In the spirit of spooky season, we’ve compiled the most hauntingly beautiful Rolex watches for Halloween. From unique faded ghost bezels to deep orange “pumpkin” patina and spider dials, each watch is creepy and charming in its own remarkable way. They look exceptional all year long, but now is a great excuse to wear them as Halloween is fast approaching. Let’s take a look at our top picks.
Spider Dial Rolex Watches
Our first category is an obvious one. Spider dials are characterized by a unique defect that causes the lacquer to crack. The super fine fractures resemble spider webs, hence the nickname “spider dial.” Interestingly, the defect, also known as “crazing” in the watch community, only seems to affect the lacquer, never the white text printed on top. “Defect” and “Rolex” aren’t words we hear together often, but the company still makes mistakes from time to time, and when they do, they can be incredibly valuable. Spider dials were mostly a product of the late 1980s, an era during which Rolex was keen on updating and perfecting many of their design elements. That mission included the switch from matte dials to glitzier glossy dials adorned with hour markers and hands in white gold surrounds. Some glossy dial Rolex watches produced during this time may have the Spider Dial defect, although many of them have long since been replaced during servicing, which only makes them rarer.
Spider Dial Rolex Explorer II 16550
- Case: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Crystal: Scratch-Resistant Sapphire
- Bezel: Fixed, 24-Hour
- Lume: Tritium
- Water Resistance: 100M/3300FT
Some examples of the spider dial aren’t as obvious as others and are only visible when the dial is tilted at an angle under bright light, like this example.
The “crazing” on this example is more pronounced, featuring a striking spider web over the entire dial.
Ghost Bezel Rolex Watches
Rolex Ghost bezels feature anodized aluminum inserts that have faded over time to a lighter and washier hue, often due to exposure to the sun, salt water, or other normal wear. As a result, they’ve acquired a ghostly appearance – perfect for our list of top Halloween watches. The anodizing process creates a colorful top layer. Because the bezel isn’t protected against the elements like dials are underneath their crystals, fading can occur. These bezels are particularly rare because they were often replaced during servicing, just like the spider dials. It’s even rarer to find ghost bezels without scratches or other marks because they were obviously worn enough to fade. Ghost bezels like that in great condition often command a premium on the secondary market.
Rolex Submariner 5512
- Case: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Bezel: Bi-directional, Aluminum
- Lume: Tritium
- Water Resistance: 200M/660FT
This ghost bezel on this Submariner ref. 5512 has faded from black to a stunning grey color that almost appears bluish or lavender.
Rolex Submariner 5513
- Case: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Bezel: Bi-directional, Aluminum
- Lume: Tritium
- Water Resistance: 200M/660FT
This example of the Submariner ref. 5513 has also faded from black to a grey color that appears bluish or lavender, depending on the lighting.
Pumpkin Patina Rolex Watches
Most vintage watches have Tritium lume on their dials. Rolex switched from radium lume to Tritium in the 1960s after it became apparent how hazardous the material was to work with. They continued to use Tritium for decades, ultimately replacing it in the late 1990s with Luminova, followed shortly after by Superluminova and then Rolex’s proprietary Chromalight in 2008. The presence of Tritium on the dial is often a good indicator that the watch is vintage. What’s really interesting about Tritium is that it fades over time, even if it’s safely tucked away in your watch box. However, how it fades can be valuable to some collectors—the most desirable examples of Tritium feature nice, even patina throughout the dial. Tritium hues can range rather drastically, too, with many watches featuring a creamy ivory color and some rarer examples displaying the time in a deep pumpkin color.
Rolex Submariner 1680
- Case: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic, Date
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Bezel: Bi-directional, Aluminum
- Lume: Tritium
- Water Resistance: 200M/660FT
This example of the Submariner Date ref. 1680 displays the time with warm Tritium lume.
Rolex Explorer 1016
- Case: 36mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Bezel: Smooth
- Lume: Tritium
- Water Resistance: 100M/330FT
From the Pumpkin hour markers and hands to the subtle spidering on the dial, this Explorer 1016 is a fascinating example of how a vintage watch can age over time.
Orange & Black Rolex Watches
We would be remiss if we didn’t also include watches intentionally produced with black and orange elements. While Rolex isn’t known for overly flashy watches, they haven’t exactly shied away from using color in their catalog, either. Pairing black with orange accents is a sophisticated compromise we can get on board with this Halloween.
Rolex Explorer II 1655
- Case: 39mm
- Movement: Automatic, Date
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Bezel: Fixed, 24-Hour
- Lume: Tritium
- Water Resistance: 100M/330FT
The first Explorer II featured a bright orange arrow hand, which collectors now refer to as “Freccione” after the Italian word for arrow, “Freccia.”
Rolex Milgauss 116400
- Case: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Crystal: Scratch-Resistant Sapphire
- Bezel: Smooth
- Lume: Superluminova, Chromalight
- Water Resistance: 100M/330FT
The Rolex Milgauss ref. 116400 is another legendary black and orange watch. When Rolex resurrected the model in 2007, they gave it a similar lightning bolt seconds hand as the original 1950s model, only now, the hand is presented in vibrant orange. When set against the black dial with matching orange markers, the result is truly haunting.
Rolex Explorer II 216570
- Case: 42mm
- Movement: Automatic, Date
- Crystal: Scratch-Resistant Sapphire
- Bezel: Fixed, 24-Hour
- Lume: Superluminova, Chromalight
- Water Resistance: 100M/330FT
Rolex famously resurrected the orange arrow hand in 2011 via ref. 216570 after decades of producing the Explorer II with a red arrow hand. The 40th anniversary Explorer II also features an Explorer II logo in orange to match the arrow hand. Rolex updated the model in 2021 via ref. 226570 with the same orange accents and a newer movement to carry on the collection’s orange legacy.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000
- Case: 36mm
- Movement: Automatic
- Crystal: Scratch-Resistant Sapphire
- Bezel: Smooth
- Lume: Superluminova, Chromalight
- Water Resistance: 100M/330FT
One of our favorite black and orange Rolex watches is a rather striking edition of the Oyster Perpetual ref. 116000 with the “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” distinction circling the inside dial in orange.
