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2026-09-05T05:30:04Z

Admin: Refresh featured watch (weekly rotation) + recently-updated (from RecentChanges)

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|title=Rolex Reference Encyclopedia {{!}} Rolexopedia
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<div class="rp-hero">
<div class="rp-hero-title">The Rolex reference encyclopedia</div>
<div class="rp-hero-lede">
Rolex changed what a wristwatch could do. The Oyster case (1926) made watches waterproof, the Perpetual rotor (1931) made them self-winding, the Prince (1928) built them to chronometer grade. Watchmakers and collectors have spent the decades since cataloguing what changed across each reference. Rolexopedia stores that record in one place.

Each article documents one reference: production years, movement, dial variants, case and bracelet details, auction record, and what to check when authenticating one. Inside one reference the watch can change a lot. A 5512 from 1962 is not the 5512 from 1978. Generation matters first. [[Rolexopedia:About|About the project →]]
</div>
<div class="rp-stats">
<div class="rp-stat"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b><span>reference articles</span></div>
<div class="rp-stat"><b>12</b><span>families</span></div>
<div class="rp-stat"><b>{{NUMBEROFFILES}}</b><span>photographs</span></div>
<div class="rp-stat"><b>1926–2020</b><span>years covered</span></div>
</div>
</div>

== Browse by family ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover">[[File:Submariner vintage poster.webp|400px|link=Reference:submariner|alt=Rolex Submariner]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1953–2010 documented · 33 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The dive watch that became the template. Big Crowns, gilt 5512 and 5513 runs, the Red Sub, and the five-digit sapphire era.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover">[[File:Daytona vintage poster.webp|400px|link=Reference:daytona|alt=Rolex Daytona]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1963–2016 documented · 37 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Manual-wind Valjoux chronographs, the Paul Newman exotic dials, the Zenith automatics and the in-house 4130 generation.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref gmt-master chuck-yeager-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:gmt-master|alt=Rolex GMT-Master II Chuck Yeager advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1955–2019 documented · 26 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">From the Bakelite-bezel 6542 through the long 1675 run to the ceramic GMT-Master II.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref explorer vintage-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:explorer|alt=Rolex Explorer advertisement with Hillary and Tenzing on Everest]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:explorer|Explorer]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1952–2021 documented · 14 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The 3-6-9 dial from the 6150 and 6350 to the 26-year 1016 and its sapphire successors.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref explorer-ii vintage-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:explorer-ii|alt=Rolex Explorer II advertisement with Alain Hubert]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1971–2010 documented · 5 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The orange-hand 1655 Freccione, the transitional 16550 and the long-run 16570.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref sea-dweller deepstar-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:sea-dweller|alt=Rolex Deepstar 4000 advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1967–2017 documented · 6 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">COMEX saturation divers: Single Red, Double Red, Great White, Triple Six and the 116600.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref day-date 1960-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:day-date|alt=Rolex Day-Date 1960 advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1956–2019 documented · 39 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The President from the 1956 originals through the 1803 era, five-digit sapphire, Day-Date II and Oysterquartz.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover">[[File:Milgauss vintage poster.webp|400px|link=Reference:milgauss|alt=Rolex Milgauss]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:milgauss|Milgauss]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1956–2023 documented · 4 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The anti-magnetic Rolex: lightning-bolt 6541, the CERN 1019 and the green-crystal 116400GV.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref air-king vintage-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:air-king|alt=Rolex Air-King advertisement, steel is a precious metal]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:air-king|Air-King]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1945–2014 documented · 19 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Battle of Britain origins, the 5500 mainstay that ran for three decades and the sapphire 14000 line.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img">[[File:Ref 1002 hero.webp|400px|link=Reference:oyster-perpetual|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1950s–2020 documented · 25 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The plain-dial Oyster: classic four-digit 1002 to 1018, five-digit and the last pre-refresh 116000 generation.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref oyster 1929-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:bubbleback|alt=Rolex Oyster 1929 advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback and early Oyster]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1926–1953 documented · 30 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">The first waterproof Oysters, the domed-caseback automatics, the Padellone and the Oyster Precision manual-winds.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="rp-card">
<div class="rp-card-img rp-cover rp-cover-top">[[File:Ref prince 1932-ad.webp|400px|link=Reference:prince|alt=Rolex Prince 1932 advertisement]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:prince|Prince]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">1928–1949 documented · 9 references</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Rectangular Art-Deco chronometers: Classic 1343, Brancard 971, Railway and Tigre variants.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>


== From the archive ==

<div class="rp-featured">
<div class="rp-featured-img">[[File:Ref 1665 hero.webp|400px|link=Reference:1665|alt=Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665]]</div>
<div>
<span class="rp-eyebrow">Sea-Dweller</span>
<div class="rp-featured-title">[[Reference:1665|Sea-Dweller 1665]]</div>
<div class="rp-featured-body">
The [[Reference:1665|1665]] is the original Sea-Dweller, the deep-saturation diver built with a helium escape valve for COMEX saturation work. Its Single Red and Double Red dials and its patent-pending caseback make it one of the most documented and most faked references in the catalogue.

<span class="rp-button">[[Reference:1665|Read the 1665 article →]]</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>


== Reference guides ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Date any Rolex from its serial</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Decodes the three Rolex serial systems: numeric before 1987, letter prefixes 1987–2010, and random alphanumeric from 2010.</div>
</div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Bracelets, end links, clasps</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">Rivet, folded and solid Oyster, Jubilee and President bracelets, end-link numbers and the clasp date-code key.</div>
</div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body">
<div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:Movements|Movements]]</div>
<div class="rp-card-meta">Every caliber, cross-family</div>
<div class="rp-card-text">From the early manual-wind Oyster calibers through the 1500 and 3000 series to the Zenith and in-house chronographs.</div>
</div></div>
</div>

== Every reference, by era ==

<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:submariner|Full Submariner index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Pre-five-digit<small>1953–90</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6204|6204]] [[Reference:6205|6205]] [[Reference:6200|6200]] [[Reference:6536|6536]] [[Reference:6536-1|6536/1]] [[Reference:6538|6538]] [[Reference:5508|5508]] [[Reference:5510|5510]] [[Reference:5512|5512]] [[Reference:5513|5513]] [[Reference:5514|5514]] [[Reference:5517|5517]] [[Reference:1680|1680]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Five-digit<small>1979–2010</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:14060|14060]] [[Reference:14060M|14060M]] [[Reference:16800|16800]] [[Reference:16610|16610]] [[Reference:16610LV|16610LV]] [[Reference:16803|16803]] [[Reference:16808|16808]] [[Reference:16613|16613]] [[Reference:16618|16618]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:daytona|Full Daytona index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Manual-wind chronograph<small>1962–1988</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6238|6238]] [[Reference:6239|6239]] [[Reference:6240|6240]] [[Reference:6241|6241]] [[Reference:6262|6262]] [[Reference:6263|6263]] [[Reference:6264|6264]] [[Reference:6265|6265]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Zenith automatic<small>1988–2000</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16520|16520]] [[Reference:16518|16518]] [[Reference:16519|16519]] [[Reference:16523|16523]] [[Reference:16528|16528]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">In-house cal 4130<small>2000–2016</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116520|116520]] [[Reference:116523|116523]] [[Reference:116528|116528]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:gmt-master|Full GMT-Master index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Vintage<small>1955–99</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6542|6542]] [[Reference:1675|1675]] [[Reference:16750|16750]] [[Reference:16753|16753]] [[Reference:16758|16758]] [[Reference:16700|16700]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">GMT-Master II<small>1983–2007</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16760|16760]] [[Reference:16710|16710]] [[Reference:16713|16713]] [[Reference:16718|16718]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Ceramic 5-digit<small>2005–19</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]] [[Reference:116713LN|116713LN]] [[Reference:116710LN|116710LN]] [[Reference:116710BLNR|116710BLNR]] [[Reference:116719BLRO|116719BLRO]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Ceramic 6-digit<small>2018–present</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] [[Reference:126711CHNR|126711CHNR]] [[Reference:126715CHNR|126715CHNR]] [[Reference:126710BLNR|126710BLNR]] [[Reference:126720VTNR|126720VTNR]] [[Reference:126713GRNR|126713GRNR]] [[Reference:126718GRNR|126718GRNR]] [[Reference:126710GRNR|126710GRNR]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:explorer|Explorer]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:explorer|Full Explorer index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Vintage<small>1952–89</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6150|6150]] [[Reference:6350|6350]] [[Reference:6610|6610]] [[Reference:1016|1016]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Modern<small>1989–2021</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:14270|14270]] [[Reference:114270|114270]] [[Reference:214270|214270]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:explorer-ii|Full Explorer II index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Vintage Freccione<small>1971–1984</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1655|1655]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Transitional<small>1985–1989</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16550|16550]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Modern 40mm<small>1989–2010</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16570|16570]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:sea-dweller|Full Sea-Dweller index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Single Red to Great White<small>1967–1983</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1665|1665]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Triple Six and 16600<small>1978–2008</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:16660|16660]] [[Reference:16600|16600]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Ceramic<small>2008–2017</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116600|116600]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:day-date|Full Day-Date index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Originals<small>1956–59</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6510|6510]] [[Reference:6511|6511]] [[Reference:6611|6611]] [[Reference:6612|6612]] [[Reference:6612B|6612B]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">4-digit President<small>1959–78</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1803|1803]] [[Reference:1804|1804]] [[Reference:1806|1806]] [[Reference:1807|1807]] [[Reference:1811|1811]] [[Reference:1831|1831]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">5-digit<small>1977–2000</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:18038|18038]] [[Reference:18028|18028]] [[Reference:18048|18048]] [[Reference:18078|18078]] [[Reference:18238|18238]] [[Reference:18248|18248]] [[Reference:18348|18348]] [[Reference:18208|18208]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">6-digit Day-Date 36<small>2000–19</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:118238|118238]] [[Reference:118208|118208]] [[Reference:118235|118235]] [[Reference:118138|118138]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Day-Date II 41mm<small>2008–15</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:218238|218238]] [[Reference:218206|218206]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Oysterquartz<small>1977–2001</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:19018|19018]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:milgauss|Milgauss]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:milgauss|Full Milgauss index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Original and CERN era<small>1956–1988</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6541|6541]] [[Reference:1019|1019]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Modern<small>2007–2023</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116400|116400]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:air-king|Air-King]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:air-king|Full Air-King index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Battle of Britain origin<small>1945–53</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:4925|4925]] [[Reference:4365|4365]] [[Reference:4499|4499]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">First automatic<small>1953–57</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:6552|6552]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Long-run mainstay<small>1957–89</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:5500|5500]] [[Reference:5501|5501]] [[Reference:5502|5502]] [[Reference:5504|5504]] [[Reference:5506|5506]] [[Reference:5520|5520]] [[Reference:5700|5700]] [[Reference:5701|5701]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Sapphire era<small>1989–2014</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:14000|14000]] [[Reference:14000M|14000M]] [[Reference:114200|114200]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Full Oyster Perpetual index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Classic four-digit<small>1959–1988</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1002|1002]] [[Reference:1003|1003]] [[Reference:1005|1005]] [[Reference:1007|1007]] [[Reference:1018|1018]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Last pre-refresh generation<small>2007–2020</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:116000|116000]] [[Reference:114300|114300]] [[Reference:177200|177200]] [[Reference:176200|176200]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback and early Oyster]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:bubbleback|Full Bubbleback and early Oyster index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Pre-Oyster and Oyster<small>1922–37</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:3666|3666]] [[Reference:2136|2136]] [[Reference:3003|3003]] [[Reference:3004|3004]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Bubbleback era<small>1933–45</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1858|1858]] [[Reference:3131|3131]] [[Reference:3372|3372]] [[Reference:3525|3525]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Datejust, Padellone, Super Oyster<small>1945–53</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:4467|4467]] [[Reference:5030|5030]] [[Reference:5031|5031]] [[Reference:6031|6031]] [[Reference:6075|6075]] [[Reference:6105|6105]] [[Reference:8171|8171]] [[Reference:6098|6098]]</div></div>
</div>
<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-index-head"><div class="rp-index-title">[[Reference:prince|Prince]]</div><div class="rp-index-more">[[Reference:prince|Full Prince index →]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Brancard era<small>1928–mid-1940s</small></div><div class="rp-chips">[[Reference:1343|1343]] [[Reference:971|971]] [[Reference:1490|1490]] [[Reference:1491|1491]] [[Reference:1527|1527]] [[Reference:1862|1862]] [[Reference:3361|3361]] [[Reference:3937|3937]]</div></div>
</div>

<div class="rp-recent">

== Recently updated ==
* '''23 August 2026''' — [[Reference:3009|3009]] (Oyster) · [[Reference:2784|2784]] (Oyster) · [[Reference:1873|1873]] (Oyster) · [[Reference:2765|2765]] (Oyster) · [[Reference:2240|2240]] (Bubbleback) · [[Reference:2136|2136]] (Oyster) · [[Reference:3139|3139]] (Oyster) · [[Reference:3131|3131]] (Bubbleback) · [[Reference:3065|3065]] (Bubbleback) · [[Reference:3595|3595]] (Bubbleback) · [[Reference:3003|3003]] (Precision) · [[Reference:6694|6694]] (Precision)

</div>

<div class="rp-footnote">Rolexopedia is an independent community reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Rolex SA. "Rolex" and the model names on this site are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the watches described. See the [[Rolexopedia:General disclaimer|disclaimer]].</div>

[[Category:Rolexopedia]]

Reference:Serial-numbers

2026-09-05T01:30:40Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (quick-jump chips, breadcrumb)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Serial Numbers}}
{{#seo:|title=Rolex Serial Numbers by Year — Decode Any Production Date | Rolexopedia|description=Cross-family decoder for Rolex case serial numbers. Numeric serials pre-1987, single-letter prefix 1987-2010, random alphanumeric mid-2010 onward, with the 1995-1998 letter-overlap caveat and the cross-references that pin a year for vintage authentication.}}
<small>[[Main Page]] › '''Serial Numbers'''</small>

Rolex case serials run on three systems by era: a long numeric counter through 1987, a single-letter prefix from 1987 to mid-2010, and a random alphanumeric string after that. A serial dates the case alone, and the year it gives is always approximate. Vintage authentication needs the serial to agree with the bracelet, dial, and movement.

== The three systems ==

The numeric counter is the only one of the three that ever restarted. It reached the 999,999 ceiling in 1954 and reset to a fresh count beginning at 10,000, which is why a mid-1950s Oyster can carry a five-digit serial that reads as far older than it is. The letter prefixes ran straight through from 1987 to mid-2010, and the random alphanumerics that replaced them carry no year information at all.

== Finding the serial number ==

The serial sits in one of two places depending on age. On every reference through the mid-2000s it is engraved between the lugs at 6 o'clock, hidden under the bracelet; lifting the bracelet end clear of the case exposes it. The numeric or letter-plus-six-digit stamp runs along the case edge there, with the reference number engraved between the lugs at 12 o'clock on the opposite side.

Rolex moved the serial to the rehaut, the inner bezel ring that frames the dial, beginning around 2005, with the change complete across the catalog by about 2008. A rehaut watch carries the serial laser-etched on the flange at 6 o'clock, the crown logo and "ROLEX" repeating around the rest of the ring, and usually nothing between the lugs. A watch from the transition years can carry it in either place, which is itself a dating tell: a between-lugs serial on a reference that had already moved to the rehaut points to an earlier example or a swapped case.

The warranty card, and on older watches the punched guarantee paper, carries the same serial, which is how a full set confirms the case has not been switched. The clasp stamp is a separate system that dates the [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet]] rather than the case, and the figures on a movement bridge are caliber and part references, not a serial.

== Numeric serials (≤1987) ==

Rolex never published a year-by-year numeric serial chart. Collector dating rests on two books. Carlo Pergola's ''Rolex Daytona, A Legend Is Born'' carries the densest mid-century ranges, and Jeffrey Hess and James Dowling's ''The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches'' covers the longer early span. The two agree on most bands. Where they differ, the gap is usually a year at the edge of a transition.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Serial range !! Production year !! Notes
|-
| ≤30,000 || 1928–1934 || Earliest known Oyster serials. Per Dowling: 23969 = 1928, 28290 = 1930.
|-
| 30,000–100,000 || 1934–1940 || Bubbleback / early Oyster era. Per Dowling: 35365 = 1935, 99775 = 1940.
|-
| 100,000–500,000 || 1941–1947 || Per Dowling: 143509 = 1942, 387216 = 1946, 529163 = 1947.
|-
| 500,000–950,000 || 1947–1953 || Pergola and Dowling agree: 628840 = 1948, 710776 = 1951, 840396 = 1952.
|-
| 950,000–999,999, then reset to 10,000–139,000 || 1953–1955 || The 1954 reset to a new 10,000-start counter. Per Pergola: 982115–10001 = 1954, 10001–32160 = 1954, 63425–139166 = 1955.
|-
| 139,000–360,000 || 1956–1957 || Per Pergola: 139167–261715 = 1956, 272289–360988 = 1957.
|-
| 360,000–530,000 || 1957–1959 || Per Pergola: 426481–437254 = 1958/59, 437255–530168 = 1959.
|-
| 530,000–785,000 || 1959–1961 || Per Pergola: 539969–663484 = 1960, 688767–785296 = 1961.
|-
| 785,000–1,000,000 || 1961–1963 || Per Pergola: 840046–919916 = 1962, 950451–974197 = 1963.
|-
| 1,000,000–1,500,000 || 1964–1966 || Per Pergola: 997136–1104068 = 1964, 1284790–1503591 = 1966.
|-
| 1,500,000–2,000,000 || 1966–1969 || Per Pergola: 1503592–1534082 = 1966/67, 1720977–1938064 = 1968.
|-
| 2,000,000–2,600,000 || 1969–1971 || Per Pergola: 1958607–2236978 = 1969, 2558657–2591204 = 1970/71.
|-
| 2,600,000–3,500,000 || 1971–1972 || Per Dowling: 3215500 = 1971, 3478400 = 1972.
|-
| 3,500,000–4,000,000 || 1973–1974 || Per Dowling: 3741300 = 1973, 4004200 = 1974.
|-
| 4,000,000–6,000,000 || 1975–1980 || Both published charts thin out here. Working approximation: 5,000,000 ≈ 1976, 6,000,000 ≈ 1979/80.
|-
| 6,000,000–9,900,000 || 1980–1987 || Pre-letter terminal range. Working approximation: 8,000,000 ≈ 1984, 9,000,000 ≈ 1986. Boundaries vary by ±1 year across published charts.
|}

== Letter serials (1987–2010) ==

The case carries a single letter stamped between the lugs at 6 o'clock, followed by six numeric digits. The R prefix arrived in 1988 on the first 16520 production and ran in parallel with terminal numeric serials for several months. The R-through-P span (1988–2000) is well-documented across Daytona, Submariner, GMT-Master, and Explorer auction lots. K through G (about 2001–2010) is collector-canonical, with fewer primary documents behind it.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Letter !! Production year !! Notes
|-
| R || 1987–1988 || First post-numeric letter. 16520 first-year production carries R serials; also seen on late 5513, 16700, 14060, 14270, and final 1675 batches.
|-
| L || 1987–1989 || Overlapped with R for several months across the numeric-to-letter cutover. 16520 second-year (Floating + 4-lines dial).
|-
| E || 1990 || 16520 Inverted-6 dial era starts here.
|-
| N || 1991 || Documented on a Sotheby's-catalogued 1991 yellow gold 16518 with white Panda dial.
|-
| X || 1991–1992 || Overlapped with N (1991) and C (1992).
|-
| C || 1992 || Last clean single-letter year before the 1993–1998 transition.
|-
| S || 1993 || 16520 78360 → 78390 bracelet cutover on most documented examples. Note: an "S" leading a clasp date-code is a different signal — it marks a service-replacement clasp, not a 1993 production year.
|-
| W || 1994–1995 || Part of the documented T/W/U/V/Z overlap window.
|-
| T || 1995–1996 || 16520 Patrizzi-eligible mark range (1993–1997). Part of the T/W/U/V/Z overlap.
|-
| U || 1997–1998 || 16520 tritium-to-Luminova transition; SEL bracelet introduction.
|-
| A || 1998–1999 || 16520 Luminova MK7 era. Some sources extend A through 2000.
|-
| P || 2000 || Final Zenith-base 16520 year. Anchored by Sotheby's 116528 case P421022, first-year in-house cal 4130 production.
|-
| K || 2001–2002 || Working consensus across collector resources; not directly anchored by a published primary source.
|-
| Y || 2002–2003 || Sotheby's 116528 case Y'239'786 carries an October 2002 guarantee. 16610LV launch examples appear at autumn 2003.
|-
| F || 2003–2004 || 16610LV low-F-serial production October–December 2003. Also early 116710LN and the 16710 D-serial transition.
|-
| D || 2005–2006 || ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' ties 16710 stick-dial Mk5B production to D-serial onward, from 2005.
|-
| Z || 2006–2007 || Late 16710 stick-dial production. Working consensus year boundary.
|-
| M || 2007–2008 || Late 16710 (final production) and early 116710LN. Working consensus year boundary.
|-
| V || 2008–2009 || Late 14060M, late 16710, and early-mid 116710LN era. Working consensus.
|-
| G || 2010 || Final letter year. A documented 116523 GT Champion prize watch (2010 production, 2011 caseback engraving) carries a G prefix. Randomization began mid-2010, so G appears on cases from the first half of 2010 only.
|}

Two letter windows need extra caution. N, X, and C overlap around 1991–1992. T, W, U, V, and Z overlap through 1995–1998. In both windows the serial narrows the year band, but does not pin it by itself.

The S that leads a clasp date-code is the one collectors misread most often. It marks a service-replacement clasp, and because S is also the 1993 case-serial prefix, a watch on a service clasp gets dated to 1993 on the strength of a stamp that never referred to the case. The two systems share letters and sit on different parts of the watch.

== Random serials (mid-2010 onward) ==

Rolex randomized case serials from mid-2010 to defeat counterfeit decoding and to obscure production volume. The cutover happened at roughly the same point as the final letter prefix (G) on case stamping. Post-2010 cases carry an alphanumeric string of mixed letters and digits with no public year mapping, and Rolex has never published a decoder.

For modern references the serial does much less. The reference itself usually gives the useful year band, while the random case serial adds almost nothing beyond confirming the watch is post-2010. After 2011 the clasp codes also randomize. For a precise year, paperwork or Rolex service history matters more than the serial.

== Pre-1948 vintage references and hallmark dating ==

For vintage references produced before about 1948, the numeric serial system on its own is rarely enough to date a watch precisely. That covers the Prince family ([[Reference:971|971]], [[Reference:1490|1490]], [[Reference:1491|1491]], [[Reference:1527|1527]], [[Reference:1862|1862]], [[Reference:3361|3361]], [[Reference:3937|3937]]), the early Bubbleback era ([[Reference:2240|2240]], [[Reference:2574|2574]], [[Reference:2764|2764]], [[Reference:2940|2940]], [[Reference:3065|3065]], [[Reference:3132|3132]], [[Reference:3458|3458]], [[Reference:3595|3595]]), and manual Oysters such as [[Reference:1873|1873]], [[Reference:2765|2765]], [[Reference:2784|2784]], and [[Reference:3009|3009]]. Movement and case numbers were not always issued in strict chronological order, and Rolex's own archival material for the pre-WWII period is incomplete. The standard collector practice is to anchor the date through case import hallmarks rather than serial numbers alone.

=== Glasgow and Edinburgh assay marks ===

British retailers required imported watches to be assayed and hallmarked by a British assay office before sale. Rolex used Glasgow most heavily, with Edinburgh and London also represented. Each assay office stamped the case with a year-letter code that pins the import date to a single year. A Glasgow-imported Rolex case carries four marks: the case-metal purity mark (`9` and `375` for 9K, `18` and `750` for 18K, `STG` or sterling lion for silver), the Glasgow town mark (a treelike emblem), the year-letter code, and the sponsor's mark (typically Rolex's own RWC Ltd punch). The year-letter alphabet rotates on a 25-letter cycle, with the letter shape changing across cycles to avoid ambiguity.

For pre-1948 Rolex specifically, the practical dating workflow:

1. Pull the case from the strap and examine the inside of the caseback under loupe.
2. Identify the four hallmark stamps. The year-letter is typically the smallest of the four.
3. Cross-reference the year-letter against the published Glasgow / Edinburgh / London assay tables (most collector hallmark guides, including Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' and standard British silver hallmark references, carry the full year-letter chart).
4. Cross-check the result against the movement number range for the same period — a clear discrepancy between hallmark year and movement-number-implied year is a service-replacement signal.

A specific example documents the workflow on the 971 reference: Antiquorum NY March 2010 lot 401 sold a sterling silver 971 with English hallmark dated 1928, case 70,064, movement 7,216, from the Arman Collection. The hallmark establishes the year of British import; the case and movement numbers fall within the documented 1928–1930 silver-import range, corroborating the hallmark date. This is the earliest documented 971 in the auction record.

=== Why the serial-system year-letter chart fails for the Prince era ===

The Rolex letter-prefix serial system documented above (1987–2010) postdates Prince production by 50+ years. The pre-1987 numeric system was sequential rather than calendar-locked: serial ranges advanced as production volume cleared blocks of numbers, and a watch with serial 70,000 in one year of pre-WWII production might overlap with a watch numbered 80,000 in the same year of a different reference. Rolex's own archival material for the era is incomplete, and the published numeric-serial-to-year correspondences cover the post-WWII era reasonably well but become unreliable before 1948. For a 1928–1945 Prince or pre-WWII Bubbleback, the case import hallmark is the more reliable anchor.

=== Prince case-number anchors ===

The Prince family carries the densest documented case-number-to-year correspondence in the auction record. The cases are sequential within a configuration (e.g. 9K Glasgow imports), but not strictly sequential across all 1928–1945 production. The following anchors are useful starting points; cross-check against the case import hallmark before relying on a case number alone.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Case number !! Material / configuration !! Hallmark / dating !! Source
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 70,064 || sterling silver || English hallmark '''1928''' — earliest documented 971 || Antiquorum NY 2010 lot 401 (Arman Collection)
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 70,668 || sterling silver || Glasgow '''1929''' || Bonhams London 2018 lot 37
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 71,883 || sterling silver || c.1929–1930 || Sotheby's 2019
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 011,651 || steel + Beyer-double-signed dial || c.1928 (NOS, found 1998) || Phillips Geneva X CH080319/17
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 6,013 || platinum, Cal. 300 7½′′′ 18-jewel || c.1935 || Phillips Geneva V/X/XIV (sold 3×)
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 6,047 || platinum || 1935 || Phillips 2015 Watch Auction One lot 210
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 6,077 || platinum || c.1930 || Antiquorum 2013
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 1,472 || stainless + 14K, Eaton 1/4 Century || dedication "1907–1932" || Monaco Legend July 2019 lot 156
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 60,206 || 9K bicolor "Zebra" || c.1934 || Antiquorum 2020 lot 235
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 65,196 || 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) || c.1930 || Antiquorum 2015 lot 275
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 65,377 || 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) || c.1932 || Antiquorum 2006 lot 316
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 68,305 || 9K bicolor "Zebra" (971A) || c.1932 || Bonhams NY 2017 lot 133
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 68,591 || 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) || c.'''1938''' — latest documented 971A || Bonhams HK 2023 lot 644
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || 74,768 || stainless steel (971U) || box + papers || Antiquorum 2024 lot 462
|-
| [[Reference:1490|1490]] || 13,009 || 18K yellow gold || Glasgow '''1933''' || Phillips NY 2023 NY080223/92 + Sotheby's 2019 L19070 (likely same watch)
|-
| [[Reference:1490|1490]] || 17,365 || steel + pink gold || Cal. T.S. 300 Ultra Prima, '''1935''' || Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 46
|-
| [[Reference:1490|1490]] || 38,525 || steel + Bucherer-double-signed dial || c.1937 || Sotheby's Watches Online July 2019 lot 13
|-
| [[Reference:1490|1490]] || 58,115 || 18K (group lot with 1862) || c.1930 || Christie's Geneva 1395 lot 307
|-
| [[Reference:1490|1490]] || 73,910 || steel || c.1936 || Bonhams Nov 2023 lot 50
|-
| [[Reference:1490|1490]] || 309,367 || 14K Observatory grade || caseback dedication '''1947''' — latest documented Prince case || veryimportantlot
|-
| [[Reference:1862|1862]] || 1,608 || 9K || Glasgow '''1934''' — earliest documented 1862 || Antiquorum 249-98
|-
| [[Reference:1862|1862]] || 16,237 || 9K Glasgow + Cal. 527 || Glasgow 1934 || Christie's online lot 31 (sale 13523)
|-
| [[Reference:1862|1862]] || 16,663 || 18K (group lot with 1490) || c.'''1938''' || Christie's Geneva 1395 lot 307
|-
| [[Reference:1862|1862]] || 280,124 || 18K yellow (1862A variant) || c.1930 || Sotheby's NY 2018 n09911 lot 53
|-
| [[Reference:1491|1491]] || (Glasgow 1930) || 18K yellow gold jump-hour Brancard || Glasgow Import mark '''1930''' — earliest documented 1491 || Bonhams sale 29152 lot 23
|-
| [[Reference:1491|1491]] || F2149HS || white-gold 1491HS Bucherer-retailed || c.1945 (original Bucherer invoice) || Antiquorum 2008 lot 692
|-
| [[Reference:1491|1491]] || F220 || two-color 18K gold 1491HS jump-hour || c.1930 || Bonhams sale 29152 lot 6 (also 2024 lot, F220 stamp)
|-
| [[Reference:1527|1527]] || (Vicenza 1992 lot 146/5) || 18 ct white + pink gold stepped Railway, beads-of-rice bracelet || 1930s — earliest documented "Prince Railway" catalog naming || Antiquorum Vicenza Oro 1992 lot 146/5
|-
| [[Reference:1527|1527]] || 189 || 18K white + yellow gold stepped Railway, original bamboo bracelet || dated '''1931''' (highest documented result, CHF 27,140) || Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 108/33
|-
| [[Reference:1527|1527]] || 6920 || 18K white + pink stepped (catalogued "1527 M") || c.1930s || Drouot lot 182 (M suffix unexplained; possibly a factory bicolor variant code)
|-
| [[Reference:1527|1527]] || 6936 || 18K white + pink stepped || Glasgow '''1931''' || EveryWatch lot 378
|-
| [[Reference:1527|1527]] || (1940s) || steel + gold-filled stepped Railway || 1940s — late-production end of 1527 line || Bonhams NY 2006 sale 15217 lot 9
|-
| [[Reference:3361|3361]] || 899,568 || 18K yellow gold Aerodynamic || dated '''1952''' (Mondani Collection) || Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 108/210 (hammer CHF 18,880)
|-
| [[Reference:3361|3361]] || 899,677 || 18K pink gold Aerodynamic with monogrammed escutcheon || dated '''1952''' || Antiquorum May 2006 Mondani lot 108/209 (hammer CHF 21,240 — highest documented result for the 3361)
|-
| [[Reference:3361|3361]] || (mvt T94122) || 18K yellow gold Aerodynamic || c.1940 || Antiquorum NY December 2015 sale 296 lot 73 (hammer USD 16,250)
|-
| [[Reference:3361|3361]] || T61239 || 18K Aerodynamic — included in Phillips "Rolex Milestones" exhibition || (year not retrieved) || Phillips "38 Timepieces That Made History" Hong Kong
|-
| [[Reference:3361|3361]] || 59,330 (mvt 1,847) || 18K pink gold with Cuervo y Sobrinos co-signed dial || (Cuban retail channel) || PatekMonger / Grailium / 1stdibs (dealer-level only — not auction-confirmed)
|-
| 3362 || 62,482 || 14K pink gold Aerodynamic case || c.'''1935''' — earlier than canonical 3361 production; Friedberg dates 3362 to 1940 (contradiction unresolved) || Antiquorum May 2015 sale 291 lot 109 (hammer CHF 11,250)
|-
| [[Reference:3937|3937]] || 64,190 || 14K yellow gold Rams Horn || '''1938''' — earliest documented 3937 || Bonhams 2023 lot 50 (production-launch anchor)
|-
| [[Reference:3937|3937]] || (Garbett presentation) || 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club || dial: post-service Rolex-signed; caseback: "Presented to Sidnet Garbett... 1926–1951" || Sotheby's NY 2020 lot 73
|-
| [[Reference:3937|3937]] || (Bird presentation) || 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club, 21×45mm || caseback: "Presented to Donald M. Bird... 1926–1951" || 1stdibs (dealer-level)
|-
| [[Reference:3937|3937]] || (McMackon presentation) || 14K yellow gold, Eaton 1/4 Century Club || caseback: "Presented to Fred W. McMackon... 1928–1953" — latest documented 3937 Eaton presentation || Collectors Weekly family-heirloom story
|-
| 6222 (Eaton successor) || (King presentation) || automatic Oyster — post-Prince Eaton continuity || caseback: "Presented to Reginald A. King... 1929–1954" || Antiquorum HK 2005 lot 86/19. Documents Eaton program continuing past the rectangular Prince era through 1966
|}

Read down the table, the numbering falls into bands. Sterling and 9K Glasgow imports from 1928 to 1937 sit in the low-to-mid five digits. The platinum 971s cluster at four digits (6,013 / 6,047 / 6,077), consistent with platinum leaving the factory in single-digit annual quantities. The 1862 reaches six digits at 280,124 on the 1862A 18K configuration, and the highest documented Prince case, 309,367 on a 1947-dedicated 14K 1490, sits at the top of the range. Those outliers bracket Prince production at roughly 1928 to 1947. Mid-1940s examples are rare; most documented watches date between 1929 and 1937.

=== Caseback engraving conventions ===

A second dating signal on pre-1948 references is the caseback engraving style. Factory casebacks of the period are stamped, with the marks physically pressed into the metal at production. Hand engraving means post-factory work: either a re-engraving on a worn caseback or a replacement caseback cut by a service shop. Owner-presentation engraving (recipient names, dates, club affiliations) and retailer-program engraving are the exception. The [[Reference:971|Eaton 1/4 Century Club]] presentations on Princes are the canonical case, with caseback inscriptions along the lines of ''Presented to T.D. Switzer to mark a quarter-century of continuous service with T. Eaton C., Ltd., 1907–1932.'' Presentation engraving sits alongside the factory stamping rather than replacing it.

== Vintage Submariner / Explorer / GMT case-number anchors ==

The 1953–1979 vintage Sub / Explorer / GMT-Master cluster carries case-number bands tight enough to date heads to a year or two within each reference. The numeric-serial tables give the broad year band; the per-reference anchors tighten it once the reference is known. Cross-check against the inside-caseback Roman-quarter date code where present (II.53 = Q2 1953, III.57 = Q3 1957, IV.55 = Q4 1955, etc.).

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Case number !! Configuration !! Year !! Source
|-
| [[Reference:6204|6204]] (Submariner) || 949,136 || honeycomb dial || 1953 || Phillips Geneva XII 2020 lot 177 (CHF 75,600)
|-
| [[Reference:6204|6204]] || 988,613 || gilt, US Navy provenance || c.1953–54 || Sotheby's 2018 lot 250
|-
| [[Reference:6204|6204]] || 988,773 || Sub-Aqua, end-link 65 || 1954 || Phillips Geneva Watch Auction TWO 2015 lot 292
|-
| [[Reference:6204|6204]] || 988,923 || pencil hands, gilt || c.1954, clasp 2.53 || Phillips NY Watch Auction 2021 lot 79 (USD 233,100)
|-
| [[Reference:6204|6204]] || 988,929 || Sub-Aqua tropical || 1954 || Antiquorum Geneva 2013 lot 577
|-
| [[Reference:6204|6204]] || 42,439 || Sub-Aqua "prototype" (post-reset) || 1954 || Monaco Legend 2019 lot 69 (EUR 78,000)
|-
| [[Reference:6205|6205]] (Submariner) || 21,354 || pencil hands, no-Submariner dial, riveted Oyster end-link 65 || c.1954, Series 1 || Phillips Game Changers NY 2019 lot 54 (USD 162,500)
|-
| [[Reference:6205|6205]] || 21,442 || Mercedes hands, gilt gloss, stretch riveted bracelet || c.1954–55 || Sotheby's Fine Watches 2022 lot 13
|-
| [[Reference:6205|6205]] || 21,644 || re-lumed reprinted no-Submariner dial || 1954–55 || Antiquorum Geneva 2025 lot 377-180 (CHF 16,250)
|-
| [[Reference:6205|6205]] || 85,972 || Mercedes, gilt no depth (Series 2) || 1955 || Sotheby's Important Watches NY 2019 lot 178
|-
| [[Reference:6205|6205]] || 86,033 || Atelier de Restauration 2023 restoration || 1955 || Sotheby's Important Watches II 2025 lot 336
|-
| [[Reference:6200|6200]] (Submariner) || 320,xxx–322,xxx || Big Crown 8mm Brevet, A296, Explorer or red depth || 1954–56 || Nicholas Foulkes, ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner'' (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024) — 303 examples in this cluster
|-
| [[Reference:6536|6536/1]] (Submariner) || 112,256 || Q4 1955 caseback "4 55", Jubilee bracelet stamped 1960 || 1955 || Sotheby's 2021 lot 35
|-
| [[Reference:6536|6536/1]] || 112,341 || Red Depth, IV.55 caseback || 1955 || Bonhams Dec 2021 lot 36
|-
| [[Reference:6536|6536/1]] || 155,502 || Q2 1956 caseback II.56, on 7206 rivet bracelet || 1956 || Phillips Geneva V 2017 lot 102
|-
| [[Reference:6536|6536/1]] || 229,640 || I.57 caseback || 1957 || Sotheby's 2018 lot 215
|-
| [[Reference:6536|6536]] (parent) || 306,706 || gloss black gilt, red triangle bezel || March 1957 || Bonhams London 2012 lot 116 (GBP 21,250)
|-
| [[Reference:6536|6536/1]] || 306,989 || III.57 caseback, no-hash red triangle, glossy gilt — world record || 1957 || Sotheby's NY 2018 lot 252 (USD 225,000 — small-crown record)
|-
| [[Reference:6536|6536]] || 399,228 || brown tropical dial || c.1959 || Sotheby's London 2019 lot 121
|-
| [[Reference:6538|6538]] (Submariner) || 140,300–140,500 (Series 1) || ~200 watches per Blackbird Watch Manual || c.1956 || Blackbird Biebuyck (2019)
|-
| [[Reference:6538|6538]] || 158,100–158,400 (Series 2) || four-line OCC dial concentration || c.1957–58 || Blackbird Biebuyck (2019)
|-
| [[Reference:6538|6538]] || 307,100–307,600 (Series 3) || two-line gilt || 1958 || Blackbird Biebuyck (2019)
|-
| [[Reference:6538|6538]] || 426,000–449,300 (Series 4) || late-run, fourth series || late 1958 / 1959 || Blackbird; Sotheby's Olmsted 2024 lot 170 case 449,004
|-
| [[Reference:5510|5510]] (Submariner big crown) || 362,153 || RAN MilSub Explorer dial, fixed lugs (~4 known) || 1958 || Sotheby's Important Watches 2023 lot 107
|-
| [[Reference:5510|5510]] || 362,187 || reprinted Explorer dial RAN || 1958 || Antiquorum Monaco 2018 lot 314-248
|-
| [[Reference:5510|5510]] || 362,252 || Royal Navy diver provenance, RN log, 9315/580 bracelet || 1958 || Bonhams 16805/140
|-
| [[Reference:5508|5508]] (Submariner small crown) || 361,650 || black gilt, red triangle insert || 1958 || Phillips Geneva NINE 2019 lot 213 (CHF 500,000)
|-
| [[Reference:5508|5508]] || 400,505 || tropical dial, 1960 papers || 1958 || Sotheby's Fine Watches 2023 lot 40
|-
| [[Reference:5508|5508]] || 489,831 || small-crown James Bond catalogue || 1959 || Sotheby's Watches Online 2020
|-
| [[Reference:5508|5508]] || 490,575 || ghost bezel, rivet bracelet '63 || 1958 || Antiquorum Geneva 2020 lot 333-422 (CHF 56,250)
|-
| [[Reference:5508|5508]] || 762,896 || exclamation gilt, II.62 caseback, 7206/64 bracelet || 1962 || Phillips Hong Kong SPORTS 2019 lot 881 (HKD 2,687,500)
|-
| [[Reference:5508|5508]] || 764,524 || exclamation, 6636 clasp 4/64 || 1962 || Phillips Geneva XV 2022 lot 160 (CHF 132,300)
|-
| [[Reference:6098|6098]] (Pre-Explorer / Oyster Perpetual) || 912,378 || steel + Sesto Continente "Super Oyster" provenance, IV.52 caseback || Q4 1952 || Vailati 1953 letter to Rolex Archives (Perezcope)
|-
| [[Reference:6150|6150]] (Pre-Explorer) || 931,134 || H.S.10 CD Royal Navy with crow's foot || c.1953 || Sotheby's Fine Watches 2025 L25713
|-
| [[Reference:6150|6150]] || 944,811 || H.S.10 CD, Burford matte-black Swiss T Precision printing, MOD broad-arrow || February 1953 || Bonhams 18849/181 (GBP 8,400 incl. premium)
|-
| [[Reference:6150|6150]] || 944,925 || "Oyster Perpetual Precision" dial || 1953 || Antiquorum Geneva 2022 lot 349-152
|-
| [[Reference:6150|6150]] || 945,021 || "KANGCHENJUNGA 1955 G.C BAND" caseback engraving || 1953 case, 1955 expedition gift || Phillips Geneva Watch Auction SIX 2017 lot 244 (CHF 200,000)
|-
| [[Reference:6150|6150]] || 945,096 || A296 18j, Oyster expandable bracelet || c.1953 || Sotheby's 2022 / 2024 (same example reoffered)
|-
| [[Reference:6350|6350]] (Explorer chronometer) || 955,190 (low) → 955,948 (high) || A296 chronometer-rated, 3-6-9 chapter ring "Explorer" + OCC, ~760-unit numerical span || 1953–55 || Documented as a tight single-batch run
|-
| [[Reference:6350|6350]] || 955,761 || Sir Douglas Prior 1956 Royal Society Antarctic Expedition, Cal. 775 service replacement || 1953 case || Antiquorum Geneva 2018 lot 317-570 (CHF 62,500)
|-
| [[Reference:6610|6610]] (Explorer second-gen) || 113,092 → 360,272+ || Cal. 1030 25j COSC, gilt chapter-ring; red-depth concentrates in 113,xxx first-year batch || 1955–59 active, leftover stock to 1963 || Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95; Phillips Watch Auction One lot 167; Antiquorum lot 368-493
|-
| [[Reference:5513|5513]] (Submariner, no-date) || 765,450 || gloss black "exclamation" Explorer dial, cal. 1530; riveted Oyster 7206 / 80 end-links, clasp 4.62 || c.1962 (I.62) || Phillips Geneva EIGHT lot 23
|-
| [[Reference:5513|5513]] || 979,313 || gilt / gloss underline Explorer dial; folded Oyster 9315 / 580 end-links || c.1963 || Phillips Geneva XIV lot 153
|-
| [[Reference:5513|5513]] || 991,837 || underline double-Swiss gilt dial; Oyster 6636, clasp dated Q1 1964 || 1963 (III.63) || Phillips Geneva THREE lot 106
|-
| [[Reference:5513|5513]] || 1,023,362 || gloss Explorer (3-6-9) dial, Garrard guarantee 23 March 1965; Jubilee bracelet || c.1964 || Sotheby's Important Watches 2020 lot 377
|-
| [[Reference:5513|5513]] || 6,2XX,XXX || Mark III "maxi" dial, cal. 1520; 93150 Oyster, service-replacement clasp S6 || c.1979 || Bonhams Watches and Wristwatches 2019 lot 103
|-
| [[Reference:5514|5514]] (Submariner COMEX) || 2,833,552 || 5513 COMEX HEV Prototype No. 24 || autumn 1970 || Antiquorum Geneva 2006 lot 144-323 (CHF 76,700) — pre-5514 5513-COMEX-HEV anchor
|-
| [[Reference:5514|5514]] || 3,804,841 || prototype-batch ~20 pieces, no COMEX logo on dial — "stealth" early 5514 || 1972 || Antiquorum NY 2009 lot 223-373 (USD 72,000)
|-
| [[Reference:5514|5514]] || 4,089,919 || COMEX 377, matte black, 9315 bracelet, Henry Hudson letter || 1975 || Phillips NY Watch Auction SIX 2022 lot 153 (USD 252,000 — record)
|-
| [[Reference:5514|5514]] || 4,155,901 || COMEX 446, "Cuerpo Infanteria" Argentine Navy / COMEX joint variant || 1974 || Phillips Geneva 2015 lot CH080215/145
|-
| [[Reference:5514|5514]] || 5,230,258 || COMEX 878, "Big Numbers" wrap-around caseback || 1977 || Antiquorum Monaco 2025 lot 383-172 (EUR 91,840)
|-
| [[Reference:5517|5517]] (MilSub, Royal Navy / Army) || ~3,926,000 cluster (Batches 1–2) || 5513-only and 5513/5517 double-reference; issue years 77/79 || 1972–1975 || Phillips New York 2019 lot 28 case 3,926,768; Phillips HK 2017 lot 807 case 3,926,923; Antiquorum Monaco 2022 lot 77 case 3,926,842
|-
| [[Reference:5517|5517]] || ~5,339,000 cluster (Batch 3) || 5517-only between-lugs engraving, sword hands, full 60-min bezel; issue year 78 || 1977–1978 || Phillips Geneva XIV 2021 lot 152 case 5,339,827 (CHF 504,000 — record); Sotheby's 2023 lot 3 case 5,339,705 issue 853/78 (CHF 482,600)
|-
| [[Reference:1680|1680]] (Submariner Date, Red Sub) || 2,241,069 || Mark II "tropical" meters-first dial, red Submariner text; Oyster 9315, clasp 3.71 || c.1969 (III.69) || Phillips WINNING ICONS lot 4
|-
| [[Reference:1680|1680]] || 2,421,653 || Mark IV "tropical" Red Sub, feet-first "open 6s"; folded Oyster 9315, 280 end-links, clasp 4.70 || c.1970 || Phillips Geneva XIV lot 155
|-
| [[Reference:1680|1680]] || 2,631,521 || Mark IV red dial, cream indexes; Oyster 7836, clasp 3-69 || 1970 (I.70) || Phillips Geneva SEVEN lot 108
|-
| [[Reference:1680|1680]] || 3,184,430 || single-red Submariner dial; 93150 Oyster, clasp CL9 || c.1972 || Bonhams London Fine Watches 2025 lot 18
|-
| [[Reference:1680|1680]] || 3,740,344 || feet-first Red Sub dial, Tiffany & Co. retailer signature || c.1974 || Sotheby's Important Watches II 2024
|-
| [[Reference:1680|1680]] || 5,429,380 || ref. 1680/8 18k yellow gold, blue sunray dial; gold Oyster, clasp 3.71 || c.1978 || Phillips Geneva SEVEN lot 238
|-
| [[Reference:1680|1680]] || 6,1XX,XXX || Mark 1 "White Submariner" (closed 6s), first white-text dial — end of the run || c.1979 || Bonhams Hong Kong Watches 2022 lot 928
|-
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] (GMT-Master, Pepsi) || 1,004,133 || underline + double-Swiss gilt dial, pointed crown guards, cal. 1560; bracelet 6636 / 80 end-links, clasp 3.64 || c.1963 (IV.63) || Phillips "Rolex Milestones" lot 810
|-
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] || 1,323,448 || MK III late-gilt gloss dial (SWISS - T<25), cal. 1570; bracelet 7206 / 80 end-links, clasp 4.65 || c.1965 (IV.65) || Phillips Hong Kong Sessions Spring 2026 lot 8019
|-
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] || 1,686,416 || matte black dial, steel Pepsi, cal. 1570 || c.1967 || Sotheby's Watches 2020 lot 76
|-
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] || 1,796,673 || matte black "Fuchsia" insert, cal. 1570, mvt D091203 (ROW / US delivery); clasp 7-68 || 1967 (II.67) || Phillips New York Watch Auction SEVEN lot 25
|-
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] || 5,468,961 || 18k yellow gold, black dial, President bracelet, cal. 1570 || c.1978 || Sotheby's Watches 2020 lot 77
|-
| [[Reference:16750|16750]] (GMT-Master, first quickset) || 6,250,744 || matte black dial, black bezel insert (spare Pepsi included), cal. 3075; 93150 Oyster, clasp VC || c.1981 || Bonhams Knightsbridge 2024 lot 95 (£10,240)
|-
| [[Reference:16750|16750]] || 7,625,315 || black dial, Omani Police royal-issue emblem, cal. 3075; 62510H Jubilee / 555 end-links, clasp G4 || c.1983 || Bonhams Fine Watches 2021 lot 68
|-
| [[Reference:16750|16750]] || 8,631,078 || glossy "spider" (zapon-crackle) dial, cal. 3075; 78360 Oyster / 580 end-links, clasp I6 || c.1984 || Phillips Hong Kong EIGHT lot 1180
|-
| [[Reference:16750|16750]] || R672618 || gloss black dial, R-prefix — final-year production at the numeric→letter cutover || c.1988 || Bonhams Hong Kong Watches 2019 lot 845
|-
| [[Reference:16760|16760]] (GMT-Master II Fat Lady) || 8,463,283 || Coke bezel, cal. 3085 27j, "Fat Lady" attribution || c.1984 || Sotheby's Important Watches HK 2021 lot 2004
|-
| [[Reference:16760|16760]] || R275863 || Coke, mvt 1994435, 78790 service-replacement bracelet || c.1988 || Bonhams Knightsbridge 2023 lot 28031/167
|-
| [[Reference:16760|16760]] || R434190 || full set with Merksamer Jewelers guarantee, mvt 2102621 || c.1988 || Phillips Geneva Watch Auction X 2019 lot 149 (CHF 20,000)
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] (Last caller GMT-Master) || R-serial || 1988 Pepsi, 78360 / RS11 clasp || 1988 || Bonhams 25956/4
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] || T254282 || 1996 Pepsi delivered Dec 1996, full set with Beyer receipt || 1996 || Antiquorum Geneva 2020 lot 329-88 (CHF 11,875)
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] || T848499 || c.1996 Pepsi, with extra black bezel, cal. 3175 || 1996 || Sotheby's Geneva Important Watches 2019 lot 10
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] || W752611 || c.1995 Pepsi, faded bezel, tritium dial || 1995 || Sotheby's Fine Watches Online 2024 lot 417
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] || U443556 || 1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 14/50, Bell X-1 1947 caseback || 1997 || Bonhams 25232/969 (HKD 106,250 incl. premium)
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] || U453541 || c.1997 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's No. 21/50 || 1997 || Phillips Hong Kong XI 2020 lot 862
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] || A245609 || c.1999 Chuck Yeager / Real McCoy's || 1999 || Sotheby's Hong Kong 2019 lot 2023
|}

Vintage Submariner case-number bands run tighter than the year-band tables suggest. The 6204's dominant cluster sits in the 988,xxx range across 1953–54. The 6205 splits cleanly between the post-reset 21,3xx–21,6xx (Series 1, 1954) and 85,9xx–86,0xx (Series 2, 1955). The 5510 clusters in 362,xxx in 1958, and the 6536 / 6536-1 cluster spans 112,xxx through 399,xxx across 1955–59. For any 1953–62 Submariner or Explorer head the Roman-quarter caseback stamp inside the case is the cleaner anchor. Read it before trusting a case number on its own.

== Cross-referencing for full dating ==

Serial alone gets the watch into a year band. The rest of the watch has to agree. [[Reference:Bracelets|Clasp]] dates the bracelet, not the case. Bracelet reference, dial generation, and [[Reference:Movements|movement]] all narrow the year independently. When those signals disagree, the serial still dates the case, but not necessarily the full watch as worn.

A U-serial 16610 with SEL bracelet, Luminova dial, and cal 3135 reads cleanly as a 1997–1998 watch. A U-serial 16610 on an older 93150 bracelet still dates the case to the same period, but it no longer reads as a period-correct full watch.

== Per-reference serial detail ==

The decoder here gets a watch into a year band; the individual reference pages carry the detailed tables. The 16520 is the clearest letter-by-letter example, and the manual-wind Daytonas sit on Pergola's numeric ranges.

The [[Reference:5500|Air-King 5500]] is the longest-running single Rolex reference at 32 years (1957 to 1989). Its case-number band spans roughly 365,000 (early 1958) through to the late seven-million range (1985 to 1989) — covering the full numeric-serial era and crossing into the early letter serials toward the end. Inside-caseback Roman-quarter date stamps (II.65, III.71, IV.83, etc.) are the cleaner per-watch dating tell on a 5500 since the case-number band overlaps with much of the broader Oyster Perpetual / Datejust production. Caseback inside stamps frequently read "1002" rather than "5500" on 1970s-onward production — period-correct, since the 5500 shares its case middle with the 1002 Oyster Perpetual.

== Sources ==

* [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html RolexHaven — Serial Numbers (Pergola + Dowling charts)]
* Dowling, J.M. and Hess, J.P., ''The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches'' (1996, revised editions through the 2010s). Schiffer Publishing.
* Pergola, C., ''Rolex Daytona, A Legend Is Born''.
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Boettcher (vintagewatchstraps.com)] — case-serial methodology and the parallel clasp date-code system.
* [https://millenarywatches.com/bracelet-and-clasp-codes/ Millenary Watches — Rolex Bracelet and Clasp Codes] — clasp date-code key A=1976 → CP=2011 plus the post-2011 randomization note.
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's catalog records] for case-anchored letter-year boundaries on 116528 (P421022 = 2000, Y'239'786 = 2002).

Reference:Bracelets

2026-09-05T01:30:40Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (quick-jump chips, breadcrumb)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Bracelet Reference}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Bracelet & Clasp Guide — Identify Oyster, Jubilee & President | Rolexopedia
|description=Cross-family Rolex bracelet reference: every Oyster, Jubilee, and President bracelet ref the project documents, with end-link compatibility, clasp generations, the clasp date-code key, and link-construction families.
|keywords=Rolex bracelet, Oyster bracelet, Jubilee bracelet, end link, Oysterlock, Glidelock, Easylink, clasp date code, 78360, 78390, 78490, 93150, bracelet reference guide
|type=Article
}}

<small>[[Main Page]] › '''Bracelets, End Links, Clasps, Link Types'''</small>

Cross-family bracelet decoder: Oyster, Jubilee, and President bracelet refs, the end links that pair with them, the clasp generations, and the link-construction families. The questions a collector asks of a vintage Rolex bracelet are always the same four: what is it, what end links fit, what year does the clasp code suggest, and is it original, period-correct, or a later service replacement.

A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head; the case carries its own [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number dating]]. The pairings below describe original-equipment fitment unless noted otherwise.

== Quick jump ==

<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Bracelet refs</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#bracelet-7206|7206]] [[#bracelet-78360|78360]] [[#bracelet-78390|78390]] [[#bracelet-93150|93150]] [[#bracelet-97200|97200]] [[#bracelet-9315|9315]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">End links</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#end-link-503|503]] [[#end-link-580|580]] [[#end-link-471|471]] [[#end-link-557|557]] [[#end-link-integral-modern|integral modern]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Clasps</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#clasp-oysterlock-vintage|Oysterlock vintage]] [[#clasp-oysterlock-modern|Oysterlock modern]] [[#clasp-glidelock|Glidelock]] [[#clasp-easylink|Easylink]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Link types</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#link-type-rivet|rivet]] [[#link-type-folded|folded]] [[#link-type-solid|solid]] [[#link-type-oyster|Oyster]] [[#link-type-jubilee|Jubilee]] [[#link-type-president|President]]</div></div>
</div>

== Bracelets by reference ==

The table covers every Oyster-line bracelet ref documented across the families in scope. Sub-variants appear in the Notes column rather than as separate rows.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Ref !! Name !! Years !! Link type !! End-link compatibility !! Families fitted !! Notes
|-
| <span id="bracelet-6635"></span>'''6635''' || Oyster rivet, 19mm (early Cosmograph) || 1955–1962 || Rivet || 271 (Daytona) / 57 (Air-King) || Daytona, Air-King, Oyster Perpetual || Pre-Cosmograph rivet for the chronograph 6234 / 6238 era. Largely supplanted by 7205 by the 6239 launch.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-7205"></span>'''7205''' || Oyster rivet, 19mm || 1958–1969 || Rivet || 271 (Daytona) / 57 / 357 (Air-King) || Daytona, Air-King, Oyster Perpetual|| 19mm sport / Air-King / Precision rivet bracelet. The 20mm Sport-model sibling is 7206. US-market C&I (Connecticut) made an unmarked-end-link 19mm rivet analogue 1959–1979; not a Rolex part.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-7206"></span>'''7206''' || Oyster rivet, 20mm || 1958–1969 || Rivet || 58, 60, 80 || Submariner, GMT-Master, Explorer || Two sub-generations: early small rivets (1958–early 60s) shifting to larger rivets in the mid-60s. End-link 80 is the 5513-era stamp; 58 / 60 carry on earlier small-crown / 1960 holdovers.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-9315"></span>'''9315''' || Oyster rivet, 20mm (early Sport-model) || 1953–1958 || Rivet || 58, 60 || Submariner, Explorer || Earliest Oyster rivet for the Sport-model line. Pre-7206 generation, lighter gauge.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-7835"></span>'''7835''' || Oyster folded link, 19mm || 1969–1976 || Folded || 271 (Daytona) / 357 (Air-King / Explorer 1016) || Daytona, Air-King, Explorer|| Folded-link successor to 7205 on the 19mm Daytona case. Some online tables show "771", a propagated OCR error of "271"; photographed examples only ever stamp 271.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-7836"></span>'''7836''' || Oyster folded link, 20mm || 1969–1976 || Folded || 380, 380B || Submariner, GMT-Master, Explorer || 20mm Sport-model sibling of 7835. Documented through five-digit transitional production prior to the solid-link 93150 generation.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78350"></span>'''78350''' || Oyster folded link, 19mm / 20mm || 1976–1989 || Folded → solid (78350A) || 571, 380 (Daytona/Submariner) / 557 / 557B (Air-King) || Daytona, Submariner, Air-King || Late folded generation; documented as 78350-17 and 78350-19 width variants on the Rolex-published bracelet specification sheets. Substituted on later 6263 / 6265 production where original 7835 had failed.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78360"></span>'''78360''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (full matte) || 1976–1993 || Solid || 503, 580 || Daytona, Submariner, GMT-Master, Explorer || First solid-link Oyster, brushed throughout. The 78360 → 78390 cutover on the Daytona 16520 sits in a 1991–1993 band; the Blackbird Watch Manual places it at 1993, while parts listings put 78390 production start at 1991.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78390"></span>'''78390''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (polished centre) || 1991–1998 || Solid || 503B || Daytona, Submariner || Brushed outer, polished centre — the visual upgrade from 78360. Late production carries a short flip-lock clasp blade. The "B" suffix on end-link 503B denotes the matching polished middle piece.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78390A"></span>'''78390A''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm with SEL || 1997–2000 || Solid || 503B || Daytona || Bridge generation between separable-end-link 78390 and machined SEL 78490. Documented on late 16520 U / A / P-serial production.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78490"></span>'''78490''' || Oyster solid link with SEL, 20mm || 2000–2010s || Solid || 501B || Daytona, Submariner || Full SEL, machined links, Easylink 5mm comfort extension introduced mid-production. The 116520 bracelet ref is contested. Boettcher and the Blackbird Watch Manual both attest 78490; a handful of online tables list 78690, which stronger sources tie to the Explorer 14270 instead. 78490 is the reading to work from until a Rolex catalog or a 116520 caseback paper settles it.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78690"></span>'''78690''' || Oyster SEL, 20mm (Explorer-fitment) || 1990–2000s || Solid || 558, 558B || Explorer || Documented as the Explorer 14270 / 114270 SEL bracelet. Not a Daytona fitment, despite older listings cross-referencing it to the 116520; see the 78490 row for the dispute.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78790"></span>'''78790''' || Oyster SEL, 20mm (Datejust / GMT / Explorer fitment) || 1990s–2000s || Solid || 558 || Explorer, GMT-Master || Sister bracelet to 78690 fitted across non-Daytona Sport-model 20mm cases of the same era. No documented Daytona application.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-93150"></span>'''93150''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (Submariner / GMT / Sea-Dweller) || 1976–1990 || Solid || 580, 585 || Submariner, GMT-Master || Heavier solid-link generation for Sport-model 20mm cases. Distinct from 78360 in link gauge and end-link family. No documented Daytona OE fitment.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78240"></span>'''78240''' || Jubilee, 20mm (five-link, smaller) || 1976–2000s || Jubilee || 455 || Submariner, GMT-Master, Oyster Perpetual || Cross-fitted Datejust 36mm, Submariner Rolesor, and Pepsi GMT-Master 16700 / 16710. Original Jubilee fitment for the 16710.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-62510H"></span>'''62510H''' || Jubilee with Oysterclasp, 20mm || 1991–2007 || Jubilee || 455 || GMT-Master || Jubilee link construction with the heavier Oysterclasp body. Sometimes documented as 62510D / 62510M for parallel-era variants on the Rolex bracelet specification sheets; the letter suffix marks a hollow-vs-solid generation.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-93250"></span>'''93250''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (steel / yellow gold) || 1980–1990 || Solid || 501 || Submariner, GMT-Master || Two-tone Rolesor solid link. Replaced by 78363 in the SEL transition.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78363"></span>'''78363''' || Oyster solid link with SEL, 20mm (steel / yellow gold) || 1991–2000s || Solid || 501, 501B || Daytona, Submariner, GMT-Master || Two-tone SEL successor to 93250. The Daytona Rolesor (16523) bracelet ref through the cutover to 78393. The 78363 → 78393 transition year on the 16523 is not directly attested, and is usually read across from the 16520's 78360 → 78390 cutover.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-8385"></span>'''8385''' || President, 20mm 18k yellow gold || 1970s onward || President || 455 || Oyster Perpetual || Designed for Day-Date 18038. No documented Daytona application — the yellow gold Daytona 16528 shipped on the 78668 and then the 78398.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78668"></span>'''78668''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (18k yellow gold) || 1988–~1994 || Solid || 103 || Daytona || The gold Daytona 16528 bracelet through the first half of the run, with a deployant clasp and no flip-lock. Not a gold casting of the steel 78360 and it does not share that part number: Christie’s catalogues ref. 16528 case R985336 with "deployant clasp stamped 78668, endlinks stamped 103", and Antiquorum records 78668 with an M12 clasp on case R985236. Clasp codes observed are M-series, 1988. An inferred "78368" circulated in older scaffolds and is attested nowhere.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-78398"></span>'''78398''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (18k yellow gold, later run) || ~1995–2000 || Solid || 193 || Daytona || Successor to 78668 on the gold 16528 case. Phillips catalogues ref. 16528 case X435057 with the bracelet "stamped '193' to the endlinks" and the clasp "stamped '78398' and 'T12'". T12 (1995) is the earliest documented 78398 code while 78668 still appears on 1993-era clasps, so the changeover sits in a loose 1993–1995 band rather than on the steel 78360 → 78390 line. That Phillips bracelet post-dates its 1991 X-serial case, a reminder that the clasp code dates the bracelet only.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-97200"></span>'''97200''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (modern Sport-model) || 2003–present || Oyster || integral SEL || Submariner, GMT-Master || Modern Oysterclasp with Easylink across every fitment. Glidelock on Submariner only; the GMT-Master line never adopted Glidelock. The Daytona 116500LN / 126500LN ships on a 97200-derivative Oyster with Easylink only.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-97203"></span>'''97203''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (steel / yellow gold) || 2003–present || Oyster || integral SEL || Submariner, GMT-Master || Modern Rolesor Sport-model. Easylink on every fitment; Glidelock on Submariner Rolesor variants only.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-97208"></span>'''97208''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (18k yellow gold) || 2003–present || Oyster || integral SEL || Submariner, GMT-Master || Yellow gold modern Sport-model bracelet. Heavier than 97200 by gold density.
|-
| <span id="bracelet-97209"></span>'''97209''' || Oyster solid link, 20mm (18k white gold) || 2014–present || Oyster || integral SEL || Submariner, GMT-Master || Premium-tier white gold Sport-model bracelet. Same Oyster three-link geometry as 97200 / 97203 / 97208 in different alloy.
|}

== End links ==

End links sit between the bracelet and the case lugs. On HEL (hollow end link) generations through the late 1990s, the end-link reference number is stamped on the underside of the end link itself. SEL (solid end link) generations from the late 1990s onward stamp a date code, a part number, and the Rolex coronet into the underside; the full bracelet SKU lives on the bracelet, not the end link.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Ref !! Bracelets it fits !! Case lugs (families / refs) !! SEL or HEL !! Year cutover !! Notes
|-
| <span id="end-link-58"></span>'''58''' || 9315, 7206 || Submariner 6204 / 6205 / 6536 / 6536-1 / 6538; Explorer 6150 / 6350 / 6610 || HEL || late 1950s || Earliest-generation 20mm Sport-model end link.
|-
| <span id="end-link-60"></span>'''60''' || 9315, 7206 || Submariner 5508 / 5510 / 5512; Explorer 6610 / 1016 || HEL || ~1960 || Second-generation small-crown / early five-digit Sport-model end link.
|-
| <span id="end-link-80"></span>'''80''' || 7206 || Submariner 5512 / 5513 / 1680; Explorer 1016 || HEL || ~1969 || Definitive 5513-era 7206 rivet end-link stamp per the Field Manual.
|-
| <span id="end-link-271"></span>'''271''' || 7205, 7835, 6635 || Daytona 6238 / 6239 / 6240 / 6241 / 6262 / 6263 / 6264 / 6265; Oyster Perpetual 1002 / 1007 / 5500 || HEL || ~early 1980s || The "771" code that appears in some online Daytona tables is a propagated OCR error of "271"; photographed end links only ever stamp 271.
|-
| <span id="end-link-379"></span>'''379''' || 62510H, 78240 || Oyster Perpetual 1601 / 16014 / 16030 || HEL || late 1970s || Jubilee end link for 19mm Datejust 1601 / Air-King fitments. Not documented on Daytona.
|-
| <span id="end-link-380"></span>'''380''' || 7836, 78350 || Submariner 5512 / 5513 / 1680; GMT-Master 1675; Explorer 1016 / 1655 || HEL || ~1976 || Folded-bracelet end link for the 20mm Sport-model line. Predates the solid 78360 / 503 family.
|-
| <span id="end-link-380B"></span>'''380B''' || 7836 || Submariner 5513 / 1680 || HEL || ~1976 || "B" suffix denotes the polished-middle variant on the late folded generation. Rarely documented.
|-
| <span id="end-link-381"></span>'''381''' || 7836 || Oyster Perpetual 1601 / 16014 || HEL || ~1977 || Datejust / Oyster Perpetual 36mm folded end link.
|-
| <span id="end-link-451"></span>'''451''' || 78240 || Oyster Perpetual 68273 || HEL || 1980s || Documented on ladies' President / Datejust bracelets. Not documented on Daytona.
|-
| <span id="end-link-455"></span>'''455''' || 78240, 62510H, 8385 || GMT-Master 16710 / 16700; Oyster Perpetual 16013 / 18038 || HEL || 1980s–1990s || Jubilee / President end link cross-fitted across Sport-model Jubilee and Day-Date / Datejust 36mm.
|-
| <span id="end-link-471"></span>'''471''' || 78240 || Oyster Perpetual 16030 / 16013 || HEL || 1980s || Datejust 16030 / 16013-era end link. Not documented on Daytona.
|-
| <span id="end-link-501"></span>'''501''' || 78363, 93250 || Daytona 16523; Submariner 16613 / 16803; GMT-Master 16713 || HEL || ~1991 || Two-tone end link family. Pairs with 78363 (steel + yellow gold) and 93250 across the Sport-model Rolesor line.
|-
| <span id="end-link-501B"></span>'''501B''' || 78363, 78490 || Daytona 116520 / 16523; Submariner 16610 / 16613 || SEL || ~2000 || B suffix marks the polished-middle SEL variant. Pairs with 78490 on the steel 116520; with 78363 on the Rolesor 16523.
|-
| <span id="end-link-502B"></span>'''502B''' || 78490 || Submariner 16610LV || SEL || ~2003 || "Kermit" 16610LV-era SEL end link variant. Rarely documented.
|-
| <span id="end-link-503"></span>'''503''' || 78360 || Daytona 16520 || HEL || ~1993 || Full matte (no polished middle); pairs with 78360 on the Daytona 16520 first generation.
|-
| <span id="end-link-503B"></span>'''503B''' || 78390, 78390A || Daytona 16520 || HEL || ~1997 || Polished-middle variant. Pairs with 78390 on the polished-centre Daytona 16520. The 78390A SEL bridge generation reuses the 503B end-link family number.
|-
| <span id="end-link-558"></span>'''558''' || 78690, 78790 || Explorer 14270 / 114270 / 16570 || HEL || ~1998 || Explorer 14270-era end link. The Daytona-vs-Explorer confusion on the 78690 bracelet ref hinges on this end-link family.
|-
| <span id="end-link-558B"></span>'''558B''' || 78690 || Explorer 114270 || SEL || ~2001 || Polished-middle SEL Explorer end link.
|-
| <span id="end-link-571"></span>'''571''' || 78350 || Daytona 6263 / 6265 / 6240 / 6241 || HEL || ~early 1980s || Documented as the 78350 end-link stamp.
|-
| <span id="end-link-580"></span>'''580''' || 93150, 78360 || Submariner 5512 / 5513 / 1680 / 16800 / 168000 / 16610; Explorer 1016; GMT-Master 1675 / 16750 || HEL || ~1990 || Sport-model 20mm solid-link end link, the 93150 generation. Cross-fitted across Submariner / GMT / Explorer 20mm cases. Not documented as Daytona OE.
|-
| <span id="end-link-583"></span>'''583''' || 93150 || Oyster Perpetual 18038 / 18238 || HEL || ~1985 || Likely a Day-Date / Datejust end link, though rarely documented.
|-
| <span id="end-link-585"></span>'''585''' || 93150 || Submariner 16610 / 16800 / 168000 || HEL || ~1990 || The 580 / 585 pair forms the Sport-model SEL transition end-link family.
|-
| <span id="end-link-integral-modern"></span>'''integral SEL''' || 97200, 97203, 97208, 97209 || Submariner 116610LN / 116610LV / 126610LN / 126610LV / 126613LB / 126613LN / 126618LN; GMT-Master 116710LN / 116710BLNR / 126710BLNR / 126710BLRO / 126713GRNR / 126718GRNR / 126719BLRO || SEL || 2003 onward || Modern Sport-model end-links are integral to the first link of the bracelet and not separable. No printed end-link ref number; the bracelet ref carries the full SKU.
|-
| <span id="end-link-57"></span>'''57''' || 6635 / 7205 || Air-King 5500 (1957–c.1965), Oyster Perpetual 1002 (early) || HEL || c.1965 (transition to 357) || 19mm rivet end-link for the early Air-King line. Sometimes co-stamped with 357 on transitional bracelets. Phillips Geneva FOUR 2016 lot 22 documents a 1965 5500 with both 57 and 357 stampings present
|-
| <span id="end-link-357"></span>'''357''' || 7205 / 7835 || Air-King 5500 (c.1965–c.1976), Oyster Perpetual 1002, Explorer 1016 (mid-run) || HEL || c.1976 (transition to 557) || 19mm folded-link end-link succeeding the 57. Long-run fitment across the Cal 1520 era 5500 and the mid-production 1016 Explorer
|-
| <span id="end-link-557"></span>'''557''' || 78350 || Air-King 5500 (c.1976–1989), Oyster Perpetual 1002 (late) || HEL || c.1989 (replaced by integrated SEL on 14000) || 19mm solid-link end-link for late-run Air-King. The 5500's final factory bracelet configuration
|-
| <span id="end-link-557B"></span>'''557B''' || 78350 || Air-King 5500 (late 1980s) || HEL || c.1989 || B-suffix variant of 557 with refined tolerances. Late-1980s 5500 production
|}

== Clasps ==

The clasp is the most date-specific component on a vintage Rolex. Pre-1976 clasps carry a quarterly numeric stamp inside the blade. From 1976 onward Rolex moved to a single-letter or double-letter year code stamped on the underside. The Daytona never adopted Glidelock; the modern 116500LN and 126500LN ship on a 97200-derivative Oyster with Easylink only.

=== Generation overview ===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Generation !! Years !! Refs that used it !! Distinguishing features
|-
| <span id="clasp-folding-clasp-vintage"></span>Folding clasp (Gay Frères / Rolex stamped) || 1953–1969 || 7205, 7206, 7835, 7836, 9315, 6635 || Folded steel blade, no flip-lock. Big Logo (Gay Frères) on early small-crown and 6238-era; Small Logo (Rolex coronet) from 1958.
|-
| <span id="clasp-oysterlock-vintage"></span>Oysterlock folded clasp || 1976–~1997 || 78350, 78360, 78390, 93150, 93250 || Folded blade with Oysterlock safety latch; short flip-lock extension introduced ~1983 on Sport models, ~1993 on the Daytona 16520. Single-letter date code on blade (A=1976 onward).
|-
| <span id="clasp-oysterlock-modern"></span>Oysterclasp with Easylink (modern) || 2002–present || 78363, 78490, 97200, 97203, 97208, 97209 || Solid machined Oysterclasp body. Easylink 5mm extension lever inside the clasp body. Milled crown stamp on inner clasp from ~2010 on late 116520 and modern Sport-model production.
|-
| <span id="clasp-easylink"></span>Easylink 5mm comfort extension || 2002–present || 78363, 78490, 97200, 97203, 97208, 97209 || Internal lever and keeper inside the Oysterclasp body that drops a 5mm extension link without tools. Standard on every modern Sport-model bracelet and the modern Daytona.
|-
| <span id="clasp-glidelock"></span>Glidelock micro-extension || 2008–present || 97200, 97203, 97208, 97209 (Submariner only) || Toothed track inside the clasp body, ~20mm of fine adjustment in 2mm steps without tools. Submariner-line only; never adopted on Daytona, GMT-Master, Explorer, or Datejust. The key differentiator between the modern Submariner Oyster and the modern Daytona / GMT-Master Oyster.
|}

Daytona clasp generations follow the bracelet timeline closely. Big Logo Gay Frères belongs to the earliest 6239 and 6240 period, Small Logo runs through the late manual-wind era, Oysterlock covers the 16520 years, and the modern Oysterclasp starts with the 116520. Easylink arrives around 2002.

=== Date-code key ===

The matrix below is the collector community's working consensus, derived from observed clasps rather than a Rolex-published table. It agrees across the published collector literature, with minor variation only in the 1995–1998 overlap notation. Outside that window the codes can be trusted.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Code !! Year !! Code !! Year !! Code !! Year
|-
| A || 1976 || M || 1988 || DT || 2002
|-
| B || 1977 || N || 1989 || AD || 2003
|-
| C || 1978 || O || 1990 || CL || 2004
|-
| D || 1979 || P || 1991 || MA || 2005
|-
| E || 1980 || Q || 1992 || OP || 2006
|-
| F || 1981 || R || 1993 || EO || 2007
|-
| G || 1982 || S || 1994 || PJ || 2008
|-
| H || 1983 || T or W || 1995 || LT || 2009
|-
| I || 1984 || U or V || 1996 || RS || 2010
|-
| J || 1985 || U or Z || 1997 || CP || 2011
|-
| K || 1986 || W or Z || 1998 || (random) || 2011 onward
|-
| L || 1987 || X || 1999 || ||
|-
| || || AB || 2000 || ||
|-
| || || DE || 2001 || ||
|}

The 1995–1998 letter window overlaps, so a T, W, U, V, or Z clasp code has to be checked against the watch rather than read alone. An <code>S</code> prefix marks a service-replacement clasp, not the original manufacture year. From mid-2011 the codes randomized and lost any public year value. On SEL bracelets the code moves to the underside of the end link.

Before 1976 there is no letter code. The folding clasps of the rivet and folded eras carry a quarter-and-year stamp inside the blade: a Roman numeral for the quarter (I, II, III, IV), a dot, then two digits for the year, so <code>I.65</code> reads as the first quarter of 1965 and <code>IV.71</code> the fourth quarter of 1971.

== Link construction types ==

The construction styles below cover every bracelet ref on this page. The taxonomy is geometric. A 1958 7205 rivet and a 2024 97200 Oyster are both three-link bracelets, but the rivet, folded, and solid generations are mechanically different enough that dating and identification turn on which one is in hand. Pearlmaster and Oysterflex sit outside the families documented here and are included for completeness.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Style !! Years !! Identifying features !! Bracelet refs using
|-
| <span id="link-type-rivet"></span>'''Rivet (hollow)''' || 1940s–1969 || Hollow folded steel links joined with visible rivet heads on the link sides; lighter gauge than later folded or solid generations. || 6635, 7205, 7206, 9315
|-
| <span id="link-type-folded"></span>'''Folded (hollow non-rivet)''' || 1969–1980s || Folded steel construction with no exposed rivet heads; polished outer / brushed centre links visible on most variants; lighter on the wrist than solid-link successors. || 7835, 7836, 78350
|-
| <span id="link-type-solid"></span>'''Solid (machined or stamped solid)''' || 1976–present || Solid steel link bodies, no folded or rivet construction; brushed throughout (78360) or brushed outer / polished centre (78390 onward); SEL introduction ~1997 on Sport models is a sub-generation. || 78360, 78363, 78390, 78390A, 78490, 78690, 78790, 93150, 93250, 97200, 97203, 97208, 97209
|-
| <span id="link-type-jubilee"></span>'''Jubilee (five-link)''' || 1945–present || Five-link construction — three smaller polished centre links flanked by two larger brushed outer links; smoother on the wrist than three-link Oyster. || 78240, 62510H
|-
| <span id="link-type-oyster"></span>'''Oyster (three-link flat)''' || 1947–present || Three-link construction with flat brushed outer links and a narrower centre; the default Sport-model bracelet across every era from the 1950s on. Modern Oyster carries integral SEL and a machined clasp body. || 97200, 97203, 97208, 97209
|-
| <span id="link-type-president"></span>'''President (three-piece semi-circular)''' || 1956–present || Three-piece links with semi-circular polished outer profile; always solid precious metal (yellow, white, or rose gold; platinum). || 8385
|-
| <span id="link-type-pearlmaster"></span>'''Pearlmaster (five-piece rounded)''' || 1992–present || Five-piece links with a rounded profile, gem-set centre and outer; gem-set Datejust / Pearlmaster fitment only. || (none in scope)
|-
| <span id="link-type-oysterflex"></span>'''Oysterflex (elastomer over titanium blade)''' || 2015–present || Black FKM elastomer overmolded over a flexible titanium / nickel alloy blade; looks like a rubber strap, mechanically a bracelet. Oysterclasp with Glidelock on Yacht-Master variants; Oysterclasp with Easylink on the ceramic Daytona 116515LN / 116519LN and the white-gold 126506. || (no 7-series ref number; tracked by case reference)
|}

== Sources ==

* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ vintagewatchstraps.com (Boettcher)] — primary source for Oyster case-maker history, Wilsdorf brand-universe research, and bracelet-evolution analysis referenced throughout this page.
* [https://millenarywatches.com/bracelet-and-clasp-codes/ Millenary Watches — Bracelet and Clasp Codes: Complete Resource Guide] — date-code key A=1976 → CP=2011 plus Rolex-published bracelet specification sheets reproduced inline.
* [https://chrono-shop.net/en/blog/rolex-watch-bracelet-references-numbers--n13 chrono-shop.net — Rolex watch bracelet references numbers] — model-by-model bracelet / end-link compatibility list (contains OCR typos: "73850" for "78350", "771" for "271").
* [https://watch-collector.co.uk/rolex-bracelet-end-link-codes/ watch-collector.co.uk — Rolex Bracelet End Link Codes] — same matrix as chrono-shop in cleaner table form; confirms 78490 (not 78690) as the steel 116520 bracelet.
* [https://rolexhaven.com/bracelets.html RolexHaven.com — Sport-model bracelet and end-link reference] — Submariner / GMT / Explorer / Sea-Dweller end-link code table.
* [https://www.blackbird-watchmanual.com/manual/icons/the-rolex-daytona-reference-16520/ Blackbird Watch Manual — The Rolex Daytona Reference 16520] — independent confirmation of the 78360 → 78390 → 78390A bracelet progression on the 16520.
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' (Colin White) — bracelet / end-link / clasp tables for every five-digit reference.

[[Category:Reference]]
[[Category:Bracelets]]

Reference:Movements

2026-09-05T01:30:39Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (quick-jump chips, breadcrumb)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Caliber & Movement Reference}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Movements & Calibers — Cross-Family Reference | Rolexopedia
|description=Cross-family caliber catalogue for vintage and discontinued Rolex watches, covering the movements used in pre-2020 Daytona, Submariner, GMT-Master, Explorer, and Oyster Perpetual references.
|keywords=Rolex caliber, Rolex movement, cal 4030, cal 4130, cal 727, Valjoux 72, Zenith El Primero, cal 1570, cal 1575, cal 3035, cal 3135, cal 3185, cal 3186, Oysterquartz 5035, Rolex chronograph caliber, vintage Rolex movement
|type=Article
}}

<small>[[Main Page]] › '''Movements'''</small>

== Quick jump ==

<div class="rp-index">
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Prince (shaped)</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-300|300]] [[#cal-300-ts|7½ T.S. 300]] [[#cal-310|310]] [[#cal-360-hw|360 HW]] [[#cal-350-ts|350 T.S.]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Bubbleback / early automatic</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-520|520]] [[#cal-620|620]] [[#cal-600|600]] [[#cal-a260|A260]] [[#cal-a296|A296]] [[#cal-645|645]] [[#cal-740|740]] [[#cal-745|745]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Oyster / Oysterdate Precision</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-1210|1210]] [[#cal-1215|1215]] [[#cal-1220|1220]] [[#cal-1225|1225]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Vintage sport (1950s–80s)</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-1030|1030]] [[#cal-1035|1035]] [[#cal-1530|1530]] [[#cal-1560|1560]] [[#cal-1570|1570]] [[#cal-1575|1575]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Modern sport (1988–2020)</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-3035|3035]] [[#cal-3130|3130]] [[#cal-3135|3135]] [[#cal-3185|3185]] [[#cal-3186|3186]] [[#cal-3187|3187]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Milgauss</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-1580|1580]] [[#cal-3131|3131]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Daytona chronograph</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-72|72]] [[#cal-727|727]] [[#cal-4030|4030]] [[#cal-4130|4130]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Day-Date</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-1055|1055]] [[#cal-1555|1555]] [[#cal-1566|1566]] [[#cal-3055|3055]] [[#cal-3155|3155]]</div></div>
<div class="rp-era"><div class="rp-era-name">Oysterquartz</div><div class="rp-chips">[[#cal-5035|5035]] [[#cal-5055|5055]]</div></div>
</div>

== Rolex movements ==

This page covers calibers used by Rolex families in the wiki, including several numbers with no confirmed fitment. Reference pages document individual applications.

The caliber number is engraved on the movement itself and read with the caseback off; it is separate from the case serial, which is the number that dates the watch on the [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number page]]. Where a movement number and case number diverge sharply, as on the stockpiled Prince calibers, the movement was made well before the case it sits in.

Aegler in Bienne made most of the mechanical movements covered here. The firm supplied Rolex as an independent manufacturer before becoming its subsidiary in 2004. Aegler also manufactured calibers based on outside designs, including the Valjoux- and Zenith-based chronographs.

Several component technologies recur across the range. Glucydur balances, standard on Rolex automatics from the 1930s onward, use a beryllium-bronze alloy that resists magnetism and temperature-driven rate variation better than the steel balances it replaced. The name combines "glucinium," an old name for beryllium, with "dur," meaning hard. Kif shock protection, made by the Vallée de Joux firm founded in 1944, cushions the balance-staff pivots with a spring-loaded free-bearing jewel setting. Rolex used the Kif system under the names "Kif Ultraflex" and "Kif Elastor." Introduced in 2000, Parachrom is Rolex's niobium-zirconium-oxygen hairspring alloy. A blue oxide coating distinguished it from around 2005; Rolex rates it as about ten times more resistant to shock than the Nivarox alloys it replaced, as well as largely immune to magnetism and temperature changes.
<span id="prince-family"></span>
== Prince (shaped movements) ==

The Prince family uses Aegler shaped movements, older than every other Rolex caliber on this page. Wilsdorf and Aegler patented the layout in 1927 as a "shaped watch movement with a seconds dial." It placed the winding barrel at one end of the rectangular movement and the balance at the other, leaving room for a larger balance wheel and mainspring barrel than rival shaped calibers of the period. The larger balance improved precision, while the larger barrel extended the power reserve.

Aegler remained an independent supplier until Rolex bought the company from the Borer family in April 2004. "Aegler" and "Rebberg" refer to the same firm; Rebberg was the street in Bienne where it stood. Aegler also made movements for Gruen. The architectural sibling of Cal. 300 sold in the United States as the Gruen Techni-Quadron, designated Cal. 877. Gruen-stamped movements sometimes appear in Rolex Prince cases, but Cal. 877 was never a Rolex caliber number.

Prince grades run Prima → Extra Prima → Ultra Prima, with higher jewel counts, more adjustment positions, and stricter chronometer testing. Only Extra Prima and Ultra Prima watches carry "Chronometer" or "Observatory" dial marks. Rolex submitted Prince movements to the National Physical Laboratory at Kew for rate certificates independent of the Swiss Bureaux Officiels Suisse de Contrôle. Its often-cited 1914 Class A Kew certificate belongs to an earlier ladies' wristwatch movement, while Prince testing at Kew-Teddington began in 1928.

<span id="cal-300"></span>
=== Cal. 300 ===
[[File:Cal 300 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 300, Extra Prima grade, rectangular Prince architecture, Bonhams lot photo]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 15 (Prima) · 18 (Extra/Ultra Prima)
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| ~50h
|-
| size
| 7½ × 14½ lignes / 16.9 × 32.7mm
|-
| escapement
| Lateral lever
|-
| shock
| None
|}

Cal. 300 is the original Prince movement, made from 1928 to 1935. Rolex's factory caliber table places it under the "T.S." size code shared by Cal. 310 and Cal. 350. Christie's describes all three as the same movement base, with interchangeable parts and the balance bridge identifying the original execution. Prima movements have 15 jewels and six-position adjustment; Extra Prima and Ultra Prima versions have 18 jewels, six-position adjustment, and sometimes a Chronometer marking. David Boettcher identifies the additional jewels as two end-stones on the escape-wheel pivots and a top bearing on the centre wheel. Early movements carry the grade wording on the ratchet wheel, while later examples place it on the main train bridge. The photographed Extra Prima, marked "Observatory 6 Positions," shows the later convention.

Balance metallurgy changed gradually. Examples from 1928 use a bimetallic balance with a plain Breguet spring; by the mid-to-late 1930s, documented movements have both monometallic and bimetallic balances paired with Elinvar-alloy hairsprings. No exact transition year is established. "Patented Superbalance" on later ratchet wheels and bridges refers to Aegler's Swiss patent CH196706, filed in August 1936 and granted in March 1938. A movement carrying the mark postdates the grant. The recessed timing screws are often said to reduce air resistance, but Boettcher reads the patent as a way to maximize the balance's radius of gyration within the available space.

Cal. 300 has no shock protection, consistent with Incabloc reaching production only in 1938, after the core Prince design was established. Its winding-stem bridge is a known service weak point. A movement that sets the time and then disengages may have a broken bridge; watchmakers use aftermarket CNC-machined brass bridges and stems for this repair.

Several UK auction catalogues treat the three- and four-digit numbers found on movements in refs 1862, 1490, and 1855 as calibers. The documented numbers are 510, 579, 841, 1004, 1130, and 1439, with weaker evidence for 701 and a single record of 1759. They are almost certainly movement serials read from the plate. Continental catalogues identify the same movement class by grade and the T.S. size code instead. Cal. 414 and Cal. 527 have no documented connection to the Rolex Prince. The number 971A is a case reference, not a caliber; Antiquorum catalogued a 971A in 1989 with the same T.S./300-family movement.

<span id="cal-300-ts"></span>
=== Cal. 7½′′′ T.S. 300 ===
[[File:Cal 300 TS movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 7½′′′ T.S. 300, marked "Rolex World's Records," "Rolex Chronometer," "18 Rubies, Ultra Prima"]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| ~50h
|-
| size
| 7½′′′ rectangular
|-
| escapement
| Lateral lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic
|-
| regulator
| Micrometer
|}

"T.S." is Rolex's size-family code for this 16.9 × 32.7mm architecture, catalogued by Christie's as "cal. T.S. Ref. 300." There is no support for the common expansion "Très Soigné." The six-position Ultra Prima execution ran from 1932 to 1938 with a lateral lever escapement, monometallic balance, micrometer regulator, Breguet overcoil hairspring, and rhodium plating. On the [[Reference:1527|1527 Railway]], Extra Prima movements outnumber Ultra Prima examples, reversing the pattern seen on the 1490. An eight-position Ultra Prima marked "Officially Tested in Eight Ways" is documented on a 1931 bamboo-bracelet example sold by Mondani in 2006.

<span id="cal-310"></span>
=== Cal. 310 ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 18
|-
| size
| 7½′′′ rectangular (19 × 49mm cased)
|-
| escapement
| Lateral lever
|-
| balance
| Superbalance, 6-position
|-
| regulator
| Micrometer
|}

Cal. 310 is the centre-seconds member of the T.S. family, used in the wedge-shaped [[Reference:3361|3361 Aerodynamic]], 3362, and [[Reference:3937|3937]] Prince group. Antiquorum described a 3361 in 2000 as a rhodium-plated 7½-ligne movement with 18 jewels, lateral lever escapement, six-position Superbalance, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, and micrometer regulator, in a 19 × 49mm case. That catalogue does not print the number 310, so the caliber attribution is less secure than the architecture and specifications. Movement production ended in 1938, but Aegler stock remained in Rolex cases through 1952. A 1952 example with a movement number far below its case number illustrates this stockpile pattern.

<span id="cal-360-hw"></span>
=== Cal. 360 HW ===
[[File:Cal 360 HW movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 360 HW, marked "Rolex, 15 Rubies, Swiss Made"]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 15–18
|}

The architecture of Cal. 360 is disputed. Christie's describes a 1938 ref. 2835 "Prince Elegant" with a tonneau-shaped 15-jewel movement, and Charles Jarman's ''The Rolex Reference Guide'' (4th edition) calls Cal. 360 a manual, small-seconds, tonneau-shaped movement with a SuperBalance. Rolex's factory caliber table instead lists a rectangular 18-jewel Basic Caliber measuring 18 × 27mm, smaller than the Cal. 300 family's 16.9 × 32.7mm.

Both Jarman and the factory table date its introduction to 1937. The disagreement concerns its shape, size, and relationship to Cal. 300. The popular claim that "HW" means Hans Wilsdorf has no independent support; the factory table appears to give the size code as "F-LW," possibly an OCR rendering related to the "F" size-family code used for Cal. 180. Shigeharu Aritake's ''Rolex Scene 1913–1997'' is cited for a progression in which SuperBalance wording disappears from the winding wheel around 1938, but this does not resolve the architecture. Escapement and balance details remain unconfirmed.

<span id="cal-510"></span>
<span id="cal-579"></span>
<span id="cal-701"></span>
<span id="cal-841"></span>
<span id="cal-1004"></span>
<span id="cal-1130"></span>
<span id="cal-1439"></span>
=== Numbered Prince movements (510, 579, 701, 841, 1004, 1130, 1439) ===

Seven numbers circulate as Prince "calibers": 510, 579, 701, 841, 1004, 1130, and 1439. All are most likely movement serial numbers misread as caliber designations, so they are grouped here.

Photographed Prince plates carry a grade legend, jewel count, "Swiss Made," and a bare number stamped beside the "NN RUBIES" wording, but no caliber designation. Grade legends include Prima, Extra Prima, Ultra Prima, Observatory Quality, Officially Tested in Eight Ways, Timed 6 Positions, and For All Climates. The bare number ranges from four to seven digits. Ultra Prima 18-jewel examples with otherwise matching plates carry 1260, 1439, and 1759 in that position, confirming that the stamp varies within one movement type.

Continental auction catalogues identify these movements by size code and grade, such as "cal. T.S. 300" or "7½′′′ T.S. 300, Observatory Quality." UK lots that print a "Cal." figure also give a separate case or serial number, indicating that the supposed caliber was read from the movement. The specifications also overlap: 1439 and 1759 both describe an 18-jewel Ultra Prima movement adjusted to six positions. A bare mainplate serial has likewise appeared in print as a "1240 calibre movement."

Auction descriptions use these numbers, but the available evidence identifies them as movement serials.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
! number
! documented on
! catalogue text
! notes
|-
| 510
| Prince Brancard ref. 1855, serial 143**, circa 1930
| "17-jewel Cal.510 manual wind movement tested to 8 positions"
| 8-position adjustment, against the more typical 6
|-
| 579
| stainless steel ref. 1862, circa 1935, case No. 103
| "17-jewel Cal.579 manual wind movement" (Bonhams London)
| single lot; the trailing "T" in some listings is absent from Bonhams' catalogue text
|-
| 701
| one photograph showing "ROLEX PRINCE 701" on a 1930s piece
| none
| no recorded jewel count, adjustment count, or technical description; no auction or catalogue attribution
|-
| 841
| ref. 1862 circa 1930, case No. 10403
| "17-jewel Cal.841 manual wind" (Bonhams London; resold through Tajan in 2019, the same watch catalogued twice)
| a separate listing gives 15 jewels for a "Cal. 841T" on a different 1862; a caliber designation would not change jewel count
|-
| 1004
| ref. 1862, Glasgow import mark for 1936, serial 176**
| "17-jewel Cal.1004 manual wind movement tested to 8 positions" (Bonhams, December 2015)
| white gold bezel, fixed wire lugs, gilt brick-link bracelet
|-
| 1130
| 9K yellow gold ref. 1490, case 30280
| "cal. 1130 manual winding lever movement, 16 jewels"
| lowest jewel count recorded in the group
|-
| 1439
| Prince Chronometre ref. 1490, Glasgow import mark for 1937, serial 307**
| "18-jewel Cal.1439 manual wind movement timed to 6 positions" (Bonhams)
| same 18-jewel, 6-position Ultra Prima specification as Cal. 1759 below
|}

Cal. 1759 is the same phenomenon. It remains separate because the photographed watch preserves matching movement and caseback markings, but the number appears in the serial position on an Ultra Prima plate and is documented in only one regional UK auction.

