Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Rolex 16234 "Tropical Silver" with Stickered Caseback
- Maker / attribution
- Rolex (maker)
- Date
- c. 1991
- Historical period
- Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- silver
- Stock no.
- Product 10089411379476
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (product 10089411379476)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Rolex 16234 "Tropical Silver" w/Stickered Caseback - *Unpolished* (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (stock number Product 10089411379476), this is a wristwatch by Rolex, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1991. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: silver. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Collectors Corner NY
The Rolex Datejust is one of the most significant models in the history of watchmaking. First introduced in 1945, it was the first self-winding wristwatch to display the date on the dial. The Datejust quickly became a symbol of prestige and luxury, and has been worn by some of the world's most influential figures, including US President Eisenhower and Martin Luther King Jr. Over the years, Rolex has continued to refine the design of the Datejust, adding new features and innovations while staying true to its classic look and feel. Today, the Datejust remains one of the most popular and recognizable Rolex watches in the world, a testament to its timeless design and enduring appeal. This five digit reference example is a X53X serial, circa 1991 and benefits from the addition of a quickset date function. This piece houses a beautiful silver dial that has "tropicalized" into a stunning cream color that's warm even throughout. The dial has remained in mint condition. The bezel is extremely sharp and has a ding on the top edge - we have resources to have it touched up at the next owners request. The case appears untouched with thick, even lugs and retains a factory sticker. The bracelet remains extremely tight, displaying virtually no stretch from factory and a sharp coronet on the clasp. It will fit an approximate 7.25 inch wrist. For anyone looking for the perfect daily driver, this neo-vintage Datejust boasts stunning preservation and features lug holes, making for quick and easy strap changes.
Historical context
Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.
Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Related records
Movements & Components · c. 1970s
Rolex watch movement, c. 1970s
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Pocket Watches · 1982
Fake Rolex watch, gold coloured metal, possibly made in Taiwan, 1982; part of a casual outfit, UK, 1982-84.
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Wristwatches · c. 1920s
Rolex wristwatch, c. 1920s
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · c. 1920s
Rolex wristwatch, ref. 6194, c. 1920s
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · 2008
Wristwatch by Breitling?, 2008
Museum Rotterdam
Wristwatches · c. 1990s
Audemars Piguet Bamboo, c. 1990s
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · c. 1990
Audemars Piguet Huitieme Perpetual Calendar, ref. 25696PT, c. 1990
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · c. 1990
Breitling Chronomat, ref. b13050.1, c. 1990
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva