Some vintage Rolex watches are collected for their rarity, others for their beauty, and a very few for both. This 1975 to 1976 Rolex Datejust reference 1601 belongs firmly in that last group. Crafted in solid 18-carat yellow gold, fitted with a factory lapis lazuli stone dial, and worn on a matching gold President bracelet, it represents one of the most alluring combinations Rolex produced during the golden era of its stone-dial watches. Better still, the dial on this example is completely free of cracks, and it is one of the finest lapis stone dials we have ever had the pleasure of handling. To understand why this watch is so special, it helps to begin with the Datejust itself. Rolex introduced the Datejust in 1945 to celebrate the company's 40th anniversary, and it was the first self-winding chronometer wristwatch to display the date through a window on the dial. Over the following decades it became the foundation of the Rolex catalog and one of the most recognizable watches ever made. The reference 1601, produced from around 1960 into the late 1970s, is widely regarded as the definitive vintage Datejust. It combined the 36 mm Oyster case, the fluted gold bezel, and the Cyclops date magnifier into the proportions that collectors still consider the benchmark for the model, and it remained in production until the quickset 16000 series replaced it in the late 1970s. The dial is the heart of this watch. In the 1970s Rolex began offering dials cut from natural hardstones, and the late 1970s and early 1980s marked the height of their popularity. Lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, tiger's eye, onyx, and coral were among the stones used, most often in the Day-Date and Datejust. Lapis lazuli is perhaps the most evocative of them all. Prized since antiquity, it is a metamorphic stone composed mainly of lazurite, which gives it its intense ultramarine blue, often accompanied by veins of white calcite and tiny flecks of golden pyrite. On this dial, the blue is deep and saturated, swirling with darker and lighter tones, and scattered with glittering flecks of pyrite that catch the light like stars in a night sky. Because each dial is cut from a natural stone, no two are ever exactly alike. This one is truly unique. The rarity of a stone dial like this comes down to how it is made. Each dial is cut as a very thin slice of stone and then polished and printed, a process that requires great care because the stone is brittle and can crack during production, fitting, or decades of wear. Many surviving vintage stone dials show hairline cracks or chips, and finding one in fully intact condition is genuinely difficult. That is what makes this dial so remarkable. It is entirely free of cracks, its surface is beautifully preserved, and its color and pattern are exceptional. For collectors who understand stone dials, these qualities are precisely what set a great example apart from an ordinary one. The dial's details are classic Rolex of the period. An applied gold coronet sits beneath twelve, followed by the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust signature in gold print, while the Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified text appears above six. As is typical of Rolex stone dials, there are no hour markers, so the natural beauty of the lapis is left uninterrupted. Slim gold baton hands read the hours and minutes, and a fine central seconds hand sweeps across the dial. At three o'clock, the date appears through a window beneath the Cyclops lens, which magnifies it for easy reading, and the small T Swiss T marking at six reflects the tritium luminous material Rolex used in this era. The case is the classic 36 mm Oyster in solid 18-carat yellow gold, with its screw-down case back and Twinlock winding crown sealing the movement inside. The fluted bezel, crafted in gold, has become one of the most recognizable design elements in watchmaking. Its sharply cut flutes once served a functional purpose in securing the bezel to the case, but today they are celebrated for the way they reflect light around the dial. The case is fitted with a domed acrylic crystal, true to the period, which gives the dial a soft, warm depth that modern sapphire crystals cannot quite replicate. The proportions of the 1601 sit beautifully on the wrist, feeling elegant and timeless rather than oversized. Powering the watch is Rolex's self-winding Calibre 1575, the date-equipped member of the celebrated 1570 family that is often considered one of the most robust and reliable automatic movements Rolex has ever produced. It beats at 19,800 vibrations per hour and uses 26 jewels, with a free-sprung balance fitted with Microstella regulating screws for fine adjustment. By the early 1970s Rolex had added a hacking feature, so the seconds hand stops when the crown is pulled out to set the time, allowing it to be synchronized precisely. In keeping with the period, the date is not quickset; it advances by turning the hands through midnight, a charming reminder of how these watches were used when they were new. The movement was certified as a chronometer, hence the Superlative Chronometer text on the dial. The watch is worn on the 18-carat yellow gold President bracelet, one of the most famous bracelets in the world. Introduced by Rolex in the 1950s for the Day-Date, the President is made of semicircular three-piece links that give it a smooth, fluid feel on the wrist and a rich, continuous gleam of gold. It closes with a concealed folding clasp, so the bracelet appears uninterrupted from every angle. Paired with the Datejust case and the lapis dial, the President bracelet gives the watch a sense of luxury and presence that suits its rare dial perfectly. What makes this Rolex Datejust 1601 so compelling is the combination of its pedigree, its materials, and its condition. It is a solid gold example of the definitive vintage Datejust, it carries a factory lapis lazuli dial from Rolex's most celebrated stone-dial period, and that dial survives without a single crack and with exceptional color. For collectors of vintage Rolex, finding all of these qualities in one watch is rare indeed. It is a piece that rewards close inspection, offering something new to discover in the stone every time you look at it, and it stands as one of the finest examples of its kind.