<span id="cal-1759"></span>
=== Cal. 1759 ===
[[File:Cal 1759 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1759, "1759, 18 RUBIES, ULTRA PRIMA," with its matching case back]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 18
|}

This circa 1937 Ultra Prima Chronometer has 18 jewels and six-position adjustment. Gardiner Houlgate catalogued it in a 9ct ref. 1862 with 1937 Glasgow import hallmarks as a "cal. 1759 Ultra Prima Chronometer 18 jewel movement timed 6 positions." The photographed example retains its matching caseback, engraved "1759, 18 Rubies, Ultra Prima" alongside "31 Records Universels" and a retailer stamp. The identification rests on this single regional UK auction lot.

<span id="cal-350-ts"></span>
=== Cal. 350 T.S. ===
[[File:Cal 350 TS movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 350 T.S., Extra Prima grade, 15 rubies, timed to 6 positions, in a ref. 1491 jumping hour]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 15 or 18 (documented both ways)
|-
| size
| 16.9 × 32.7mm (T.S.)
|-
| escapement
| Lateral lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic
|}

Cal. 350 is the jump-hour member of the T.S. family, alongside the small-seconds Cal. 300 and centre-seconds Cal. 310. Christie's and Sotheby's catalogue it in the [[Reference:1491|1491 Brancard Jumping Hour]] as an 18-jewel, chronometer-rated movement on the T.S. base. Another 1491 has a 15-jewel Extra Prima movement; Ultra Prima examples have 18 jewels. Jewel count varies with grade. The jump-hour disc works on much the same principle as the later Datejust date disc. Surviving examples carry Glasgow import hallmarks from 1930–31, consistent with the T.S. base's 1928–35 production window.

The 1491 case is deeper than the 1490 to accommodate the jump-hour module. Case depth distinguishes a genuine 1491 from a 1490 fitted with a later module. Known service faults include a weak jump-impulse spring that causes a "lazy" disc advance, a worn retention pawl that makes the hour disc jitter, and a misaligned dial aperture that exposes parts of two numerals.

<span id="bubbleback-family"></span>
== Bubbleback and early automatic ==

Bubbleback and early Oyster Perpetual references use a distinct family of self-winding calibers. They followed the Prince's manual shaped movements and preceded the standardized post-war automatic line. The "bubble" refers to the domed caseback needed to clear the full-rotor automatic mechanism. It was not a bumper system, although many competing automatics still used one.

<span id="cal-520"></span>
=== Cal. 520 ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 19
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Superbalance
|}

Cal. 520 debuted in the original 1933 ref. 1858 with its three-piece Oyster case. Antiquorum describes the 8¾-ligne rhodium-plated movement in a [[Reference:3353|3353]] as automatic, with 19 jewels, 18,000 vph, a straight-line lever escapement, and a Superbalance with Breguet balance spring. Cal. 620 superseded it as the architecture developed through the mid-1930s. No confirmed movement photograph is available; a generic early Bubbleback movement should not be identified as a 520 unless the engraved caliber number is visible.

<span id="cal-620"></span>
=== Cal. 620 ===
[[File:Cal 620 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 620, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 35h
|-
| size
| 11½ lignes / 26.4mm × 7.5mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Superbalance (monometallic)
|}

Derived from the manual Cal. 600, Cal. 620 became the base for Rolex's early full-rotor automatic family. Antiquorum catalogues individual examples with 17 to 20 jewels, against the table's 17-jewel specification. Earlier 1940s movements have a swan-neck micrometer regulator without shock protection; by the early 1950s, an index regulator and shock absorber appear.

Its defining feature is a unidirectional "Perpetual" rotor that turns through 360 degrees without bumpers or buffers. The rotor is engraved "ROLEX PERPETUAL / CHRONOMETER / SWISS MADE / PATENTED / SUPER-BALANCE," while the three-screw, 18mm cover plate reads "VIS TIRETTE / PATENTED / TRIGGER SCREW." Cal. 620 powered the original 1931 "Perpetual" and early Bubblebacks. Cal. 630 and the related 635 and 645 developed from the same architecture.

<span id="cal-630"></span>
=== Cal. 630 ===
[[File:Cal 630 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 630, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| size
| 26.0mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic
|}

Launched in 1937, Cal. 630 was chronometer-certified under the period Swiss testing system, adjusted to seven positions, and fitted with a Breguet hairspring. One secondary source gives 18 jewels rather than the table's 17. The movement developed directly from Cal. 620 and shares its "Vis Tirette *** Patented *** Trigger Screw" cover-plate marking. Its rotor and bridge also carry the same "Rolex Perpetual Chronometer, Swiss Made, Patented, Super-Balance" signature. The caliber number stamped in the small box on the bridge distinguishes the two.

<span id="cal-105-hunter"></span>
=== Cal. 10½ Hunter ===
[[File:Cal 700 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 700, the 10½-ligne Hunter, monometallic Superbalance, shown in its Oyster case]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17–18
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| size
| 10½ lignes
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Superbalance, 6-position
|-
| regulator
| Swan-neck micrometer
|}

This Aegler-supplied 10½-ligne hand-wound family uses the 700/710 architecture. It has a straight-line lever escapement, monometallic Superbalance adjusted to six positions, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, and swan-neck micrometer regulator, with no documented shock protection. The movement powers the original Air-King 4925 and its Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, and Air-Giant siblings, including the sub-seconds 4365, mid-size 4444, and 4647 Hunter Precision. Its architecture links the pre-war Prince and Bubbleback movements with the post-war automatic Cal. 1030. Rolex's factory caliber table dates Cal. 700 and 710 to 1938. It lists Cal. 720 separately as an automatic movement with shock protection, not as a third member of this manual pair.

Auction catalogues describe compatible 10- to 10½-ligne manual movements in [[Reference:2765|2765]] and [[Reference:3009|3009]], but none of the surfaced records shows a Cal. 700 stamp. Both reference pages therefore treat the assignment as plausible rather than confirmed. The four documented [[Reference:1873|1873]] watches are also manual, but their catalogues name no caliber.

<span id="cal-600"></span>
=== Cal. 600 ===
[[File:Cal 600 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 600, manual, Super Balance — EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| Not recorded
|-
| power reserve
| Not recorded
|-
| size
| 9¾ lignes / 21.7mm
|-
| escapement
| Not recorded — Cal. 620 derivative is straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Patented Super Balance
|-
| regulator
| Not recorded — Cal. 620 derivative is micrometer, later index
|-
| shock
| None documented
|}

Cal. 600 sits one size class below the 10½-ligne 700/710/720 family and carries a patented Super Balance. Sotheby's catalogued the movement in the Mercedes Gleitze Oyster in November 2025 as a rhodium-finished Hunter-architecture base upgraded to Cal. 600. The late-1926 27mm case belongs to the watch Gleitze wore during her 21 October 1927 Channel swim attempt and is engraved "Miss M. Gleitze / The Companion 'Oyster.' Vindication Channel Swim. October 21st. 1927."

Rolex's factory table lists Cal. 600 as a Basic Caliber: manual wind, small seconds, 21.7mm, 17 jewels, entered in 1933 under a Hunter-patent size bracket. It is the root of the 9¾-ligne automatic branch. Cal. 620 followed in 1936, with Cal. 635, 640, and 645 descending from that line in 1950. Both the factory table and Sotheby's Gleitze catalogue give 17 jewels.

The Gleitze case carries Glasgow import marks for 1926/1927, but its movement is later. Rolex's factory table dates Cal. 600 to 1933, and the stamped Super Balance refers to Aegler's Swiss patent CH196706, filed in August 1936 and granted in March 1938. The movement is a service replacement fitted at least a decade after the 1927 swim. A mid-1970s Rolex service box accompanied the watch. The case and engraving establish the watch's historical provenance; the present movement is a later replacement.

The escapement and regulator remain undocumented. Cal. 620, its immediate derivative, uses a straight-line lever and changes from a micrometer regulator to an index regulator, but those details cannot be assigned to Cal. 600 without direct evidence. Shock protection is more likely absent: the factory table flags it on the 1950 calibers in this branch but not on Cal. 600, whose design predates Incabloc production in 1938.

<span id="cal-a260"></span>
=== Cal. A260 ===
[[File:Cal A260 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. A260-era movement, engraved Rolex Self Winder, Jewels, Patented]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 19
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 36h
|-
| size
| 26.4mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Superbalance, blued Breguet spring
|-
| shock
| Present (unnamed brand)
|}

A260 powered the first Submariner references, 6204 and 6205, from 1953 to 1955. "A.260" is Rolex's size-family code for this movement class, comparable to the Prince family's "T.S." code. Its non-butterfly rotor distinguishes it from the butterfly-rotor Cal. 1030. Hodinkee traces A260 to a movement used in earlier Oyster Perpetuals and later Bubblebacks, predating its Submariner fitment.

<span id="cal-a296"></span>
=== Cal. A296 ===
[[File:Cal A296 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. A296-era rotor component, engraved Rolex Perpetual Chronometer]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 18
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 36h
|-
| size
| 29.5mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic Superbalance
|-
| regulator
| Index
|-
| shock
| Shock absorber (775-labelled lots only)
|}

Made from 1952 to 1955, A296 powered the Big Crown 6200, early Explorers 6098, 6150 "Precision," 6298, and 6350, and early Datejusts 6104 and 6105. Its full rotor winds in one direction; it is not a bumper caliber. The 6150 and 6350 use the same movement in non-COSC and COSC forms. "A.296" is Rolex's size-family code and 775 its commercial number, so listings may use either designation for the same movement. Cal. 1030 replaced it in 1955 with bidirectional winding, a butterfly rotor, and a thinner automatic module. Phillips identifies that reduced thickness as the change that eliminated the domed Bubbleback caseback.

The movement has a straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, and index regulator. Catalogues using the commercial number 775 also specify six-position adjustment and a shock absorber, and Rolex's factory table marks ref. 775 as shock-protected. The two designations refer to the same build. The factory table also assigns A.296 to Cal. 765, showing that the size code covers more than one commercial caliber.

Christie's describes a 6150 balance as a "patented Super-balance," linking it to Aegler patent CH196706 and the recessed timing screws used on [[#cal-300|Cal. 300]]. Published jewel counts vary because some catalogues separate the going train from the automatic module. Figures of 18 and 19 appear for the base movement, with another two or seven assigned to the rotor module. One 6150 is described as a 19-jewel movement with a two-jewel automatic module. The factory table's figure of 18 counts the base plate alone.

<span id="cal-645"></span>
=== Cal. 645 ===
[[File:Cal 645 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 645 winding bridge, engraved "Rolex Perpetual Chronometer, Super-Balance, Patented" — EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 17–20
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 41h
|-
| size
| 26.4mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Superbalance, timed to 6 positions
|-
| regulator
| Index
|-
| shock
| Shock absorber
|}

Cal. 645 belongs to the Cal. 600 family and shares the A.260 size code with Cal. 635. The distinctions are functional: Cal. 630 has sweep seconds without shock protection, Cal. 635 has small seconds with shock protection, and Cal. 645 combines sweep seconds with shock protection. Cal. 645 powered the semi-Bubbleback Oyster Perpetual refs 6084, 6085, and 6284 around 1948–1953. Auction catalogues give 17 to 20 jewels, consistent with both differing counting conventions and market-specific tariff variants found elsewhere in the family.

The movement uses a straight-line lever escapement, Superbalance adjusted to six positions, shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, and index regulator. Some catalogues use "monometallic balance timed to 6 positions" instead of Superbalance. Both terms describe a monometallic balance with recessed timing screws.

Rolex's factory table gives the lineage as Cal. 600 to 635 to 645. It places Cal. 635, 640, and 645 under the A.260 size code at 26.4mm and 18 jewels, all entered in 1950 and all shock-protected. The shock system separates this 1950 A.260 group from the 1936 Cal. 620 base.

Antiquorum catalogued a subsidiary-seconds [[Reference:3599|ref. 3599]] as Cal. 635 with 19 jewels and described the caliber as 9¾ ligne, made from 1940 to 1951. Those details conflict with the factory-table size, jewel count, and 1950 entry above. Christie's also catalogued a visibly centre-seconds 3599 as Cal. 635, which conflicts with the caliber's small-seconds architecture. Without movement photographs, the Christie's caliber entry is best treated as a catalogue error rather than evidence for a centre-seconds Cal. 635.

Jewel counts also vary according to whether a catalogue includes the automatic module. Bonhams describes the related [[#cal-745|Cal. 745]] as "18 jewels plus 7 rotor jewels." Its 20-jewel description of a Cal. 645 in a 6085, against the factory table's 18, does not necessarily indicate a different movement.

<span id="cal-740"></span>
=== Cal. 740 ===
[[File:Cal 740 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 740 in a reference 4467 Datejust, case back removed, rotor engraved "Rolex Perpetual Chronometer, Super Balance, Vis Tirette"]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 18 base plate (26 in Antiquorum lots — see note)
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| Not recorded
|-
| size
| 29.5mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Superbalance, adjusted to 6 positions
|-
| regulator
| Index (A.295-labelled lots)
|-
| shock
| Not named in 740 lot text
|}

Cal. 740 powered the original Datejust ref. 4467, introduced in 1945 with Rolex's first automatic wristwatch date mechanism. It uses the 720/730 base architecture and the A.295 size code, the earlier sibling of the A.296 group.

The 10½-ligne rhodium-plated movement has a straight-line lever escapement, Superbalance adjusted to six positions, and self-compensating Breguet balance spring. Some catalogues substitute "monometallic balance adjusted to 6 positions" for Superbalance, as they do for Cal. 645. No Cal. 740 description names the regulator; the related A.295-coded movement in ref. 6075 uses an index regulator.

The jewel count differs by convention. Antiquorum gives 26, while Rolex's factory table gives 18; the higher figure likely includes the winding module, as Bonhams itemises the related [[#cal-745|Cal. 745]] as "18 jewels plus 7 rotor jewels."

The production date remains unresolved. Rolex's factory table enters Cal. 740 in 1950 and its Cal. 720 and 730 bases in 1945, five years after the ref. 4467 launch. Early 4467s may have used a 720-series movement before Cal. 740 arrived, or the table date may be wrong. Published descriptions of surviving 4467s do not settle the sequence.

Shock protection is unconfirmed. The factory table flags it for Cal. 720 and 730 but not Cal. 740, and ref. 4467 catalogue descriptions do not mention a shock absorber. These omissions suggest an unprotected balance but do not prove it.

<span id="cal-745"></span>
=== Cal. 745 ===
[[File:Cal 745 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 745, gilt rotor engraved "Rolex Perpetual Chronometer, Super Balance" — EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 18 + 7 rotor
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|-
| size
| 29.5mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Superbalance
|-
| regulator
| Index
|-
| shock
| Shock absorber
|}

Cal. 745 adds a calendar to Cal. 740 and shares balance-staff and stem parts with the 700/710/720/730/740/760/765/775 family. Rolex's factory table assigns it the A.295 size code and a 1950 entry date. It is based on the 720–740 architecture; Cal. 740 has no calendar.

Bonhams describes a Cal. 745 in a ref. 6305 as rhodium-plated, with 18 jewels plus seven rotor jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, Superbalance, shock absorber, self-compensating blued-steel Breguet balance spring, and index regulator. Separating the base movement from the winding module explains why totals of 18, 25, and 26 appear for the same build. The blued-steel balance spring is also a period marker, preceding the white-metal springs seen later.

Cal. 745 appears in the Datejust "Ovettone" group. Documented examples include a circa 1955 18K yellow-gold ref. 6305, case 97602; a ref. 6105 with 1952 Glasgow import marks and movement H78230; and a circa 1955 ref. 6304 with movement 99698/H46452. Other ref. 6105 examples use A296, placing the reference across the boundary between the A.295 and A.296 groups. The claimed Cal. 745 fitment in ref. 6039 is unverified; no supporting lot description or confirmed Rolex ref. 6039 has been identified.

<span id="precision-family"></span>
== Oyster and Oysterdate Precision ==

Precision is Rolex's non-chronometer manual line, a 10½-ligne family built alongside the automatic Bubblebacks. The Oysterdate Precision 6694 remained in production through the end of the 1980s, a year beyond the hand-wound Daytona; one surviving lot includes a 1990/1991 Rolex calendar card. Rolex continued making manual-wind watches after the 6694: the Cellini Danaos used Cal. 1602 into 2008, and the chronometer-certified Cellini Prince used Cal. 7040 until about 2015. The small-seconds Cal. 1240 also carried this architecture into the platinum Cellinium 5240 and 5241. Seconds placement, date and beat rate distinguish the seven commercial numbers. Rolex's parts plates identify Cal. 1210 as the base for 1200, 1215, 1220, 1225 and 1240.

<span id="cal-1210"></span>
=== Cal. 1210 ===
[[File:Cal 1210 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1210 in a 1960 Oysterdate Precision ref. 6466, movement in case]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 18 (factory plate) · 17 (as signed and catalogued)
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| ~58h
|-
| size
| 10½′′′ / Ø23.80mm × 4.27mm height
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever, jewelled pallet fork
|-
| balance
| Glucydur, screwed rim, Breguet overcoil
|-
| regulator
| Index with movable stud support
|-
| shock
| KIF-pattern, balance and escape wheel
|}

Rolex's parts plates identify Cal. 1210 as the family's architectural base and file the small-seconds 1200 as a derivative. The parts plates support Horbiter's identification of Cal. 1210 as the base; Fratello names Cal. 1200.

The jewel count remains unclear. Rolex specifies 18 jewels for the two no-date calibers and 17 for the date versions, yet known movements are signed "Seventeen Jewels" and major-house catalogues consistently give 17. Both counts are documented, but their distribution among watches has not been established. Contemporary American import duties taxed jewel count and also account for the "UNADJUSTED" stamps found on some movements.

The balance is Glucydur with a Breguet overcoil, as specified on the sibling Cal. 1200 plate. Regulation uses a conventional index and movable stud, with adjusting washers in five thicknesses. It is not free-sprung; Rolex reserved Microstella for its 12½-ligne chronometers.

The pallet fork runs in jewels, while the escape wheel has shock-mounted settings and cap jewels on both pivots, matching the treatment of the balance. Indirect centre seconds, driven from the fourth wheel through a friction-sprung pinion, can produce seconds-hand flutter even in a healthy movement. The earliest examples may lack shock protection; Antiquorum's 1946 ref. 4560 description names none.

Documented fitments include refs. 3745, 4560, 6420, 6422, 6426/6427, 6466, 6480, 6482, 6494, 9083 and 9659. Bonhams also records a ref. 6694 with a III.60 caseback date on Cal. 1210. Ref. 6082 is disputed: Crott assigns one example to 1210, while Antiquorum and EveryWatch catalogue the reference with Cal. 710.

<span id="cal-1215"></span>
=== Cal. 1215 ===
[[File:Cal 1215 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1215 in a movement holder, from a 1962 Oyster Date Precision ref. 6694 service]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| ~58h
|-
| size
| 10½′′′ / Ø23.80mm × 5.07mm height
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Glucydur, Breguet overcoil (via base 1210) · flat in one lot
|-
| regulator
| Index with movable stud support
|-
| shock
| KIF-pattern
|-
| date
| Non-quickset, dragging change
|}

Cal. 1215 adds a calendar to the 1210, increasing movement height from 4.27mm to 5.07mm. Its two-page parts sheet covers only the calendar mechanism and defers the rest to Cal. 1210. Date discs came in champagne, silvered, and champagne with red-and-black printing.

The hairspring is disputed. The parts plates imply the 1210's Breguet overcoil because the 1215 sheet specifies no separate balance. Antiquorum describes one ref. 9996 with a flat hairspring and index regulator, but uses Breguet wording elsewhere. No catalogue describes the caliber as free-sprung.

The non-quickset date moves over roughly forty minutes and seats at the end of the change. A pawl on the calendar wheel engages a star wheel beneath the date disc before the jumper spring seats it. Rolex used the same arrangement in the 7xx, 1035 and 11xx families; instantaneous change arrived with the 1065/1066 and 15xx calibers. A date change beginning around 11:20 is normal for this mechanism.

Christie's places the ref. 6494 changeover between a circa-1956 example with Cal. 1210 and a circa-1958 example with 1215. Other documented fitments include the Speedking 6430, early 6694 production, and refs. 9996/9919. Refs. 6094 and 6294 used Cal. 740 and 790 respectively, rather than 1215.

<span id="cal-1216"></span>
=== Cal. 1216 ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual (assumed, by family)
|-
| jewels
| not documented
|-
| status
| Number attested in the parts trade only
|}

Almost nothing is known about Cal. 1216. The common description of it as a 17-jewel Cal. 1215 variant has no traceable support.

Rolex's surviving parts plates cover 1200, 1210, 1215, 1220, 1225 and 1240, but omit 1216. No major-house lot identifies a Rolex Cal. 1216, and Heritage's apparent example is a case reference. Confusion is also possible with Ronda's contemporary 1216 movement.

The parts trade nevertheless records it as a Rolex number. Cas-Ker's genuine-parts catalogue places 1216 between 1215 and 1220 and lists crown-wheel screw 1216.5420, following Rolex's caliber-prefixed numbering convention.

The parts catalogue attests the Cal. 1216 designation. Its jewel count, seconds layout, beat rate and fitments remain unknown. Published specifications derived from the 1215 are unconfirmed.

<span id="cal-1220"></span>
=== Cal. 1220 ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 18 (factory plate) · 17 (as signed)
|-
| frequency
| 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| ~58h
|-
| size
| 10½′′′ / Ø23.80mm × 4.27mm height
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Screwless, inertia blocks, flat hairspring
|-
| regulator
| Index with movable stud support
|-
| shock
| KIF-pattern
|}

Cal. 1220 raises the 1210 platform to 21,600 vph and uses a different oscillator. Both its parts plate and the 1978 third edition of Rolex's ''Technical and Service Information'' give that rate. The sometimes-published 19,800 vph figure is unsupported.

The higher-beat generation replaces the 1210's screwed Glucydur balance and Breguet overcoil with a smooth-rimmed balance and flat hairspring. Gilt and nickel-plated inertia blocks provide about ten seconds per day of fine adjustment across their range; the index handles larger corrections. Separate regulator, stud-support and regulating-stud parts confirm that this is an index-regulated movement, not a free-sprung one.

Cal. 1220 appears mainly in the oversize ref. 8029, but its dates conflict. Phillips gives 1950, Antiquorum dates case 714105 to about 1951, and Sotheby's dates that same case to about 1961 without naming its caliber. The earlier dates sit awkwardly beside the later-1960s siblings and remain unresolved. Claims that 1220 movements were commonly signed 1225, including those in later ref. 6426 production, are unverified.

<span id="cal-1225"></span>
=== Cal. 1225 ===
[[File:Cal 1225 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1225 in a ref. 6694 Oysterdate Precision, bridges marked "Montres Rolex S.A. Swiss"]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| ~58h
|-
| size
| 10½′′′ / Ø23.80mm × 5.07mm height
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Screwless, inertia blocks, flat hairspring
|-
| regulator
| Index with movable stud support
|-
| shock
| KIF
|-
| date
| Non-quickset, dragging change
|}

Cal. 1225 adds a calendar to the 1220 and carried the Oysterdate Precision 6694 through its final years. Rolex's plate specifies a timed flat hairspring with gilt and nickel-plated inertia blocks, consistent with Antiquorum's descriptions of refs. 6426 and 6694. Published claims of a Breguet overcoil conflict with the factory plate and auction record. Bonhams' reference to a "Gyromax balance" is a cataloguing error; Gyromax is Patek Philippe's free-sprung system.

Rolex used "Precision" on uncertified manual and automatic movements, including the Air-King 5500. On Cal. 1225, the "UNADJUSTED" stamp records an import-duty classification.

The caliber does not hack. The 1210 parts plate contains no stop lever or hack spring, and Rolex's 1978 service book covers hacking only for the late 1500 series and the 2030/2035.

Recurring service faults include worn pendant-tube and crown threads, winding stems and mainsprings, plus water-damaged date rings. The early Oysterdate calendar is the movement's weak point, though the pallet fork is fully polished and its jewels lightly undercut. Rolex service centres still accept these calibers; one 1974 example returned from overhaul running two seconds per day with a measured 57-hour reserve.

Documented fitments include refs. 6426, 6466 and, most often, 6694 from the late 1960s through at least 1979. Comparison of a 1966 ref. 6694 with Cal. 1215 and a 1973 example with 1225 places the changeover around 1967.

<span id="cal-1200"></span>
=== Cal. 1200 ===
[[File:Cal 1200 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1200, bridges marked "Montres Rolex S.A. Geneva Swiss, Seventeen 17 Jewels", from a Rolex Precision service]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| ~58h
|-
| size
| 10½′′′ / Ø23.80mm × 3.65mm height
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever, jewelled pallet fork and staff
|-
| balance
| Glucydur, Breguet overcoil
|-
| regulator
| Index with movable stud support
|-
| shock
| "Rolex Shockresisting" device
|}

Cal. 1200 is the family's small-seconds variant and, at 3.65mm, its thinnest member. Moving the seconds from the centre to a subdial requires a separate main plate and train-wheel bridge rather than an added module. The plate, bridge, third and fourth wheels, pallet fork and staff are jewelled.

The bilingual parts plate specifies Rolex's own "Shockresisting" device rather than a trade name. It lists a pivoted Glucydur balance with roller and a regulated Glucydur balance with Breguet hairspring, the 18,000-vph oscillator inherited by the 1210 and 1215.

The caliber number is engraved in the balance-wheel hub sinking rather than on a bridge or the main plate. The same document directs watchmakers to Cal. 1210 for all shared parts, confirming the family's parentage.

No major-house lot names Cal. 1200, so its fitments remain unestablished. The high-beat small-seconds Cal. 1240 is better documented in the platinum Cellinium 5240 and 5241, with a monometallic balance adjusted to four positions and a flat hairspring. That caliber kept the architecture in production for about a decade after the Oysterdate ended.

<span id="sport-vintage"></span>
== Vintage sport calibers (Submariner, GMT-Master, Explorer, Air-King) ==

The A-series and Cal. 1030 preceded the long-running 15xx family. Cal. 1520 became its main uncertified movement, while Cals. 1560 and 1570 supplied chronometer-rated sport references into the 1980s.

<span id="cal-1030"></span>
=== Cal. 1030 ===
[[File:Cal 1030 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1030, engraved "1030," 25 jewels, butterfly rotor]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 25
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm × 5.85mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic, blued Breguet spring
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Produced from 1950 to 1962, Cal. 1030 was Rolex's first bidirectional and fully in-house automatic. Its 5.85mm profile ended the domed Bubbleback caseback, while the cutaway "butterfly" rotor stamped ROLEX PERPETUAL PATENTED is its clearest visual identifier. Finishing includes perlage on the rhodium-plated main plate, brushed bridges, polished screw heads and red anodized-aluminium reversing wheels. A conventional index regulates the movement; the visible regulator arm distinguishes it from the later free-sprung 1560 and 1570. Documented fitments include ref. 6098 from 1952, Submariners 6536, 6536-1 and 6538, Explorer 6610 and Air-King 6552. The same movement appeared in chronometer and non-chronometer watches.

<span id="cal-1035"></span>
=== Cal. 1035 ===
[[File:Cal 1035 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1035, rotor engraved "Rolex Perpetual Patented" — EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 25
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm × 6.66mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic, temp + 5 positions
|-
| regulator
| Index (Cal. 1030 base)
|-
| shock
| Shock absorber
|}

Cal. 1035 adds a date to the 1030 and appeared in 1957. It powered Oyster Perpetual Date refs. 6518, 6530 and 6534, plus the Datejust Thunderbird 6609. Rolex describes its non-quickset calendar as "progressive": the date moves gradually through the night, unlike the instant-change 1036 GMT.

The 1035 inherits the 1030's conventional index regulator. Although auction descriptions do not name the regulator, the production dates and shared base support the index arrangement.

Rolex stamped the 1035's self-winding bridge "1030," as it also did on the 1036. This causes auction catalogues to identify the same reference under both numbers. The calendar work and 6.66mm height distinguish the 1035 from the 5.85mm no-date 1030. A correct ref. 6534 contains a 1035 regardless of its bridge engraving.

<span id="cal-1530"></span>
=== Cal. 1530 ===
[[File:Cal 1530 butterfly rotor.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1530-era butterfly rotor halves, Rolex coronet stamped]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 17 / 25 / 26 (market variants)
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 44h
|-
| size
| 12½′′′
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever, club-tooth
|-
| balance
| Screwed Glucydur
|-
| regulator
| Index (coarse) + micro-star fine-adjust screws
|-
| shock
| KIF Flector
|}

Cal. 1530 ran from 1957 to 1965. Its 17-, 25- and 26-jewel versions are concurrent market variants, not a chronological progression. Seventeen-jewel movements appear in a 1958-era ref. 5508, a 5500 and a 1011 Eaton, and Rolex's 1978 service booklet still treats low-jewel 1520 and 1530 movements as current configurations.

Cal. 1530 is the base for the 1520, 1560, 1570 and 1580. They share plates and many service parts, including interchangeable automatic-device bridges, so the engraved bridge number may not identify the movement beneath it. Balance-bridge and regulator form are more reliable. Cal. 1030, not 1530, was Rolex's first fully in-house automatic.

Regulation combines an index for coarse adjustment with two pairs of micro-star fine-adjustment screws on the outer balance rim. Turning a screw clockwise draws it inward and gains rate. The system resembles Microstella, and Horotec lists the same adjustment tool for the 1530 and later Microstella calibers, but Rolex reserved the Micro-Stella name for its free-sprung 12½-ligne chronometer movements. The 1530 retains an index.

The form-1 balance cock uses KIF Flector; forms 3 and 4 use Elastor, with form 2 also assigned to Flector by specialist comparisons. Interchangeable bridges mean an individual movement's shock setting may not match its engraved caliber number.

The hairspring remains disputed. Antiquorum consistently describes a Breguet overcoil and index regulator, while much of the reference literature gives a flat hairspring with stick regulation. Reliable sources support both descriptions.

Chronometer status also varies. Sotheby's describes the 1530 as uncertified, while Phillips and Christie's identify chronometer examples in the 5504 family. Rare 5512 and 5508 watches with four-line chronometer dials and Cal. 1530 have been reported, though no major-house lot confirms them. Certification appears to have been occasional. The Microstella-equipped 1555 and 1560 became the regular chronometer alternatives used in early refs. 1675 and 1016.

The rotor changed from butterfly to half-moon during production. Later movements also gained blued automatic-bridge screws and coloured reversing wheels in place of brass-coloured gears. Rolex describes the red wheel finish as a hardening treatment for aluminium introduced in 1957; collector descriptions often call the wheels purple and Teflon-coated. Rotor and reversing-wheel form help date an example.

The 1530 first entered the Submariner in ref. 5508, followed by 5510; neither was chronometer-rated at launch. It replaced the 10-series in non-chronometer watches, including Precision models, the Air-King, ref. 5504 "Super-Precision" Explorer and the Canadian Explorer-Date with Cal. 1535. Certified models such as the 6542 GMT, 6610 Explorer, Datejust and Day-Date retained 10xx calibers for longer. Strongly documented fitments include refs. 5508, 5510, 5512, 5513, 5500 and 5504. Single-lot support exists for 5501, 5502, 5506, 5516 and 5590/1011 Eaton. Bonhams listings for refs. 1002 and 1003 are internally inconsistent and remain unconfirmed.

Rolex specifies a 0.122–0.125mm mainspring for the 18,000-vph 1530 and 1560, against up to 0.125 or 0.128mm for the higher-beat 1520 and 1570. Early unjewelled barrel-bridge arbor holes can wear; Rolex prescribed closing the hole or reaming it for a jewel, while later production received a bushing. Rotor-axle wear is another known fault. On the 1560, a hard shock could push the hairspring into the regulator. Rolex supplied a safety pin free of charge and later made it standard, so both guarded and unguarded examples are correct.

<span id="cal-1520"></span>
=== Cal. 1520 ===
[[File:Cal 1520 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1520, engraved "1520," EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 17 / 25 / 26
|-
| frequency
| 19,800 vph (2.8 Hz)
|-
| size
| 12½′′′
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic, screwless, flat hairspring
|-
| regulator
| Index (coarse) + two inertia blocks
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Produced from 1963 to 1990, Cal. 1520 is the non-chronometer, higher-beat derivative of the 1530. Rolex pairs the 18,000-vph 1530 with the 1560, and the 19,800-vph 1520 with its certified counterpart, the 1570.

Rolex describes regulation by an index and two inertia blocks, one gilt and one nickel-plated, on a screwless balance with a flat hairspring. Turning their splits inward slows the movement and outward gains rate, with about ten seconds per day across the adjustment range. The index handles coarse changes. This differs from both the 1530's micro-star screws and the 1570's free-sprung Microstella system.

Certified calibers use free-sprung Microstella regulation; Cal. 1520 uses an index and inertia blocks.

The rim weights can be mistaken for a free-sprung system, but factory documentation confirms the regulator and inertia blocks. Two Bonhams descriptions call the 1520's balance "free-sprung Gyromax," an error that applies Patek Philippe's trademark to an index-regulated Rolex movement.

Auction descriptions consistently give a flat hairspring, apart from one 2013 Antiquorum outlier that says Breguet. Shock protection is KIF in Flector or Elastor form, identified by balance-bridge and regulator shape. That shape is more reliable than the engraved caliber number because bridges interchange across the series.

The 17-, 25- and 26-jewel counts are concurrent market variants. The 17-jewel version uses a different main plate and bridges, altered escape-wheel pivot geometry, and bushings in place of jewels in the automatic module. The going train and balance are unchanged, so jewel count does not affect timekeeping. Dated examples place 17- and 26-jewel movements together from the mid-1960s, with 25-jewel examples running alongside them.

American tariffs rose sharply above 17 jewels, but Rolex did not document this as the reason for the low-jewel version. Seventeen-jewel movements also reached Europe and Asia, so general cost reduction remains another possibility. The American presentation ref. 7002 has a rotor marked "SEVENTEEN JEWELS" and "UN" for unadjusted, both relevant to the tariff schedule, but this does not settle the question.

Documented fitments include the 5513, 5514 COMEX, 5517 military Submariner, 5500 Air-King and 5520. Ref. 1002 uses chronometer calibers 1530 or 1570; apparent 1520 examples are ref. 5500 cases with 1002 stamped inside the caseback. Ref. 5501 remains unconfirmed. Hacking arrived as a running change around 1972 through parts 8073 and 8074. Two lines above six o'clock identify the non-chronometer dial, against four on certified models.

The barrel bridge and arbor hole are known wear points. Rolex prescribed closing a worn hole or reaming it for a 2.30mm jewel; a later beryllium bushing largely solved the problem. Rotor axles and autowinder wheels also wear, and replacement parts are scarce. Gritty manual winding is normal because the reversers run without lubrication.

<span id="cal-1535"></span>
=== Cal. 1535 ===
[[File:Cal 1535 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1535, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 26
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic, screwed
|-
| regulator
| Index, pre-Microstella
|-
| shock
| Shock-absorber
|}

Cal. 1535 is the non-chronometer date version of the 1530, introduced in 1957 for the Air-King-Date 5700/5701. Rolex's factory caliber table places it before the later 1520-based Cal. 1525, consistent with the production dates. Monochrome likewise assigns both calibers to the 5700, with 1535 first.

Auction houses usually catalogue refs. 5700 and 5701 under the base caliber. Antiquorum assigns a 1963 ref. 5700 to Cal. 1530 and a 1972 example to 1520, though neither base movement has a date. Those entries agree with Rolex's grouping of 1535 components under Cal. 1530 and 1525 components under Cal. 1520, but they do not identify the fitted caliber.

No auction lot identifies a Cal. 1535 directly, so the listed mechanical figures come from its Cal. 1530 base. Evidence for the hairspring conflicts: auction wording gives a flat spring, while Rolex balance assembly 7855 for the 1530 uses a Breguet overcoil. Repeated catalogue boilerplate is more likely than a separate variant. The 1535 predates Microstella and uses an index with a screwed balance, consistent with the 5700's Precision grade.

Although Cal. 1530 was phased out by 1965, its 1535 date derivative remained in the Air-King-Date into the late 1980s.

<span id="cal-1525"></span>
=== Cal. 1525 ===
[[File:Cal 1525 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1525, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 17 / 25
|-
| frequency
| 19,800 vph (2.8 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic, flat hairspring
|-
| regulator
| Index
|-
| shock
| Shock-absorber
|}

Cal. 1525 is the higher-beat, non-chronometer date version of the 1520. Introduced in 1965, it carried the Air-King-Date 5700/5701 through later production. Contemporary chronometer-rated Oyster Perpetual Date references used a related 1500-series caliber instead.

Auction catalogues often label the date-equipped Cal. 1525 as Cal. 1520. Antiquorum does so on a 1972 ref. 5700, while describing the expected flat hairspring and index-regulated architecture. The chronometer-grade 1560 and 1570 use a Breguet overcoil and Microstella. The Cal. 1525 uses the index regulation associated with the uncertified 5700.

Jewel counts of 17, 25 and 26 reflect parallel market executions. Rolex balance-assembly numbers confirm a flat hairspring for the 1520 and 1525, against a Breguet spring on the 1530 and Microstella on the 1560. The 1525 remains index-regulated.

<span id="cal-1560"></span>
=== Cal. 1560 ===
[[File:Cal 1560 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1560, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 26 (25 in some lot descriptions)
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h (secondary sources only)
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung monometallic, Microstella screws
|-
| shock
| KIF (pattern not named in lots)
|}

Cal. 1560 arrived in 1959 as the chronometer-grade 15xx movement, with a free-sprung balance adjusted to temperature and five positions. Auction catalogues give both 25 and 26 jewels without establishing a pattern. Antiquorum usually describes a Breguet overcoil; its flat-hairspring description for one ref. 1502/1503 is an outlier.

Cal. 1560 uses free-sprung Microstella regulation; Cal. 1530 uses an index. Watches made from 1959 to 1965 were tested by the Bureaux Officiels de Contrôle de la Marche des Montres, usually under collective certificates and to a standard around −1/+10 seconds per day in five positions. COSC did not exist until September 1973, so describing an early 1560 as COSC-certified is anachronistic.

Factory balance 7980 is used in the 18,000-vph chronometer group: 1555, 1556, 1560 and 1565. Later replacement part 8106 and balance bridge 8102 span both 18,000- and 19,800-vph family members, so a serviced 1560 may carry the later balance. Documented fitments include the four-line 5512, 5504 and Explorer 1016. The GMT-Master 1675 instead used the 1565 to about the 1.4-million serial range and the 1575 thereafter. Family-wide bridge engravings explain 1675 movements marked 1560 or 1570; a base 1560 lacks both calendar and 24-hour works. Although 1570 became the new fitment in 1965, 1560 movements appear in Explorers until about 1967.

<span id="cal-1565"></span>
=== Cal. 1565 ===
[[File:Cal 1565 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1565, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 25–26 (sources disagree)
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 44h
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung, Microstella
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Produced from 1959 to 1965, Cal. 1565 is the early ref. 1675's "caller" GMT movement: its 24-hour hand remains linked to the main hour hand rather than independently adjustable. Rolex kept that layout until Cal. 3085. The 1565 introduced a free-sprung Breguet overcoil with Microstella regulation to this lineage, replacing the index used by earlier sport calibers.

<span id="cal-1570"></span>
=== Cal. 1570 ===
[[File:Cal 1570 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1570, open caseback]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 26
|-
| frequency
| 19,800 vph (2.8 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 12.5′′′ (28.2mm)
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung monometallic, four Microstella screws
|-
| shock
| KIF (Flector or Elastor)
|}

Cal. 1570 is the 19,800-vph revision of the 1560, introduced in 1965. It retains the free-sprung Breguet overcoil and Microstella regulation, with adjustment to temperature and five positions. Family-wide bridge engraving causes date movements such as the 1575 in a ref. 1665 to appear marked 1570; the engraving alone does not identify the exact caliber.

The balance has four Microstella screws in two opposing pairs, not two. Rolex required equal adjustment within each pair to preserve poise. The larger pair changes rate by about two seconds per day and the smaller by about one. On this family the screws sit in the balance rim; the later 3135 platform moves its Microstella nuts to the inner rim.

KIF's circa-1972 material catalogue lists Flector and Elastor settings for Rolex; it does not list Ultraflex. Auction catalogues name only a shock absorber, while Rolex part 8065 serves the upper balance setting across the 1520, 1530, 1560 and 1570. The available records support Flector and Elastor.

Hacking appeared gradually around 1971–72, with timing varying by model. Cal. 3035 began replacing the 1570 in new production from 1977, but the Explorer 1016 retained it until 1988–89. The documented diameter is 12.5 lignes, or 28.2mm; the often-published 28.5mm is a rounded conversion. Published heights conflict.

<span id="cal-1575"></span>
=== Cal. 1575 ===
[[File:Cal 1575 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1575, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 26 (25 per Ashton Tracy)
|-
| frequency
| 19,800 vph (2.8 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung monometallic, Microstella screws (1570 balance)
|-
| shock
| KIF (Flector or Elastor)
|}

Cal. 1575 adds calendar work to the 1570; the GMT execution also adds a 24-hour train. Antiquorum and Sotheby's give 26 jewels, while watchmaker Ashton Tracy's 2018 ''Quill & Pad'' study gives 25. Tracy records a 48-hour power reserve; the often-published 50-hour figure lacks support.

Rolex engraved the 1575 bridge "1570," so that marking on a ref. 1680 or 1675 identifies the caliber family. Factory parts records distinguish 1565G, 1575, 1575G and 1575GMT. Date and GMT versions are separately catalogued builds, and the GMT parts also circulated as a conversion set for a standard 1560 or 1570.

The 1575 shares factory balance assembly 8106 with the 1570 and related family members. It has shock protection on the escape wheel on both dial and movement sides, as well as on the balance. Documented fitments include the Submariner 1680, GMT-Master 1675 from about the 1.4-million serial range, Explorer II 1655 and Sea-Dweller 1665.

<span id="gmt-branch"></span>
== GMT-Master line ==

Early GMT calibers synchronized both hour hands. Cal. 1036 and 1065 belong to the bakelite-bezel 6542 era. Cal. 1565, 1575, and 3075 retained that "caller" layout through the 1675 and 16750 generations. Cal. 3085 introduced an independently adjustable local-hour hand, while Cal. 3175 retained the synchronized layout in the 16700 until 1999 alongside the Cal. 3185 and 3186 used in the 16710.

<span id="cal-1036"></span>
=== Cal. 1036 ===
[[File:Cal 1036 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1036, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 25
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h (secondary sources only)
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever (inferred, 1030 base)
|-
| balance
| Monometallic (inferred, 1030 base)
|-
| shock
| KIF (inferred)
|}

Cal. 1036 is Rolex's first GMT movement, a Cal. 1030 with a 24-hour train added for the bakelite-bezel 6542. It runs at 18,000 vph and was chronometer certified. The 6542 used Cal. 1036 first, followed by 1065 and 1066 during its 1955–1959 production run. Its period chronometer certificate came from the Bureaux Officiels; COSC did not exist until 1973.

The start year remains disputed. Phillips dates the 6542's release to 1954, Hodinkee starts production in 1955, and Rolex registered the GMT-Master name on 21 April 1955. An announcement in 1954 followed by sales in 1955 would reconcile those dates, but Rolex has not documented that sequence.

The listed escapement, balance and shock protection are inferred from the Cal. 1030 base; no Cal. 1036 source documents them directly. Auction catalogues seldom identify a 6542 movement as Cal. 1036, so those three specifications remain provisional.

<span id="cal-1065"></span>
=== Cal. 1065 ===
[[File:Cal 1065 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1065, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 25
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h (secondary sources only)
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever (inferred, 1030 base)
|-
| balance
| Monometallic (inferred, 1030 base)
|-
| shock
| KIF (inferred)
|}

Cal. 1065 is the mid-run 6542 caliber. Multiple Phillips lots identify it as an automatic movement with 25 jewels, the same jewel count recorded for the Cal. 1066 that followed.

Its dates are less secure than its specification. Cal. 1065 sits second in the 6542's three-movement sequence and is generally dated to 1957, but no factory document or dated lot fixes the transition. The 42-hour power reserve is also a secondary-source figure.

The escapement, balance, and shock rows likewise derive from the Cal. 1030 base. Cal. 1066 cataloguing supports that family relationship, but these details have not been documented directly on a Cal. 1065.

<span id="cal-1066"></span>
=== Cal. 1066 ===
[[File:Cal 1066 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1066, stamped "1066," butterfly rotor engraved "Rolex Perpetual Patented," EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 25
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|}

Cal. 1066 was the third and final movement fitted to the 6542, replacing Cal. 1065 for the last two years of production. It runs at 18,000 vph with 25 jewels and about 42 hours of reserve. Antiquorum describes a straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperature and five positions, shock absorber, and self-compensating Breguet hairspring. Its matching descriptions for Cal. 1030 and 1065 support a shared base with GMT work added.

The regulator and balance specification remain uncertain. Cal. 1030 descriptions name an index regulator, while Cal. 1066 descriptions omit it; one 6542 is catalogued with a free-sprung Glucydur balance. This may mark a running change or inconsistent cataloguing. A circa-1959 Phillips example directly confirms the Cal. 1066's butterfly rotor.

Documented examples cluster in 1958 and 1959, including a steel 6542 with a IV.1958 caseback and two gold watches dated to 1959. Rolex changed caliber numbers during the reference's run, so two outwardly similar 6542s can carry different movements.

<span id="cal-3075"></span>
=== Cal. 3075 ===
[[File:Cal 3075 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3075, engraved "3075," EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 27
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung monometallic, Microstella screws
|-
| balance support
| Balance cock (3035 generation)
|-
| shock
| KIF (inferred; lots record only "shock absorber")
|}

Cal. 3075 carried the synchronized "caller" GMT layout into the 16750 generation. It has 27 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, a monometallic balance adjusted to temperature and five positions, a free-sprung Breguet hairspring regulated by Microstella screws, hacking, and quickset. The quickset advances only the date wheel.

The balance is monometallic, not Glucydur. Catalogue descriptions identify Microstella screws but do not record their count, material, or position on the rim. They also name a shock absorber without identifying its maker, so the KIF attribution remains inferred from Rolex practice of the period.

The 3075 belongs to the 3035 generation and uses its cantilevered balance cock. Cal. 3175 and 3185 later introduced a balance bridge anchored at both ends. Its start date is disputed: the 16750 did not appear in a Rolex catalogue until 1981, while Antiquorum dates production of the 16758 to 1979. Known fitments are the steel 16750, steel-and-gold 16753, and gold 16758. The 3075 also moved the GMT hand above the hour hand, reversing the Cal. 1575 stack; later GMT calibers retained that arrangement.

