I have owned the all steel version 16610 since new for 21 years and it's been serviced twice by Rolex in that period. Still keeps fabulous time (av +1 secs a day) and it remains bullet proof. The 3135 movement and build quality is a testament to why this is an icon.
My dad passed this same exact watch down to me as a heirloom. Believe his is from the early 90s though. Same clasp but w/o the gold strip. Its a beautiful piece.
I've had the 16613 in my sights for probably about a decade now. Always liked both the LN and LB but kind of more gravitated towards the blue. I love the deco contrast of the blue and yellow gold. I was able to snag a 2009 V serial full set mint condition bluesy just yesterday (hence why I'm scouring through 16613 video's lol). I'll receive it in about a week, can't wait. I think I got a good price (equivalent 12750USD). I'll see how I like it and decide if I wanna sell my random serial 16610. The 16610 is beautiful in its own right, but can get pretty black and white kinda boring.
Thanks for the rock-solid review. I currently own a 1997-era 16613LB and I'm quite happy with it, but I'm also a huge fan of the 16613LN. Imho, the black and gold theme is incredibly versatile, and goes well with a wide variety of mens clothing in the green, brown, and taupe color spectrum. Hope you are enjoying this beautiful watch to the fullest!
So long as you don’t use it on brushed surfaces, you aren’t “destroying your watch.” A professional polishing does more damage due to removing more metal.
