*In 1979, Rolex introduced the ref. 16800 replacing its former ref. 1680 featuring for the first time a sapphire crystal. Launched at the same time was its gold counterpart ref. 16808 replacing its former ref. 1680/8. With most of its aesthetics very similar to its previous model, a few upgrades separated the old and new. Updated with the new cal. 3035, the ref. 16808 featured a quickset date adjusted via the crown. Furthermore, incorporating a new unidirectional bezel rotating only counter-clockwise, the upgraded feature provides an enhanced security. The model was available with a black dial with black bezel insert or a blue dial with a blue bezel insert. The reference was discontinued in 1987 for gold models whilst stainless steel examples were discontinued in the following year.