<span id="cal-3085"></span>
=== Cal. 3085 ===
[[File:Cal 3085 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3085, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 27
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm × 6.3–7.2mm (sources disagree)
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung, Microstella
|-
| shock
| KIF (per published specs, unconfirmed)
|}

Cal. 3085 ran from 1983 to 1989 on the Cal. 3035 platform, with 27 jewels, a 28,800 vph frequency, 48 hours of reserve, hacking, and chronometer certification. It was the first Rolex caliber to separate the local-hour hand from the 24-hour hand. The crown jumps the local hour forward or backward in one-hour steps without disturbing the minutes, seconds, or home-time hand. The date advances only by cycling the local-hour hand, so the movement has no direct quickset date.

Published thickness figures conflict. Grail Watch Reference gives 6.3mm, while Caliber Corner gives 7.2mm against the Cal. 3185's 6.45mm. The 16760's thick movement and case produced the "Fat Lady" and "Sophia Loren" nicknames. Cal. 3085 appeared only in the 16760 GMT-Master II and 16550 Explorer II. Published specifications agree on a Breguet hairspring and Microstella regulation, but KIF shock protection has not been confirmed by an auction description or Rolex document.

<span id="cal-3175"></span>
=== Cal. 3175 ===
[[File:Cal 3175 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3175, EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung Glucydur, Microstella
|-
| balance support
| Balance bridge (3135 generation)
|-
| shock
| KIF Elastor (3100-family text, not lot-confirmed)
|}

Cal. 3175 ran from 1988 to 1999 with 31 jewels, a 28,800 vph frequency, 48 hours of reserve, hacking, quickset, and chronometer certification. Auction descriptions confirm the jewel count and adjustment to temperature and five positions. Published 3100-family specifications support a free-sprung Glucydur balance, Microstella regulation, Breguet hairspring and KIF Elastor setting. No examined Cal. 3175 lot confirms KIF Elastor.

Architecturally, Cal. 3175 is a Cal. 3135 with a fixed 24-hour hand. It uses the 3135's balance bridge, anchored at both ends, where Cal. 3075 used a cantilevered cock. The 24-hour hand remains linked to the local hour hand, so a second time zone is read from the rotating bezel. The 16700 kept this synchronized layout while the rest of the line moved to the jumping-hour Cal. 3185.

Cal. 3175 appeared only in the 16700 and was Rolex's last fixed GMT movement. Reports of factory Cal. 3185 fitment in late 16700s rest on a contradictory parts listing and a rebuilt watch; documented Cal. 3185 fitment belongs to the 16710. Sotheby's has incorrectly described Cal. 3175 as having an independent GMT hand. The accepted 16700 production span is 1988–1999, although Fratello gives 2001 in one account. The 1997 change from tritium to Super-LumiNova affected the dial, not the movement.

<span id="cal-3185"></span>
=== Cal. 3185 ===
[[File:Cal 3185 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3185, engraved "3185"]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 6.45mm
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung Glucydur, four Microstella nuts
|}

Cal. 3185 ran from 1989 to about 2007. Derived from Cal. 3135 with added 24-hour work, it has 31 jewels, a 28,800 vph frequency, 48 hours of reserve, hacking, quickset, chronometer certification, and KIF Elastor shock protection. It powered the 16710, 16713, 16718, and 16570, replacing Cal. 3085 in the GMT-Master II and Explorer II.

The balance carries four Microstella nuts arranged as two opposing pairs of different sizes. Rolex's Microstella wrench instructions require equal adjustment of both nuts in a pair to preserve the balance-wheel poise. Adjusting one without its opposite puts the wheel out of poise.

At 6.45mm, Cal. 3185 is slimmer than the Cal. 3085 it replaced, allowing the 16710 to sit flatter than the "Fat Lady" 16760. Its practical identification tell is visible during setting: the 24-hour hand twitches slightly as the local hour jumps. Cal. 3186 removed that play, so the test distinguishes the two without opening the case.

<span id="cal-3186"></span>
=== Cal. 3186 ===
[[File:Cal 3186 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3186, engraved "3186"]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 50h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm × 6.45mm
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic, free-sprung
|-
| regulator
| Microstella screws, no index
|-
| shock
| Shock-absorber, pre-Paraflex
|}

Cal. 3186 ran from 2007 to 2019. It added a Parachrom hairspring to the Cal. 3185 base while retaining 31 jewels, a 28,800 vph frequency, hacking, quickset, and chronometer certification; reserve increased to 50 hours. It powered late 16710 production and the ceramic-bezel 116710LN, 116710BLNR, and 116719BLRO.

The movement has a straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperature and five positions, shock protection, a free-sprung Breguet-form hairspring, Microstella regulation, and hacking. One Antiquorum description calls the hairspring blued steel, but Cal. 3186 uses Parachrom, a niobium-zirconium alloy coloured by an oxide layer rather than tempering.

Cal. 3186 retains the Cal. 3135 architecture used by the 3185: 28.5mm diameter, 6.45mm height, 28,800 vph, and 31 jewels. It also keeps the plain-bearing oscillating-weight axle, part 568, shared with Cal. 3130, 3135, 3155, and 3175. Once lubricant migrates, the axle wears and requires replacement and riveting at service.

Rolex introduced Cal. 3186 as a running change, leaving its start date unsettled. Steel 16710 examples begin among late Z- and M-series cases; the lowest documented example is Z 5786xx, but higher Z-series watches can still contain Cal. 3185. Gold references changed earlier. A D-series 116718 catalogued with Cal. 3186 was sold in August 2006, placing the movement in production before the commonly cited 2007 steel transition.

Both Cal. 3185 and 3186 index the local-hour hand with a jumping-hour click. Cal. 3186 reworked the parts and reduced slack between the drive-train wheels. On Cal. 3185, the 24-hour hand twitches when the local hour jumps; on Cal. 3186, it remains still. The test identifies the caliber without opening the case.

The jumping-hour click spring is the caliber's known failure point. A failed spring lets the local-hour hand glide instead of indexing in one-hour steps and can leave it loose on its wheel. Rolex superseded part 657 first with 657-1 and then 657-2; the later springs are stronger and slightly larger. The fault is documented across the 16710, 16570, 116710, 116713, 116718, and 116719, as well as Cal. 3187. It usually leaves other components undamaged. The hour-jump action should be checked on an unserviced watch.

<span id="cal-3187"></span>
=== Cal. 3187 ===
[[File:Cal 3187 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3187, official Rolex photo, engraved "3187," blue Parachrom hairspring, free-sprung Microstella balance]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48–50h (sources disagree)
|-
| size
| 30.97mm (contested; 28.5mm also published)
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic, free-sprung
|-
| regulator
| Microstella screws, no index
|-
| shock
| Paraflex
|}

Cal. 3187 is an enlarged Cal. 3186, widened to move the date window outward in the 42mm Explorer II case. It powered only the 216570 from 2011 to 2021, before Cal. 3285 replaced it in the 226570. The Parachrom hairspring, Breguet overcoil, and independently adjustable local-hour hand carry over from the GMT lineage. Paraflex is new here, replacing the KIF Elastor used by Cal. 3185 and making Cal. 3187 the first movement in this family with Rolex's own shock system.

Cal. 3187 uses a larger baseplate and reworked surrounding parts but retains the Cal. 3186 regulating organ: a straight-line lever escapement, free-sprung monometallic balance under a full bridge, and Microstella regulation without an index. Auction catalogues confirm 31 jewels but do not itemize those inherited components.

Rolex launched the 216570 and Cal. 3187 together in March 2011 for the Explorer II's fortieth anniversary. The 42mm case required the larger movement, while the orange 24-hour hand recalled the 1655. Both remained in production until 2021, and no other reference used the caliber.

Two documented unit commissions use Cal. 3187. A 2012 white-dial 216570 made for members of the British Special Air Service carries "Who Dares Wins," the winged-dagger badge, and its owner's identifiers. A circa-2015 example numbered 40/48 was made for the UK Attack Helicopter Force. These were unit commissions rather than ministry-issued watches and should not be classified with the 5513 MilSub.

Cal. 3187 inherited the 3186's jumping-hour click-spring failure. On affected watches, the local-hour hand glides instead of indexing in one-hour steps. Rolex revised the part twice, and serviced examples may carry the later, stronger spring.

The −2/+2 rating applies only after Rolex redefined Superlative Chronometer in 2015. Earlier watches carried the COSC −4/+6 seconds-per-day standard for the uncased movement; later examples were tested again by Rolex as complete watches. The underlying caliber did not change beyond regulation.

<span id="sport-modern"></span>
== Modern sport calibers (1988–2020) ==

Cal. 3000 introduced a 28,800-vph no-date movement, followed by Cals. 3130 and 3132. Cal. 3135 powered three decades of Submariner Date production.

<span id="cal-3000"></span>
=== Cal. 3000 ===
[[File:Cal 3000 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3000]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 27
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h (48h in some sources)
|-
| size
| 28.5mm × 5.8mm
|-
| balance
| Adjustable-mass, flat hairspring
|}

Cal. 3000 is the no-date member of the 3000 family, used from about 1990 to 2001 in the Air-King 14000 and 14010, Submariner 14060, and Explorer 14270. The often-quoted 1988 start belongs to Cal. 3135. The Air-King changed to reference 14000M in 2000, while the Explorer became the 114270 and the Submariner adopted Cal. 3130 in 2001. Published power-reserve figures conflict at 42 and 48 hours; no Rolex figure settles the difference.

Cal. 3000 was Rolex's last movement without a Breguet overcoil. It uses a flat hairspring, unlike the outgoing 1570 generation and the rest of the 3000 family. Microstella adjustment sets the rate without an index, the hairspring is glued to the balance stud, and shock protection is KIF. COSC certification used the standard −4/+6 seconds-per-day tolerance.

<span id="cal-3035"></span>
=== Cal. 3035 ===
[[File:Cal 3035 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3035, engraved "3035," EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 27
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung, four Microstella screws
|-
| shock
| KIF Elastor
|}

Cal. 3035 ran from 1977 to 1988 in the 16800, 168000, 16808, and 16803. It was the first quickset Submariner caliber, with 27 jewels, a 28,800 vph frequency, 48 hours of reserve, hacking, and chronometer certification. Compared with the Cal. 1570 generation, it increased frequency from 19,800 vph and added a crown position that advances the date wheel directly. Its free-sprung Nivarox Breguet overcoil is regulated by four Microstella screws and protected by KIF Elastor.

Two construction details separate it from Cal. 3135. Its balance sits on a cantilevered cock, and its hairspring is glued to the stud. Cal. 3135 uses a bridge anchored at both ends and a laser-welded hairspring stud.

<span id="cal-3130"></span>
=== Cal. 3130 ===
[[File:Cal 3130 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3130, engraved "3130," EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm × 5.85mm
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic Glucydur, free-sprung
|-
| regulator
| Microstella screws, no index
|-
| shock
| KIF Elastor
|}

Cal. 3130 is the time-only successor to Cal. 3000, used in the 14060M, 114060, 114270, and 114200. It brought a full balance bridge, a larger balance wheel, and a Breguet overcoil hairspring. Rolex's parts sheet identifies Cal. 3135 as the base and gives 28.5mm diameter, 5.85mm height, 28,800 vph, and 31 jewels. Published introduction dates range from 1999 to 2001; the precise year remains unsettled.

Cal. 3000 supports its balance from a cock anchored on one side; the 3130 uses a bridge secured at both ends, which stabilizes endshake under lateral shock. Its Glucydur balance is free-sprung, with Microstella nuts setting the rate without an index. KIF Elastor shock protection distinguishes it from the Paraflex-equipped Cal. 3132. At 5.85mm it is 0.15mm thinner than Cal. 3135 because it omits the date mechanism. The main plate is the dedicated part 3130-100, although some smaller components retain 3135 part numbers.

The 14060M initially used Cal. 3130 without COSC certification and carried a two-line dial. Certification arrived in late 2007, adding the two-line "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" inscription. The movement itself did not change.

The main wear point is the oscillating-weight axle, Rolex part 568, shared with Cal. 3135, 3155, 3175, and 3185. It runs in a plain sleeve bearing rather than a ball bearing. Once lubricant migrates, axle wear can produce rotor play and fine reddish dust. Replacing and riveting the axle is a routine service repair.

Cal. 3131, announced in 2007, adapts the 3130 for magnetic resistance with a blue Parachrom hairspring, a paramagnetic nickel-phosphorus escapement, and a two-part soft-iron shield around the movement. It powered the Milgauss 116400 and 116400GV, then the Air-King 116900.

<span id="cal-3132"></span>
=== Cal. 3132 ===
[[File:Cal 3132 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3132]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 30.97mm (contested; 28.5mm also published)
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic Glucydur, free-sprung
|-
| regulator
| Microstella screws, no index
|-
| shock
| Paraflex
|}

Cal. 3132 powered the Explorer 214270 from 2010 to about 2020. It is a Cal. 3130 with a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock protection, retaining 31 jewels, a 28,800 vph frequency, 48 hours of reserve, hacking, and chronometer certification.

The base architecture remains a straight-line lever escapement with a free-sprung Glucydur balance under a full bridge, Microstella regulation, and no index. Paraflex replaced the 3130's KIF Elastor settings; Rolex claimed up to 50 per cent greater shock resistance. The blue Parachrom hairspring replaced Nivarox with a paramagnetic niobium-zirconium alloy whose colour comes from a patented oxide treatment.

Cal. 3132 brought Parachrom and Paraflex to the time-only professional line. Parachrom had appeared in Cal. 4130 in 2000, but the Submariner did not receive both features until Cal. 3230 in 2020.

Both dial generations of the 214270 use Cal. 3132. The 2016 revision lengthened the hands and added luminous filling to the 3, 6, and 9 numerals, without changing the movement. Cal. 3132 also retains the 3130's plain-bearing oscillating-weight axle, which wears after its lubricant migrates.

Rolex redefined Superlative Chronometer in 2015, changing the guaranteed rate from COSC's −4/+6 seconds per day on the uncased movement to −2/+2 on the cased watch after additional in-house testing. The movement did not change, so early and late 214270 examples carry different rate guarantees.

<span id="cal-3135"></span>
=== Cal. 3135 ===
[[File:Cal 3135 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3135, official Rolex photo, engraved "3135," 31 jewels]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung Glucydur, four Microstella nuts
|-
| regulator
| Free-sprung, no index
|-
| shock
| KIF (never Paraflex)
|}

Cal. 3135 ran from 1988 to 2021 with 31 jewels, a 28,800 vph frequency, 48 hours of reserve, hacking, quickset, and chronometer certification. It powered the 16610, 16613, and 16618 through the 116610 generation. The Submariner changed to Cal. 3235 with the 126610 on 1 September 2020, but the Oyster Perpetual Date 34 references 115200 and 115234 kept Cal. 3135 in production into 2021. Later end dates conflate it with Cal. 3131. The movement has rhodium plating, bevelled and polished screws, and a two-piece axle-style bidirectional rotor.

The conventional Swiss lever escapement is paired with a free-sprung Glucydur balance. With no index or curb pins, four Microstella nuts on the inside of the rim set the rate by changing the wheel's inertia. Older 1530-family balances place their adjustment screws on the outside. Cal. 3135 uses a Breguet overcoil and laser-welds the hairspring to its stud, replacing the glued joint used by Cal. 3035.

The main architectural change from Cal. 3035 is the balance bridge. Part 3135-120 is secured at both ends and carries height-adjusting nuts, keeping the pivots aligned under load and allowing endshake adjustment without shims. It also prevents the hairspring from fouling a cantilevered balance cock, a known Cal. 3035 problem. Cal. 3135 increased the jewel count from 27 to 31 and uses a larger balance wheel.

Cal. 3135 used KIF shock protection throughout its run and never received Paraflex. Rolex assigned new caliber numbers to Paraflex versions: 3130 became 3132, 3155 became 3156, and 3186 became 3187. The larger Paraflex date movement for the Datejust II was Cal. 3136. A 16610 or 116610 described as having Paraflex is misidentified.

Parachrom arrived during the Cal. 3135 run, but the transition date is unsettled. The niobium-zirconium alloy receives a uniform anodised oxide layer about 50 nanometres thick, which gives the hairspring its blue colour and stabilizes its restoring torque. Published dates for its adoption in Cal. 3135 range from about 2005 to 2009, with transitional examples reported on both sides. The ceramic-bezel 116610 uses it consistently from 2010. The spring's colour provides only a rough dating marker.

Two wear points sit in the automatic works. The anodised purple-red reversing wheels, part 3135-540, are visible through the rotor cutout and identify the movement without disassembly. Failure produces free rotor spin without winding or gritty manual winding. Epilame belongs across the reverser assembly, while oil is confined to the arbor and bearing points; oil on the teeth or clicks can jam the mechanism. The oscillating-weight axle, part 3135-568, runs in a plain jewelled sleeve. Wear causes a rattle, rotor contact with the caseback, and red dust in the movement. Rolex supplied mainsprings in standard part 3135-311 and weaker 3135-311-1 versions, a relevant distinction when assessing a rebuilt movement.

A freshly serviced Cal. 3135 should show about 270 to 310 degrees of amplitude when fully wound. More than 335 degrees can indicate that the mainspring bridle is slipping too late because it lacks braking grease; Rolex sets a minimum of 200 degrees after 24 hours in the worst position. Earlier movements carried COSC's −4/+6 seconds-per-day standard. From 2015, Rolex applied its −2/+2 Superlative Chronometer test to the complete watch without changing the caliber. Derivatives include Cal. 3155, 3175, 3185, 3186, 3187, and the no-date 3130, 3131, and 3132.

<span id="milgauss-family"></span>
== Milgauss ==

Rolex introduced the documented Milgauss calibers about fifty years apart. Rolex adapted its contemporary sport movements for the Milgauss: Cal. 1580 derives from the 1530 platform, and Cal. 3131 from Cal. 3130.

<span id="cal-1580"></span>
=== Cal. 1580 ===
[[File:Cal 1580 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1580, marked "26 Jewels, Adjusted Six 6 Positions" — EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 26
|-
| frequency
| 19,800 vph (2.8 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm × 5.75mm
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung monometallic, Microstella screws
|-
| regulator
| None — free-sprung
|-
| shock
| Shock absorber
|}

Cal. 1580 is associated exclusively with the [[Reference:1019|Milgauss 1019]] during its 1960–1988 run, subject to the early-production dating conflict below. It shares the 1530-derived platform with Cal. 1570 and 1575, and gained hacking around 1972. A soft-iron inner shield around the movement provides the magnetic protection, making the 1019 thicker than contemporary Submariner and GMT-Master cases using the same movement family. Parts interchange broadly across the 1520/1525/1530/1535/1555/1556/1560/1565/1570/1575/1580 group.

Cal. 1580 has 26 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, a monometallic balance adjusted to temperature and five positions, shock protection, and a Breguet hairspring. Antiquorum describes the hairspring as free-sprung white metal with Microstella regulation. That matches Cal. 1560 and 1570 on the same platform, although no second auction house specifies the regulation system.

The case provides the magnetic shielding. A gilt-metal anti-magnetic cap and the surrounding inner case absorb the field. Cal. 1580 uses the standard 1530-family balance and hairspring inside the shielded case. Rolex added hacking in 1972 with the corresponding sport-caliber revision.

The factory caliber table introduces Cal. 1580 in 1963, three years after the 1019's generally accepted launch around 1960. It lists the earlier anti-magnetic Cal. 1065M, 1066M, and 1080 from 1955, and a Milgauss 6541 is documented with Cal. 1080. Published evidence does not settle whether the earliest 1019s used Cal. 1580 or one of these 1030-family movements.

<span id="cal-3131"></span>
=== Cal. 3131 ===
[[File:Cal 3131 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3131 from a Milgauss 116400GV, auto bridge and gold reversing wheels]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 28.5mm
|-
| escapement
| Nickel-phosphorus escape wheel & pallet fork
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung monometallic, Microstella
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Cal. 3131 is a no-date Cal. 3130 derivative announced at Baselworld 2007 for the [[Reference:116400|Milgauss 116400]] and 116400GV "Glace Verte." From 2016 it also powered the Air-King 40 reference 116900. Magnetic protection has three parts. A two-piece ferromagnetic shield encloses the movement, with one half secured on the dial side and the other beneath the outer caseback; the inner back carries a capital "B" and arrow, the symbol for magnetic flux density. The movement also uses a paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring and an amorphous nickel-phosphorus escape wheel and pallet fork.

Cal. 3131 remained COSC-certified throughout its run, with KIF shock protection and a conventional Swiss lever escapement. It never received Chronergy or Paraflex. Rolex applied the tighter −2/+2 seconds-per-day Superlative Chronometer standard from 2015, so later 116900 and 116400GV examples carry the revised rating without a corresponding movement change. The Air-King remained in production to 2022 and the Milgauss to 2023.

<span id="daytona-manual"></span>
== Daytona chronograph (manual-wind) ==

The manual-wind Daytona used Valjoux 72 architecture from 1963 through 1988. Across five caliber numbers, Rolex progressively refinished and re-rated the Valjoux 72 ébauche.

Valjoux joined the Ebauches SA group in 1944 and was later folded into ETA, though the Valjoux name remained in use through the end of Cal. 72 production in 1974. At least 62,000 Valjoux 72/23 movements are recorded in Rolex cases across more than 40 references, about 7 per cent of total output. Heuer, Universal Genève and Longines also used the base. Rolex examples differ in their finishing and adjustment.

<span id="cal-72"></span>
=== Cal. 72 ===
[[File:Cal 72 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Valjoux 72 ébauche, caliber "72" stamped at 6 o'clock beside the Valjoux logo, plate marked "Seventeen 17 Jewels Unadjusted," stock index regulator with F/A–S/R scale — the untouched configuration Rolex fitted as Cal. 72. This example's chronograph bridge is signed Heuer-Leonidas SA]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| shock
| Incabloc
|}

Used in the pre-Daytona ref. 6234 from about 1955 to 1961, Cal. 72 remained close to the Valjoux ébauche. Rolex retained its index regulator, flat hairspring and Incabloc protection. Auction records document the bare Cal. 72 designation on examples from 1957 and around 1960; published production dates for the 6234 end in either 1960 or about 1961.

<span id="cal-72a"></span>
=== Cal. 72A ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| shock
| Incabloc
|}

Cal. 72A appears in late ref. 6234s from the late 1950s to about 1961. It retains the index regulator and flat hairspring that Cal. 72B would replace, making it a Rolex-finished but otherwise conventional Valjoux 72 execution. The meaning of the ROW stamp remains uncertain: Sotheby's associates it with US importation, while Grail Watch Reference reads it as Rolex Werke. Neither interpretation is supported by a known Rolex document.

<span id="cal-72b"></span>
=== Cal. 72B ===
[[File:Cal 72B movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Rolex-signed Valjoux 72-family movement, seventeen jewels — caliber sub-variant not distinguishable from the engraving alone]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Microstella, adjustable inertia
|-
| shock
| KIF (often Flector)
|}

Used in the ref. 6238 and the last 6234s, Cal. 72B marks Rolex's first substantial reworking of the Valjoux base. The index regulator gave way to a Microstella adjustable-inertia balance, the flat hairspring to a Breguet overcoil, and Incabloc protection to KIF, often in its clover-shaped Flector form. The caliber also has the earlier screwed setting lever, later replaced by a pusher type.

The transition date is disputed. Dody Giussani's text for ''Ultimate Rolex Daytona'' dates the complete replacement of Cal. 72A to 1966, while auction records identify Cal. 72B in ref. 6234 examples from around 1961. Giussani finds no substantial mechanical difference between the 72B and 722 and notes that Rolex used both names in its technical documents. The regulating organ changed before Rolex consistently adopted the later caliber name.

<span id="cal-722"></span>
=== Cal. 722 ===
[[File:Cal 722 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Rolex-signed Valjoux 72-family movement, seventeen jewels — caliber sub-variant not distinguishable from the engraving alone]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Microstella, adjustable inertia
|-
| shock
| KIF (often Flector)
|}

Cal. 722 powered the refs. 6239, 6240 and 6241, including examples with "Paul Newman" dials. Its column wheel controls a horizontal clutch through a coupling yoke. Engagement can make the chronograph hand jump slightly forward or back at the start, a trait later removed by the vertical clutch in Cal. 4130.

The position of the "Rolex Genève" inscription on the dial-side plate distinguishes Cal. 722 from the 722-1 that followed. The designations otherwise overlap: Christie's records Cal. 72B, 722 and 722-1 across ref. 6241 production. The engraving on the movement is more reliable than a date-based attribution.

<span id="cal-722-1"></span>
=== Cal. 722-1 ===
[[File:Cal 722-1 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Rolex-signed Valjoux 72-family movement, seventeen jewels — caliber sub-variant not distinguishable from the engraving alone]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| balance
| Microstella (inherited from 722)
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Introduced in 1967, Cal. 722-1 was the last 18,000 vph Daytona caliber before Cal. 727 raised the frequency. Rolex described it as a Valjoux 72A-based mechanism with the same dimensions as its predecessor; the changes were internal.

The hour-recorder conveyor gained an eccentric pivot and wing-shaped spring, allowing more precise engagement with the hour wheel. A guard spring above the balance was intended to keep the hairspring on its stud support under shock. Giussani records that the guard had already appeared inconsistently on Cal. 722 and caused problems of its own, so many surviving examples of both calibers lack it.

<span id="cal-727"></span>
=== Cal. 727 ===
[[File:Cal 727 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 727 (right, engraved 727, Daytona ref 6265), specialist comparison photo via Perezcope]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Manual
|-
| jewels
| 17
|-
| frequency
| 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Microstella, adjustable inertia
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Cal. 727 raised the Valjoux 72 frequency from 18,000 to 21,600 vph and powered the refs. 6262, 6263, 6264 and 6265 from 1970 until 1988. A genuine example has a Breguet overcoil and a bevelled inner edge on the KIF shock-spring retaining ring. These details, together with the engraved caliber number, help distinguish an original movement from a substituted or counterfeit one.

<span id="daytona-auto"></span>
== Daytona chronograph (automatic) ==

<span id="cal-4030"></span>
=== Cal. 4030 ===
[[File:Cal 4030 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 4030, engraved 4030, thirty-one jewels]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 52–54h (sources disagree)
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung Breguet
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|}

Launched with the ref. 16520 in 1988, Cal. 4030 was a heavily reworked Zenith El Primero 400 and the last externally designed movement used by Rolex. Rolex removed the date, reduced the frequency from 36,000 to 28,800 vph and changed more than half of the components. A Breguet overcoil replaced the flat hairspring, while a free-sprung Glucydur balance with Microstella regulation and KIF protection replaced the Zenith oscillator. The chronograph retained a column wheel and horizontal clutch.

Published power-reserve figures split between 52 and 54 hours, with no known Rolex document settling the difference. The photographed movement is signed "MONTRES ROLEX S.A. GENEVA SWISS, ADJ. 5 POSITIONS TEMPERATURE, THIRTY-ONE JEWELS" and stamped "4030."

<span id="cal-4130"></span>
=== Cal. 4130 ===
[[File:Cal 4130 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 4130 movement detail, bridge marked "4130"]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 44
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 72h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever, 52° lift angle
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung, four gold Microstella nuts
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Cal. 4130 was Rolex's first chronograph movement of its own design, launched with the ref. 116520 in 2000. Its column wheel and vertical clutch provide clean chronograph engagement without the hand jump associated with Cal. 4030. The movement uses 201 components, about 20 per cent fewer than its predecessor, and twelve types of screw rather than more than forty.

The rotor runs on a ball bearing; the Cal. 3135 generation uses a jewelled sleeve. Claims that the bearing is ceramic lack support from Rolex or specialist documentation. The free-sprung balance sits under a transversal bridge and uses KIF protection. Chronergy, Paraflex, an optimised rotor bearing and Côtes de Genève arrived with Cal. 4131 in 2023. The display back also belongs to that successor and was limited to platinum; every Cal. 4130 Daytona has a solid caseback.

Parachrom was fitted from launch, but the blue version is variously dated between about 2005 and 2007 without a supporting Rolex document. Later examples were rated to Rolex's −2/+2 seconds-per-day standard after its introduction in 2015. Cal. 4130 continued through the ref. 116500LN until Cal. 4131 replaced it in March 2023.

<span id="day-date-family"></span>
== Day-Date ==

Day-Date calibers form their own family. Four-digit references set both calendar displays through the hands; five-digit references introduced quickset.

<span id="cal-1055"></span>
=== Cal. 1055 ===
[[File:Cal 1055 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1055, period parts-catalogue illustration, front and back]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 25
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Cal. 1055 was Rolex's first day-and-date movement, used from 1956 to 1959 in the refs. 6510, 6511, 6611, 6612 and 6613. Its rhodium-plated bridges carry oeil-de-perdrix ("partridge-eye") circular graining rather than Côtes de Genève. Documented examples were adjusted to temperature and five positions.

The ref. 6611 replaced the 6511 in 1957 with an improved chronometer-certified version engraved 1055B on the bridge. Its dial reads "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" rather than the earlier "Officially Certified Chronometer."

The arrival of the free-sprung Microstella balance is disputed. The usual account places it with the 66xx revision, but an auction description identifies a first-generation 6511 as free-sprung. Neither generation has quickset or hacking.

<span id="cal-1555"></span>
=== Cal. 1555 ===
[[File:Cal 1555 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1555, rotor bridge detail]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 25
|-
| frequency
| 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|-
| size
| 7.03mm
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever (Cal. 1530 train)
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung beryllium-bronze, Microstella screws
|-
| shock
| KIF Flector
|}

Cal. 1555 powered early four-digit Day-Dates, including the refs. 1803, 1804, 1806, 1807 and 1811, from 1959 to about 1967. It combines the day-and-date architecture of Cal. 1055 with the plate and most running components of Cal. 1530. Its distinct parts are concentrated in the motion and calendar work, some shared with the contemporary Datejust Cal. 1575.

The Swiss lever escapement comes from Cal. 1530 and uses KIF Flector protection. The free-sprung balance uses a Nivarox Breguet overcoil and screw-shaped Microstella adjusters. Rolex did not adopt the later nut-shaped Microstella components until 1983.

Cal. 1555 does not hack; unlike the 1972 revision of Cal. 1556, its parts list has no balance-stop spring. Wear in the mainspring-barrel bearing is a known fault. As the plate and bridge bores wear out of round, the barrel can tilt and reduce amplitude; Rolex supplied a replacement upper barrel bush for the repair.

Five stainless-steel Day-Dates are publicly known, none with a listed reference or case serial. Christie's records movement numbers 0004547, 0005073, DD411420, DD14749 and DD081221. Their casebacks are signed Rolex and stamped "Stainless Steel"; the known examples have French day discs, black hands and silvered dials, with provenance linked to former Rolex watchmakers. Christie's identifies them as workshop test pieces. Movement DD411420 is engraved 1555 but runs at the Cal. 1556 frequency of 19,800 vph, placing it between the two generations.

The prototype's jewel count is disputed. Antiquorum gives 25, matching the bridge signature, while Phillips gives 26, the figure for Cal. 1556. At 7.03mm, Cal. 1555 is the thickest member of the 1500 series. The stepped "pie-pan" dial remained in use until about 1970, outlasting the caliber.

<span id="cal-1556"></span>
=== Cal. 1556 ===
[[File:Cal 1556 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 1556]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 26
|-
| frequency
| 19,800 vph (2.8 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 42h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever, 52° lift angle
|-
| shock
| KIF Flector, both balance pivots
|}

Cal. 1556 succeeded the 1555 around 1965 and powered the mid- and late four-digit Day-Date until 1977 or 1978. A revised gear train raised the frequency, while a jewel at the top of the centre wheel brought the count to 26. Its rhodium-plated movement has perlage finishing, a full balance bridge and a screwed balance with two gold, star-shaped Microstella regulating screws. Hacking was added during production in 1972 without a new caliber designation; earlier examples do not hack.

<span id="cal-1566"></span>
=== Cal. 1566 ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 26
|-
| escapement
| Straight-line lever
|-
| balance
| Monometallic, free-sprung Breguet spring
|}

Cal. 1566 was built for one case, the platinum [[Reference:1831|Day-Date 1831]] commissioned for the Shah of Iran and delivered from 1977. At 290 grams, it is the heaviest production Rolex. The rhodium-plated movement has a free-sprung Breguet hairspring, Microstella regulation and hacking. Sources record either eight or nine examples. One concordance assigns the ref. 1831 to Cal. 1556, while auction houses that examined the watches identify Cal. 1566.

<span id="cal-3055"></span>
=== Cal. 3055 ===
[[File:Cal 3055 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3055, period parts-catalogue illustration with day-disc]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 27
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung Glucydur, Microstella
|-
| shock
| KIF
|}

Cal. 3055 powered the refs. 18038, 18048, 18078 and early 18238 from 1977 to 1988. It introduced quickset for the date, while the day still advanced through the motion of the hands. The balance cock provides the clearest visual distinction from Cal. 3155, which uses a full transversal bridge. Common references give a height of 6.3mm, but Rolex's parts diagram specifies 7.11mm.

<span id="cal-3155"></span>
=== Cal. 3155 ===
[[File:Cal 3155 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3155, engraved "3155," EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| balance
| Free-sprung Glucydur, Microstella
|-
| shock
| KIF Elastor
|}

Cal. 3155 replaced the 3055 in 1988 and remained in production through 2019. It added independent correction of the day, giving the Day-Date a double quickset for both calendar displays.

The added quickset works raised the jewel count from 27 to 31. Published height figures vary between 6.00 and 6.45mm, with no known Rolex document settling the discrepancy. As elsewhere in the 31xx family, a full bridge and larger balance wheel replaced the older balance cock.

The hairspring stud is laser-welded rather than glued as on Cals. 3035 and 3055. Parachrom arrived between 2008 and 2010 according to Grail Watch Reference, or by 2013 according to Watch Wiki. Cal. 3155 retained KIF Elastor throughout and never received Paraflex, which Rolex fitted to the Day-Date II's Cal. 3156.

<span id="cal-3156"></span>
=== Cal. 3156 ===
[[File:Cal 3156 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 3156, engraved "3156," Day-Date II official brochure image]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Automatic
|-
| jewels
| 31
|-
| frequency
| 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
|-
| power reserve
| 48h
|-
| size
| 30.97mm
|-
| escapement
| Swiss lever, 31xx family (pre-Chronergy)
|-
| balance
| Parachrom hairspring (3155 base)
|-
| regulator
| Free-sprung, gold Microstella nuts, traversing bridge
|-
| shock
| Paraflex
|}

Cal. 3156 is a widened Cal. 3155 derivative built for the 41mm Day-Date II from 2008 to 2015. It adds a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex protection and powers the refs. 218238, 218239, 218206 and 218235. Its 30.97mm main plate carries the enlarged calendar wheels needed to move the date window outward. The same wider format appears on Cals. 3132, 3136 and 3187. Published specifications often give the standard 28.5mm width, but Rolex's promotional photography shows the additional flange recorded by Stephen Foskett's Grail Watch Reference.

Only the plate-and-bridge layer is oversized. The running train, escapement, keyless works and date mechanism use standard 31xx-family components, while structural parts such as the barrel bridge are shared with the wider Cals. 3132, 3136 and 3187 rather than the 3155.

The oscillator comes from Cal. 3155: a large free-sprung balance with gold Microstella nuts, a Breguet overcoil and a height-adjustable transversal bridge. Below it is the conventional Swiss lever escapement used across the 31xx family. Its 2015 successor, Cal. 3255, introduced the paramagnetic nickel-phosphorus Chronergy escapement. Rolex credits that design with a 15 per cent efficiency gain and about half of the increase from 48 to 70 hours of power reserve.

Cal. 3156 uses Paraflex shock protection; Cal. 3155 retains KIF Elastor. Rolex filed the design in 2005, and the European patent was granted in 2008. Its spring connects to the bearing body through four arms arranged around a central support, replacing the two-arm layout common to earlier systems. Rolex claims up to 50 per cent greater shock absorption than KIF, but no independent test is cited.

Cal. 3156 was confined to the 41mm Day-Date II. Rolex retired both in 2015, replacing them with the 40mm Day-Date and Cal. 3255, while the 36mm Cal. 3155 remained in production until 2019. Most Cal. 3156 watches carried the COSC −4/+6 seconds-per-day standard. Rolex adopted its −2/+2 rating in the caliber's final year, 2015.

<span id="oysterquartz-family"></span>
== Oysterquartz ==

Rolex produced fewer than about 25,000 Oysterquartz watches between 1977 and 2001. The line followed the Beta 21-powered ref. 5100 of 1970, developed through the Centre Electronique Horloger consortium. The Beta 21 would not fit an Oyster case, and the ref. 5100 was water-resistant rather than waterproof. Rolex left the consortium in 1972 and spent five years developing Cals. 5035 and 5055 in-house.

<span id="cal-5035"></span>
=== Cal. 5035 ===
[[File:Cal 5035 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 5035, engraved "5035," "11 ELEVEN JEWELS," "1.55V," EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Quartz
|-
| jewels
| 11
|-
| frequency
| 32,768 Hz crystal
|-
| drive
| Mobile-frame step-by-step motor, pallet fork, 1 beat/s
|-
| circuit
| C-MOS module: oscillator, binary divider, impulse amplifier
|-
| rate adjustment
| Trimmer, about 2 s/d total range
|-
| battery
| 1.55V silver-oxide, 24+ months
|-
| size
| 29.75mm diameter (29.00mm case-fitting), 6.35mm high
|}

Cal. 5035 powered Oysterquartz Datejust and Oyster Perpetual references, including the 17000, 17013 and 17014, from 1977 to 2001. Its date mechanism follows the same principle as the mechanical Cal. 3035 introduced in the same year.

Rolex calls the drive a mobile-frame step-by-step motor. Unlike a conventional quartz stepper, its coil moves while the magnets remain fixed. A polarised pulse swings the coil frame once per second, and a finger on the frame drives a pallet fork connected directly to the seconds wheel. The pallet locks the wheel between pulses. Its audible tick comes from that engagement and sounds closer to a mechanical escapement than a conventional quartz motor.

The C-MOS module contains the oscillator, a binary divider that reduces 32,768 Hz to one pulse per second, and the motor's impulse amplifier. A trimmer provides a total adjustment range of about two seconds per day. Rolex specified regulation to ±0.05 seconds per day at about 28°C.

Temperature compensation remains uncertain. Secondary accounts describe a thermocompensated oscillator with a thermistor, but Rolex's technical document mentions neither. It instead shows a parabolic rate curve with an inversion point at 26 ±2°C and specifies adjustment near the 28°C temperature of a worn watch. The document may predate a later revision, but it does not support the usual thermistor claim.

Rolex specified accuracy within one minute per year under normal wear and battery life beyond 24 months. The movement draws no more than 9 microamps, of which the electronics use at most 3. There is no battery end-of-life indication; erratic running is the warning. Hacking cuts current to the motor, and the seconds hand restarts one second after the crown returns to its running position.

The electronic module and motor are sensitive to contamination, and the mobile-frame pivots run dry. Rolex supplied the motor only as a complete unit rather than as separate components.

<span id="cal-5055"></span>
=== Cal. 5055 ===
[[File:Cal 5055 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|Cal. 5055, engraved "5055," "11 ELEVEN JEWELS," EmmyWatch]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
! detail
! value
|-
| type
| Quartz
|-
| jewels
| 11
|-
| frequency
| 32,768 Hz crystal
|-
| drive
| Mobile-frame step-by-step motor, pallet fork, 1 beat/s
|-
| circuit
| C-MOS module: oscillator, binary divider, impulse amplifier
|-
| rate adjustment
| Trimmer, about 2 s/d total range
|-
| battery
| 1.55V silver-oxide, 24+ months
|-
| size
| 29.75mm diameter (29.00mm case-fitting), 7.11mm high
|}

Cal. 5055 is the Day-Date counterpart to Cal. 5035. The two share their motor and electronic module, while the 5055's calendar follows the principle of the mechanical Cal. 3055. Its day-disc stack increases the height from 6.35 to 7.11mm.

Cal. 5055 was COSC-certified from its 1977 launch. Cal. 5035 gained certification around 1978–80, alongside a change to a tuning-fork-shaped quartz crystal, so early Oysterquartz Datejust dials lack the "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" text found on contemporary Day-Dates.

Cal. 5055 adds the day mechanism and its stricter tolerances. Rolex specified hour-wheel endshake below 0.03mm and calendar change within two minutes of midnight. The day disc is a separate replaceable part, allowing the display language to be changed without altering the movement.

Cal. 5055 powers the yellow-gold ref. 19018, white-gold ref. 19019 and pyramid-bezel ref. 19028. Planned successors, Cals. 5235/5255 with a conventional stepper motor and 5335/5355 with a perpetual calendar, were cancelled before production.

<span id="prince-appendix"></span>
== Related but not Rolex ==

Gruen Cal. 877 and the Bubbleback-era "9¾ ligne" description are often misidentified as Rolex calibers. Gruen's Cal. 877, used in the Techni-Quadron, is an Aegler-built architectural sibling of Cal. 300 sold under Gruen's name in the United States. It was never a Rolex commercial number. A Bubbleback-era "9¾ ligne" description records only the movement's size class, not a distinct caliber designation.

