog items with consistent settings and a Rolex-finished bezel. Aftermarket diamond bezels, bracelets and cases are common, especially on watches that passed through the Diamond District in the 1980s and 1990s, and they reduce the value of the watch as a collector's piece even when the work is good. If a watch has been set with diamonds after the fact, it should be priced as a jewelry watch, not as an original Rolex. We say so in the listing when it applies.