Actor Sylvester Stallone spotted wearing a Rolex

Sylvester Stallone — actor, screenwriter, director and cultural institution — appears in this archival photograph wearing one of the most consequential Rolex references ever produced: the yellow gold Submariner Date ref. 1680, fitted with its prized 'Nipple' dial. The image may be vintage itself, but the watch remains timelessly relevant to collectors worldwide.

The Rolex Submariner Date ref. 1680 entered production around 1969 and remained in the catalogue through the early 1980s. Its significance is hard to overstate. It was simultaneously the first Submariner to incorporate a date display — protected by the brand's cyclops lens — and the first to be offered in an 18k yellow gold case and bracelet configuration. Water resistance was rated to 200 metres, powered by the Rolex calibre 1575, a 26-jewel automatic movement with a 19,800 vph beat rate. The ref. 1680 set the template for every gold Submariner that followed, including the current ref. 126618LB.

The 'Nipple' dial designation refers to the distinctive raised, domed gold appliques used for the hour markers — a tactile, three-dimensional detail that distinguishes early-production examples from later flat-index variants. These dials are among the most sought-after in vintage Rolex collecting, commanding meaningful premiums over standard 1680 examples and attracting sustained demand from both specialists and generalist collectors who recognise their rarity.

Stallone's relationship with high-end watchmaking is well documented. The man behind Rocky Balboa and John Rambo has been photographed over decades with Patek Philippe complications, Richard Mille pieces and a range of serious vintage Rolex references. His choice of the ref. 1680 in gold — a watch that signals knowledge rather than mere expenditure — is entirely consistent with a collector who clearly researches his acquisitions.

On today's market, a yellow gold Rolex Submariner Date ref. 1680 with a verified 'Nipple' dial in honest, unpolished condition routinely changes hands between $35,000 and $60,000 at auction, depending on provenance, dial condition and bracelet originality. Exceptional examples with documented history push beyond that ceiling. As vintage gold Submariners attract ever-broader international collector interest, the ref. 1680 remains one of the genre's defining references.