== Sources ==

* [https://revolutionwatch.com/a-movement-in-history-the-zenith-driven-rolex-daytona/ Revolution — A Movement in History: The Zenith-driven Rolex Daytona] (Ross Povey, 2018)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 Hodinkee — A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Part 1] (Paul Boutros, 2012)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-pt-23 Hodinkee — A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Part 2] (Paul Boutros, 2013)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ Monochrome — In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona] (Erik Slaven, 2024)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-1-the-early-references/ Monochrome — History of the Rolex Submariner, Part 1] (Tom Mulraney, 2020)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ Monochrome — History of the Rolex Submariner, Part 2] (Tom Mulraney, 2020)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-gmt-master-and-gmt-master-ii-1955-2024-iconic-traveller-watch-in-depth-review/ Monochrome — In-Depth: The History of the Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-from-1953-36mm-1016-14270-114270-214270-124270-in-depth-review/ Monochrome — The History of the Rolex Explorer] (Frank Geelen, 2024)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-ii-adventure-watch-gmt-1655-16550-16570-216570-226570-in-depth/ Monochrome — In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Explorer II]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-explorer-14270-perfect-youngtimer-watch-vintage-corner/ Monochrome — Youngtimer Case Study, the Rolex Explorer 14270] (Frank Geelen, 2020)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-explorer-214270-vs-previous-214270-review-history-rolex-explorer/ Monochrome — Rolex Explorer 214270 In-Depth Review] (Brice Goulard, 2016)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-explorer-reference-points Hodinkee — A Comprehensive Collector's Guide To The Rolex Explorer I] (Jon Bues, 2022)
* [https://www.watchtime.com/brands/watches/tracking-the-rolex-daytona-a-53-year-history WatchTime — Tracking the Rolex Daytona: A 55-Year History]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ Revolution — The Rolex "John Player Special" Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241] (Bob Ridley, 2017)
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic A Collected Man — Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?] (Russell Sheldrake, 2020)
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/why-i-bought-the-rolex-cosmograph-daytona-reference-116520/ Fratello — Why I Bought The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Reference 116520] (Ben Hodges, 2021)
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-submariner-14060m/ Fratello — Rolex Submariner 14060M Review]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-submariner-114060-review/ Fratello — Rolex Submariner 114060 Review] (2019)
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/ceramic-bezel-close-up-of-the-rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-116710ln/ Fratello — Ceramic Bezel close-up of the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-n09952/lot.252.html Sotheby's — Submariner Ref 6536/1, Stainless Steel Automatic With Bracelet, Circa 1957]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/25e5416b-f436-484a-834e-1ba10a9dfc69/lots/9a553d3f-0450-465f-b767-7f1946a7bfc0 Sotheby's — Submariner Ref. 6538, Stainless Steel With 4-Line Tropical Dial, Circa 1958]
* [https://calibercorner.com Caliber Corner — per-caliber technical database]
* [https://wiki.grail-watch.com/index.php/Rolex_630 Grail Watch Wiki — Rolex 630]
* [https://www.emmywatch.com EmmyWatch — vintage restoration movement photography]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/complete-history-of-the-rolex-milgauss/ Monochrome — Complete History of the Rolex Milgauss]
* [https://www.robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/most-expensive-rolex-watches-ever-sold-at-auction/ Robb Report — The Most Expensive Rolex Watches Ever Sold at Auction] (Sotheby's Mercedes Gleitze Oyster, November 2025)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss Antiquorum — auction lot catalogue]
* [https://www.christies.com Christie's — auction lot catalogue]
* [https://www.sothebys.com Sotheby's — auction lot catalogue]
* [https://www.watch-wiki.net Watch Wiki — reference concordance]
* [http://www.vrfm.io/Scans/CALIBER-5035-5055-TECHNICAL-INFORMATION.pdf Montres Rolex SA — ''Technical Information No. 13: Calibre 5035 / Calibre 5055''] (factory service documentation, scan hosted by ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'')
* [https://www.oysterquartz.net/the_5035_movement.htm Oysterquartz.net — the 5035/5055 movement]
* [https://www.rolex.com/watchmaking/features/movements/reversing-wheels Rolex — Reversing Wheels, Watchmaking Features] (red anodised-aluminium finish, introduced 1957)
* [https://newsroom-content.rolex.com/-/media/project/rolex/newsroom/rolex/rolex-newsroom-int/2024/brochures/features/en/02_rolex_superlative_english_2024.pdf Rolex — ''Superlative Chronometer Certification: Redefining Performance''] (brochure, 2024; certification redefined 2015)
* [https://patents.google.com/patent/US6503341B2/en Patent US6503341B2 — Self-compensating spiral for a spiral balance-wheel] (Montres Rolex SA; Jacques Baur and Patrick Sol; priority 1999, granted 2003 — the Parachrom hairspring)
* [https://patents.google.com/patent/US7234859B2/en Patent US7234859B2 / EP1705537 — Shock-absorbing bearing for a timepiece] (Montres Rolex SA; Mitchell Colle and Roman Voirol; priority 2005 — Paraflex)
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2021/08/rolex-parachrom-hairspring-explained.html SJX Watches — Explained: The Rolex Parachrom Hairspring] (Nb-Zr alloy, anodised oxide layer, frequency shift)
* [https://reference.grail-watch.com/movement/rolex-3136/ Grail Watch Reference — Rolex Cal. 3136] (Stephen Foskett; Paraflex fitted to the 3136 and not to the base 3135)
* [https://calibercorner.com/rolex-caliber-3131/ Caliber Corner — Rolex Caliber 3131] (Kif on the 3131, Paraflex on the 3132)
* [http://www.superlativetime.com/identification-of-rolex-calibres Superlative Time — Identification of Rolex Calibres 1520–1580] (balance-bridge forms 1–4; Kif Flector and Kif Elastor assignment)
* [https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/regulate-rolex-1520.160574/ NAWCC message board — Regulate Rolex 1520] (watchmakers on the inertia-block system and the free-sprung misreading)
* [https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/vintagerolexforum/history-of-1530-movement-t23616.html Vintage Rolex Forum — History of the 1530 movement] (introduction c.1957, butterfly rotor, chronometer status)
* [https://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/28412-rolex-3135-510-drive-wheel-for-ratchet-appears-to-be-worn-not-winding-watch-enough/ Watch Repair Talk — Rolex 3135-510 ratchet drive wheel wear]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

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2026-09-05T01:29:47Z

Admin: site-wide: h1 sans (specificity), breadcrumb selector

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border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 10px;
background: #fff;
padding: 1em 1.2em 0.6em;
margin: 0 0 0.9em;
}
.rp-index-head {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
align-items: baseline;
gap: 1em;
margin-bottom: 0.4em;
}
.rp-index-title {
font-size: 1.15em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
}
.rp-index-title a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.rp-index-more {
font-size: 0.85em;
white-space: nowrap;
}
.rp-era {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 190px minmax(0, 1fr);
gap: 0.3em 1em;
padding: 0.55em 0;
border-top: 1px solid #eef3ef;
align-items: start;
}
.rp-era-name {
font-size: 0.92em;
font-weight: 600;
color: #1b3a2d;
line-height: 1.3;
}
.rp-era-name small {
display: block;
font-weight: 400;
color: #5a7a63;
font-size: 0.88em;
}
.rp-chips {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 0.35em;
}
.rp-chips a {
display: inline-block;
padding: 0.18em 0.65em;
border: 1px solid #cfdcd3;
border-radius: 999px;
background: #f7faf8;
font-size: 0.88em;
line-height: 1.5;
color: #1b5e3b !important;
text-decoration: none !important;
transition: background 0.1s ease, color 0.1s ease;
}
.rp-chips a:hover {
background: #1b5e3b;
border-color: #1b5e3b;
color: #fff !important;
}

/* Recently updated */
.rp-recent ul {
list-style: none;
padding: 0 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
}
.rp-recent li {
padding: 0.55em 0;
border-top: 1px solid #eef3ef;
margin: 0 !important;
line-height: 1.6;
}
.rp-recent li:last-child {
border-bottom: 1px solid #eef3ef;
}
.rp-recent li b {
display: inline-block;
min-width: 9.5em;
color: #5a7a63;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.85em;
letter-spacing: 0.02em;
}

/* Footnote */
.rp-footnote {
margin-top: 2.5em;
padding-top: 1em;
border-top: 1px solid #e3ebe5;
font-size: 0.85em;
color: #666;
}

@media (max-width: 960px) {
.rp-grid,
.rp-grid.rp-grid-4 {
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
}
.rp-featured {
grid-template-columns: 200px minmax(0, 1fr);
}
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.rp-hero-title {
font-size: 2em;
}
.rp-grid,
.rp-grid.rp-grid-4 {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
.rp-featured {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
.rp-era {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
gap: 0.25em;
}
.rp-recent li b {
display: block;
min-width: 0;
}
}

MediaWiki:Common.css

2026-09-05T01:24:50Z

Admin: site-wide: sources columns, related-references grid

/* Rolexopedia — clean reference site with deep green accents */

/* ===== Typography ===== */
body, .mw-body, .mw-body-content {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
line-height: 1.5;
color: #1a1a1a;
}
/* Override Vector 2022's 0.875rem (14px) body text */
.vector-body,
.mw-parser-output,
.mw-body-content {
font-size: 1rem !important;
}
/* Tighten paragraph spacing */
.mw-body-content p {
margin: 0.4em 0;
}

/* ===== Page title ===== */
.mw-page-title-main,
.mw-first-heading {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
font-weight: 800;
font-size: 2.3em;
letter-spacing: -0.03em;
line-height: 1.1;
border-bottom: none !important;
color: #1b3a2d;
margin-bottom: 0.2em;
}
/* Vector draws a grey hairline under the title bar via ::after; the
breadcrumb + spacing does that job here. */
.vector-page-titlebar::after,
.mw-body-header::after {
display: none !important;
}

/* ===== Headings — sans, deep green, light rule ===== */
.mw-body-content h2 {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 1.5em;
font-weight: 700;
letter-spacing: -0.01em;
border-bottom: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
padding-bottom: 0.25em;
margin-top: 1.4em;
margin-bottom: 0.4em;
color: #1b3a2d;
}

.mw-body-content h3 {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 1.2em;
font-weight: 650;
border-bottom: none;
padding-bottom: 0;
margin-top: 1.1em;
margin-bottom: 0.25em;
color: #1b3a2d;
}

.mw-body-content h4 {
margin-top: 0.6em;
margin-bottom: 0.15em;
}

/* ===== Links — dark green ===== */
.mw-body-content a:not(.new) {
color: #1b5e3b;
text-decoration: none;
}
.mw-body-content a:not(.new):hover {
color: #0f3d25;
text-decoration: underline;
}
.mw-body-content a.new {
color: #b33;
}

/* ===== Header bar — light with green accent ===== */
.vector-header,
.mw-header {
background: #f7f9f7 !important;
border-bottom: 2px solid #2d5e3f !important;
}
/* Site name — dark green */
.mw-logo-wordmark {
font-weight: 700 !important;
letter-spacing: 0.05em !important;
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.vector-header a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.vector-header a:hover {
color: #0f3d25 !important;
}

/* ===== Search box ===== */
.vector-search-box-input {
border-radius: 6px !important;
border: 1px solid #c8d6cc !important;
}
.vector-search-box-input:focus {
border-color: #2d5e3f !important;
box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #2d5e3f33 !important;
}

/* ===== Content area — centered, TOC as left sidebar ===== */
/* Let Vector 2022 keep its grid but widen + center it */
.mw-page-container {
max-width: 1240px !important;
margin: 0 auto !important;
padding: 0 1em !important;
}
.mw-body {
padding: 0.8em 0;
}
/* Disable the limited-width feature that offsets content */
.vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 .mw-content-container,
.vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled .mw-content-container {
max-width: none !important;
}
/* Header centered */
.vector-header-container {
max-width: 1240px !important;
margin: 0 auto !important;
}

/* ===== TOC sidebar — clean, no overlap ===== */
.vector-column-start {
width: 200px !important;
min-width: 200px !important;
}
/* Prevent TOC from overlapping content */
.vector-toc {
position: sticky;
top: 1em;
}
.vector-sidebar-container-no-toc ~ .mw-content-container {
margin-left: 0 !important;
}

/* ===== Tables — horizontal rules only, rounded frame ===== */
.wikitable {
border-collapse: separate;
border-spacing: 0;
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 8px;
overflow: hidden;
background: #fff;
font-size: 0.92em;
margin: 0.6em 0 1em;
}
.wikitable th {
background: #eef3ef;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.82em;
letter-spacing: 0.04em;
text-transform: uppercase;
padding: 0.55em 0.9em;
border: none;
border-bottom: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
text-align: left;
color: #2f5541;
vertical-align: bottom;
}
.wikitable td {
padding: 0.5em 0.9em;
border: none;
border-bottom: 1px solid #eef3ef;
vertical-align: top;
}
.wikitable tr:last-child td {
border-bottom: none;
}
.wikitable tr:nth-child(even) td {
background: #fafcfa;
}

/* Core-facts table on reference pages: key/value card. The class is set
by import_reference.py and by the 2026-09-05 backfill pass. */
.wikitable.rp-facts {
width: auto;
min-width: min(100%, 480px);
max-width: 640px;
font-size: 0.95em;
}
.wikitable.rp-facts td:first-child {
white-space: nowrap;
}
.wikitable.rp-facts th {
display: none;
}
.wikitable.rp-facts td:first-child {
width: 32%;
font-size: 0.8em;
letter-spacing: 0.05em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: #5a7a63;
font-weight: 600;
background: #f7faf8 !important;
padding-top: 0.7em;
}
.wikitable.rp-facts td:last-child {
font-weight: 500;
color: #1a1a1a;
background: #fff !important;
}

/* ===== Images ===== */
.thumb {
border: none !important;
background: none !important;
}
.thumbinner,
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Thumb"],
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Frame"] {
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8 !important;
border-radius: 8px;
background: #fafcfa !important;
padding: 6px !important;
overflow: hidden;
}
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Thumb"] > a > img,
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Frame"] > a > img {
border-radius: 4px;
background: #fff;
}
.thumbcaption,
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Thumb"] > figcaption,
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Frame"] > figcaption {
font-size: 0.82em;
color: #5a6b60;
padding: 6px 4px 2px;
line-height: 1.4;
}

/* ===== Breadcrumb ===== */
.mw-parser-output > small:first-of-type,
.mw-parser-output > p > small:first-child:last-child {
display: block;
margin: 0 0 0.9em;
font-size: 0.82em;
letter-spacing: 0.03em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: #5a7a63;
}
.mw-parser-output > small:first-of-type a,
.mw-parser-output > p > small:first-child:last-child a {
color: #1b5e3b;
font-weight: 600;
}
.mw-parser-output > small:first-of-type b,
.mw-parser-output > p > small:first-child:last-child b {
color: #1b3a2d;
}

/* ===== TOC — dark green links ===== */
.vector-toc {
font-size: 0.88em;
border-left: 1px solid #e3ebe5;
padding-left: 0.8em !important;
}
.vector-toc .vector-pinnable-header-label {
color: #5a7a63 !important;
font-size: 0.8em;
letter-spacing: 0.08em;
text-transform: uppercase;
}
.vector-toc a,
.vector-toc .vector-toc-link,
.vector-toc-text,
.sidebar-toc a,
.sidebar-toc .sidebar-toc-link {
color: #1b5e3b !important;
}
.vector-toc a:hover,
.vector-toc .vector-toc-link:hover,
.sidebar-toc a:hover {
color: #0f3d25 !important;
}
/* Active TOC item */
.vector-toc .vector-toc-list-item-active > .vector-toc-link,
.sidebar-toc .sidebar-toc-list-item-active > a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
font-weight: 600;
}

/* ===== Categories ===== */
#catlinks {
background: #f3f7f4;
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 4px;
padding: 0.5em 1em;
font-size: 0.85em;
margin-top: 1.2em;
}

/* ===== Strip wiki UI ===== */

/* Hide "Reference:" namespace prefix from h1 on Reference pages.
Wiki URL stays /wiki/Reference:5513; visible h1 is just "5513".
ns-3000 = NS_REFERENCE (custom namespace defined in LocalSettings.php). */
body.ns-3000 .mw-page-title-namespace,
body.ns-3000 .mw-page-title-separator {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide Discussion tab */
#ca-talk,
li#ca-talk {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide View history */
#ca-history,
li#ca-history {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide "Read" tab (redundant) */
#ca-view,
li#ca-view {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide "Reference" / namespace tab label — title is enough */
#ca-nstab-reference,
#ca-nstab-main,
li#ca-nstab-reference,
li#ca-nstab-main {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide View source for logged-out */
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) #ca-viewsource,
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) li#ca-viewsource {
display: none !important;
}

/* Clean up tab bar */
.vector-page-toolbar {
border-bottom: none !important;
}
nav.vector-menu-tabs {
border-bottom: none !important;
}
.mw-body .vector-page-toolbar-container {
border-bottom: none !important;
}

/* Hide Tools dropdown */
#vector-page-tools {
display: none !important;
}
/* Hide the entire page toolbar row (empty after removing all tabs) */
.vector-page-toolbar {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide "Create account" */
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) #pt-createaccount,
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) li#pt-createaccount {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide categories for anonymous */
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) #catlinks {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide sidebar hamburger for anonymous */
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) .vector-main-menu-landmark {
display: none !important;
}

/* ===== Footer — minimal ===== */
#footer {
border-top: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
text-align: center;
padding: 1em 0;
color: #999;
font-size: 0.82em;
}
#footer-info-copyright {
display: none;
}
#footer-places {
display: none;
}
#footer-icons {
display: none;
}

/* ===== External links ===== */
.mw-parser-output a.external {
background: none !important;
padding-right: 0 !important;
}
.mw-parser-output a.external::after {
content: " \2197";
font-size: 0.75em;
color: #999;
}

/* ===== Lists ===== */
.mw-body-content ul, .mw-body-content ol {
margin: 0.3em 0;
padding-left: 1.5em;
}
.mw-body-content li {
margin: 0.15em 0;
}

/* ===== Remove extra spacing from pandoc span anchors ===== */
/* Only target empty span anchors, not headline spans */
.mw-body-content > span[id]:empty,
.mw-body-content p + span[id]:empty {
display: block;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
line-height: 0;
font-size: 0;
}

/* ===== Reference-page sections ===== */
/* Sources footer: long external-link list → two quiet columns. */
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Sources) ~ ul {
columns: 2;
column-gap: 2.5em;
font-size: 0.88em;
color: #444;
padding-left: 1.2em;
}
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Sources) ~ ul li {
break-inside: avoid;
margin: 0 0 0.35em;
}
/* Related references: link + one-line gloss, as a light list. */
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Related_references) + ul,
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Related_references) + p + ul {
list-style: none;
padding: 0;
margin: 0.4em 0 1em;
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
gap: 0.4em 1.4em;
}
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Related_references) + ul li,
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Related_references) + p + ul li {
padding: 0.45em 0;
border-top: 1px solid #eef3ef;
font-size: 0.95em;
line-height: 1.45;
}
@media (max-width: 720px) {
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Sources) ~ ul {
columns: 1;
}
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Related_references) + ul,
.mw-body-content h2:has(> #Related_references) + p + ul {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}
/* Sub-family / era wrapper headings on family pages read better with air. */
.mw-body-content h2 + p {
margin-top: 0.5em;
}

/* ===== Blockquotes ===== */
.mw-body-content blockquote {
border-left: 3px solid #2d5e3f;
margin: 0.6em 0;
padding: 0.5em 1em;
color: #444;
font-style: italic;
}

/* ===== Responsive tables (mobile) ===== */
/* The multi-column serial-range and generation grids are wider than a phone
screen, which made the whole page scroll horizontally (content-wider-than-
screen — a mobile-usability fail under mobile-first indexing). Below the
tablet breakpoint, let a wide table scroll inside its own box instead of
pushing the page. display:block is what makes overflow-x take effect on a
<table>; desktop layout is untouched. */
@media (max-width: 720px) {
.mw-parser-output .wikitable {
display: block;
width: 100%;
max-width: 100%;
overflow-x: auto;
-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;
}
}

/* =====================================================================
Main Page — layout system (classes prefixed rp-). Scoped so article
pages are unaffected. Grid falls back to one column on phones.
===================================================================== */
body.page-Main_Page .mw-first-heading,
body.page-Main_Page .vector-page-titlebar,
body.page-Main_Page #siteSub,
body.page-Main_Page .vector-body-before-content,
body.page-Main_Page #contentSub {
display: none !important;
}
body.page-Main_Page .mw-body {
padding-top: 0;
}
body.page-Main_Page .mw-body-content h2 {
border-bottom: none;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 1.45em;
font-weight: 700;
letter-spacing: -0.01em;
margin: 2em 0 0.7em;
padding: 0;
}
body.page-Main_Page .mw-body-content h2 .mw-editsection {
display: none;
}

/* Hero */
.rp-hero {
padding: 2.2em 0 1.8em;
border-bottom: 1px solid #e3ebe5;
}
.rp-hero-title {
font-size: 2.6em;
font-weight: 800;
letter-spacing: -0.03em;
line-height: 1.05;
color: #1b3a2d;
margin: 0 0 0.35em;
}
.rp-hero-lede {
font-size: 1.15em;
line-height: 1.55;
max-width: 62ch;
color: #2b2b2b;
}
.rp-hero-lede p {
margin: 0 0 0.6em !important;
}
.rp-stats {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 2.2em;
margin-top: 1.4em;
}
.rp-stat b {
display: block;
font-size: 1.7em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
line-height: 1.1;
}
.rp-stat span {
font-size: 0.85em;
color: #5a7a63;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 0.06em;
}

/* Eyebrow label */
.rp-eyebrow {
display: block;
font-size: 0.75em;
font-weight: 600;
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: #5a7a63;
margin-bottom: 0.3em;
}

/* Card grid */
.rp-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(3, minmax(0, 1fr));
gap: 1.1em;
margin: 0.6em 0 0.4em;
}
.rp-grid.rp-grid-4 {
grid-template-columns: repeat(4, minmax(0, 1fr));
}
.rp-card {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 10px;
background: #fff;
overflow: hidden;
transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease, transform 0.15s ease, border-color 0.15s ease;
}
.rp-card:hover {
border-color: #9fb8a8;
box-shadow: 0 8px 22px rgba(27, 58, 45, 0.12);
transform: translateY(-2px);
}
.rp-card-img {
aspect-ratio: 4 / 3;
background: #f3f7f4;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
overflow: hidden;
}
.rp-card-img a,
.rp-card-img span {
display: block;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
.rp-card-img img {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
object-fit: contain;
display: block;
}
.rp-card-img.rp-cover img {
object-fit: cover;
}
.rp-card-img.rp-cover-top img {
object-position: center top;
}
.rp-card-body {
padding: 0.85em 1em 1em;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
gap: 0.25em;
}
.rp-card-title {
font-size: 1.1em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
line-height: 1.2;
}
.rp-card-title a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.rp-card-meta {
font-size: 0.82em;
color: #5a7a63;
}
.rp-card-text {
font-size: 0.92em;
color: #333;
line-height: 1.45;
}
.rp-card-text p {
margin: 0 !important;
}

/* Featured (from the archive) */
.rp-featured {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 280px minmax(0, 1fr);
gap: 1.6em;
align-items: center;
padding: 1.4em;
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 10px;
background: #fff;
}
.rp-featured-img {
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
background: #f3f7f4;
border-radius: 8px;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
overflow: hidden;
}
.rp-featured-img a,
.rp-featured-img span {
display: block;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
.rp-featured-img img {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
object-fit: contain;
display: block;
}
.rp-featured-title {
font-size: 1.5em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
letter-spacing: -0.01em;
margin-bottom: 0.4em;
}
.rp-featured-body {
font-size: 1em;
line-height: 1.55;
}
.rp-featured-body p {
margin: 0 0 0.6em !important;
}
.rp-button {
display: inline-block;
margin-top: 0.4em;
padding: 0.5em 1em;
border-radius: 6px;
background: #1b5e3b;
color: #fff !important;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.92em;
text-decoration: none !important;
}
.rp-button a,
.rp-button a:not(.new) {
color: #fff !important;
text-decoration: none !important;
}
.rp-button:hover {
background: #0f3d25;
}

/* Reference index — one block per family, eras as rows, refs as chips */
.rp-index {
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 10px;
background: #fff;
padding: 1em 1.2em 0.6em;
margin: 0 0 0.9em;
}
.rp-index-head {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
align-items: baseline;
gap: 1em;
margin-bottom: 0.4em;
}
.rp-index-title {
font-size: 1.15em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
}
.rp-index-title a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.rp-index-more {
font-size: 0.85em;
white-space: nowrap;
}
.rp-era {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 190px minmax(0, 1fr);
gap: 0.3em 1em;
padding: 0.55em 0;
border-top: 1px solid #eef3ef;
align-items: start;
}
.rp-era-name {
font-size: 0.92em;
font-weight: 600;
color: #1b3a2d;
line-height: 1.3;
}
.rp-era-name small {
display: block;
font-weight: 400;
color: #5a7a63;
font-size: 0.88em;
}
.rp-chips {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 0.35em;
}
.rp-chips a {
display: inline-block;
padding: 0.18em 0.65em;
border: 1px solid #cfdcd3;
border-radius: 999px;
background: #f7faf8;
font-size: 0.88em;
line-height: 1.5;
color: #1b5e3b !important;
text-decoration: none !important;
transition: background 0.1s ease, color 0.1s ease;
}
.rp-chips a:hover {
background: #1b5e3b;
border-color: #1b5e3b;
color: #fff !important;
}

/* Recently updated */
.rp-recent ul {
list-style: none;
padding: 0 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
}
.rp-recent li {
padding: 0.55em 0;
border-top: 1px solid #eef3ef;
margin: 0 !important;
line-height: 1.6;
}
.rp-recent li:last-child {
border-bottom: 1px solid #eef3ef;
}
.rp-recent li b {
display: inline-block;
min-width: 9.5em;
color: #5a7a63;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.85em;
letter-spacing: 0.02em;
}

/* Footnote */
.rp-footnote {
margin-top: 2.5em;
padding-top: 1em;
border-top: 1px solid #e3ebe5;
font-size: 0.85em;
color: #666;
}

@media (max-width: 960px) {
.rp-grid,
.rp-grid.rp-grid-4 {
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
}
.rp-featured {
grid-template-columns: 200px minmax(0, 1fr);
}
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.rp-hero-title {
font-size: 2em;
}
.rp-grid,
.rp-grid.rp-grid-4 {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
.rp-featured {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
.rp-era {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
gap: 0.25em;
}
.rp-recent li b {
display: block;
min-width: 0;
}
}

MediaWiki:Common.css

2026-09-05T01:24:06Z

Admin: site-wide: title sans, wider container, core-facts beside float, TOC fix

/* Rolexopedia — clean reference site with deep green accents */

/* ===== Typography ===== */
body, .mw-body, .mw-body-content {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
line-height: 1.5;
color: #1a1a1a;
}
/* Override Vector 2022's 0.875rem (14px) body text */
.vector-body,
.mw-parser-output,
.mw-body-content {
font-size: 1rem !important;
}
/* Tighten paragraph spacing */
.mw-body-content p {
margin: 0.4em 0;
}

/* ===== Page title ===== */
.mw-page-title-main,
.mw-first-heading {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
font-weight: 800;
font-size: 2.3em;
letter-spacing: -0.03em;
line-height: 1.1;
border-bottom: none !important;
color: #1b3a2d;
margin-bottom: 0.2em;
}
/* Vector draws a grey hairline under the title bar via ::after; the
breadcrumb + spacing does that job here. */
.vector-page-titlebar::after,
.mw-body-header::after {
display: none !important;
}

/* ===== Headings — sans, deep green, light rule ===== */
.mw-body-content h2 {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 1.5em;
font-weight: 700;
letter-spacing: -0.01em;
border-bottom: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
padding-bottom: 0.25em;
margin-top: 1.4em;
margin-bottom: 0.4em;
color: #1b3a2d;
}

.mw-body-content h3 {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 1.2em;
font-weight: 650;
border-bottom: none;
padding-bottom: 0;
margin-top: 1.1em;
margin-bottom: 0.25em;
color: #1b3a2d;
}

.mw-body-content h4 {
margin-top: 0.6em;
margin-bottom: 0.15em;
}

/* ===== Links — dark green ===== */
.mw-body-content a:not(.new) {
color: #1b5e3b;
text-decoration: none;
}
.mw-body-content a:not(.new):hover {
color: #0f3d25;
text-decoration: underline;
}
.mw-body-content a.new {
color: #b33;
}

/* ===== Header bar — light with green accent ===== */
.vector-header,
.mw-header {
background: #f7f9f7 !important;
border-bottom: 2px solid #2d5e3f !important;
}
/* Site name — dark green */
.mw-logo-wordmark {
font-weight: 700 !important;
letter-spacing: 0.05em !important;
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.vector-header a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.vector-header a:hover {
color: #0f3d25 !important;
}

/* ===== Search box ===== */
.vector-search-box-input {
border-radius: 6px !important;
border: 1px solid #c8d6cc !important;
}
.vector-search-box-input:focus {
border-color: #2d5e3f !important;
box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #2d5e3f33 !important;
}

/* ===== Content area — centered, TOC as left sidebar ===== */
/* Let Vector 2022 keep its grid but widen + center it */
.mw-page-container {
max-width: 1240px !important;
margin: 0 auto !important;
padding: 0 1em !important;
}
.mw-body {
padding: 0.8em 0;
}
/* Disable the limited-width feature that offsets content */
.vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 .mw-content-container,
.vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled .mw-content-container {
max-width: none !important;
}
/* Header centered */
.vector-header-container {
max-width: 1240px !important;
margin: 0 auto !important;
}

/* ===== TOC sidebar — clean, no overlap ===== */
.vector-column-start {
width: 200px !important;
min-width: 200px !important;
}
/* Prevent TOC from overlapping content */
.vector-toc {
position: sticky;
top: 1em;
}
.vector-sidebar-container-no-toc ~ .mw-content-container {
margin-left: 0 !important;
}

/* ===== Tables — horizontal rules only, rounded frame ===== */
.wikitable {
border-collapse: separate;
border-spacing: 0;
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 8px;
overflow: hidden;
background: #fff;
font-size: 0.92em;
margin: 0.6em 0 1em;
}
.wikitable th {
background: #eef3ef;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.82em;
letter-spacing: 0.04em;
text-transform: uppercase;
padding: 0.55em 0.9em;
border: none;
border-bottom: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
text-align: left;
color: #2f5541;
vertical-align: bottom;
}
.wikitable td {
padding: 0.5em 0.9em;
border: none;
border-bottom: 1px solid #eef3ef;
vertical-align: top;
}
.wikitable tr:last-child td {
border-bottom: none;
}
.wikitable tr:nth-child(even) td {
background: #fafcfa;
}

/* Core-facts table on reference pages: key/value card. The class is set
by import_reference.py and by the 2026-09-05 backfill pass. */
.wikitable.rp-facts {
width: auto;
min-width: min(100%, 480px);
max-width: 640px;
font-size: 0.95em;
}
.wikitable.rp-facts td:first-child {
white-space: nowrap;
}
.wikitable.rp-facts th {
display: none;
}
.wikitable.rp-facts td:first-child {
width: 32%;
font-size: 0.8em;
letter-spacing: 0.05em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: #5a7a63;
font-weight: 600;
background: #f7faf8 !important;
padding-top: 0.7em;
}
.wikitable.rp-facts td:last-child {
font-weight: 500;
color: #1a1a1a;
background: #fff !important;
}

/* ===== Images ===== */
.thumb {
border: none !important;
background: none !important;
}
.thumbinner,
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Thumb"],
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Frame"] {
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8 !important;
border-radius: 8px;
background: #fafcfa !important;
padding: 6px !important;
overflow: hidden;
}
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Thumb"] > a > img,
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Frame"] > a > img {
border-radius: 4px;
background: #fff;
}
.thumbcaption,
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Thumb"] > figcaption,
figure[typeof~="mw:File/Frame"] > figcaption {
font-size: 0.82em;
color: #5a6b60;
padding: 6px 4px 2px;
line-height: 1.4;
}

/* ===== Breadcrumb ===== */
.mw-parser-output > small:first-of-type,
.mw-parser-output > p > small:first-child:last-child {
display: block;
margin: 0 0 0.9em;
font-size: 0.82em;
letter-spacing: 0.03em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: #5a7a63;
}
.mw-parser-output > small:first-of-type a,
.mw-parser-output > p > small:first-child:last-child a {
color: #1b5e3b;
font-weight: 600;
}
.mw-parser-output > small:first-of-type b,
.mw-parser-output > p > small:first-child:last-child b {
color: #1b3a2d;
}

/* ===== TOC — dark green links ===== */
.vector-toc {
font-size: 0.88em;
border-left: 1px solid #e3ebe5;
padding-left: 0.8em !important;
}
.vector-toc .vector-pinnable-header-label {
color: #5a7a63 !important;
font-size: 0.8em;
letter-spacing: 0.08em;
text-transform: uppercase;
}
.vector-toc a,
.vector-toc .vector-toc-link,
.vector-toc-text,
.sidebar-toc a,
.sidebar-toc .sidebar-toc-link {
color: #1b5e3b !important;
}
.vector-toc a:hover,
.vector-toc .vector-toc-link:hover,
.sidebar-toc a:hover {
color: #0f3d25 !important;
}
/* Active TOC item */
.vector-toc .vector-toc-list-item-active > .vector-toc-link,
.sidebar-toc .sidebar-toc-list-item-active > a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
font-weight: 600;
}

/* ===== Categories ===== */
#catlinks {
background: #f3f7f4;
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 4px;
padding: 0.5em 1em;
font-size: 0.85em;
margin-top: 1.2em;
}

/* ===== Strip wiki UI ===== */

/* Hide "Reference:" namespace prefix from h1 on Reference pages.
Wiki URL stays /wiki/Reference:5513; visible h1 is just "5513".
ns-3000 = NS_REFERENCE (custom namespace defined in LocalSettings.php). */
body.ns-3000 .mw-page-title-namespace,
body.ns-3000 .mw-page-title-separator {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide Discussion tab */
#ca-talk,
li#ca-talk {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide View history */
#ca-history,
li#ca-history {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide "Read" tab (redundant) */
#ca-view,
li#ca-view {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide "Reference" / namespace tab label — title is enough */
#ca-nstab-reference,
#ca-nstab-main,
li#ca-nstab-reference,
li#ca-nstab-main {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide View source for logged-out */
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) #ca-viewsource,
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) li#ca-viewsource {
display: none !important;
}

/* Clean up tab bar */
.vector-page-toolbar {
border-bottom: none !important;
}
nav.vector-menu-tabs {
border-bottom: none !important;
}
.mw-body .vector-page-toolbar-container {
border-bottom: none !important;
}

/* Hide Tools dropdown */
#vector-page-tools {
display: none !important;
}
/* Hide the entire page toolbar row (empty after removing all tabs) */
.vector-page-toolbar {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide "Create account" */
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) #pt-createaccount,
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) li#pt-createaccount {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide categories for anonymous */
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) #catlinks {
display: none !important;
}

/* Hide sidebar hamburger for anonymous */
body:not(.mw-user-logged-in) .vector-main-menu-landmark {
display: none !important;
}

/* ===== Footer — minimal ===== */
#footer {
border-top: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
text-align: center;
padding: 1em 0;
color: #999;
font-size: 0.82em;
}
#footer-info-copyright {
display: none;
}
#footer-places {
display: none;
}
#footer-icons {
display: none;
}

/* ===== External links ===== */
.mw-parser-output a.external {
background: none !important;
padding-right: 0 !important;
}
.mw-parser-output a.external::after {
content: " \2197";
font-size: 0.75em;
color: #999;
}

/* ===== Lists ===== */
.mw-body-content ul, .mw-body-content ol {
margin: 0.3em 0;
padding-left: 1.5em;
}
.mw-body-content li {
margin: 0.15em 0;
}

/* ===== Remove extra spacing from pandoc span anchors ===== */
/* Only target empty span anchors, not headline spans */
.mw-body-content > span[id]:empty,
.mw-body-content p + span[id]:empty {
display: block;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
line-height: 0;
font-size: 0;
}

/* ===== Blockquotes ===== */
.mw-body-content blockquote {
border-left: 3px solid #2d5e3f;
margin: 0.6em 0;
padding: 0.5em 1em;
color: #444;
font-style: italic;
}

/* ===== Responsive tables (mobile) ===== */
/* The multi-column serial-range and generation grids are wider than a phone
screen, which made the whole page scroll horizontally (content-wider-than-
screen — a mobile-usability fail under mobile-first indexing). Below the
tablet breakpoint, let a wide table scroll inside its own box instead of
pushing the page. display:block is what makes overflow-x take effect on a
<table>; desktop layout is untouched. */
@media (max-width: 720px) {
.mw-parser-output .wikitable {
display: block;
width: 100%;
max-width: 100%;
overflow-x: auto;
-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;
}
}

/* =====================================================================
Main Page — layout system (classes prefixed rp-). Scoped so article
pages are unaffected. Grid falls back to one column on phones.
===================================================================== */
body.page-Main_Page .mw-first-heading,
body.page-Main_Page .vector-page-titlebar,
body.page-Main_Page #siteSub,
body.page-Main_Page .vector-body-before-content,
body.page-Main_Page #contentSub {
display: none !important;
}
body.page-Main_Page .mw-body {
padding-top: 0;
}
body.page-Main_Page .mw-body-content h2 {
border-bottom: none;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
font-size: 1.45em;
font-weight: 700;
letter-spacing: -0.01em;
margin: 2em 0 0.7em;
padding: 0;
}
body.page-Main_Page .mw-body-content h2 .mw-editsection {
display: none;
}

/* Hero */
.rp-hero {
padding: 2.2em 0 1.8em;
border-bottom: 1px solid #e3ebe5;
}
.rp-hero-title {
font-size: 2.6em;
font-weight: 800;
letter-spacing: -0.03em;
line-height: 1.05;
color: #1b3a2d;
margin: 0 0 0.35em;
}
.rp-hero-lede {
font-size: 1.15em;
line-height: 1.55;
max-width: 62ch;
color: #2b2b2b;
}
.rp-hero-lede p {
margin: 0 0 0.6em !important;
}
.rp-stats {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 2.2em;
margin-top: 1.4em;
}
.rp-stat b {
display: block;
font-size: 1.7em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
line-height: 1.1;
}
.rp-stat span {
font-size: 0.85em;
color: #5a7a63;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 0.06em;
}

/* Eyebrow label */
.rp-eyebrow {
display: block;
font-size: 0.75em;
font-weight: 600;
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: #5a7a63;
margin-bottom: 0.3em;
}

/* Card grid */
.rp-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(3, minmax(0, 1fr));
gap: 1.1em;
margin: 0.6em 0 0.4em;
}
.rp-grid.rp-grid-4 {
grid-template-columns: repeat(4, minmax(0, 1fr));
}
.rp-card {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 10px;
background: #fff;
overflow: hidden;
transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease, transform 0.15s ease, border-color 0.15s ease;
}
.rp-card:hover {
border-color: #9fb8a8;
box-shadow: 0 8px 22px rgba(27, 58, 45, 0.12);
transform: translateY(-2px);
}
.rp-card-img {
aspect-ratio: 4 / 3;
background: #f3f7f4;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
overflow: hidden;
}
.rp-card-img a,
.rp-card-img span {
display: block;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
.rp-card-img img {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
object-fit: contain;
display: block;
}
.rp-card-img.rp-cover img {
object-fit: cover;
}
.rp-card-img.rp-cover-top img {
object-position: center top;
}
.rp-card-body {
padding: 0.85em 1em 1em;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
gap: 0.25em;
}
.rp-card-title {
font-size: 1.1em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
line-height: 1.2;
}
.rp-card-title a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.rp-card-meta {
font-size: 0.82em;
color: #5a7a63;
}
.rp-card-text {
font-size: 0.92em;
color: #333;
line-height: 1.45;
}
.rp-card-text p {
margin: 0 !important;
}

/* Featured (from the archive) */
.rp-featured {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 280px minmax(0, 1fr);
gap: 1.6em;
align-items: center;
padding: 1.4em;
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 10px;
background: #fff;
}
.rp-featured-img {
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
background: #f3f7f4;
border-radius: 8px;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
overflow: hidden;
}
.rp-featured-img a,
.rp-featured-img span {
display: block;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
.rp-featured-img img {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
object-fit: contain;
display: block;
}
.rp-featured-title {
font-size: 1.5em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
letter-spacing: -0.01em;
margin-bottom: 0.4em;
}
.rp-featured-body {
font-size: 1em;
line-height: 1.55;
}
.rp-featured-body p {
margin: 0 0 0.6em !important;
}
.rp-button {
display: inline-block;
margin-top: 0.4em;
padding: 0.5em 1em;
border-radius: 6px;
background: #1b5e3b;
color: #fff !important;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.92em;
text-decoration: none !important;
}
.rp-button a,
.rp-button a:not(.new) {
color: #fff !important;
text-decoration: none !important;
}
.rp-button:hover {
background: #0f3d25;
}

/* Reference index — one block per family, eras as rows, refs as chips */
.rp-index {
border: 1px solid #d4e0d8;
border-radius: 10px;
background: #fff;
padding: 1em 1.2em 0.6em;
margin: 0 0 0.9em;
}
.rp-index-head {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
align-items: baseline;
gap: 1em;
margin-bottom: 0.4em;
}
.rp-index-title {
font-size: 1.15em;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1b3a2d;
}
.rp-index-title a {
color: #1b3a2d !important;
}
.rp-index-more {
font-size: 0.85em;
white-space: nowrap;
}
.rp-era {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 190px minmax(0, 1fr);
gap: 0.3em 1em;
padding: 0.55em 0;
border-top: 1px solid #eef3ef;
align-items: start;
}
.rp-era-name {
font-size: 0.92em;
font-weight: 600;
color: #1b3a2d;
line-height: 1.3;
}
.rp-era-name small {
display: block;
font-weight: 400;
color: #5a7a63;
font-size: 0.88em;
}
.rp-chips {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 0.35em;
}
.rp-chips a {
display: inline-block;
padding: 0.18em 0.65em;
border: 1px solid #cfdcd3;
border-radius: 999px;
background: #f7faf8;
font-size: 0.88em;
line-height: 1.5;
color: #1b5e3b !important;
text-decoration: none !important;
transition: background 0.1s ease, color 0.1s ease;
}
.rp-chips a:hover {
background: #1b5e3b;
border-color: #1b5e3b;
color: #fff !important;
}

/* Recently updated */
.rp-recent ul {
list-style: none;
padding: 0 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
}
.rp-recent li {
padding: 0.55em 0;
border-top: 1px solid #eef3ef;
margin: 0 !important;
line-height: 1.6;
}
.rp-recent li:last-child {
border-bottom: 1px solid #eef3ef;
}
.rp-recent li b {
display: inline-block;
min-width: 9.5em;
color: #5a7a63;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.85em;
letter-spacing: 0.02em;
}

/* Footnote */
.rp-footnote {
margin-top: 2.5em;
padding-top: 1em;
border-top: 1px solid #e3ebe5;
font-size: 0.85em;
color: #666;
}

@media (max-width: 960px) {
.rp-grid,
.rp-grid.rp-grid-4 {
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
}
.rp-featured {
grid-template-columns: 200px minmax(0, 1fr);
}
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.rp-hero-title {
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Reference:submariner-early-family

2026-09-05T01:22:39Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Submariner early family}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Submariner early family — Rolexopedia
|description=The early Submariner family is the part of the line that still feels unsettled. The crown size moves, the dial text shifts around, the hands change, and…
|keywords=Rolex, submariner-early-family, Submariner, specifications, reference guide
|type=Article
}}

<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''Early family'''</small>

The early Submariner family is the line before Rolex settled the formula. Crown sizes move, dial text comes and goes, hands change, and movements shift from the thicker uni-directional A-series Perpetuals to the bidirectional butterfly-rotor 1030. That is exactly why these watches matter: the Submariner is still taking shape.

<span id="core-map"></span>
== Core map ==

The fast map is simple. [[Reference:6204|6204]] starts the line. [[Reference:6205|6205]] brings Mercedes hands. [[Reference:6200|6200]] is the rare big-crown 200m Explorer-dial outlier. [[Reference:6536|6536]] and [[Reference:6536/1|6536/1]] are the late-1950s small-crown references. [[Reference:6538|6538]] is the big-crown Bond watch and the family's main market anchor.

<span id="where-the-family-changes"></span>
== Where the family changes ==

Three axes carry most of the variation inside the early family: crown size, water resistance, and dial identity.

<span id="crown-size"></span>
=== Crown size ===

The family splits into small-crown and big-crown paths. The small-crown side runs across the 6204, 6205, 6536, and 6536/1. The big-crown side is the 6200 and the 6538. The split is physical: the bigger crown needed a thicker case and a larger crown tube, and Rolex paired the two with a deeper water-resistance rating on the big-crown side.

<span id="water-resistance"></span>
=== Water resistance ===

Small-crown references sit at 100m; big-crown references push to 200m. The gap is more than a spec-sheet line. It reflects two use cases inside the same model family — dress-scale dive watch on the small-crown side, full professional tool on the big-crown side.

<span id="dial-identity"></span>
=== Dial identity ===

The early years are full of dial experiments. The depth rating drops off the dial and comes back. "Submariner" text is present on the 6204, disappears on the first series of the 6205, and returns with the second series. Explorer 3-6-9 dials turn up across the 6200, 6538, and later 5510/5512/5513. The first four-line COSC chronometer layouts appear on the 6536/1 and the 6538. Nothing is locked in yet.

<span id="reference-by-reference"></span>
== Reference by reference ==

<span id="section"></span>
=== 6204 ===

The [[Reference:6204|6204]] is the first named Submariner — slim no-crown-guard case, small "BREVET" crown, pencil hands, lollipop seconds, and a glossy gilt chapter-ring dial on caliber A260.

<span id="section-1"></span>
=== 6205 ===

The [[Reference:6205|6205]] follows on the small-crown side and brings Mercedes hands into the line for the first time. The three-pointed hour hand introduced on the second series never leaves the Submariner after this.

<span id="section-2"></span>
=== 6200 ===

The [[Reference:6200|6200]] is the big-crown outlier with 3-6-9 Explorer-style dial variants and a 200m depth rating, built in a run of only 303 units. It reads as a different animal from the small-crown 6204/6205 on nearly every axis — case thickness, crown, movement, depth rating — and is the rarest Submariner reference ever made.

<span id="section-3"></span>
=== 6536 ===

The [[Reference:6536|6536]] is the small-crown mid-1950s branch on caliber 1030. The parent reference and its /1 sub-variant run concurrently, with the caseback engraving as the definitive identifier. Coverage of the parent is thinner in the sources than of the /1.

<span id="section-4"></span>
=== 6536/1 ===

The [[Reference:6536/1|6536/1]] is the cleanest documented expression of the late-1950s thin-case small-crown Submariner. A subset of /1 examples was COSC-certified and carries a four-line dial. The Sotheby's 2018 lot sets the world record for a small-crown Submariner at USD 225,000.

<span id="section-5"></span>
=== 6538 ===

The [[Reference:6538|6538]] is the big-crown reference of the late 1950s — two-line and four-line dials, red-triangle and Long 5 bezel inserts, the Bond association, and real market pressure. It is the reference that draws the most collector attention in the early family.

<span id="dial-and-movement-logic"></span>
== Dial and movement logic ==

The movement story is the clearest split. The 6204 and 6205 run the A260 — a 26.4mm full-rotor uni-directional Perpetual. The 6200 runs the larger 29.5mm A296. With the 6536, 6536/1, and 6538, the family moves onto the bidirectional 1030 with the butterfly rotor — slimmer module, full 360° rotation in both directions. Everything the early Submariner becomes after 1956 is built on 1030 and its descendants. (Rolex never produced a bumper caliber; the A-series sometimes called bumper in older dealer copy is full-rotor.)

The dial story is less clean. Pencil hands give way to Mercedes on the 6205, and by the 6536/1 Mercedes hands are universal. Explorer dials surface on the 6200 and (less often) on the 6538. Four-line chronometer text arrives only on COSC-certified 6536/1 and 6538 examples. Red depth-rating text appears on the 6200, 6536/1, and 6538 at different points.

<span id="historical-market-view"></span>
== Historical market view ==

Market pressure across the early family is uneven. The 6538 is the most liquid because the Bond association keeps it in constant view. The 6200 is the real seven-figure watch. The 6536/1 is the small-crown price leader. The 6204 and 6205 trade lower, driven more by primacy than by outright rarity.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]]
* [[Reference:6200|Submariner 6200]] — 'King Sub', the first Big Crown
* [[Reference:6204|Submariner 6204]] — one of the original 1953 Submariners
* [[Reference:6205|Submariner 6205]] — one of the original 1953 Submariners
* [[Reference:6536|Submariner 6536]] — small-crown early gilt
* [[Reference:6538|Submariner 6538]] — 'Big Crown' James Bond

== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-1-the-early-references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 1, The Early References] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/3bb79e96-8c82-48f1-8c9a-534ad1ce0041/lots/f1362d1c-542d-4551-a382-546846622946 Reference 6204 Submariner, A Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch With Gilt Dial And Bracelet, Circa 1953] — Sotheby's, Sotheby's
* [https://mentawatches.com/product/rolex-6204-submariner-2/ Rolex 6204 Submariner] — Menta Watches, Menta Watches
* [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Il_primo_Rolex_Submariner_del_1953.jpg Il primo Rolex Submariner del 1953] — Clyde94, Wikimedia Commons
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-online-3/rolex-reference-6205-small-crown-submariner-a Reference 6205 Small Crown Submariner, A Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch With Center Seconds, Circa 1955] — Sotheby's, Sotheby's
* [https://bulangandsons.com/blogs/watch-talks/throw-back-thursday-rolex-6200-submariner-original-owner Throw Back Thursday - The Rolex 6200 Submariner from Original Owner] — Bernhard Bulang, Bulang and Sons
* [https://watchcollecting.com/for-sale/1954-rolex-submariner-6200 1954 Rolex Submariner 6200] — WatchCollecting.com, WatchCollecting
* [https://www.hqmilton.com/products/1954-rolex-submariner-big-crown-6200-with-tropical-explorer-3-6-9-dial-and-big-logo-bracelet 1954 Rolex Submariner Big Crown 6200 with Tropical Explorer 3, 6, 9 Dial and Big Logo Bracelet] — HQ Milton, HQ Milton
* [https://tropicalwatch.com/watches/1954-rolex-submariner-6200-big-crown-tropical-3-6-9-dial/62ve 1954 Rolex Submariner 6200 Big Crown Tropical 3, 6, 9 Dial] — Tropical Watch, Tropical Watch
* [https://amsterdamvintagewatches.com/shop/rolex-submariner-6200/ Rolex Submariner 6200] — Amsterdam Vintage Watches, Amsterdam Vintage Watches
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/vintage-rolex-reference-6536.html Vintage Rolex Reference 6536] — Bob's Watches editorial staff, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-n09952/lot.252.html Submariner Ref 6536/1, A Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch With Bracelet, Circa 1957] — Sotheby's, Sotheby's
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-small-crown-submariner-reference-65361-copy Rolex Small Crown Submariner Reference 6536-1 Unpolished] — Eric Wind, Wind Vintage
* [https://greyandpatina.com/product/1958-rolex-6536-1-small-crown-submariner/ 1958 Rolex 6536-1 Small Crown Submariner] — Grey and Patina, Grey and Patina
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/25e5416b-f436-484a-834e-1ba10a9dfc69/lots/9a553d3f-0450-465f-b767-7f1946a7bfc0 Submariner Ref. 6538, A Stainless Steel Wristwatch With 4-Line Tropical Dial And Bracelet, Circa 1958] — Sotheby's, Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/60db879c-cc93-4b34-8bee-830456483399/lots/a3eec5fd-6c49-4e16-86db-2d94ce2ba52c Reference 6538 Big Crown Submariner, A Stainless Steel Automatic Center Seconds Wristwatch With Bracelet, Circa 1958] — Sotheby's, Sotheby's
* [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rolex_Submariner_ref._6538_detto_%22Coroncione%22_per_via_della_corona_di_carica_di_dimensioni_maggiorate,_risalente_alla_fine_degli_anni_Cinquanta..jpg Rolex Submariner ref. 6538 detto Coroncione] — EMore98, Wikimedia Commons
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-six-most-expensive-rolex-submariner-watches The Six Most Expensive Rolex Submariner Watches] — Christina Bohn, Sotheby's

[[Category:Submariner]]

Reference:submariner

2026-09-05T01:22:39Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Submariner}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Submariner — Reference Guide to Every Model & Year | Rolexopedia
|description=Every Rolex Submariner reference from the 1953 original through the current 41mm generation. Production histories, dial variants, movement specs, and collector context.
|keywords=Rolex Submariner, vintage Submariner, 5512, 5513, 1680, 16610, 116610, 126610, dive watch, collector guide
|image=Submariner vintage poster.webp
|image_alt=Vintage Rolex Submariner advertising — the watch that defined the dive watch category
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T19:18:33Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:59:38Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

The Submariner is Rolex's core dive watch and the model that fixed the basic template every other dive watch later borrowed from. Rolex introduced the first Submariner, the 6204, in 1953, and the line has run continuously since. Four broad eras follow: pre-crown-guard watches through the late 1950s, the long acrylic crown-guard run led by the 5512 and 5513, sapphire-crystal five-digit references from 1979, and ceramic six-digit references from 2010.

