Lady-Datejust "Tiger's Eye"

Tiger's eye is among the harder hardstone dials to execute well. The parallel chatoyant fibres have to be cut so the light catches uniformly across a 20 mm disc, and Rolex set only a small number of Lady-Datejust dials this way through the early 1980s. Reference 6916 carries one of those dials, paired with an 18k yellow gold case and a smooth bezel that suits a stone dial far better than a fluted one would.

The brown chatoyance reads as warm gold under direct light and deepens to coffee in the shade, the natural fibres of the stone running across the whole surface. There are no applied indices, leaving the stone itself as the field, with matching hands and a date at three under the cyclops. The 26 mm gold case is fitted to a black leather strap with a yellow gold Rolex pin buckle, driven by the calibre 2135 automatic movement. The watch comes with its original Rolex box.

The dial shows small imperfections visible only under magnification, the kind of micro-detail inherent to natural stone rather than any sign of mishandling. The strap carries light surface wear consistent with use. The case shows minor signs of wear consistent with regular use. Professional polishing can be arranged free of charge upon request.