From Game Show Prize to $40,000 Collectible
A vintage Rolex Submariner Ref. 1680—originally won on The Price is Right in the late 1970s—has resurfaced and is now for sale at Bob’s Watches for nearly $40,000. The timepiece, distinguished by its Tiffany-signed dial, has become one of the rarest Submariners ever made.
Back in the late 1970s, however, the watch carried a much humbler price tag. “A base-model Submariner retailed in the $300 to $400 range at the time,” explained Bob’s Watches CEO Paul Altieri. Today, scarcity and co-branding with Tiffany & Co. have transformed it into a highly coveted collectible.
This story raises an interesting question: as vintage watches appreciate into luxury assets, should categories like Lab-Grown Diamonds Guide and sustainable jewelry see similar recognition in the long run?
The Tiffany & Rolex Partnership
The Ref. 1680 Submariner was the first Submariner to feature a date display, produced between 1967 and 1979. Around that time, Tiffany & Co. was selling Rolex watches in its stores, adding its logo directly to the dial.
Initially, the marking was applied by hand, then stamped, and eventually carried out in Rolex’s own factory. Variations abounded, with some Rolexes sold at Tiffany never receiving the mark at all. This irregularity makes each Tiffany-signed Rolex unique and drives up collector interest.
The collaboration ended in the 1990s, but the mystique has only grown. Today, Tiffany-signed Rolexes are seen as icons of luxury collectibles, much like how sustainable gemstones and ethical jewelry are reshaping the conversation in modern fine jewelry.
AIDI’s Perspective
At AIDI, we see parallels between vintage watches and the rise of lab-grown diamonds. Just as collectors once overlooked Tiffany-signed Submariners, many still undervalue the future of lab-grown gemstones. Yet scarcity, innovation, and cultural shifts can rewrite what consumers perceive as “luxury.” The Rolex story is a reminder that prestige often evolves long after the product first enters the market.