[[File:Submariner vintage poster.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Vintage Rolex Submariner advertising — the watch that defined the dive watch category|Vintage Rolex Submariner advertising — the watch that defined the dive watch category]]

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a long-run vintage Sub with crown guards?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:5513|5513]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Twenty-seven years of production, four dial generations (gilt, matte, Bart Simpson, white-gold-surround). The mid-vintage benchmark.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Researching a Red Sub or the first date Submariner?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1680|1680]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First date Sub, first depth rating on the dial, the platform that hosts the Red Sub and White Sub eras.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a five-digit modern Sub?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16610|16610]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The twenty-three-year five-digit benchmark on caliber 3135, sapphire crystal, the canonical 1987–2010 Submariner.</div></div></div>
</div>

== Early Submariner (1953–1959) ==

Six years of unsettled design before the line found its shape. Crown sizes changed, depth ratings jumped from 100m to 200m, hands shifted from pencil to Mercedes, and the dial alternated between a clean three-line layout and an Explorer-style 3-6-9. The grouped sub-family page ([[Reference:submariner-early-family|early family]]) carries the cross-reference map across the 6204, 6205, 6200, 6536, 6536/1, and 6538.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Depth !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:6204|6204]] || 1953–1954 || A260 || 100m || 36mm SS || First Submariner
|-
| [[Reference:6205|6205]] || 1953–1954 || A296 || 100m || 36mm SS || Parallel early production; minor case/dial variations
|-
| [[Reference:6200|6200]] || 1953–1954 || A296 || 200m || 36mm SS || "King Sub" — oversized 8mm crown, Explorer dial option
|-
| [[Reference:6536|6536]] || 1954–1958 || A296/1030 || 100m || 36mm SS || Transitional; smaller crown, Mercedes hands
|-
| [[Reference:6538|6538]] || 1957–1960 || 1030 || 200m || 38mm SS || James Bond Sub (Connery); large crown, no crown guards
|}

== Crown-guard era (1958–1990) ==

The Submariner takes the form it would carry for three decades. Crown guards arrived on the 5512 in 1959, the chronometer / non-chronometer split hardened into the 5512 / 5513 pairing, and the 1680 added the date complication in 1969. The 5512, 5513, 5514, and 5517 are tracked together on the [[Reference:submariner-5xxx-family|5xxx-family]] page.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Type !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| colspan="6" style="background:#f5f5f5; font-weight:bold;" | No-date
|-
| [[Reference:5508|5508]] || 1958–1962 || 1530 || No-date || 38mm SS || Last pre-crown-guard no-date
|-
| [[Reference:5510|5510]] || 1958–1960 || 1530 || No-date || 38mm SS || Rare transitional; crown guard + no crown guard variants
|-
| [[Reference:5512|5512]] || 1959–1980 || 1530/1560/1570 || No-date || 40mm SS || Chronometer; crown guards; gilt and matte eras; 17,338 units
|-
| [[Reference:5513|5513]] || ~1962–1989 || 1520/1530 || No-date || 40mm SS || 27-year run; non-chronometer; gilt, matte, Bart Simpson variants
|-
| [[Reference:5514|5514]] || 1960–1978 || 1520 || No-date || 40mm SS || COMEX; helium escape valve
|-
| [[Reference:5517|5517]] || 1972–1979 || 1520 || No-date || 40mm SS || British Military; MOD markings, fixed spring bars
|-
| colspan="6" style="background:#f5f5f5; font-weight:bold;" | Date
|-
| [[Reference:1680|1680]] || 1969–1979 || 1575 || Date || 40mm SS || First date Sub; Red Sub (6 marks) and White Sub eras
|}

== Five-digit era (1979–2010) ==

Sapphire crystal replaced acrylic, the movement line advanced from caliber 3035 to 3135, and Rolex broadened the catalog with two-tone and full-gold variants running alongside the steel benchmark.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Type !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| colspan="6" style="background:#f5f5f5; font-weight:bold;" | No-date (steel)
|-
| [[Reference:14060|14060]] || 1990–2000 || 3000 || No-date || 40mm SS || Sapphire crystal, caliber 3000
|-
| [[Reference:14060M|14060M]] || 2000–2012 || 3130 || No-date || 40mm SS || Superlative Chronometer certification
|-
| colspan="6" style="background:#f5f5f5; font-weight:bold;" | Date (steel)
|-
| [[Reference:16800|16800]] || 1979–1986 || 3035 || Date || 40mm SS || Transitional; first sapphire crystal Sub Date
|-
| [[Reference:16610|16610]] || 1987–2010 || 3135 || Date || 40mm SS || 23-year benchmark; solid end links, Parachrom late
|-
| [[Reference:16610LV|16610LV]] || 2003–2010 || 3135 || Date || 40mm SS || "Kermit" — first green bezel, 50th anniversary
|-
| colspan="6" style="background:#f5f5f5; font-weight:bold;" | Date (precious metal)
|-
| [[Reference:16803|16803]] || 1984–1988 || 3035 || Date || 40mm SS/YG || Two-tone; blue or black dial
|-
| [[Reference:16808|16808]] || 1984–1988 || 3035 || Date || 40mm YG || Full 18k yellow gold
|-
| [[Reference:16613|16613]] || 1988–2010 || 3135 || Date || 40mm SS/YG || Two-tone successor to 16803
|-
| [[Reference:16618|16618]] || 1988–2010 || 3135 || Date || 40mm YG || Full gold successor to 16808
|}

== Six-digit era (2010–2020) ==

Cerachrom ceramic bezels, Glidelock micro-adjust bracelets, and, for the 126 series that replaced these in 2020, the move from 40mm to 41mm. The six-digit Subs are the most technically refined the line has been, though many collectors still prefer how the five-digit era wears.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Type !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| colspan="6" style="background:#f5f5f5; font-weight:bold;" | No-date
|-
| [[Reference:114060|114060]] || 2012–2020 || 3130 || No-date || 40mm SS || "Last small Sub" — ceramic bezel, maxi dial
|-
| colspan="6" style="background:#f5f5f5; font-weight:bold;" | Date (steel)
|-
| [[Reference:116610LN|116610LN]] || 2010–2020 || 3135 || Date || 40mm SS || Cerachrom bezel, Glidelock bracelet
|-
| [[Reference:116610LV|116610LV]] || 2010–2020 || 3135 || Date || 40mm SS || "Hulk" — green dial + green ceramic bezel
|-
| colspan="6" style="background:#f5f5f5; font-weight:bold;" | Date (precious metal)
|-
| [[Reference:116613|116613]] || 2010–2020 || 3135 || Date || 40mm SS/YG || Two-tone, Cerachrom
|-
| [[Reference:116618|116618]] || 2010–2020 || 3135 || Date || 40mm YG || Full gold, Cerachrom
|-
| [[Reference:116619LB|116619LB]] || 2010–2020 || 3135 || Date || 40mm WG || "Smurf" — white gold, blue bezel
|}

== Special branches ==

Two institutional branches sit alongside the retail line. The [[Reference:comex|COMEX]] program issued seven references (5513, 5514, 1665, 16660, 16800, 16600, 16610) to Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises in Marseille between 1971 and 1997 for saturation diving; the 5514 was built as a dedicated COMEX product, the rest are retail references modified or marked at supply. The [[Reference:milsub|MilSub]] is the British military configuration of the 5513 and 5517 issued to Royal Navy and Army units between roughly 1971 and 1979, with fixed bars, a fully graduated 60-minute bezel, sword hands, T SWISS T tritium dial, and broad-arrow caseback engraving.

== Movement progression ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Caliber !! Frequency !! Power reserve !! Used in !! Notes
|-
| A260/A296 || — || — || 6204, 6205, 6200, 6536 || Pre-1530 era
|-
| 1030 || — || — || 6536 (late), 6538 || Crown-guard transition
|-
| 1520 || 19,800 vph || — || 5513, 5514, 5517 || Non-chronometer path
|-
| 1530 || 18,000 vph || — || 5508, 5510, 5512 (early) || First crown-guard movements
|-
| 1560/1570 || 18,000/19,800 vph || — || 5512 || Chronometer path; hacking 1972
|-
| 1575 || 19,800 vph || — || 1680 || Date complication
|-
| 3000 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr || 14060 || First modern no-date movement
|-
| 3035 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr || 16800, 16803, 16808 || First sapphire-crystal era date
|-
| 3130 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr || 14060M, 114060 || Parachrom; Superlative Chronometer
|-
| 3135 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr || 16610–116619LB || The 3135 era; 23+ years
|}

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]] — the deeper-rated sibling, helium escape valve, depth rating to 1,220m. Covers 1665, 16660, 16600, 116600.
* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] — the parallel sports line. Same case-era splits (acrylic, sapphire, ceramic), GMT hand instead of the Submariner's elapsed-time bezel.
* [[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] — same 1953 launch year as the 6204, similar case construction, tool-watch restraint.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any Submariner from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the calibers used across the Submariner line
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-1-the-early-references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 1] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-4-modern-references/ History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 4] — Tom Mulraney, Monochrome
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner Submariner Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-submariner-reference-points Reference Points: The Rolex Submariner] — Stephen Pulvirent, Hodinkee

[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Family Index]]

Reference:sea-dweller

2026-09-05T01:22:38Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Sea-Dweller}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Sea-Dweller — Complete Reference Guide — Rolexopedia
|description=Every pre-2020 Rolex Sea-Dweller reference, from the 1967 Single Red prototypes through the 2014–2017 116600 reissue. Production histories, dial mark generations, COMEX deliveries, movement specs, and collector context.
|keywords=Rolex Sea-Dweller, 1665, 16660, 16600, 116600, Single Red Sea-Dweller, Double Red Sea-Dweller, Great White, Triple Six, Sea-Dweller 4000, COMEX, helium escape valve, Patent Pending, Pisani dial, Khanjar
|image=Sea-dweller vintage poster.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Sea-Dweller 1979 magazine advertisement
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-05-16T03:28:48Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T13:00:04Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

The Sea-Dweller is the Rolex reference built for saturation diving — the Submariner with a helium escape valve. The line opens in 1967 with a small batch of Single Red prototypes hand-made in Geneva for the US Navy's SEALAB 3 programme and the Tektite I saturation experiment. Civilian retail begins in 1971 with the 1665 Double Red. The line runs through four canonical references over fifty years, with the 116600 closing the pre-2020 small-case era in 2017.

The operational distinction sits at 9 o'clock on the case. A one-way helium release valve, Swiss patent CH492246 (filed November 1967, granted June 1970), lets helium dissolved in the watch during long mixed-gas chamber dives escape during decompression without popping the crystal off the case. The Submariner has no valve. Saturation divers need one.

Every pre-2020 Sea-Dweller reference is covered here. The current-production 126600 (2017 onward) and 126603 (2019 onward) are not.

[[File:Sea-dweller vintage poster.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Rolex Sea-Dweller 1979 magazine advertisement|Rolex Sea-Dweller 1979 magazine campaign: "Why the Rolex Sea-Dweller never gets the bends"]]

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a vintage acrylic-crystal SD?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1665|1665]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Caliber 1575 without quickset, three dial generations — Single Red prototypes, Double Red Mk I–IV, Great White Mk 0–IV — and the 1976–1981 COMEX 300-unit run.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Researching a Triple Six?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16660|16660]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First sapphire-crystal Sea-Dweller, depth doubled to 1,220m, Andrea Piccinini's eight-tier dial taxonomy.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a long-run modern SD?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16600|16600]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The twenty-year long run on caliber 3135, three lume eras (tritium, Luminova, Super-LumiNova), and the last Sea-Dweller with an aluminum bezel insert.</div></div></div>
</div>

== Vintage acrylic-crystal era ==

The 1665 is the only Sea-Dweller with an acrylic crystal, and the reference that introduced the helium escape valve. It runs caliber 1575, dated but without quickset. Sixteen years of production cover three dial generations, from the Single Red through Double Red Mk I–IV and Great White Mk 0–IV.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Crystal !! Depth !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:1665|1665]] || 1967 prototypes; 1971 civilian; 1983 end || 1575 || Acrylic || 610m / 2000ft || First Sea-Dweller. Three dial generations: Single Red (12 surfaced), Double Red Mk I–IV (Patent Pending caseback Mk I in 1.7M and 2.1M batches), Great White Mk 0–IV. COMEX 300 units 1976–81 with issue numbers 2000–2300. Asprey Khanjar branch with Sultan Qaboos crest.
|}

== Triple Six — sapphire crystal, cal 3035 (1978–1988) ==

The 16660 is the first sapphire-crystal Sea-Dweller, the first with a unidirectional bezel, and the first with a quickset date. Caliber 3035 replaces the 1575, and the depth rating doubles to 1220m / 4000ft. Production overlaps the 1665 for five years, 1978 to 1983.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Crystal !! Depth !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16660|16660]] || 1978–1988 || 3035 || Sapphire || 1220m / 4000ft || "Triple Six". Andrea Piccinini's 8-tier dial taxonomy (MK0 / MK1 / MK1 bis / MK2 Beyeler matte "Pallettoni" → MK3 Stern glossy spider dial → MK4 / MK4 bis Lemrich → MK5 Beyeler "Bicchierini"). Caseback typology external Mk1–4 + internal Mk1–3. COMEX ~200 units 1980–84 issue 3000–3199 in two batches. Tiffany-signed branch the rarest retailer-signed Sea-Dweller.
|}

== Long-run cal 3135 (1989–2008) ==

The 16600 carries the 16660 case forward and changes the movement to caliber 3135 with its full balance bridge. Applied indices with white gold surrounds run throughout. Production spans three lume eras — tritium on the MK1, a short Luminova window on the MK2 from late 1998 to early 2000, then Super-LumiNova on the MK3. The 16600 is the last Sea-Dweller with an aluminum bezel insert and the last to wear tritium.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Crystal !! Depth !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16600|16600]] || 1989–2008 || 3135 || Sapphire || 1220m / 4000ft || The long-run Sea-Dweller. 20 years of continuous production — longest of any SD reference. MK1 tritium → MK2 Luminova "SWISS" → MK3 Super-LumiNova "SWISS MADE" → MK4 short-FT. 93160 bracelet throughout, not 93150. COMEX 16600 ~200 units in 1992 first batch (issue 32XX, straight caseback engraving) + 1997 second batch (issue 33XX, curved engraving — final Rolex–COMEX delivery). Theo Mavrostomos #3379 case U139'751 the most-documented SD example. Polipetto Polizia di Stato 78-unit 2008 commission.
|}

== Modern reissue — 116600 (2014–2017) ==

After the 116660 Deepsea moved the Sea-Dweller line to 44mm in 2008, the 116600 returns the reference to its canonical 40mm Oyster case. Three-year production. Caliber 3135 with Parachrom Blu hairspring (first Parachrom on a Sea-Dweller). Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert with platinum-coated graduations. Maxi dial with applied white-gold-surround indices and Chromalight lume. The "4000" depth designation drops from the dial despite the watch being marketed as "Sea-Dweller 4000".

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Crystal !! Depth !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:116600|116600]] || 2014–2017 || 3135 + Parachrom Blu || Sapphire || 1220m / 4000ft || Three-year reissue. First Cerachrom-bezel Sea-Dweller. Maxi dial, Chromalight lume, 97200 bracelet with Glidelock + Fliplock. Last 40mm Sea-Dweller before the 126600 took the line to 43mm. No mark generations — single dial, single bracelet, cleanest variant set in the SD line. Random scrambled serials throughout.
|}

== Helium escape valve ==

The valve sits at 9 o'clock on every Sea-Dweller, covered by Swiss patent CH492246, filed 6 November 1967 and granted June 1970. The concept came out of SEALAB diver Bob Barth's feedback on crystals lost during chamber decompression. Helium dissolves through case gaskets at saturation pressure; on ascent the trapped gas expands and pops the crystal off the case if it has no way out. The mechanism itself is a one-way spring-loaded relief valve. Internal pressure above the spring threshold opens it, and the spring re-seats on the way back down to keep water and dirt out.

The 1665 carries the valve in its first generation. The 16660 enlarges it for the 1220-metre depth rating, and the 16600 and 116600 inherit the larger unit.

== Historical anchors ==

* 1967 — first Single Red prototypes delivered. Hand-made in Geneva for SEALAB 3 and Tektite I aquanauts, with Rolex USA's T. Walker Lloyd hand-picking the divers who received them. Jose Pereztroika's serial-by-serial census for Perezcope documents at least 11 examples.
* 15 February 1969 — Berry Cannon's death on SEALAB 3. He wore a valved Single Red during the dive to repair a helium leak in the habitat; the Navy investigation attributed his death to CO2 poisoning after his rebreather ran out of baralyme, while a 2024 reinvestigation by ocean engineer Kevin Hardy for ''InDEPTH'' argues electrocution is the more likely cause.
* Late 1971 — first co-branded Rolex–COMEX delivery. Batch of ten in the 2.6M serial range, double-signed and numbered 1 through 10.
* 17 February 1972 — formal Rolex–COMEX exclusivity letter. From Rolex Geneva to John M. Kelly, Singapore.
* 24 May 1972 — Physalie 6 record. Robert Gauret and Patrice Chemin reach 2000 feet / 610 metres wearing Double Red Sea-Dwellers. Decompression ran 233 hours across 17 days.
* 1992 — Theo Mavrostomos Hydra X dive. Reaches 701 metres over 43 days breathing Hydeliox. His 16600 caseback carries the inscription "Theo Mavrostomos – Hydrax – 701 M".

== Special branches ==

The four main Sea-Dweller references host institutional and retailer-signed branches whose provenance and authentication get their fuller treatment on the individual reference pages:

* Patent Pending caseback DRSD (1665 Mk I) — ~100 examples, hand-engraved caseback, 1.7M and 2.1M serial bands. Marcello Pisani's batch tables on WatchProSite identify the canonical anti-fake checks (inside-back last-three-digits stamp present from 2.117M onward).
* COMEX 1665 — 300 numbered units 1976–81, issue 2000–2300, serial 5.14M–6.76M, "600m" depth on the dial. Three dial sub-generations track the Great White Mk system.
* COMEX 16660 — ~200 units 1980–84, issue 3000–3199, two batches matching the matte→glossy transition.
* COMEX 16600 — ~200 units in two batches, 1992 (issue 32XX, straight caseback engraving) and 1997 (issue 33XX, curved engraving). Final Rolex–COMEX delivery.
* Asprey Khanjar 1665 (Oman, Sultan Qaboos) — Red Khanjar with Qaboos signature in 3,566,9xx batch (~80–90 examples), gold Khanjar in 5.0M batch (4–5 known). Battle of Mirbat (July 1972) context.
* Single Red Sea-Dweller — hand-made prototypes 1967–69. Pereztroika's census documents at least 11, or 12 counting one that now wears a replaced dial. SEALAB 3 (Philippe Cousteau #1602920), Tektite I (Koblick #1602915, Waller), Deepstar (Bradley #1602913), COMEX Physalie (Brauer #1820177). The Cousteau watch carries a Double Red Mk I dial today, so its Single Red configuration is an inference from the early case number.
* US Navy Experimental Diving Unit — Patent Pending batch 2 (2.128M) loaned to USN EDU. Charles E. "Chuck" Gross, at the USN Experimental Diving Unit from 1967, was issued an example from the 2,128,xxx batch; his 1000ft saturation dive with the US Navy at Duke University dates to 1969.
* Polipetto 16600 (Polizia di Stato Sommozzatori, 2008) — 78 units for the 50th anniversary of the Italian State Police Diving Corps. 28 personalised with diver patent number on the caseback. Octopus emblem on the dial.
* Tiffany & Co retailer-signed 16660 — handful of surviving examples, barely surfaces on the public market.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — the parent line. Same case, same bezel template, with the valve and the depth rating as the functional split.
* [[Reference:milgauss|Milgauss]] — the other specialist tool. Different threat (magnetism, not pressure), same purpose: a Rolex built for one specific working environment.
* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] — the parallel sports line. Same Cerachrom transition arrives on both lines in the late 2000s.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — numeric 1967–1987, letter prefix 1987–2010, random alphanumeric 2010 onward
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — caliber 1575 (1665), 3035 (16660), 3135 (16600 and 116600, the latter with Parachrom Blu)
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — the 9315, 93150, 93160, 78360, and 97200 fitments and the clasp date-code key

== Sources ==

===Primary and specialist===

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''Rolex Submariner Sea-Dweller DeepSea'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore, 2018
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-sea-dweller-reference-points Hodinkee editorial, "Reference Points: Understanding the Rolex Sea-Dweller", Hodinkee, 2018]
* [https://perezcope.com/2017/08/16/all-single-red-sea-dwellers-side-by-side/ Jose Pereztroika, "All Single Red Sea-Dwellers Side by Side (serial-by-serial census)", Perezcope, 2017]
* [https://perezcope.com/2018/10/11/rolex-single-red-sea-dweller-ref-1665-at-phillips-gwa8/ Jose Pereztroika, "Rolex Single Red Sea-Dweller Ref. 1665 at Phillips GWA8", Perezcope, 2018]
* [https://perezcope.com/2020/06/28/the-sea-dweller-chronicles-dry-run-and-teaming-up-with-comex/ Jose Pereztroika, "The Sea-Dweller Chronicles: Dry Run and Teaming Up With COMEX", Perezcope, 2020]
* [https://www.watchprosite.com/rolex/rolex-1665-sea-dweller-mk1-patent-pending-twins-/732.964148.6706998/ Marcello Pisani, "1665 Sea-Dweller Mk1 Patent Pending Twins", WatchProSite]
* [https://www.drsd.com/more-info/the-pisani-dial.html Ed Delgado, "The Pisani Dial", DRSD.com]
* [https://www.drsd.com/watch-info/comex/comex-1665.html Ed Delgado, "COMEX 1665", DRSD.com]
* [https://www.drsd.com/watch-info/comex/comex-16660.html Ed Delgado, "COMEX 16660", DRSD.com]
* [https://www.andreapiccinini.com/en/study-and-classification-of-the-dials-of-the-rolex-sea-dweller-16660/ Andrea Piccinini, "Study and Classification of the Dials of the Rolex Sea-Dweller 16660", Andrea Piccinini]
* [https://www.andreapiccinini.com/en/the-casebacks-of-the-rolex-sea-dweller-16660/ Andrea Piccinini, "The Casebacks of the Rolex Sea-Dweller 16660", Andrea Piccinini]
* [https://mazzariolstefanoblog.com/en/stefano-mazzariol-blog-en/the-marks-of-rolex-sea-dweller-ref-16660-matt-dial-english-blog-virginia-bozza/ Virginia Bozza, "The Marks of Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 16660", Stefano Mazzariol Blog]
* [https://danielbourn.com/rolex-ref-1665-oman-khanjar-qaboos-sea-dwellers/ Daniel Bourn, "Rolex Ref. 1665 Oman Khanjar / Qaboos Sea-Dwellers", Daniel Bourn]
* [https://corradomattarelli.com/products/the-comex-ref-1665 Corrado Mattarelli, "The COMEX Ref. 1665", Corrado Mattarelli]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-ge1901/lot.53.html Sotheby's Watches Department, "Geneva GE1901, lot 53 — Theo Mavrostomos COMEX ref. 16600", Sotheby's, May 2019]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-ge1901/lot.46.html Sotheby's Watches Department, "Geneva GE1901, lot 46 — 1992 first-batch COMEX ref. 16600", Sotheby's, May 2019]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-16660-sea-dweller-comex-lot-370-152 Antiquorum Watches Department, "Monaco, lot 152 — ref. 16660 Sea-Dweller COMEX No. 3044", Antiquorum, 2024]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-1665-lot-285-199 Antiquorum Watches Department, "Lot 199 — Philippe Cousteau ref. 1665 Patent Pending", Antiquorum]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-36/lot-89 Monaco Legend Auctions, "Exclusive Timepieces 36, lot 89 — Polipetto Polizia di Stato ref. 16600", Monaco Legend Auctions, April 2025]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2018/06/15/exceptional-movements-in-history-rolex-caliber-1575-the-watchmakers-watch/ Quill & Pad editorial, "Exceptional Movements in History: Rolex Caliber 1575, The Watchmaker's Watch", Quill & Pad, 2018]

===Editorial and market===

* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-sea-dweller-saturation-dive-watch-helium-escape-valve-deepsea/ Monochrome Watches editorial, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Sea-Dweller", Monochrome, 2025]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/comex-and-the-creation-of-the-rolex-sea-dweller-ref-1665/ Monochrome Watches editorial, "COMEX and the Creation of the Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 1665", Monochrome, 2025]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-rolex-and-comex Jason Heaton, "A Brief History of Rolex and COMEX", Hodinkee, 2014]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-sea-dweller-1665-great-white/ Fratello Watches editorial, "Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665 'Great White'", Fratello Watches, 2020]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/158512658/a-rolex-sea-dweller-comex-owned-by-legendary-scuba-diver-theo-mavrostomos Phillips editorial, "A Rolex Sea-Dweller COMEX Owned by Legendary Scuba Diver Theo Mavrostomos", Phillips, 2025]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/the-sea-dweller-is-back-introducing-the-rolex-oyster-perpetual-sea-dweller-4000-ref-116600/ Monochrome Watches editorial, "The Sea-Dweller is Back: Introducing the Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 Ref. 116600", Monochrome, 2014]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2014/06/up-close-with-the-rolex-sea-dweller-4000-ref-116600-with-live-photos-and-price.html SJX, "Up Close With the Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 Ref. 116600", SJX Watches, 2014]
* [https://www.marklittler.com/a-complete-guide-to-the-rolex-sea-dweller/ Mark Littler, "A Complete Guide to the Vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller", Mark Littler Ltd]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-spider-dial-sea-dweller-reference-16660 Eric Wind, "Rolex Spider Dial Sea-Dweller Reference 16660", Wind Vintage]
* [https://www.watchprozine.com/rolex/sea-dweller-16600-marks/5595173/732/ WatchProZine editorial, "Sea-Dweller 16600 Marks", WatchProZine]
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/5438/the-rolex-submariner-sea-dweller-ref-1665-patent-pending-history-us-navy-issue-tool-watch-heritage/ Rolex Passion Report editorial, "Submariner / Sea-Dweller 1665 Patent Pending — US Navy Issue Tool-Watch Heritage", Rolex Passion Report]
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/23018/the-prototype-single-red-rolex-sea-dweller-of-ian-koblick/ Rolex Passion Report editorial, "The Prototype Single Red Rolex Sea-Dweller of Ian Koblick", Rolex Passion Report]
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/tiffany-signed-triple-six-sea-dweller Hairspring editorial, "Tiffany-Signed Triple Six Sea-Dweller", Hairspring]
* [https://lwmitalia.com/watch/rolex-sea-dweller-16600-date-polipetto-italian-police-assigned-full-set-nos/ LWM Italia editorial, "Sanarico Polipetto ref. 16600, patent 126", LWM Italia]
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/15606/the-evolution-of-rolex-luminous/ Rolex Passion Report editorial, "The Evolution of Rolex Luminous — Tritium to Chromalight", Rolex Passion Report]

[[Category:Sea-Dweller]]
[[Category:Family]]

Reference:prince

2026-09-05T01:22:37Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Prince}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Prince — Art-Deco Reference Guide to Every Model | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex Prince family, 1928 to mid-1940s. Rectangular Art-Deco "Brancard" stretcher cases, duo-dial architecture with sub-seconds at six, Aegler shaped chronometer movements (Cal. 300 / 350 / T.S. 300) in Prima, Extra Prima, and Ultra Prima grades. References 971, 1490, 1491, 1527, 1862, 3361, and 3937, with retailer signatures spanning Bucherer, Beyer, Beguin, Cooke & Kelvey, and the Eaton 1/4 Century Club.
|keywords=Rolex Prince, Brancard, Chronometer, Doctor's Watch, 971, 1490, 1491, 1527, 1862, 3361, 3937, Aegler, Cal. 300, T.S. 300, Ultra Prima, Extra Prima, Beyer, Bucherer, Eaton 1/4 Century Club, Art Deco, vintage Rolex, observatory chronometer
|image=Ref 1490 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Prince Brancard Chronometer 1490 — Beyer-double-signed steel
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-28T04:25:49Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T13:00:10Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

The Rolex Prince is the rectangular Art-Deco family that ran from the 1928 launch into the mid-1940s. It was Rolex's bid for the men's chronometer market, built around an Aegler-patented (1927) shaped movement that placed the winding barrel at one end of the case and the balance at the other. The dial layout that defined the line is the duo-dial, hours and minutes in the upper register and sub-seconds at six, two visually separated tracks on the same plate. Marketing sold the Prince as "the watch for men of distinction", the exact wording of a 1930 advertisement reproduced in Jake Ehrlich's [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2017/05/the-complete-history-of-rolex-prince.html ''Rolex Magazine'' history of the line]. The chronometer-grade movement made the claim defensible.

Seven catalog references carry the Prince name through the vintage era: 971 (the original Brancard), 1490 (the canonical larger Brancard), 1491 (a Brancard sibling), 1527, 1862, 3361, and 3937, with the unflared 1343 Classic alongside them. Production tapered through WWII as Rolex consolidated around the Oyster Perpetual platform; the latest documented Prince case carries a 1947 caseback dedication. The Prince does not return to the Rolex catalog until the 2005 Cellini Prince revival, a different platform and a different watch.

[[File:Ref 1490 hero.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Rolex Prince Brancard Chronometer 1490 — Beyer-double-signed steel|The 1490 in steel, Beyer-double-signed, found 1998 in the Beyer Zurich shop after sitting unsold from approximately 1928]]

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a Brancard?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1490|1490]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The canonical Brancard. Larger flared stretcher case, Cal 300 / 350 / T.S. 300 across the run, documented examples in steel, 9K through 18K gold, pink gold, two-tone, Tiger Stripe, and a single platinum.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Researching the earliest Prince?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:971|971]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The original Brancard. Friedberg's 2001 Timezone article assigns the nickname here — the earliest version of the flared stretcher case, c.1928, the reference the 1490 evolves from.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a non-Brancard Prince?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1343|1343]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The Prince Classic. The unflared sister to the Brancards, suffix system A and B for metal and dial branches, and one of the two candidates (with 971 or 1490) for the 1928 launch pair.</div></div></div>
</div>

== References ==

The active-scope Prince references covered on this wiki:

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Case shape !! Movement family !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:1343|1343]] || c.1928/1929–c.1935 || Unflared rectangular Classic || Aegler 7½ ligne shaped, 15j Observatory Quality || The Prince Classic; the unflared sister to the 971/1490 Brancards. Suffix system: 1343 (silver), 1343A (standard, multiple metals), 1343B (Tiger Stripe two-colour gold). Friedberg reads 1343 + 971 as the 1928 launch pair; ''Rolex Magazine'' 2017 reads 1343 + 1490
|-
| [[Reference:971|971]] || c.1928–early 1930s || Early Brancard "stretcher" || Aegler shaped (early variants) || The original Brancard; Friedberg's 2001 Timezone article assigns the Brancard nickname here, while modern auction-house convention has shifted the nickname to the 1490
|-
| [[Reference:1490|1490]] || c.1928–c.1945 || Larger flared Brancard, ~36–37×22–23mm body || Cal. 300 / Cal. 350 / Cal. 7¾′′′ T.S. 300 || The canonical Brancard; the most heavily catalogued Prince reference, with documented examples in steel, 9K/10K/14K/18K gold, pink gold, two-tone, Tiger Stripe bi-color, and a single platinum example (Bonhams 2017, GBP 32,500)
|-
| [[Reference:1491|1491]] || c.1930s || Brancard sibling || Aegler shaped || Brancard variant, smaller production
|-
| [[Reference:1527|1527]] || c.1930s || Rectangular || Aegler shaped || Prince variant
|-
| [[Reference:1862|1862]] || c.1930s–1940s || Rectangular || Aegler shaped || Prince variant; surfaces alongside the 1490 in Christie's group lot 1395-307 (18K, case 16,663, c.1938)
|-
| [[Reference:3361|3361]] || c.1930s–1940s || Rectangular || Aegler shaped || Late Prince variant
|-
| [[Reference:3937|3937]] || c.1930s–1940s || Rectangular || Aegler shaped || Late Prince variant
|}

== The Brancard nickname ==

A naming dispute runs through the literature. The auction houses are unanimous in calling the 1490 a Brancard, and the word sits in the catalog title of every major house that has sold one. Editorial sources are split. Michael Friedberg's [http://people.timezone.com/mfriedberg/articles/RolexPrince.html 2001 TimeZone article] assigns the Brancard name specifically to the earlier reference 971 and treats the 1490 as a separate, larger Prince. Andres Ibarguen's 2021 doctor's-watch piece for ''Coronet Magazine'' follows Friedberg.

The two readings reconcile without much strain. 971 was the first Brancard, the earliest version of the flared stretcher case, and the 1490 is the larger evolution of the same shape; both qualify by their flared profile. Modern auction-catalog convention treats the 1490 as the headline Brancard reference, and that convention dominates collector search. The reference number is unambiguous; the nickname is contested.

== Movement family ==

The Prince runs on Aegler shaped movements built in Bienne under Hans Wilsdorf's exclusive supply arrangement. That arrangement stayed a supplier contract for the whole life of the line and long after it. Rolex did not buy Aegler outright from the Borer family until April 2004, as Tim Mosso set out for [https://quillandpad.com/2019/04/09/the-golden-age-of-rolex-movements-part-i-sowing-the-seeds-of-greatness/ Quill & Pad].

Three calibers carry the family. Cal. 300 is the base Prince movement, 15 jewels at 18,000 vph with about 50 hours of power reserve, produced 1928 to 1937. It is architecturally identical to the Gruen Cal. 877 of the Gruen Techni-Quadron, a sibling from the same Aegler family sold under another brand, and some early Prince literature carries the confusion across and lists "Cal. 877" for the Rolex. Oren Hartov's [https://www.analogshift.com/blogs/transmissions/a-brief-history-of-the-doctor-s-watch Analog/Shift history of the doctor's watch] traces that misattribution to the Gruen sibling relationship; it does not belong in a canonical Prince caliber listing.

Cal. 350 also runs 15 jewels, 18 on some examples, and is documented on multiple 1490 examples catalogued at Phillips and Monaco Legend. The Cal. 7¾′′′ T.S. 300, Très Soigné, is the Ultra Prima movement — 18 jewels, lateral lever escapement, monometallic balance with micrometer regulator, Breguet overcoil hairspring, rhodium-plated and adjusted in six positions, produced 1932 to 1938.

Grading runs on a separate axis from caliber number. Aegler and Rolex applied a tiered finishing hierarchy across the Prince calibers, rising through Prima, Extra Prima, and Ultra Prima with each step adding regulation, hand-finishing, and chronometer testing. The "Chronometer" or "Observatory" dial designation belongs to the Extra Prima and Ultra Prima grades; a Prima-grade movement does not earn the dial mark.

The Kew-Teddington observatory testing tradition runs through the Prince era. Rolex submitted Prince movements to the National Physical Laboratory at Kew for independent rate certificates separate from the Swiss Bureaux Officiels Suisse de Contrôle. Kew ran a 45-day protocol against the Swiss bureau's 15 days, and James Dowling, co-author with Jeffrey Hess of ''The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches'', has cited Rolex pass rates of 136 out of 145 Class A submissions in the 1940s and 1950s. The 1914 Class A Kew certificate that Rolex commonly cites as its first official chronometer rating was issued for an earlier ladies' wristwatch movement, so that milestone predates the family. The Prince calibers carry the observatory-testing lineage forward from 1928.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] — the parallel Oyster line. The same 1928–1948 window, same Aegler-supplier relationship, same Wilsdorf catalogue. Different case shape, different brief.
* [[Reference:air-king|Air-King]] — the post-war successor. The 1945 4925 / 4365 / 4499 originating Air-Kings open the line that effectively replaces the Prince in the catalogue.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — Rolex serial conventions across the Prince era, including the Glasgow and London assay date letters that often pin a 9K example to a single year
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the Aegler shaped-movement family (Cal. 300, Cal. 350, Cal. 7¾′′′ T.S. 300) and the Prima / Extra Prima / Ultra Prima grading tiers
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080319/17 "Rolex Reference 1490 Prince Brancard, Retailed by Beyer", Phillips, 2019-11-08]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080215/210 "Rolex Prince Reference 971 Platinum", Phillips, 2015-05-09]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/important-watches/rolex-ref-971-prince-brancard-a-silver-rectangular "Rolex Prince Brancard Reference 971 Silver", Sotheby's, 2019]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/watches-online-4/rolex-retailed-by-bucherer-prince-reference-1490 "Rolex Retailed by Bucherer Prince Reference 1490", Sotheby's, 2019-07]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-online/rolex-ref-3937-prince-a-yellow-gold-rectangular "Rolex Prince 3937 Yellow Gold — Sidnet Garbett Eaton Presentation 1926-1951", Sotheby's, 2020]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24235/lot/135/ "Rolex Prince Chronometer Reference 1490, Platinum", Bonhams, 2017-12-13]
* [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-1395-307 "Property of Various Owners — Rolex Doctor's Watches", Christie's]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-108-46 "Rolex Prince Reference 1490, Steel and Pink Gold — Mondani Collection", Antiquorum, 2006-05-14]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-28/lot-224 "Rolex Prince Reference 1490, Steel", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2022-04]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-jewels-14/lot-156 "Rolex Prince 971 Eaton 1/4 Century Club", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2019-07]
* [https://veryimportantlot.com/rolex-prince-1490-309367 "Rolex Prince Observatory 1490 case 309367 with 1947 Caseback", VeryImportantLot]
* [http://people.timezone.com/mfriedberg/articles/RolexPrince.html Michael Friedberg, "Rolex's Charming Prince", TimeZone, 2001-01-23]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2017/05/the-complete-history-of-rolex-prince.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History of the Rolex Prince", Rolex Magazine, 2017-05]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2019/04/09/the-golden-age-of-rolex-movements-part-i-sowing-the-seeds-of-greatness/ Tim Mosso, "The Golden Age of Rolex Movements Part I", Quill & Pad, 2019-04-09]
* [https://www.analogshift.com/blogs/transmissions/a-brief-history-of-the-doctor-s-watch Oren Hartov, "A Brief History of the Doctor's Watch", Analog/Shift, 2024-07-08]
* [https://www.coronet.org/new-1minute-reads/the-doctors-rolex Andres Ibarguen, "The Doctor's Rolex", Coronet Magazine, 2021-08-22]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/the-current-prince-a-different-side-of-rolex/ Martin Green, "The Current Prince: A Different Side Of Rolex", Revolution Watch, 2014-02-28]
* [https://www.watchonista.com/articles/depth/uncommon-objects-rediscovering-rolexs-discontinued-collections Rhonda Riche, "Uncommon Objects: Rediscovering Rolex's Discontinued Collections", Watchonista, 2025-11-06]
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/the-rolex-prince-from-the-1930s Vincent Deschamps, "The 1930s Rolex Prince", Everest Bands, 2023-12-12]
* [https://www.watch-wiki.net/doku.php?id=rolex_prince "Rolex Prince", Watch-Wiki (DE)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/2020/https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/rolex-tonneau-movement.100077/ "Rolex Tonneau Movement?", NAWCC, 2013-03-11]
* Dowling & Hess, "The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches"
* Colin A. White, "The Vintage Rolex Field Manual", Morning Tundra

[[Category:Prince]]
[[Category:Family]]

Reference:precision

2026-09-05T01:22:36Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Precision}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Precision — Oyster Precision, Super Precision, and the Non-Chronometer Tier | Rolexopedia
|description=What "Precision" and "Super Precision" mean on a Rolex dial, the 1937 references that opened the line, the manual-wind Oyster Precisions of the 1930s and 1940s, and every Air-King that carried the designation through 2006.
|keywords=Rolex Precision, Oyster Precision, Super Precision, Extra Precision, Prima, Ultra Prima, 3003, 3004, 4220, 3139, 3359, 2136, Speedking, Air-King, Cal 700, Cal 1030, Cal 1530, Cal 1520, non-chronometer, vintage Rolex, collector guide
|image=Ref3003_antiquorum_lot163_2.jpg
|image_alt=Rolex 3003 Oyster Precision (1937) — one of the first two Rolex references to carry the 'Precision' designation
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-08-04T00:17:28Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:17:28Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

Precision is Rolex's name for the tier below chronometer. A Precision watch left the factory with an adjusted movement and a waterproof Oyster case, without the Neuchâtel or Kew certificate, at a price that reflected the difference. The designation begins as dial text on two 1937 references, runs through the small manual-wind Oysters of the 1940s and 1950s, and survives as a grade label on the Air-King until 2006. PRECISION, EXTRA PRECISION, and SUPER PRECISION are all regulation grades, and none of the three is a chronometer rating. For a collector holding an unfamiliar dial, that is most of what the word does.

[[File:Ref3003 antiquorum lot163 2.jpg|thumb|center|500px|alt=Rolex 3003 Oyster Precision (1937) — one of the first two Rolex references to carry the 'Precision' designation|Rolex 3003 Oyster Precision (1937) — one of the first two Rolex references to carry the 'Precision' designation]]

Rolex ran the Precision names alongside the Perpetual from the beginning. The automatic Oyster Perpetual arrived in 1933 on the Bubbleback platform, and the manual-wind Oyster Precision arrived four years later as the lower-priced parallel track. Manual-wind Precision production ended in the mid-1980s, by which point the Datejust and the automatic Oyster Perpetual had absorbed the non-sport catalog. The dial text outlived the manual movements: the Air-King carried Precision and Super Precision on automatic calibers from 1953 through the 14000M.

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a dial that reads OYSTER PRECISION?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:3003|3003]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The originating pair. In 1937 the 3003 and 3004 are the only two references carrying that text, and the caseback number is the only way to separate them.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Trying to tell Precision from Super Precision?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:5500|5500]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The reference where the switch happens mid-run. Cal. 1530 production reads Super Precision; Cal. 1520 production from around 1963 reads Precision or carries no grade text at all.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Holding a 1940s manual-wind Oyster with centre seconds?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:4220|4220]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The Speedking. Catalogued as the Precision-line counterpart to the Perpetual 3595, and the reference the Speedking name points at first.</div></div></div>
</div>

== What "Precision" meant ==

Before Precision there was Prima. Aegler graded its movements Prima, Extra Prima, and Ultra Prima through the 1920s and early 1930s, each name a regulation standard applied to broadly the same architecture. By the mid-1930s the vocabulary had shifted to Precision, Extra Precision, and Super Precision, with the same logic underneath: better adjustment, more positions, tighter rates, all of it sitting below the chronometer certificate.

In practice a Precision dial rules a chronometer rating out. A 1937 buyer choosing an Oyster Precision over an Oyster Perpetual Chronometer received the same Oyster case, the same screw-down crown, and the same warranty against dust and water, minus the certificate and the price that came with it.

The relationship between grade text and actual adjustment is looser than the vocabulary suggests. The Air-King 6552 runs a Cal. 1030 adjusted to chronometer standard and still reads Super Precision on the dial. Marcus Siems puts the distinction plainly: "in contrast to other Oyster Perpetuals these Air-Kings weren't Chronometer certified and marked Super Precision." The words describe what Rolex was willing to certify and sell, and the certification is what the buyer paid for.

== The originating references (1937) ==

The antique-era timeline in Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' (Morning Tundra) records 1937 as a three-reference year and sets the launch down in one line: "Launch of the Rolex Precision (refs. 3003 & 3004) and Centergraph (ref. 3642)." The 3003 and 3004 open the Precision line; the 3642 Centergraph is a single-button Oyster chronograph and belongs to a different lineage.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:3003|3003]] · [[Reference:3004|3004]] || 1937+ || 10½′′′ Hunter, later Cal. 700, manual, 15–17j || 33–34mm Oyster || First references with "ROLEX OYSTER PRECISION" on the dial; launched as a matched pair; the caseback number is the only reliable way to tell one from the other
|}

== Manual-wind Precision Oysters (1920s–early 1950s) ==

The small manual-wind Oysters below occupied the Precision segment through the 1930s and 1940s. Several print a Rolex sub-brand name on the dial where the grade word would sit, and only the 4220 has its own catalog position recorded as Precision-line. What they share is the architecture: hermetic Oyster case, Hunter-derived hand-wound caliber, no chronometer certificate. The [[Reference:bubbleback|Oyster & Bubbleback]] hub carries the same references inside the full 1926–1953 Oyster chronology.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:2136|2136]] || c.1926–1940 || 10½′′′ Hunter, 15j, manual || 32–34mm octagonal, cushion on a c.1925 example || Pre-Precision early manual-wind Oyster, fixed wire lugs; the same reference number was reused around 1960 for a Cal. 1400 Precision
|-
| [[Reference:3359|3359]] || c.1934–1946 || 10½′′′ manual, Patent Superbalance || 29–32mm angular tonneau, two-tone SS and gold || "Viceroy" dial signature; engine-turned gold bezel raised above the case; unusually wide dial range for the era
|-
| [[Reference:2574|2574]] || c.1938–1943 || 9¾′′′ 17j manual, sweep seconds || 29.5mm "boy's size" stainless steel || Oyster Royal, Royalite, Observatory, and Imperial dial signatures; reference engraved on the ''outer'' caseback
|-
| [[Reference:3139|3139]] || c.1938–1947 || Cal. 10½ Hunter or Cal. 710, 17j, manual || ~30mm cushion Oyster, stainless steel || The only Rolex reference with "ARMY" on the dial; California, gilt, and luminous military dials documented
|-
| [[Reference:4220|4220]] || 1941–early 1950s || Cal. 10½′′′ Hunter, 17j (9¾′′′ and Cal. 710 also documented) || 30mm round three-piece Oyster, stainless steel || Speedking with centre seconds; California "Error-Proof" dial on first-half production; the Precision-line counterpart to the Perpetual 3595
|}

The line continues well past this table. The 6426 of the 1970s runs the same logic as the 3003 of 1937: manual-wind Oyster, adjusted movement, no chronometer certificate, OYSTER PRECISION on the dial.

== Precision and Super Precision on the Air-King ==

The Air-King is where the designation ran longest and where the two grades are easiest to date. The originating 1945 generation reads PRECISION because the Hunter caliber was never chronometer-rated and Precision was the highest text available to it. From 1953 the automatic Air-Kings read SUPER PRECISION. From the early 1960s the text reverts to PRECISION or disappears from the dial entirely. The switch tracks the caliber generation, and neither grade is a chronometer certificate at any point in the sequence.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Dial text !! Period !! Caliber generation !! References
|-
| PRECISION || 1945–1953 || 10½ Hunter hand-wound || [[Reference:4925|4925]], [[Reference:4365|4365]], [[Reference:4499|4499]]
|-
| SUPER PRECISION || 1953–c.1965 || Cal. 1030, then Cal. 1530 || [[Reference:6552|6552]], [[Reference:5504|5504]], [[Reference:5502|5502]] · [[Reference:5506|5506]], early [[Reference:5500|5500]] and [[Reference:5501|5501]]
|-
| PRECISION, or no grade text || c.1963–1988 || Cal. 1520, Cal. 1525, Cal. 1535 || later [[Reference:5500|5500]] and [[Reference:5501|5501]], [[Reference:5520|5520]], [[Reference:5700|5700]] · [[Reference:5701|5701]]
|-
| PRECISION || 1989–2006 || Cal. 3000, then Cal. 3130 || [[Reference:14000|14000]], [[Reference:14000M|14000M]]
|}

One authentication trap sits inside that map. A 4499 with SUPER PRECISION on the dial is carrying a service replacement, most likely a 5500-era Cal. 1530 dial; documented original 4499 dials read PRECISION, and the reference never left the factory with the Super Precision line.

