In the mid-20th century, Rolex produced a limited number of defective dials whose black paint was prone to fading when exposed to ultraviolet rays. Many were replaced by service dials or otherwise discarded.

But variation in the ageing processes of those that were preserved rendered the timepieces beneath whose crystals they live rarer than any of Rolex’s Mark dial numbers might denote. From patina leather to sand dunes on which the darkness of night advances, the dials are often suffused with charming displays of brown, gold and what remains of their original black. And the sun’s role in transforming them led to their being named “tropical dials”.

Between September 8 and 14, Bob’s Watches will host a bespoke auction online, with four of these vintage tropical dial Rolexes available. Once registered on the website, a user may bid for one of these highly coveted watches. If one is outbid, one shall be notified and may then resubmit new offers until the auction ends. 

This carefully curated collection comprises watches with distinctive personalities that have been evolving since the 1960s and ’70s, each encapsulating in its own way the timeless – or not so much, in this case – beauty of imperfection. 

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