== Super Precision outside the Precision line ==

The Bubbleback [[Reference:2764|2764]] carries a Super Precision dial branch on the Cal. 620N, and some of its dials also read "Officially Certified Chronometer." That combination shows what the grade words are doing. They describe the movement Rolex put in the case, not the family the watch belongs to. A Super Precision Bubbleback is a Bubbleback, catalogued under the Bubbleback hub, and the same holds for every Air-King in the table above.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:bubbleback|Oyster & Bubbleback]] — the parallel automatic track. The Bubbleback hub carries the full 1926–1953 Oyster chronology, including the manual-wind Precision references listed here.
* [[Reference:air-king|Air-King]] — the line that carried the Precision designation longest, from the 1945 originating generation through the 14000M in 2006.
* [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|Pre-Daytona chronographs]] — the 1937 Centergraph 3642 sits in the same Field Manual timeline entry as the 3003 and 3004, on the chronograph side.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any Precision-era Oyster from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the Hunter, 700, 1030, 1530, and 1520 calibers behind the grade names
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ VintageWatchStraps (David Boettcher) — Prima, Extra Prima, and Ultra Prima movement grades]
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/blogoystercase.php VintageWatchStraps (David Boettcher) — Rolex Oyster Case, Hermetic, Submarine research]
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-airking-origin-history-and-design-evolution Marcus Siems, "Rolex Air-King Origin History and Design Evolution", Goldammer]
* [https://www.rescapement.com/blog/for-your-reference-rolex-air-king-reference-5500 Tony Traina, "For Your Reference: Rolex Air-King Reference 5500", Rescapement]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-of-the-rolex-air-king-the-underrated-pilots-watch/ Erik Slaven, "History of the Rolex Air-King, the underrated pilots watch", Monochrome Watches, 2025]
* [https://beckertime.com/blog/rolex-caliber-15201530/ "Rolex Caliber 1520 and 1530", Beckertime]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29890/lot/100/rolex-a-stainless-steel-manual-wind-bracelet-watch-oyster-precision-ref-4499-circa-1948/ "Rolex Oyster Precision Ref 4499 c.1948", Bonhams, 2024]

[[Category:Precision]]
[[Category:Family Index]]

Reference:paul-newman-daytona

2026-09-05T01:22:35Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Paul Newman Daytona}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 'Paul Newman' Daytona — Exotic Dial Buyer's Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=Everything about the Rolex Paul Newman Daytona — the exotic dial's Mk1 through Mk4 progression, the five color types, RCO Oyster Sotto, JPS, Lemon, and the six host references (6239, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, 6265). Newman's own 6239 sold for USD 17.75M at Phillips in 2017; his Big Red 6263 sold for USD 5.48M at Phillips in 2020.
|keywords=Paul Newman Daytona, Paul Newman Rolex, exotic dial, Singer dial, MK1 Paul Newman, Big Eyes, RCO, Oyster Sotto, JPS Daytona, Lemon dial, 6239, 6241, 6263, 6265, Winning Icons
|image=Paul Newman wearing 6239.webp
|image_alt=Paul Newman wearing his 6239 Cosmograph Daytona
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-19T14:02:30Z
|modified_time=2026-08-03T14:29:39Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] › '''Paul Newman Daytona'''</small>

The Paul Newman Daytona is the best-known exotic dial in vintage Rolex. The name describes a dial — a Singer-made Cosmograph layout with block markers, sub-dial cross-hairs, and 15/30/45 numerals instead of the standard 20/40/60 — fitted to six manual-wind Daytona references between 1963 and 1988. The dial was unpopular when new and sat on dealers' shelves for years. A half-century later Paul Newman's own watches fixed the type at the top of the vintage Rolex market.

[[File:Paul Newman wearing 6239.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Paul Newman wearing his 6239 Cosmograph Daytona|Paul Newman wearing his 6239 Cosmograph Daytona]]

== What defines a Paul Newman dial ==

[[File:Paul Newman dial steel panda 6263.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Steel Paul Newman exotic dial on a 6263 - silver base, black sub-registers with white rings, 15/30/45 numerals on the 30-minute counter.|Archetypal steel exotic dial: silver base, black registers, 15/30/45 sub-dial. (Phillips)]]

A Paul Newman dial carries block markers, cross-hairs in each sub-dial, 15/30/45 numerals on the 30-minute register, and a contrasting outer chapter ring. The 15/30/45 register is the fastest authentication tell.

Singer made the dials, as it made most period Cosmograph dials from Geneva. The Singer stamp on the dial back reads "Singer" in period-correct typography, and the stamp style shifts across the Mk1 to Mk4 progression. The stamp on its own proves nothing, since Singer also supplied the standard Cosmograph dial of the same era, but its style is routinely cross-checked against the mark the dial claims to be.

The printed text matches the standard dial of the period: "ROLEX COSMOGRAPH" at 12 o'clock in the early years, "DAYTONA" added above the 6 o'clock sub-register from 1964 onward, unit-per-hour bezel graduation, "T SWISS T" or "T SWISS T<25" at the dial base for tritium lume, and the reference number printed between the lugs on the 6263 / 6265 era.

== Mark 1 through Mark 4 progression ==

Rolex never documented a Paul Newman Mk progression. The typology is collector consensus, first formalised by the Italian dealer Stefano Mazzariol in the 1990s and carried into English-language editorial through Hodinkee, Revolution, and the Phillips Daytona Ultimatum catalogue. Transition dates between marks are approximate and overlap heavily across host references.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Mark !! Period !! Distinguishing features !! Notes
|-
| MK1 || 1963–1967 || Gilt-printed text on early 6239 versions; square block markers with no outline; "Daytona" not yet added to dial; 300 unit-per-hour bezel; "T SWISS T" at dial base || The foundation Paul Newman. The earliest 6239 examples are the "Double Swiss Underline" variants documented by Benjamin Clymer at Hodinkee in 2013: a line under "SWISS" at the dial base with a second "SWISS" printed just above, from the brief period when radium-era markings were transitioning out
|-
| MK2 || 1966–1969 || "Daytona" script added in red above the 6 o'clock sub-register; block markers with subtle outline; 200 or 300 unit-per-hour bezel depending on late transition; cross-hairs retained || Dominates the 6241 / 6262 / 6264 era production. Tri-colour variants in panda and reverse-panda formats are most populous here
|-
| MK3 (Big Eyes) || 1969–1972 || Sub-dial outer rings proportionally larger than MK1/MK2; "Daytona" red script retained; block markers squared-off with clear outline; T<25 markings || Named for the visually larger sub-dials. "Big Eyes" is not a separate variant but a sub-mark of the MK3 generation
|-
| MK4 || 1972–1988 || Block markers narrower than MK3; sub-dial rings recalibrated; Sigma dials (gold indices flanked by σσ either side of SWISS) fall inside this mark; tritium lume with "T<25" || Runs through the 6263 / 6265 final production. Sigma-dial Paul Newman examples are the late-production sub-branch
|}

Finer sub-mark labels (MK1.5, MK1.75 and below) surface in the deeper collector literature; Jose Pereztroika of Perezcope works at MK1.75 granularity in his forensic analysis of the Phillips "Neanderthal" 6240. The four-mark scaffold above is still what most auction catalogues and editorial treatments use.

== The five colour types ==

[[File:Paul Newman dial Lemon gold 6263.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Lemon Paul Newman dial in a gold 6263 case - yellow lacquer dial base with dark sub-registers.|Gold-case exotic dial, "The Legend". (Phillips)]]

Beyond the Mk progression, Paul Newman dials classify into five colour types based on dial and sub-dial colour combinations. Each colour type appears across multiple Mk generations.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Colour type !! Dial base !! Sub-dials !! Common host refs !! Notes
|-
| Tri-colour standard || Silver || Black with white rings || 6239, 6241 || The most common Paul Newman layout; white outer chapter ring
|-
| Tri-colour reverse || Black || Silver with black rings || 6239, 6241 || Black outer chapter ring; sometimes called "reverse panda PN"
|-
| Panda || White || Black with white rings || 6239, 6263 || Similar to tri-colour standard without the outer chapter-ring contrast
|-
| Reverse panda || Black || White with black rings || 6239, 6263 || Black dial with three stark white sub-dials
|-
| Lemon || Yellow lacquer || Black or dark || Gold-case 6263, 6265 || Yellow-lacquer full-dial finish fitted to rare gold 6263 and 6265 cases. Bob Ridley's 2017 bench dissection in Revolution records that the gold-case Paul Newman is always the Lemon variant; the rare RCO exception is documented on a small number of late-era gold 6263 / 6265 examples
|}

The colour-type label is cross-referenced against the Mk-mark label in most auction catalogues. "MK2 panda Paul Newman on 6241" uniquely identifies a dial by generation, colour scheme, and host case.

== RCO — Rolex Cosmograph Oyster / Oyster Sotto ==

[[File:Paul Newman dial Oyster Sotto 6263.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=RCO Oyster Sotto Paul Newman dial on a 6263 - "ROLEX COSMOGRAPH OYSTER" text order with OYSTER printed beneath.|RCO "Oyster Sotto" - the rarest steel Paul Newman. (Phillips)]]

RCO (Rolex Cosmograph Oyster), also called Oyster Sotto, is the rarest standard-production Paul Newman layout. The tell is the 12 o'clock stack reading "ROLEX COSMOGRAPH OYSTER" instead of the standard order. Documented examples sit only on 6263 and 6265 host watches.

The Oyster Sotto Paul Newman 6263 took the headline at Christie's "Lesson One: The Legendary Rolex Daytona" (Geneva, 10 November 2013) and again at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018), and has traded ever since as the most expensive Paul Newman variant behind Newman's own watches. The RCO Mk1 is the earliest sub-generation, with a tighter text layout than later RCOs, and commands a further premium inside the category. RCO 6265s surface less often than RCO 6263s. Full treatment sits on [[Reference:oyster-sotto-daytona|the Oyster Sotto page]].

== JPS — John Player Special ==

[[File:Paul Newman dial JPS gold 6241.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=John Player Special Paul Newman dial on a 14k gold 6241 - black dial with gold-toned sub-register surrounds and hour markers.|"John Player Special" - black-and-gold exotic dial in gold. (Phillips)]]

JPS denotes a Paul Newman dial on a yellow gold case where the dial is black and the sub-dial surrounds and hour markers are gold-toned, echoing the black-and-gold livery of the John Player Special-sponsored Lotus Formula 1 team of the 1970s. Mario Andretti took the 1978 Drivers' Championship in a Lotus 79 in those colours. The JPS nickname is a collector invention applied retroactively; Rolex never used it.

The 6241 in 14k yellow gold is the main JPS host and the watch most collectors mean when they say JPS Daytona. Fewer than 400 were produced for the North American market. The same look also appears on some gold 6263s, though those are more often described under the Lemon branch.

== Six host references ==

Paul Newman dials appear on six manual-wind Cosmograph Daytona references, each with its own article.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Paul Newman Mks !! Notes
|-
| [[Reference:6239|6239]] || 1963–1969 || MK1, MK2, MK3 || The first Cosmograph Daytona and the most populous Paul Newman host overall. Newman's own watch, with "Drive carefully me" engraved on the caseback (gifted by Joanne Woodward circa 1968), is a 6239 MK1 and holds the Rolex auction record
|-
| [[Reference:6241|6241]] || 1966–1969 || MK1, MK2 || Black acrylic bezel pump-pusher sibling of the 6239. The 14k yellow gold JPS 6241 is the most populous Paul Newman gold variant
|-
| [[Reference:6262|6262]] || 1970–1972 || MK2, MK3 || Brief transitional metal-bezel pump-pusher reference. Paul Newman dials on the 6262 are less populous than on 6239 / 6263
|-
| [[Reference:6263|6263]] || 1969–1988 || MK2, MK3, MK4 || The longest-running Paul Newman host and the reference that carries the rare RCO / Oyster Sotto variant. Newman's own "Big Red" 6263, caseback engraved "DRIVE SLOWLY JOANNE" by Joanne Woodward, sold at Phillips New York for USD 5,475,000 in December 2020
|-
| [[Reference:6264|6264]] || 1970–1972 || MK2, MK3 || Acrylic black bezel sibling of the 6262. Paul Newman dials on the 6264 are among the rarest Newman host combinations
|-
| [[Reference:6265|6265]] || 1971–1988 || MK2, MK3, MK4 || Engraved metal tachymetre bezel sibling of the 6263. Paul Newman 6265s are less populous than Paul Newman 6263s across every Mk generation
|}

== Landmark sales ==

[[File:Ref 6239 Newman watch.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Paul Newman's own 6239 Cosmograph Daytona, caseback engraved "Drive carefully me", sold at Phillips Winning Icons 2017.|Newman's own 6239 - the exotic dial that named the type. (Phillips)]]

Four sales between 2013 and 2020 reset what the market pays for this dial.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date !! Watch !! Sale !! Price (USD incl. premium) !! Significance
|-
| 26 October 2017 || Paul Newman's own 6239 MK1 || Phillips "Winning Icons", New York || 17,752,500 || The highest price paid for any Rolex at public auction at that time. Caseback engraved "Drive carefully me", gifted by Joanne Woodward to Paul Newman circa 1968
|-
| 10 November 2013 || Oyster Sotto 6263 || Christie's "Lesson One: The Legendary Rolex Daytona", Geneva || ~1,089,000 || First Paul Newman to breach the seven-figure USD mark at auction. The RCO / Oyster Sotto layout documented as a confirmed factory variant
|-
| 12 May 2018 || Various Paul Newman lots including Oyster Sotto 6263, Neanderthal 6240, RCO 6265 || Phillips "Daytona Ultimatum", Geneva || Multiple seven-figure results || A 32-watch thematic sale curated by Pucci Papaleo with Aurel Bacs at the rostrum. Reset the market ceiling across the Paul Newman category. The Oyster Sotto 6263 hammered at CHF 1,662,500 (USD ~1.66M)
|-
| 12 December 2020 || Paul Newman's own "Big Red" 6263 || Phillips, New York || 5,475,000 || The second Newman-owned Paul Newman to surface at auction. Caseback engraved "DRIVE SLOWLY JOANNE" by Joanne Woodward, who bought the watch in 1983; Newman gave it to his daughter Clea Newman Soderlund in 2008. That engraving is the authentication pivot
|-
| 2017–present || Reference auction lots || Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's || Standard panda PN 6239: USD 150K–500K range; RCO 6263: USD 500K–1M+ range || The standard Paul Newman has appreciated from pre-2013 five-figure prices into six-figure territory across the 2017–2020 reset. The RCO sub-branch trades at roughly 3–5x the standard Paul Newman of the same mark
|}

== Authentication ==

Paul Newman authentication is the densest forensic category in vintage Rolex. The canonical English-language treatments are the Phillips Made for Racing essay by James Marks (2018) and the Hodinkee piece by Benjamin Clymer (2013). Jose Pereztroika's Perezcope dossiers on the Neanderthal 6240, the Albino 6263, and the Unicorn 6265 cover disputed authenticity cases in adjacent categories, and the failure modes they document apply to Paul Newman authentication as well.

Authentication starts at the dial back and the print. The Singer stamp style has to match the mark period it claims, the sub-dial crosshairs and 15/30/45 numerals have to be original printing rather than later additions, and the case serial range has to line up with the dial generation. The catch is that service-replacement Paul Newman dials exist as factory product, so a correct service dial reads identically to an original-delivery dial under the loupe; provenance documentation does the rest of the work.

== Disputed examples ==

Several examples in the Paul Newman category carry disputed authenticity or provenance in the published literature.

The "Neanderthal" 6240 was the headline lot at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum (2018), presented by the auction house as the earliest documented Paul Newman prototype. Jose Pereztroika's 2022 forensic dossier at Perezcope argues the dial is a late-1990s construction from a 6238 donor dial, using period evidence from the April 1998 issue of ''Orologi & Market''. Both positions stay on record; see [[Reference:neanderthal-daytona|the Neanderthal page]] and its host [[Reference:6240|6240]].

The "Albino" 6263 has three known examples. Hodinkee's 2013 coverage treated the variant as factory Rolex; Perezcope's December 2025 dossier argues it is a Tom Bolt construction of 1990s origin. Sotheby's Abu Dhabi sold a third Albino in December 2025 with "origins unknown" catalogue language. See [[Reference:albino-daytona|the Albino page]].

Lemon-dial attribution on gold Paul Newmans is the third dispute. Bob Ridley's 2017 Revolution bench dissection records that gold-case Paul Newman Daytonas (6263 / 6265) are always the Lemon variant, while some auction catalogues continue to list gold-case examples under other colour-type labels. Whether "Lemon" is Rolex's own factory designation or a collector-settled retroactive label has not been resolved in the published literature.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]]
* [[Reference:6239|Daytona 6239]] — the first Cosmograph, and the original Paul Newman dial
* [[Reference:6241|Daytona 6241]] — 'John Player Special', the black-and-gold exotic
* [[Reference:6262|Daytona 6262]] — pump-pusher, exotic dials
* [[Reference:6264|Daytona 6264]] — pump-pusher with screw-down bezel
* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]] — screw-pusher Oyster, host to the RCO dials
* [[Reference:6265|Daytona 6265]] — steel-bezel screw-pusher
* [[Reference:oyster-sotto-daytona|Oyster Sotto / RCO]] — the rarest standard-production layout
* [[Reference:neanderthal-daytona|Neanderthal 6240]] — disputed prototype dial
* [[Reference:albino-daytona|Albino Daytona]] — disputed white-on-white 6263
* [[Reference:daytona-glossary|Daytona glossary]]

== Sources ==

* [https://www.phillips.com/article/42015509/made-for-racing-rolex-and-the-daytona Made For Racing: Rolex and the Daytona] — James Marks, Phillips
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)] — Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/163220169/rolex-daytona-golden-pagoda-paul-newman-6239-phillips-decade-one The Golden Pagoda: An Incredible Rolex Daytona Paul Newman Ref. 6239] — Logan Baker, Phillips
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Historical Perspectives: The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained (Or, What Is A Double-Swiss Underline Daytona?)] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 In-Depth: A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present (Part 1/3)] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-pt-23 In-Depth: A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present (Part 2/3)] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ The Rolex "John Player Special" Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241] — Bob Ridley (Watchmakers International), Revolution Watch
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/a-movement-in-history-the-zenith-driven-rolex-daytona/ A Movement in History: The Zenith-driven Rolex Daytona] — Ross Povey, Revolution Watch
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph] — Erik Slaven, Monochrome
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red", Ref. 6263, case 6'392'137 — Lot 38] — Phillips, New York, 12 December 2020
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2020/12/paul-newman-rolex-daytona-6263-big-red-auction.html Breaking News: Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona 6263 "Big Red" Sells for US$5.48m] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2013/11/spectacular-results-at-christies-rolex-daytona-lesson-one-auction-in-geneva-including-a-million-dollar-paul-newman.html Spectacular Results at Christie's Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" Auction in Geneva] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/05/penultimate-picks-from-daytona-ultimatum-at-phillips.html Penultimate Picks from Daytona Ultimatum at Phillips] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://perezcope.com/2022/11/03/rolex-daytona-6240-paul-newman-neanderthal-a-myth-goes-extinct/ Rolex Daytona 6240 Paul Newman "Neanderthal" — A Myth Goes Extinct] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope
* [https://perezcope.com/2025/12/03/not-quite-whiter-than-white-the-reality-of-the-rare-rolex-albino-daytona-ref-6263/ Not Quite Whiter Than White: The Reality of the Rare Rolex 'Albino' Daytona Ref. 6263] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?] — Russell Sheldrake, A Collected Man
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/interview-aurel-bacs Interview: Aurel Bacs] — A Collected Man
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/vintage-rolex-daytona-the-gold-standard Vintage Rolex Daytona: The Gold Standard] — Karyn Orrico, Sotheby's
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Daytona]]
[[Category:Paul Newman]]
[[Category:Family]]

Reference:milsub

2026-09-05T01:22:35Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Reference:MilSub}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex MilSub — Military Submariner 5513 & 5517 Guide | Rolexopedia
|description=The MilSub is the British military Submariner: 5513 and 5517 cases configured to MoD spec c.1971-1979 with fixed bars, full 60-minute bezel, sword hands, T SWISS T dial, and broad-arrow caseback engraving. Three batches, two reference numbers, ~250 Batch-3 5517s with ~50 known.
|keywords=Rolex, MilSub, military Submariner, 5513, 5517, Royal Navy, SAS, SBS, broad arrow, sword hands, fixed bars, 0552, W10
|image=Milsub 5517 batch3-hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 5517 Military Submariner — Batch 3, case 5,339,705
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-30T03:27:39Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T14:18:59Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''MilSub'''</small>

The MilSub is the British military Submariner: a Rolex Submariner 5513 or 5517 case configured to Ministry of Defence specification and issued, in batches between roughly 1971 and 1979, to Royal Navy divers (the 0552 / 923-7697 line) and to British Army units including the SAS and Army Air Corps (the W10 line). The name describes a configuration rather than a reference family. A Submariner earns it by carrying fixed bars in the lugs, a fully graduated 60-minute bezel, sword hands, a T SWISS T tritium dial, and the broad-arrow caseback engraving that marks British Crown property.

The program splits cleanly across three batches and two reference numbers. Batch 1 carries 5513 between the 12-o'clock lugs, runs in the early 3.9M serial cluster, and ships from c.1971-1974. Batch 2 keeps the 5513 lug engraving but adds a 5517 stamp under one lug — the so-called 5513/5517 double-reference watches — and clusters in the 3.926M band with issue years dominated by 1977 and 1979. Batch 3 carries 5517 between the 12-o'clock lugs with no 5513 anywhere on the case, sits in the 5.339M cluster, and is the late, full-spec form of the program; Phillips estimates ~250 of these were produced and ~50 are recorded.

Standard production detail for the base references sits on [[Reference:5513|5513]] and [[Reference:5517|5517]]. Everything below is specific to the military branch.

[[File:Milsub 5517 batch3-hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 5517 Military Submariner — Batch 3, case 5,339,705|Rolex 5517 "Full Spec" Military Submariner, Batch 3 (case 5,339,705, issue 853/78), maxi Mk I dial, encircled T, full 60-minute bezel, fixed-bar lugs. Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, Geneva, November 2023, lot 3.]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| references
| Submariner 5513 and 5517
|-
| program window
| c.1971-1979
|-
| issued to
| Royal Navy (0552 line) and British Army incl. SAS / Army Air Corps (W10 line); never retailed
|-
| batches
| three: Batch 1 (5513 only), Batch 2 (5513/5517 double-reference), Batch 3 (5517 only)
|-
| total program
| the 5517-only Batch 3 estimated at ~250 produced / ~50 known per Phillips
|-
| dial
| T SWISS T (tritium); most examples carry no depth rating
|-
| hands
| sword (also called "gladiator" or "plongeur"); a small number of Batch 1 5513s shipped with Mercedes hands
|-
| bezel
| fully graduated 60-minute insert (not the retail 0-15 hashed insert)
|-
| case
| fixed spring bars friction-welded into the lugs
|-
| caseback
| dual-engraving: Rolex case markings inside, military markings outside (broad arrow + NATO stock + issue/year)
|-
| movement
| caliber 1520 across all three batches per documented major-house lots
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The MilSub is one of two non-retail branches of the 5513 era, alongside the 5514 issued to French commercial diving company COMEX. The two sit in different worlds. COMEX 5514s were civilian-professional watches with a helium-escape valve, issued to a saturation-diving operator. MilSubs were military, issued by the British MoD, with a structural spec the retail line never carried: fixed bars, the full 60-minute bezel, sword hands.

British military issue of an Oyster diver starts well before the MilSub. The A/6538 program of 1957 put roughly fifty Big Crown 6538s into Special Boat Service hands. The MilSub proper follows about fifteen years later with the first batch of 5513-only military examples, and by the time the dedicated 5517 batch arrives in 1978 the configuration has hardened into its final form: full 60-minute bezel, sword hands, fixed bars, T SWISS T dial, dual caseback engraving.

The 5513 itself was widely fielded by other forces during this era — South African Army, Chilean Navy ("Propriedad Armada de Chile"), and a documented New Zealand Fisheries Research Division order of fourteen examples among them — but those were standard commercial 5513s procured through military channels, not MilSub-spec watches. They sit on the 5513 page rather than here.

==Batch breakdown==

The cleanest taxonomy on the program is the three-batch split that runs through the major-house catalogues. The defining cue is what is engraved between the 12-o'clock lugs.

===Batch 1: 5513 between the lugs (c.1971-1974)===

Batch 1 carries 5513 case markings between the 12-o'clock lugs — visually identical to a retail 5513 from outside the caseback. Production sits in the early 3.9M serial cluster. These earliest MilSubs are 5513 cases built to MoD spec rather than a separate reference family, and the engraving placement reflects the 5513 origin of the case.

Batch 1 is the only batch where the configuration is not yet uniform. Sword hands and the full 60-minute bezel were factory spec from program inception, but a small number of Batch 1 5513s shipped with Mercedes hands and 0-15 hashed inserts instead. The drsd.com military-Submariner pages read this as a Batch 1 split: early 5513 MilSubs delivered with either hand set, while the 5517-only batch came only with sword hands and the full 60-minute bezel. Most Mercedes-handed MilSubs surfacing today are service replacements, where MoD watchmakers swapped the oxidising sword set after long deployments.

===Batch 2: 5513/5517 double-reference (c.1972-1976)===

Batch 2 keeps 5513 between the 12-o'clock lugs and adds a 5517 stamp under one lug, conventionally the 7-o'clock lug. The dual marking captures the program's transition from repurposed 5513 cases to dedicated 5517 production. Documented examples cluster in the 3.926M serial band:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Auction
! Date
! Case
! Year
! Issue
! Caseback line
! Hammer
|-
| Phillips New York "Game Changers" lot 28
| 2019
| 3,926,768
| c.1972
| 688/77
| 0552 (Royal Navy)
| USD 218,750
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong lot 807
| 2017
| 3,926,923
| c.1974
| 941/79
| W10 (Army)
| HK$ 1,625,000
|-
| Antiquorum Monaco lot 77
| 2022
| 3,926,842
| c.1975
| 960/79
| W10
| EUR 260,000
|-
| Sotheby's Geneva lot 64
| 2023
| 3,926,898
| c.1973
| —
| —
| —
|-
| Bonhams 2018 lot 90
| 2018
| 392xxxx
| c.1972
| engravings removed
| inner caseback I.72
| GBP 72,500 incl. premium
|-
| Bonhams Knightsbridge
| 2022
| —
| c.1975
| 691/77
| RN diver provenance
| GBP 195,600 incl. premium
|}

Issue years 77 and 79 dominate the cluster. The case-number band is unusually tight for a ~five-year production window; the cleanest reading is that MoD procurement was batched against a small contemporaneous slice of 5513 cases rather than spread evenly through the run.

===Batch 3: 5517 only (c.1978)===

Batch 3 carries 5517 between the 12-o'clock lugs with no 5513 anywhere on the case — the full-spec form of the reference. Production sits in the 5.339M cluster, and every documented Batch 3 issue year is 78. Phillips's MilSub-discovery article gives the only batch-specific population figure: ~250 produced, ~50 recorded.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Auction
! Date
! Case
! Year
! Issue
! Caseback line
! Hammer
|-
| Phillips Geneva XIV lot 152
| 2021
| 5,339,827
| c.1978
| 842/78
| 0552 RN
| CHF 504,000
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches I lot 3
| 2023
| 5,339,705
| c.1978
| 853/78
| 0552 RN
| est. CHF 120,000-180,000
|-
| Phillips MilSub-discovery (reunited pair)
| n/a
| 5,339,667
| c.1978
| 835/78
| 0552 RN
| n/a (article)
|-
| Sotheby's New York lot 238
| 2018
| —
| c.1978
| —
| MOD engravings
| est. CHF 150,000-300,000
|}

==Configuration features==

[[File:Milsub 5517 sword-hands-detail.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Sword hands and Maxi Mk I dial close-up|Sword hands, Maxi Mk I dial with encircled T, and full 60-minute calibrated bezel — the three diagnostic features collectors look for.]]
[[File:Milsub 5517 bezel-60-minute-detail.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Full 60-minute calibrated bezel insert|Full 60-minute calibrated insert — every minute graduated, the MoD requirement that distinguishes a MilSub bezel from a civilian 5513.]]
[[File:Milsub 5517 dial-T-circle-detail.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Encircled T below 6 o'clock|Encircled T below 6 o'clock indicating MoD-spec low-radiation tritium — distinct from civilian "T<25" dials of the period.]]
[[File:Milsub 5513-5517 fixed-bars-profile.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Fixed-bar lug profile|Fixed-bar lugs: spring-bars welded into the case to keep the strap from working free during operations. Sotheby's Important Watches, December 2023, lot 64.]]

The MilSub is defined by a small set of mandated features, each of which appears on no retail Submariner of the period. Every documented Batch 3 5517 carries all of them; Batch 1 5513s drift on a subset.

===Fixed bars===

The bars are friction-welded permanently into the lugs instead of fitted as removable spring bars, so a strap cannot come free underwater if a bar fails. All three batches carry them, and the MoD required them from program inception. They are sized for NATO-style fabric pass-through; a MilSub will not take a standard Oyster bracelet without removing the fixed bars and refitting standard spring-bar lugs.

===60-minute bezel===

The insert is graduated minute by minute all the way around instead of only across the 0-15 dive interval, which gives minute-by-minute elapsed-time tracking for decompression. The Ministry of Defence required it; the retail Submariner of the period uses the standard 0-15 hashed insert. The earliest 5513 MilSubs surface with both full-60 and 0-15 inserts, and the 5517-only Batch 3 is uniformly full-60.

===Sword hands===

The sword hand is wider and more sword-shaped than the standard Mercedes hand, and collectors also call it the "gladiator" or "plongeur" hand. Major-house catalogue language and the Phillips MilSub-discovery article both put it as factory spec across the whole program, with the Batch 1 qualification noted above: a small number of early 5513 MilSubs shipped with Mercedes hands. Mercedes-handed MilSubs in collector hands today are mostly service replacements where the oxidising sword set was swapped during reissue.

===T SWISS T dial===

The dial is matte black with T SWISS T at the bottom, the dual-T format that flanks the word SWISS. UK regulations for tritium-lumed watches required both T markers. SUBMARINER and Rolex Oyster Perpetual sit above centre on most examples, and most MilSub dials carry no depth rating in either metric or imperial, since the Ministry of Defence did not call for one. Late-program 5517 dials carry the same Maxi I (1976-1977) and Maxi II generations documented across the contemporary 5513.

===Caseback engraving===

The dual-engraving pattern splits maker and customer. Rolex reference and case-number markings sit on the inner caseback. Military identification — broad arrow, NATO stock numbers, service numbers — sits on the outer caseback. Royal Navy and SBS issue uses the 0552 prefix: ''0552 / 923-7697 / [issue]/[year]'' plus the broad arrow. Army, SAS, and W10 issue uses the W10 prefix: ''W10 / 6645 / 99 / 923-7697 / [issue]/[year]'' plus the broad arrow. The T-circle is a dial marking rather than a caseback engraving; descriptions that place it on the caseback conflate two separate authentication tells.

Documented issue numbers in major-house lots include 688/77, 691/77, 835/78, 842/78, 853/78, 941/79, 960/79, and 395/75. The broad arrow is the British government property mark; any broad-arrow watch in the civilian market either left service through official decommissioning or carries an unclear chain of custody. The mark is never a civilian or retail marking.

==Movement==
[[File:Milsub 5517 caseback-movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Caseback removed showing inside-case stamping and caliber 1520|Caseback removed showing the inside-case stamping (5,339,705) and caliber 1520 movement.]]

The MilSub runs caliber 1520 across all three batches. Every Phillips, Sotheby's, Antiquorum, and Bonhams lot description for a documented MilSub reads cal. 1520 at 26 jewels. The forum-level claim that some 5517 examples carry caliber 1570 is not supported by any major-house lot in documented examples, and it likely shows contamination from standard 5512 / 5513 cases that can house either caliber. The MilSub's distinction over the standard 5513 is structural — fixed bars, 60-minute bezel, sword hands, military caseback engravings — not mechanical.

==Bracelet, strap, and packaging==

Issued watches were delivered on NATO-style fabric straps rather than metal bracelets, in keeping with the fixed-bar design. The bars do not take a standard Oyster bracelet, and the NATO pass-through is deliberate: the strap continues beneath the watch even if one bar fails, so the watch stays on the wrist. Packaging followed procurement logistics rather than retail presentation — military stores packaging, not standard Rolex retail boxes.

==Authentication and faking patterns==

The MilSub is one of the most faked Rolex references in the market. Documented examples clear USD 200,000 at auction, the base watch is an ordinary 5513, and military provenance is hard to check against MoD records. The conversion path is short: a standard 5513 takes fixed bars, a 60-minute bezel, military caseback engravings, and sword hands. Each step is within reach of a skilled watchmaker, and the finished result reads convincingly to anyone who has not handled a genuine example.

Most of the authentication weight rests on a few documented patterns. Phillips's MilSub-discovery article sets out the inside-caseback rule: 5212xxx examples (issue 736-785) do not carry the serial inside the caseback, while 5339xxx examples do. A 5339xxx case with no inside-caseback serial is wrong, and so is a 5212xxx case that has one. Working against that is the caseback-swap caveat. SAS and SBS operatives returned issued watches to stockroom after missions and casebacks moved between cases during reissue cycles, so a non-matching caseback can be entirely period-correct under documented MoD practice, and a matching one is not automatically the better watch where the chain of custody establishes reissue.

Some terminology is worth discounting outright. The "5513-T-MOD" and "5517-T-MOD" labels are collector slang for service-stripped MilSubs, meaning issue marks rubbed off, parts service-swapped, or never engraved in the first place. No registry-quality source treats T-MOD as a distinct taxonomic class. The three batches above are the cleaner taxonomy, with the standard 5513 and the COMEX 5514 sitting alongside as adjacent military-adjacent references.

Specialist documentation also notes a roughly EUR 20,000 value penalty for service-replaced bezels even when the replacement is period-correct. On otherwise genuine cases the documented fakery vectors are sword-hand replacement, dial relume, and "added T", where a non-T dial has the T markers printed on later. The strongest authentication ties provenance to a specific Royal Navy unit or service number, adds physical inspection by a specialist who can read fixed-bar construction and engraving depth, and cross-references the case against known examples. The genuine population is small enough that most of it is tracked.

==Auction record==
[[File:Milsub 5513-5517 dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Double-reference 5513/5517 with maxi Mk I dial and pumpkin patina|A 5513/5517 double-reference example (case 3,926,898, c.1973) showing maxi Mk I dial with pumpkin patina. Sotheby's Important Watches, December 2023, lot 64.]]

Documented MilSub results sort cleanly by batch. Batch 3 full-spec 5517s set the top of the market. Batch 2 5513/5517 double-reference watches cluster in a wide band depending on configuration and provenance. Service-stripped or removed-engraving examples trade lower.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Auction
! Lot
! Year
! Case
! Configuration
! Hammer
|-
| Phillips Geneva XIV
| 152
| 2021
| 5,339,827
| Batch 3 5517, c.1978, 0552 RN issue 842/78
| CHF 504,000
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches I
| 3
| 2023
| 5,339,705
| Batch 3 5517, c.1978, 0552 RN issue 853/78, Maxi I
| est. CHF 120,000-180,000
|-
| Antiquorum Monaco
| 77
| 2022
| 3,926,842
| Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1975, W10 issue 960/79
| EUR 260,000
|-
| Phillips New York "Game Changers"
| 28
| 2019
| 3,926,768
| Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1972, 0552 RN issue 688/77
| USD 218,750
|-
| Bonhams Knightsbridge
| —
| 2022
| —
| Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1975, original RN diver provenance, caseback 691/77
| GBP 195,600 incl. premium
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong
| 807
| 2017
| 3,926,923
| Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1974, W10 Army issue 941/79
| HK$ 1,625,000
|-
| Fellows Birmingham
| 129
| 2020
| —
| 5517 with MOD engravings
| GBP 174,800 incl. premium (Fellows house record)
|-
| Sotheby's New York
| 238
| 2018
| —
| 5517 c.1978, MOD engravings, Rolex presentation case
| est. CHF 150,000-300,000
|-
| Bonhams London Fine Watches
| 90
| 2018
| 392xxxx
| Batch 2 5513/5517, c.1972, military engravings removed, inner caseback I.72
| GBP 72,500 incl. premium
|-
| Sotheby's
| —
| 2020
| —
| 5513 South African Army-associated, c.1970
| (5513 commercial; not a MilSub)
|}

The Phillips Geneva XIV 2021 result is the public auction record for the 5517 at CHF 504,000. The watch is a Batch 3 example in the 5,339,xxx cluster with a Henry Hudson letter from Rolex UK confirming issue to Her Majesty's Dockyard, Portsmouth in 1978. The result nearly tripled the high estimate of CHF 200,000. Fully documented full-spec MilSubs come up rarely enough that the room priced well past what the house had read.

Batch 1 5513-only MilSubs trade lower than the headline numbers because of the more frequent service-component drift on early examples and the difficulty of separating an honest Batch 1 from a converted retail 5513. The cleanest Batch 1 lots still pull six figures when the chain of custody and the configuration both hold up; the spread is wider than it is on Batch 3.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]]
* [[Reference:5513|Submariner 5513]] — the base reference for most MilSubs
* [[Reference:5517|Submariner 5517]] — the dedicated military-issue reference
* [[Reference:5512|Submariner 5512]] — early crown-guard MilSub base
* [[Reference:6538|Submariner 6538]] — the A/6538 Special Boat Service precursor

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ Tom Mulraney, "History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date", Monochrome, 2020-08-19]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/inside-mike-woods-for-exhibition-only-a-private-rolex-collection-on-limited-display Tim Vaux, "Inside Mike Wood's 'For Exhibition Only': A Private Rolex Collection On Limited Display", Hodinkee, 2025-10-20]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/151026516/a-cool-new-discovery-on-a-vintage-rolex-milsub "An Unexpected Discovery on a Vintage Rolex Submariner MilSub", Phillips, 2021]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080221/152 "Rolex Submariner MilSub Ref. 5517 — Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV lot 152", Phillips, 2021-05]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080119/28 "Rolex Military Submariner Double Reference 5513/5517 — Phillips New York Game Changers lot 28", Phillips, 2019-12]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080316/807 "Rolex Military Submariner Ref. 5513/5517 — Phillips Hong Kong lot 807", Phillips, 2017-05]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5513-5517-under-the-lug-submariner-so-called-milsub-lot-353-77 "Rolex Ref. 5513/5517 Military Submariner — Antiquorum Monaco 2022 lot 77", Antiquorum, 2022]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27662/lot/44/ "Rolex Royal Navy Military Submariner Ref. 5513/5517 — Bonhams Knightsbridge 2022", Bonhams, 2022]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24632/lot/90/ "Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513/5517 Military — Bonhams 2018 lot 90", Bonhams, 2018]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-part-i-2/military-submariner-reference-5517-a-stainless?locale=en "Full Spec Military Submariner, Reference 5517, Circa 1978", Sotheby's, 2023-11-05]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-ge1804/lot.238.html?locale=en "MilSub Submariner, Ref 5517, Stainless Steel Military Wristwatch Made for the British Armed Forces, Circa 1978", Sotheby's, 2018-11]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/0bfeaa8a-22d0-4e8d-9200-0d1a611ef7ea/lots/ec00c334-b62d-4907-8bb3-568a5101a36b "Rolex Submariner "South African Army", Ref 5513, Military Stainless Steel Wristwatch With Bracelet, Circa 1970", Sotheby's, 2020-10-28]
* [https://www.fellows.co.uk/blog/watches/2020/08/24/rolex-milsub-sells-for-over-165000-smashing-fellows-house-record/ "Rolex MilSub Sells for Over £174,000 Smashing Fellows House Record", Fellows, 2020-08]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-milsub-submariner-reference-5513 Eric Wind, "Rolex MilSub Submariner Reference 5513", Wind Vintage]
* [https://danielbourn.com/the-rolex-milsub/ Daniel Bourn, "The Rolex Milsub — Rolex 5517 The Rolex Military Submariner", Daniel Bourn]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/rolex-milsub-military-submariner/?lang=en "The Rolex Milsub: the MIL-itary SUB-mariner", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.drsd.com/watch-info/mil-sub/the-military-submariner.html "The Rolex Military Submariner 5513 (drsd.com)", drsd.com]
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/5513-7-double-reference-rolex-royal-navy-milsub "5513/7 Double Reference Rolex Royal Navy MilSub", Hairspring]
* [https://watchesofdistinction.com/product/rolex-military-submariner-ref-5513-1974/ "Rolex Military Submariner Ref 5513 (1974)", Watches of Distinction]

[[Category:Submariner]]

Reference:milgauss

2026-09-05T01:22:34Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Milgauss}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Milgauss — Reference Guide to Every Model & Year | Rolexopedia
|description=Every Rolex Milgauss reference, from the 1956 6541 honeycomb-gilt original through the 2007–2023 116400 / 116400GV "Glace Verte" revival. Production histories, dial variants, CERN provenance, Faraday cage architecture, movement specs, and collector context.
|keywords=Rolex Milgauss, 6541, 1019, 116400, 116400GV, Glace Verte, Z-Blue, Z-Black, CERN dial, honeycomb dial, Faraday cage, anti-magnetic 1000 gauss, lightning bolt seconds, Bull-Gauss, Pisani-class authentication
|image=Milgauss vintage poster.webp
|image_alt=Milgauss family — 6541, 1019, 116400 lineage
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-05-17T05:53:59Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T13:00:07Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

The Milgauss is the Rolex built for scientists, for the physicists, engineers, and lab technicians who worked alongside magnetic-field equipment. The line opens in 1956 with the 6541, the first wristwatch with a soft-iron Faraday cage rated to 1,000 gauss. CERN supplied the original validation: its Geneva labs were among the first to confirm Rolex's antimagnetic claim against published scientific measurement standards. Three canonical references run across sixty-seven years before the line closes at Watches & Wonders Geneva in 2023.

The operational distinction is the cage. A soft-iron inner ring around the movement, plus a soft-iron bell cover or caseback shield, forms a Faraday cage that steers magnetic flux around it. Stray fields up to 1,000 gauss — equivalent to a strong electromagnet at close range — leave the regulating organ unaffected. The Milgauss is the only Rolex sport-line reference built specifically around this requirement.

[[File:Milgauss vintage poster.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Milgauss family — 6541, 1019, 116400 lineage|The Milgauss line across its three references — 6541 (1956–1960), 1019 (1960–1988), 116400 / 116400GV (2007–2023).]]

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a 6541 honeycomb dial?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:6541|6541]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Original Milgauss. Honeycomb gilt dial, lightning-bolt seconds, soft-iron Faraday cage rated to 1,000 gauss, fewer than two hundred examples produced.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a 1019?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1019|1019]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The twenty-eight-year long run on caliber 1580 — roughly thirty antimagnetic modifications off the 1530 base — with the CERN-issued non-lume dial sub-variant.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Researching the green-crystal modern?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:116400|116400GV]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Modern revival with the green-tinted Glace Verte sapphire crystal, the only colored crystal Rolex has ever produced. Discontinued at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023.</div></div></div>
</div>

== Vintage tool-watch era — 6541 (1956–1960) ==

The first cataloged Milgauss, and a watch that wears its brief on the outside: honeycomb gilt dial in webbed laminated copper, lightning-bolt seconds hand, rotating engraved bezel, Twinlock crown. Fewer than 200 examples were produced across the 6541 and its proto-reference 6543 combined. Every documented surviving 6541 case sits in the 412xxx serial batch, the most concentrated serial-band production in vintage Rolex sport-line history.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Crystal !! Bezel !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:6541|6541]] || 1956–1960 || 1066M (early) → 1080 (late) || acrylic || rotating engraved (standard) + smooth fixed (US-market) || First cataloged Milgauss. Lightning-bolt seconds (added 1957). Faraday cage rated 1,000 gauss. Five dial variants: honeycomb gilt, tropical, CERN non-luminous, no-MILGAUSS-text (sub-five known), and white dial (open question). Auction record CHF 2,238,000 at Phillips Geneva XVII May 2023 lot 25 (case 412'399). PerezCope "Bull-Gauss" authentication forensics canon.
|}

== Long-run dress-coded era — 1019 (1960–1988) ==

The longest Milgauss production run. A smooth bezel replaces the 6541's rotating engraved one, and a plain straight seconds hand with a red arrow tip, used on no other Rolex reference, replaces the lightning bolt. The brief is deliberate de-tooling: the 6541's flamboyant signatures are stripped and the dial moves through three documented families across twenty-eight years. A commercial failure in its own time, a collector grail from about 2000 onward.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Crystal !! Bezel !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:1019|1019]] || 1960–1988 || 1580 || acrylic || smooth fixed steel || 28-year run, longest of any Milgauss reference. Soft-iron Faraday cage carried over from 6541. Caliber 1580 with ~30 antimagnetic modifications off the 1530 base — 26 jewels, 19,800 vph, hacking seconds. Dial families: matte black (Mk1 square lume + later round lume), brushed silver, CERN-spec silver non-lume, gloss-black "Black Swan" (3 known, Phillips Geneva Six 2017 lot 196 hammered CHF 150,000). Tiffany-double-signed CERN dial documented (Bain 1964 case 1065XXX). Red arrow seconds hand the constant signature.
|}

== Modern revival — 116400 / 116400GV (2007–2023) ==

Rolex revives the Milgauss at Baselworld 2007, nineteen years after the 1019 production end and at the fiftieth anniversary of the 1956 6541 catalog launch. Four sub-references run across sixteen years. The signature change is the green-tinted Glace Verte sapphire crystal on the GV variants, the only colored crystal Rolex has ever produced. The line ends at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023 with no announced successor.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Crystal !! Bezel !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:116400|116400 / 116400GV]] || 2007–2023 || 3131 + Parachrom Blu || clear sapphire (116400) or green Glace Verte sapphire (116400GV) || smooth fixed steel || 40mm 904L Oystersteel, soft-iron Faraday cage with "B-arrow" engraving, 1,000 gauss antimagnetic, 100m WR. Caliber 3131 — time-only sister of cal 3135 with paramagnetic Parachrom Blu hairspring. Orange lightning-bolt seconds revives 6541 signature. Four sub-references: 116400-0001 (black/clear, 2007–c.2013/2014), 116400-0002 (white/clear, 2007–2016), 116400GV-0001 "Z-Black" (2007–2023), 116400GV-0002 "Z-Blue" (March 2014–2023, electric-blue sunburst with zirconium pigment).
|}

== Faraday cage — the line's defining feature ==

The cage architecture is constant across all three references: a soft-iron inner ring around the movement, closed by a soft-iron bell cover or caseback assembly. The 6541 adds a third layer, its webbed laminated copper dial plate diverting flux from the dial side.

The cage was Rolex's response to a measurement problem at CERN and at industrial research facilities of the 1950s. Standard wristwatch escapements ran inside the magnetic field of nearby experimental equipment, and the regulating organ, a balance with steel components, took on magnetisation from stray flux. Tritium-equipped Geiger-counter testing of contemporary watches showed measurable timing drift in the 100–500 gauss range. Rolex's 1,000-gauss spec built a margin into a wristwatch.

By the 116400 generation, paramagnetic Parachrom Blu hairspring chemistry and amagnetic-alloy escapement components had reduced the cage's role to backup protection. The cage stays because the Milgauss without it is just an Oyster Perpetual.

== CERN provenance ==

The Rolex–CERN relationship begins with the 6541. CERN scientists validated the 1,000-gauss rating in-house, against measurement standards the lab itself published. The "CERN dial" non-luminous variant, with no tritium plots at the indices, appears on both the 6541 and the 1019. Tritium beta-decays at 18.6 keV, and a normal Rolex dial contributes scintillation background that distorts low-statistics particle-physics measurements; removing the plots removes the failure mode.

No roster of issued Milgauss serial numbers exists on either side: CERN's historical archive publishes no watch documentation, and Rolex has never named CERN-issued owners. Specimens surface only through estate sales decades after issue. The non-lume dial spec is most likely a Rolex catalogue option that CERN-affiliated buyers and Geneva-area retailers ordered, and the link is collector lore reinforced by Rolex's modern sponsorship of CERN's "Universe of Particles" exhibition at the Globe of Science and Innovation in Meyrin.

== Authentication — the "Bull-Gauss" canon ==

Jose Pereztroika's July 2023 Perezcope exposé of an Antiquorum-offered 6541 (case 412'320) coined "Bull-Gauss" as collector shorthand for fake or heavily-restored 6541s entering the auction market. The five-test forensic framework (movement M-engraving, soft-iron cage, caseback stamps, bezel-insert numerals, balance-cock geometry) is set out on the [[Reference:6541|6541]] article, where the authentication stakes are sharpest. The 1019 and 116400 have parallel checklists in the specialist literature, but fakes turn up less often there and the sums at risk are smaller.

== Historical anchors ==

* 1956 — 6541 catalog introduction at Baselworld. CERN operationally commissioned the same year. Lightning-bolt seconds added 1957; case batch finalised 1958 (IV.1958 most common inner caseback stamp).
* 1960 — 6541 production end, 1019 introduction. Brief overlaps; 1019 takes over.
* 1963 to 1965 — Daytona Continental race-prize tradition. Per Jake Ehrlich's Rolex Magazine archive, Rolex distributed 6541s to Daytona Continental race winners (Pedro Rodriguez 1963 / 1964, Ken Miles + Lloyd Ruby 1965 Ford GT40). Race results are independently confirmed; the watch-prize tradition rests on that one source.
* 1988 — 1019 production end. Catalogue presence continues briefly into the early 1990s as remaining inventory clears; NOS examples manufactured 1979 surfaced sold-new as late as 1990. The Milgauss line goes empty for nineteen years.
* 2007 — 116400 launch at Baselworld March. Coincides with CERN completing the Large Hadron Collider; Rolex sends pre-production 116400s to CERN for testing.
* March 2014 — Z-Blue 116400GV-0002 launch at Baselworld. Replaces the discontinued non-GV black sub-reference.
* November 2017 — Phillips Geneva Six lot 196 1019 Black Swan hammers CHF 150,000, re-anchoring the modern vintage 1019 market.
* April 2023 — Watches & Wonders Geneva. Full Milgauss line discontinued. No successor announced.
* May 2023 — Phillips Geneva XVII lot 25 6541 record. CHF 2,238,000 including premium. Case 412'399, movement N782694, full papers with secondary June 1960 chronometer certificate. Reportedly acquired by Rolex for the brand's archive (per Robb Report and Philipp Stahl at Rolex Passion Report).

== Special branches ==

Several institutional and provenance branches carry enough authentication weight to get fuller treatment on their own reference pages:

* CERN-spec non-luminous dial (6541, 1019) — black-infilled hands and indices, no tritium plots. Rolex catalogue option ordered by CERN and other radiation-sensitive scientific environments. Premium over standard dial at auction.
* No-MILGAUSS-text 6541 — sub-five known. Standard Oyster Perpetual upper line, no "MILGAUSS" designation. Sotheby's London 2020 lot 365 essay confirms "less than a handful of pieces known to exist." Rarest factory 6541 configuration.
* Smooth-bezel US-market 6541 — fixed polished steel bezel, "ROW" (Rest of the World) movement stamp. Documented at Antiquorum lot 576 (case 412'108, sold January 30 1959, CHF 105,750) and Monaco Legend Auctions lot 32 (case 412'375, EUR 143,000 tropical).
* Black Swan 1019 — gloss-black dial with silvered gilt print. Three known examples. Phillips Geneva Six November 2017 lot 196 (case 1'985'480, caseback III.68) hammered CHF 150,000 against a CHF 70,000–100,000 estimate.
* Tiffany & Co. double-signed 1019 — Bain 1964 example, case 1065XXX, four-line CERN-spec dial with Tiffany & Co. retailer signature. Earliest known co-signed CERN Milgauss and the only documented Tiffany 1019 of any dial colour.
* Glace Verte 116400GV — green-tinted sapphire crystal, only colored crystal Rolex has ever produced. Through-thickness tint via kiln process Rolex describes as "one of the most difficult aesthetic operations" the manufacture has attempted; deliberately not patented because the process is so difficult to reverse-engineer.
* Z-Blue 116400GV-0002 — electric blue sunburst lacquer pigmented with zirconium, reads aqua/turquoise through the green crystal. March 2014 launch replaces the discontinued non-GV black sub-reference.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]] — the other specialist tool line. Different threat (helium, not magnetism), same brief: a Rolex built for one specific working environment.
* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — the parent sport-tool architecture. Same Oyster case lineage, same 1500-family movement base under the antimagnetic modifications.
* [[Reference:air-king|Air-King]] — the parallel non-flagship. Both lines spend the 1960s–80s as quiet, undersold, technically distinctive Rolexes — Air-King at the entry tier, Milgauss at the scientific-tool tier.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]] — the 6636 riveted (6541), 7206 / 7836 / 78350 / 78360 family (1019), and 78690 (116400) fitments with clasp date-code key.
* [[Reference:Movements|Movements]] — caliber 1066M / 1080 (6541), 1580 (1019), 3131 (116400 with Parachrom Blu).
* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]] — numeric pre-1987 (1019 covers 1.0M–7M range), letter prefix 1987–2010 (116400 M / V / G), random alphanumeric 2010 onward (116400 GV late run).

== Sources ==

===Primary and specialist===

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''Rolex: Milgauss, Yacht-Master, Turn-O-Graph, Explorer'' — Guido Mondani, Franca Mondani, Paolo Spinello, Gabriele Vittozzi, Guido Mondani Editore, 2011
* ''100 Superlative Rolex Watches'' — John Goldberger, Damiani Editore, 2008
* ''Vintage Rolex Sports Models: A Complete Visual Reference and Unauthorized History'' — Martin Skeet and Nick Urul, Schiffer Publishing, 2019
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080123/25 Phillips, "The Geneva Watch Auction XVII, lot 25 — ref. 6541, case 412'399, record CHF 2,238,000", Phillips, 2023]
* [https://perezcope.com/2023/07/25/incorrigible-antiquorum-a-rolex-bull-gauss-and-other-shenanigans/ Jose Pereztroika, "Incorrigible Antiquorum — A Rolex ''Bull-Gauss'' And Other Shenanigans", Perezcope, 2023]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080217/196 Phillips, "The Geneva Watch Auction Six, lot 196 — ref. 1019 ''Black Swan'', case 1'985'480", Phillips, November 2017]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's Watches Department, "London 2020, lot 365 — ref. 6541 with no MILGAUSS dial designation", Sotheby's, 2020]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6541-milgauss-lot-347-111 Antiquorum, "Rolex ref. 6541 Milgauss lots, including the US-market smooth-bezel case 412'108", Antiquorum]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-31/lot-32 Monaco Legend Auctions, "Exclusive Timepieces 31, lot 32 — ref. 6541, brown tropical honeycomb dial, case 412'375", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2023]
* [https://www.matthewbaininc.com/post/almost-unicorn-1964-rolex-milgauss-ref-1019 Matthew Bain, "Almost Unicorn: 1964 Rolex Milgauss Ref. 1019 Tiffany & Co. CERN Dial", Matthew Bain Inc.]
* [https://www.martinskeet.com/rolex-valuation-authentication-news/2016/rarest-prototype-rolex Martin Skeet, "The Rolex Milgauss 6541 Prototype — the Rarest Production Rolex Ever?", martinskeet.com, 2016]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/122097700/rolex-milgauss-vintage-1019-6541-discontinued Phillips Watches, "What's the Legacy of the Rolex Milgauss?", Phillips]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-milgauss-ref-1019 Eric Wind, "Rolex Milgauss Ref. 1019 — CERN Dial", Wind Vintage]
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/ Philipp Stahl, "Phillips Geneva XVII — Rolex buying back its own heritage", Rolex Passion Report, 2023]
* [https://loupethis.com/auctions/rolex-milgauss-1019-black-dial-nos-box-and-papers Loupe This, "Lot 1287 — NOS ref. 1019 manufactured 1979, sold new 1990", Loupe This]

===Editorial and market===

* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-milgauss-collection-in-depth-review/ Monochrome Watches editorial, "In-Depth: The Complete History of the Rolex Milgauss", Monochrome]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-milgauss-one-in-a-thousand/ Ross Povey, "Rolex Milgauss: One in a Thousand", Revolution Watch, 2019]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2014/04/the-complete-history-of-rolex-milgauss_8.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History of the Rolex Milgauss", Rolex Magazine, 2014]
* [https://www.rolexencyclopedie.nl/english/models/the-milgauss-a-missed-opportunity/ Jaap Bakker, "The Milgauss: A Missed Opportunity", Rolexencyclopedie]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-rolex-milgauss/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of Rolex Milgauss", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.marklittler.com/a-complete-guide-to-the-vintage-rolex-milgauss/ Mark Littler, "A Complete Guide to the Vintage Rolex Milgauss", Mark Littler Ltd]
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/cern-dial-1019-rolex-milgauss Hairspring editorial, "CERN-Dial 1019 — Rolex Milgauss", Hairspring]
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/1019-rolex-milgauss Hairspring editorial, "Rolex 1019 Milgauss — Black-Dial Essay", Hairspring]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2014/03/baselworld-2014-introducing-the-rolex-milgauss-with-an-electric-blue-dial-and-green-sapphire-crystal-with-specs-and-price.html SJX, "Baselworld 2014 — Introducing the Rolex Milgauss with an Electric Blue Dial and Green Sapphire Crystal", SJX Watches, 2014]
* [https://www.ablogtowatch.com/rolex-milgauss-z-blue-dial-116400gv-watch/ aBlogtoWatch editorial, "Rolex Milgauss Z-Blue Dial 116400GV Hands-On", aBlogtoWatch]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2023/07/28/rolex-milgauss-review-the-most-underrated-rolex/ Raman Kalra, "Rolex Milgauss Review — The Most Underrated Rolex?", Quill & Pad, 2023]
* [https://deployant.com/review-rolex-milgauss-ref-116400gv/ Deployant editorial, "Review: Rolex Milgauss Ref. 116400GV", Deployant]
* [https://calibercorner.com/rolex-caliber-3131/ Caliber Corner editorial, "Rolex Caliber 3131", Caliber Corner]
* [https://www.ablogtowatch.com/race-car-driver-bobby-allisons-flat-bezel-tropical-dial-rolex-milgauss-ref-6541-watch/ aBlogtoWatch editorial, "Race Car Driver Bobby Allison's Flat-Bezel Tropical-Dial Rolex Milgauss Ref. 6541", aBlogtoWatch]

[[Category:Milgauss]]
[[Category:Family]]

Reference:gmt-master

2026-09-05T01:22:33Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex GMT-Master}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master — Reference Guide to Every Model & Year | Rolexopedia
|description=The first watch Rolex ever built for airline pilots, and one of its most copied designs since. Launched in 1955 for Pan Am flight crews, the GMT-Master…
|keywords=Rolex, gmt-master, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|image=Ref gmt-master vintage-poster.webp
|image_alt=Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:46Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:59:44Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

The GMT-Master is Rolex's original airline watch: a fourth hand, a 24-hour bezel, and two time zones on the wrist. Rolex launched it in 1955 for Pan Am crews, then split the line in 1982 when the GMT-Master II gave the local hour hand independent adjustment.

The line runs in five eras. Bakelite 6542 came first, then the long 1675 vintage core, then quick-set five-digit GMT-Masters, then the independent-hour GMT-Master II from 1982, then the ceramic GMT-Master II from 2005. Pepsi, Root Beer, Coke, and black became the family's own collector language.

<span id="early-gmt-master-19551959"></span>
[[File:Ref gmt-master vintage-poster.webp|thumb|center|420px|alt=Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews|Vintage Rolex GMT-Master advertising — the watch designed for Pan Am crews]]

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a long-vintage GMT?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1675|1675]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The twenty-year vintage core, pointed crown guards giving way to rounded, gilt giving way to matte, with steel, gold, and Root Beer branches in parallel.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a five-digit GMT-Master II?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16710|16710]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Three bezel inserts (Pepsi, Coke, black) on the same case, late stick-dial 3186 sub-branch, the GMT collectors land on first when they cross from vintage to modern.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a modern Cerachrom-bezel piece?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:116710LN|116710LN]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First ceramic-bezel GMT-Master II. In-house caliber 3186, Cerachrom black insert, 904L steel — the reference that set the template the Pepsi and Batman variants now extend.</div></div></div>
</div>

== Early GMT-Master (1955–1959) ==

The experimental years. The case had no crown guards, the 24-hour bezel was moulded from bakelite and cracked easily, and a gold branch with alpha hands ran alongside the red-and-blue (Pepsi) steel watch. Most surviving examples carry later service inserts; the original bakelite rarely survived daily wear.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Bezel !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:6542|6542]] || 1955–1959 || 1036 / 1065 / 1066 || 38mm SS or 18k YG || Bakelite Pepsi (steel), bakelite brown (gold) || First GMT-Master; no crown guards; fragile bakelite insert
|}

<span id="long-vintage-core-19591980"></span>
== Long vintage core (1959–1980) ==

The reference that turned the GMT-Master from an experiment into an institution. Crown guards arrived with the [[Reference:1675|1675]], along with an aluminum bezel insert (replacing the fragile bakelite) and a twenty-year production run long enough to hold several distinct watches under one number. Early pointed crown guards, known as PCG, gave way to rounded guards; gilt dials gave way to matte; and the steel watch was joined by a gold branch and a two-tone Root Beer branch.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:1675|1675]] || 1959–1979 || 1565 early, 1575 later || 40mm SS, 18k YG, or two-tone || Steel, 1675/8 gold, 1675/3 Root Beer || Core vintage GMT-Master; PCG to rounded guards, gilt to matte
|}

<span id="transitional-gmt-master-19791988"></span>
== Transitional GMT-Master (1979–1988) ==

The five-digit quick-set era on the GMT-Master side of the family split. Caliber 3075 added a quick-set date and a higher beat rate but kept the older linked-hand GMT logic, in which the 24-hour hand tracks the local hour hand rather than moving on its own. Acrylic crystals held through most of the run. The branch map also gets busier here, with steel, two-tone, and solid-gold references all in production at once.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16750|16750]] || 1979–1988 || 3075 || 40mm SS || Matte to glossy Pepsi, black, spider || Last steel GMT-Master with acrylic crystal; quick-set date
|-
| [[Reference:16753|16753]] || 1979–1988 || 3075 || 40mm SS + 18k YG || Brown Root Beer, black || Two-tone continuation of the Root Beer line
|-
| [[Reference:16758|16758]] || 1979–1988 || 3075 || 40mm 18k YG || Brown Root Beer, black || Last gold GMT-Master with older linked-hand logic
|}

<span id="gmt-master-ii-19822007"></span>
== GMT-Master II (1982–2007) ==

The functional break in the family. Caliber 3085 in the [[Reference:16760|16760]] introduced an independently adjustable local hour hand, which turned the 24-hour bezel into a third-time-zone tool rather than a second-time-zone aid. The thick transitional [[Reference:16760|16760]] gave way to the slimmer [[Reference:16710|16710]] in 1989, and the line spent nearly two decades on that reference before the ceramic era rewrote the watch.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16760|16760]] || 1983–1987 || 3085 || 40mm SS (thick) || Coke, black || First GMT-Master II; "Fat Lady" / "Sophia Loren"
|-
| [[Reference:16710|16710]] || 1989–2007 || 3185, late 3186 || 40mm SS || Pepsi, Coke, black || Long neo-vintage steel run; late stick-dial 3186 sub-branch
|-
| [[Reference:16713|16713]] || 1989–2007 || 3185, late 3186 || 40mm SS + 18k YG || Brown, black || Two-tone GMT-Master II branch
|-
| [[Reference:16718|16718]] || 1989–2007 || 3185, late 3186 || 40mm 18k YG || Black well-documented, brown thinner || Solid-gold GMT-Master II branch
|}

<span id="late-gmt-master-19881999"></span>
== Late GMT-Master (1988–1999) ==

The last reference on the original side of the family split. Sapphire crystal, caliber 3175, and a choice of Pepsi or black bezel. The 16700 kept the older linked-hand GMT logic rather than adopting the independent hour hand of the GMT-Master II references running alongside it. That mechanical distinction kept the two lines separate right to the end.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16700|16700]] || 1988–1998/1999 || 3175 || 40mm SS || Pepsi, black || Last GMT-Master; tritium to Luminova transition
|}

<span id="ceramic-gmt-master-ii-5-digit-20052019"></span>
== Ceramic GMT-Master II 5-digit (2005–2019) ==

The Cerachrom era opened in 2005 with the yellow-gold [[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]] and caliber 3186, which runs across the entire 5-digit ceramic family. Rolesor followed in 2006, steel in 2007, the blue-black Batman in 2013, and the white-gold ceramic Pepsi in 2014. These are the thick Super Case GMTs before the slimmer 126710 generation.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]] || 2005–2019 || 3186 || 40mm 18k YG || Black dial, green anniversary dial || First Cerachrom GMT-Master II; caliber 3186 debut
|-
| [[Reference:116713LN|116713LN]] || 2006–2019 || 3186 || 40mm Rolesor YG || Single gloss-black configuration || First Cerachrom GMT-Master II to reach steel-in-case form
|-
| [[Reference:116710LN|116710LN]] || 2007–2019 || 3186 || 40mm SS || Black dial with green signature line || First steel GMT-Master II with ceramic bezel
|-
| [[Reference:116710BLNR|116710BLNR]] || 2013–2019 || 3186 || 40mm SS || Blue-and-black Batman || First two-colour Cerachrom; patented process
|-
| [[Reference:116719BLRO|116719BLRO]] || 2014–2019 || 3186 || 40mm 18k WG || Black dial -0001, blue dial -0002 (2018) || First ceramic Pepsi; white gold only
|}

<span id="ceramic-gmt-master-ii-6-digit-2018present"></span>
== Ceramic GMT-Master II 6-digit (2018–present) ==

The current ceramic generation starts in 2018 with the steel Pepsi [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] and caliber 3285. Jubilee returned, the case slimmed down from the Super Case, and the line then expanded into Root Beer, Batman, Destro, and GRNR branches. This is the modern 70-hour GMT-Master II platform, and both the steel Pepsi and the white-gold Pepsi left the catalogue in 2026.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Branches !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]] || 2018–2026 || 3285 || 40mm SS || Jubilee -0001, Oyster -0002 (2021) || First steel ceramic Pepsi; Jubilee return
|-
| [[Reference:126711CHNR|126711CHNR]] || 2018–present || 3285 || 40mm Rolesor Everose || Single CHNR configuration || First two-colour Cerachrom after BLNR/BLRO; "Cough Syrup"
|-
| [[Reference:126715CHNR|126715CHNR]] || 2018–present || 3285 || 40mm solid Everose || Black dial -0001, Tiger Iron -0002 (2025) || Solid-Everose Rootbeer halo
|-
| [[Reference:126710BLNR|126710BLNR]] || 2019–present || 3285 || 40mm SS || Jubilee Batgirl, Oyster Batman (2021) || Batman on cal. 3285; first Jubilee Batman
|-
| [[Reference:126720VTNR|126720VTNR]] || 2022–present || 3285 || 40mm SS || Oyster -0001, Jubilee -0002 || First modern left-crown Rolex sports watch; Sprite/Destro
|-
| [[Reference:126713GRNR|126713GRNR]] || 2023–present || 3285 || 40mm Rolesor YG || Single GRNR configuration on Jubilee || Return of yellow Rolesor; first precious-metal Jubilee GMT
|-
| [[Reference:126718GRNR|126718GRNR]] || 2023–present || 3285 || 40mm solid YG || Black dial, Tiger Iron dial (2025) || Return of solid yellow gold to the line
|-
| [[Reference:126710GRNR|126710GRNR]] || 2024–present || 3285 || 40mm SS || Oyster -0001, Jubilee -0002 || Bruce Wayne/Ghost; steel conclusion of the GRNR family
|}

<span id="movement-progression"></span>
== Movement progression ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Caliber !! Frequency !! Hacking / quick-set !! Used in !! Notes
|-
| 1036 / 1065 / 1066 || 18,000 vph || no / no || [[Reference:6542|6542]] || Earliest GMT-specific movements; picture still unresolved
|-
| 1565 || 18,000 vph || no / no || [[Reference:1675|1675]] (early) || First stable 1675 caliber
|-
| 1575 || 19,800 vph || hacking from ~1971 || [[Reference:1675|1675]] (late) || Long-run 1675 caliber; sometimes signed 1570
|-
| 3075 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || [[Reference:16750|16750]], [[Reference:16753|16753]], [[Reference:16758|16758]] || Five-digit quick-set upgrade; still linked-hand GMT
|-
| 3085 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || [[Reference:16760|16760]] || First independently adjustable local hour hand
|-
| 3175 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || [[Reference:16700|16700]] || Last linked-hand GMT-Master caliber
|-
| 3185 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || [[Reference:16710|16710]], [[Reference:16713|16713]], [[Reference:16718|16718]] || Long neo-vintage GMT-Master II movement
|-
| 3186 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || late [[Reference:16710|16710]], [[Reference:16713|16713]], [[Reference:16718|16718]]; all 5-digit ceramic ([[Reference:116710LN|116710LN]], [[Reference:116710BLNR|116710BLNR]], [[Reference:116713LN|116713LN]], [[Reference:116718LN|116718LN]], [[Reference:116719BLRO|116719BLRO]]) || Parachrom hairspring, revised GMT wheel; standard across the ceramic era
|-
| 3285 || 28,800 vph || yes / yes || All 6-digit ceramic references ([[Reference:126710BLNR|126710BLNR]], [[Reference:126710BLRO|126710BLRO]], [[Reference:126710GRNR|126710GRNR]], [[Reference:126711CHNR|126711CHNR]], [[Reference:126713GRNR|126713GRNR]], [[Reference:126715CHNR|126715CHNR]], [[Reference:126718GRNR|126718GRNR]], [[Reference:126720VTNR|126720VTNR]]) || Chronergy escapement, 70-hour reserve, Superlative -2/+2 sec/day
|}

<span id="color-and-metal-logic"></span>
== Color and metal logic ==

Color branches matter almost as much as reference numbers here. Pepsi starts with the steel [[Reference:6542|6542]] and stays the default GMT look. Root Beer starts with the two-tone 1675/3 and gold 1675/8, then carries forward through later gold and two-tone references. Coke belongs mainly to the GMT-Master II era from the [[Reference:16760|16760]] onward. Gold and two-tone watches are part of the main line from early on, not side branches.

<span id="collecting-context"></span>
== Collecting context ==

The GMT-Master market rewards different habits than the Submariner market. Submariner collecting tracks case shape, military use, and dial text. GMT collecting tracks bezel color, travel mythology, and branch identity in equal measure.

A few cautions carry across the whole family. Original delivery is not the same thing as period-correct fitment, and a clasp code dates the bracelet rather than the watch head. Service inserts are common on the earliest watches, where the original bakelite rarely survived. The nickname language is useful but loose: Pepsi, Coke, Root Beer, and black each cover more variation than the shorthand suggests.

The modern ceramic era splits cleanly into two family hubs. [[Reference:gmt-master-ii-5digit-ceramic-family|The 5-digit ceramic family]] covers the 2005–2019 Super Case watches. [[Reference:gmt-master-ii-6digit-family|The 6-digit family]] covers the 2018-onward caliber 3285 generation.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — the parallel dive line. Same case-era cadence, same crown-guard transition, the other half of the 1955–1959 Rolex tool-watch launch wave.
* [[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer-II]] — the 24-hour cousin. The 1655 shares caliber 1575 with the 1675; the 16550 shares caliber 3085 with the 16760.
* [[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] — the chronograph counterpart. The same Zenith-to-in-house movement transition runs across both lines in the 1988–2000 window.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any GMT-Master from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the calibers used across the GMT-Master line
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-gmt-master-and-gmt-master-ii-1955-2024-iconic-traveller-watch-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II] — Monochrome
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-master-the-complete-collectors-guide The Rolex GMT-Master: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/a-concise-guide-to-the-rolex-gmt-root-beer A Closer Look at the Rolex Root Beer] — Christina Bohn, Sotheby's
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/an-early-retrospective-rolex-gmt-master-ii-lunette-noire-ceramic/ An Early Retrospective – Rolex GMT-Master II Lunette Noire Ceramic] — Evan Yeung, Monochrome Watches
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/baselworld-2019-updated-rolex-gmt-master-ii-batman-126710blnr-jubilee-bracelet-price/ Baselworld 2019 – Updated Rolex GMT-Master II Batman 126710BLNR on Jubilee] — Monochrome Watches
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/yellow-gold-and-rolesor-rolex-gmt-master-ii-grey-and-black-ceramic-bezel-2023-editions-126713grnr-126718grnr-specs-price/ Yellow Gold and Rolesor Back On The Rolex GMT-Master II With Grey & Black Ceramic Bezel] — Monochrome
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/fasten-your-seatbelts-rolex-gmt-master-history/ Fasten Your Seatbelts: Rolex GMT-Master History and Overview of All Major References] — Fratello Watches
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-pepsi-the-key-references The Rolex Pepsi: The Key References] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/rolex-caliber-3186-vs-rolex-caliber-3285.html Rolex Caliber 3186 vs. Caliber 3285] — Bob's Watches
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/rolex-pepsi-gmt-master-ii-discontinued-market-1237890139/ With the Rolex Pepsi Now Gone, the Market Is Smelling Blood] — Robb Report, 2026
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:GMT-Master]]

Reference:explorer-ii

2026-09-05T01:22:32Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Explorer II}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Explorer II — Complete Reference Guide — Rolexopedia
|description=Every Rolex Explorer II reference from the 1971 Freccione 1655 through the 16550, 16570, 216570, and current 226570. Production histories, dial variants, Mark taxonomies, movement specs, and collector context.
|keywords=Rolex Explorer II, 1655, Freccione, 16550, cream dial, 16570, Polar, 216570, 226570, vintage Rolex, 24-hour GMT
|type=Article
}}

The Explorer II is the fixed-bezel 24-hour sibling to the Explorer I. Rolex launched it in 1971 for cave and polar use, and every Explorer II since has kept the 24-hour hand and bezel.

Five references make up the line: the 1655 with linked-hand day-night logic, the 16550 with the first true GMT function, the 16570 across the long middle run, the 42mm 216570 from 2011, and the 226570 in current production.

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a vintage orange-hand Explorer II?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1655|1655]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The Freccione. Five Mark dials plus two service dials, caliber 1575 GMT shared with the GMT-Master 1675.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a Polar or cream dial?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16550|16550]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First sapphire-crystal Explorer II, first true independent-hour GMT function, the cream / rail dial paint-defect sub-branch.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a long-run modern?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16570|16570]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Twenty-one-year production run across four internal versions (V1 tritium through V4 caliber 3186), plus the 2007 SRR military limited edition.</div></div></div>
</div>

== The first Explorer II (1971–1984) ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:1655|1655]] || 1971–1984 || Cal. 1575 GMT || 40mm SS, acrylic || Freccione orange straight/lollipop hand; 5 Mark dials + 2 service dials; linked-hand 24-hour; fixed engraved steel bezel
|}

== The transitional reference (1985–1989) ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16550|16550]] || 1985–1989 || Cal. 3085 || 40mm SS, sapphire || First sapphire; first independent-hour GMT; black or Polar white dial; cream/rail dial paint-defect variant
|}

== The long-run modern reference (1989–2010) ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16570|16570]] || 1989–2010 || Cal. 3185, then 3186 late || 40mm SS, sapphire || Four internal versions: V1 tritium, V2 Swiss-only, V3 Super-LumiNova, V4 no-holes case plus cal 3186; black or Polar white; SRR military limited edition 2007
|}

== Current-production successors ==

The 42mm successors continue the line beyond the vintage and neo-vintage generations. Both keep the engraved solid-steel 24-hour bezel the line has carried since 1971; no Explorer II has used a Cerachrom insert.

* [[Reference:216570|216570]] (2011–2021) — 42mm case, cal. 3187, reintroduced orange 24-hour hand
* 226570 (2021–present) — cal. 3285, current production

== Movement progression ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Caliber !! Frequency !! Power reserve !! 24-hour function !! Used in !! Notes
|-
| 1575 GMT || 19,800 vph || ~48 hr || linked to hour hand || 1655 || Shared with GMT-Master 1675; 24-hour hand advances with hour hand, works as day-night indicator
|-
| 3085 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr (disputed: some sources say 42 hr) || independent-hour || 16550 || First Explorer II with true GMT; shared with GMT-Master II 16760 "Fat Lady"; 6.3mm thick
|-
| 3185 || 28,800 vph || ~50 hr || independent-hour || 16570 || Successor to 3085 with minor revisions; ran through most of the 16570
|-
| 3186 || 28,800 vph || ~50 hr || independent-hour || 16570 (late 2006+) || Added blue Parachrom hairspring; fixed the 3185 GMT-hand wobble
|}

== Dial variant highlights ==

Variant taxonomy across the line, in brief:

* 1655 Mark dials — Mk1 (large crown), Mk2 (Frog Foot), Mk3 (Rail Dial), Mk4 (taller crown, T SWISS <25 T serif), Mk5 (sans-serif). Two Beyeler service dials also exist.
* 16550 cream / rail dial — a subset of Polar white dials aged to cream through a factory paint defect Rolex later corrected. Rail-dial sub-variant has the C of CHRONOMETER aligned vertically over the C of CERTIFIED.
* 16570 Swiss-only — about 5 percent of production, covering the 1998–1999 window when the dial carried Luminova lume but kept the older SWISS (not SWISS MADE) printing.

== Cross-references ==

The Explorer II is the sibling of the [[Reference:explorer|Explorer I]] line and shares calibers and case architecture with the [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] line. Caliber 1575 in the 1655 is the same movement fitted to the GMT-Master 1675, configured differently: linked-hand on the Explorer II, independent-hour on the GMT-Master. The 16550's caliber 3085 is the movement that also powered the GMT-Master II 16760.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] — the original line. Same case lineage, same Mercedes hands, no 24-hour function.
* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] — the shared-movement sibling. Caliber 1575 GMT in the 1655 and caliber 3085 in the 16550 carry over from the GMT-Master family.
* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — the parallel tool line. Same case-era cadence, same generation-by-generation movement progression.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any Explorer II from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the calibers used across the Explorer II line
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==

* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-ii-adventure-watch-gmt-1655-16550-16570-216570-226570-in-depth/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Explorer II, The Ultimate Adventure Watch] — Monochrome
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/tooled-rolex-explorer-ii-reference-1655/ Tooled Up: The Rolex Explorer II Reference 1655] — Ross Povey, Revolution
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/2867/ Mr Rolex Orange Hand, Reinhold Messner and Sir Edmund Hillary's Original Vintage Explorer II ref 1655] — Philipp Stahl, Rolex Passion Report
* [https://www.europeanwatch.com/blog/rolex-explorer-ii-reference-16550-review Spelunking Into the Details: The Rolex Explorer II Reference 16550] — Tony Traina, European Watch Co.
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/buying_guide_different_versions_rolex_explorer_ii_16570/ Buyer's Guide: Explorer II Ref. 16570, All Variations] — Jorg Weppelink, Fratello
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/rolex-ref-1655-a-complete-guide/?lang=en The Rolex Explorer II Ref. 1655: A Complete Guide] — Andrea David, Italian Watch Spotter
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/rolex-explorer-ii-paragone/?lang=en Rolex Explorer II 16550 vs 16570] — Alessandro Metelli, Italian Watch Spotter
* [https://quillandpad.com/2018/06/15/exceptional-movements-in-history-rolex-caliber-1575-the-watchmakers-watch/ Exceptional Movements In History: Rolex Caliber 1575] — Quill & Pad
* [https://millenarywatches.com/rolex-caliber-3085/ Rolex Caliber 3085 Complete Guide] — Millenary Watches
* [https://www.beyondthedial.com/post/collector-guide-the-rolex-explorer-ii-all-references-in-detail/ Collector Guide: The Rolex Explorer II — All References in Detail] — Beyond The Dial
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Explorer II]]
[[Category:Family Index]]

Reference:explorer

2026-09-05T01:22:31Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Explorer}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Explorer — Reference Guide to Every Model & Year | Rolexopedia
|description=Every Rolex Explorer I reference from the 1952 pre-Explorer 6150 through the current 124270 and 224270. Production histories, dial variants, movement specs, and collector context.
|keywords=Rolex Explorer, Explorer I, 1016, 6150, 6350, 6610, 14270, 114270, 214270, 124270, 224270, vintage Rolex
|image=Ref Explorer everest 1953.webp
|image_alt=Hillary and Norgay's 1953 Everest expedition — the event that launched the Explorer name
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-16T04:55:10Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:59:57Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

== Rolex Explorer I ==
The Explorer launched in 1953, the same year as the Submariner, and took its name from Rolex's run of supplied watches on Himalayan expeditions through the early 1950s. The Hillary and Norgay Everest ascent that May supplied the marketing peg, though the dial layout had already been settled on the 6150. The line is defined by three things: a 36mm Oyster case (until the 214270 stretched it to 39mm in 2010), a 3-6-9 Arabic-numeral dial, and Mercedes hands. No date, no rotating bezel, no complications of any kind.

The [[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer II]] arrived in 1971 with a 24-hour hand aimed at cavers and polar workers who lose track of day and night. It runs across five references (1655, 16550, 16570, 216570, 226570) on its own movement family and is documented separately. This page covers Explorer I.

[[File:Ref Explorer everest 1953.webp|thumb|center|500px|alt=Hillary and Norgay's 1953 Everest expedition — the event that launched the Explorer name|Hillary and Norgay's 1953 Everest expedition — the event that launched the Explorer name]]

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a vintage 36mm Explorer?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1016|1016]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The twenty-nine-year foundation reference, gilt Types 0 through 6, matte Marks 0 through 5.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a sapphire-era 36mm?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:14270|14270]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First sapphire-crystal Explorer, caliber 3000, five dial generations, plus the Blackout variant that re-set the modern Explorer market.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a 39mm dial photo?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:214270|214270]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First size change in fifty-seven years. Caliber 3132 with Paraflex shock absorbers, and the Mark 1 (no lume numerals) vs Mark 2 (lume) split.</div></div></div>
</div>

== Pre-Explorer and early references (1952–1959) ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:6150|6150]] || 1952–1953 (or 1959) || A296 (non-COSC) || 36mm SS || First 3-6-9 layout; most dials say "Precision," not "Explorer"
|-
| [[Reference:6350|6350]] || 1953–1955 || A296 (COSC) || 36mm SS || First ref where ALL dials say "Explorer"; honeycomb variant
|-
| [[Reference:6610|6610]] || 1955–1959 || Cal. 1030 || 36mm SS || Upgraded movement; red depth rating and Albino variants
|}

== The foundation reference (1960–1989) ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:1016|1016]] || ~1960–1989 || Cal. 1560, then 1570 || 36mm SS || 29-year run; gilt Types 0–6, matte Marks 0–5; the definitive Explorer
|}

== Modern references (1989–2021) ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:14270|14270]] || 1989–2001 || Cal. 3000 || 36mm SS || Sapphire crystal; Blackout variant; 5 dial generations
|-
| [[Reference:114270|114270]] || 2001–2010 || Cal. 3130 || 36mm SS || Parachrom hairspring; solid end links; engraved rehaut late
|-
| [[Reference:214270|214270]] || 2010–2021 || Cal. 3132 || 39mm SS || First size change in 57 years; Mark 1 (no lume) vs Mark 2 (lume)
|}

== Movement progression ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Caliber !! Frequency !! Power reserve !! Used in !! Notes
|-
| A296 || — || — || 6150, 6350 || Pre-1560 era; COSC-certified in 6350 only
|-
| 1030 || — || — || 6610 || Upgrade from A296; thinner caseback
|-
| 1560 || 18,000 vph || — || 1016 (early) || Microstella adjustment; first "Superlative Chronometer"
|-
| 1570 || 19,800 vph || — || 1016 (from ~1965) || Hacking added 1971
|-
| 3000 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr || 14270 || Last Rolex with balance cock
|-
| 3130 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr || 114270 || Parachrom hairspring; balance bridge
|-
| 3132 || 28,800 vph || 48 hr || 214270 || Paraflex shock absorbers
|}

== Explorer-adjacent curiosities ==

Not every steel-sport Rolex from this period wears the Explorer name, even when it shares the family's case and dial vocabulary. The Space-Dweller swaps the 1016's dial text for a Japanese-market variant and has never had its own reference number confirmed. The [[Reference:6429|6429 Commando]] is a smaller, cheaper, manual-wind 34mm watch Rolex sold through Abercrombie & Fitch in the late 1960s — Explorer-adjacent by case and dial language, not by name or by movement.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:explorer-ii|Explorer-II]] — the 24-hour sibling. Same Explorer DNA, fixed bezel, an extra hour hand for cavers and polar workers.
* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — the parallel 1953 launch. Same year, same case architecture, different tool job.
* [[Reference:air-king|Air-King]] — the shared-case cousin. The 1500-family movement that powers the 1016 also powers the 5500; the 5504 wears a 1016 case with Air-King dial text.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any Explorer from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the calibers used across the Explorer line
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-from-1953-36mm-1016-14270-114270-214270-124270-in-depth-review/ The History of the Rolex Explorer] — Frank Geelen, Monochrome Watches (2024)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-explorer-reference-points Collector's Guide To The Rolex Explorer I] — Jon Bues, Hodinkee (2022)
* [https://explorer1016.com/ Explorer1016.com] — Andrew Hantel (definitive 1016 dial variant resource)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.rolex.com/watches/explorer Rolex.com Explorer Collection] — official current specs

[[Category:Explorer]]
[[Category:Family Index]]

Reference:daytona-glossary

2026-09-05T01:22:31Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Daytona Glossary}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Daytona Glossary — Dial Variants, Movement, Bracelet Terms — Rolexopedia
|description=Complete glossary for the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona: Paul Newman Mk1-4, RCO, JPS, Lemon, Big Red, Albino, Patrizzi, Neanderthal, Unicorn, Le Roi Soleil, GT Champion, and every named dial variant across the 1962-2016 manual-wind, Zenith, and in-house cal 4130 generations. Also movement, bracelet, clasp, case, and crystal terms.
|keywords=Rolex Daytona glossary, Paul Newman dial, RCO, Oyster Sotto, JPS, Lemon dial, Big Red, Patrizzi, Sigma, Albino, Neanderthal, Unicorn, Le Roi Soleil, cal 4030, cal 4130, cal 727, Valjoux 72, SEL, Oysterlock, Triplock
|image=Daytona vintage poster.webp
|type=Article
}}

<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] › '''Glossary'''</small>

= Daytona glossary =

Terms that recur across the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona catalogue: dial variants, movement generations, bracelet and clasp references, case and bezel construction. Each entry links back to the reference where the term is documented in full.

== Dial variants ==

=== Paul Newman and exotic dial family ===

'''Paul Newman dial.''' Singer-made Cosmograph dial with art-deco block markers, cross-hairs on the sub-dials, and 15/30/45 numerals on the 30-minute register. Fitted to six manual-wind references: [[Reference:6239|6239]], [[Reference:6241|6241]], [[Reference:6262|6262]], [[Reference:6263|6263]], [[Reference:6264|6264]], and [[Reference:6265|6265]]. Full treatment on [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona|Paul Newman Daytona]].

'''Mk1 through Mk4.''' Collector shorthand for the four main Paul Newman dial generations. Mk1 has no Daytona line, Mk2 adds it, Mk3 is the Big Eyes generation, and Mk4 is the late narrow-marker run. See [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona#Mark_1_through_Mark_4_progression|the full progression table]].

'''Big Eyes.''' The Mk3 sub-mark of the Paul Newman dial, named for the visually larger sub-dial outer rings. 1969–1972 production.

'''RCO (Rolex Cosmograph Oyster).''' Rare Paul Newman dial where the 12 o'clock text reads "ROLEX COSMOGRAPH OYSTER" with OYSTER printed below Cosmograph rather than above. Documented only on [[Reference:6263|6263]] and [[Reference:6265|6265]]. Also called Oyster Sotto (Italian for "Oyster underneath"). The Oyster Sotto 6263 sold CHF 1,662,500 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018.

'''Oyster Sotto.''' Italian collector shorthand for the RCO dial layout. See RCO above.

'''JPS (John Player Special).''' Paul Newman dial on a yellow gold case with black ground and gold-toned sub-dial surrounds and hour markers, named for the John Player Special-sponsored Lotus F1 team livery of the 1970s. The 14k yellow gold [[Reference:6241|6241]] is the most populous JPS host (fewer than 400 produced, North American market).

'''Lemon dial.''' Yellow lacquer full-dial finish fitted to rare gold-case 6263 and 6265 examples. Bob Ridley's 2017 bench examination of a gold 6241 for ''Revolution'' reports that gold-case Paul Newman Daytonas are always the Lemon variant, the rare RCO examples aside.

=== 6263 / 6265 specialty dials ===

'''Big Red Daytona.''' Standard 6263 dial with "DAYTONA" printed in red block letters above the 6 o'clock sub-register. Introduced ~1976, default 6263 dial by the early 1980s. Paul Newman's own 6263 — a Big Red — sold Phillips NY December 2020 for USD 5.48M. See [[Reference:6263|6263]].

'''Floating Big Red.''' Transitional variant where the DAYTONA text sits visibly further from the sub-dial than on standard Big Red. Rare, and it carries a meaningful premium.

'''Small Red.''' Late-1980s variant where the red DAYTONA is rendered in a noticeably smaller font than the Big Red. See [[Reference:6263|6263]] and [[Reference:6265|6265]].

'''Sigma dial.''' Dial with σσ symbols flanking SWISS at the 6 o'clock chapter, denoting gold-applied hour markers. Swiss-industry convention for identifying precious-metal components. Appears ~1972–1978 across both [[Reference:6263|6263]] and [[Reference:6265|6265]].

'''Albino 6263.''' White-on-white monochromatic dial: silver sub-dials on a white base, bearing only "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" without the standard "Daytona" wording. Three known examples. Authenticity is contested. Benjamin Clymer's 2013 Hodinkee piece treats it as a factory Rolex variant; Jose Pereztroika at Perezcope (2025) reads it as a 1990s Tom Bolt construction. See [[Reference:6263|6263]].

'''Tropical.''' Production-period black dial that oxidised to brown under UV exposure or heat. These are aged production dials valued for their patina, not a factory variant in their own right. Distinct from Patrizzi, which affects only the sub-dial outer rings.

'''Double Swiss Underline.''' Earliest [[Reference:6239|6239]] production with a line under "SWISS" at the dial base and a second "SWISS" printed just above, marking the transition out of radium.

=== 6238 / 6240 specialty dials ===

'''Neanderthal 6240.''' Disputed dial configuration presented at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 as the earliest Paul Newman prototype. Pereztroika's 2022 dossier reads the dial as a late-1990s construction off a 6238 donor, citing the April 1998 ''Orologi & Market''. Both positions are on record. See [[Reference:6240|6240]].

=== 6265 specialty dials ===

'''Unicorn 6265.''' The only known white gold 6265 (case 2877587, manufactured 1970). Sold CHF 5,937,500 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018, second-highest Rolex auction result at the time. Pereztroika's 2022 Frankenstein analysis disputes authenticity from 2010 Instagram photographs and millerighe pusher detail. Both readings remain on record. See [[Reference:6265|6265]].

=== Middle Eastern commissions ===

'''Sultan of Oman Khanjar.''' 6263 / 6265 examples carrying the Omani red Khanjar (curved dagger) emblem above the 6 o'clock sub-dial. Made in small numbers for Sultan Qaboos in the mid-1970s. Some examples carry Asprey signature. A Khanjar 6263 with Asprey signature sold USD 864,521 at Christie's Lesson One, Geneva, November 2013.

'''UAE Quraysh Hawk.''' 6263 example carrying the UAE military emblem (Hawk of Quraish with Arabic script reading "UAE armed forces") at 6 o'clock. Made for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum during his UAE defence ministry tenure. Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 Lot 13, estimate CHF 200,000–400,000.

'''Arabian Knight 6263.''' Eastern Arabic numeral hour markers; white gold quarter-hour markers; Sigma logos at 6 referencing the white gold indices. Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 Lot 21, estimate CHF 1.5M–3.0M. Featured once in print before 2018; no comparable auction precedent.

=== Zenith era (cal 4030) dial progression ===

'''MK1 Floating Cosmograph Porcelain.''' First-year R-serial (1988) [[Reference:16520|16520]]-generation dial. Extra space between COSMOGRAPH and the next four lines; inverted 6 in the 9 o'clock hour totaliser; porcelain / glossy finish. The 16520 variant whose values have moved hardest since 2015.

'''MK2 Floating 4-Liner.''' L-serial (1989–1990) dial. OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED line missing — dial reads four lines of text instead of five. Photographed alongside the early 50–200 "UNITS PER HOUR" bezel in Luca Garbati's images of the Cattin Collection.

'''MK3 Inverted 6.''' E/N/X/C-serial (1990–1992). Inverted 6 in the 9 o'clock sub-dial; OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED restored.

'''MK4 Corrected 6.''' S/T-serial (1993–1996). Corrected 6 orientation; T SWISS T tritium markings; Patrizzi sub-dial varnish reaction eligibility window starts here.

'''MK5, MK6.''' Late-tritium T/U-serial (1996–1998). Stefano Mazzariol's original five-mark typology, relayed by Ross Povey in ''Revolution'' (2018), collapses MK5 and MK6 into one; the seven-mark expansion remains contested.

'''MK7.''' U/A/P-serial (1998–2000). Super-LumiNova replaces tritium; SWISS MADE replaces T SWISS T.

'''Patrizzi dial.''' Zenith-era dial where the varnish over the silver sub-dial rings turns brown. Named for Osvaldo Patrizzi. Window sits in the mid-1990s by most accounts. Genuine Patrizzi ageing usually runs uneven across the three sub-dials; a perfectly even effect should be treated with suspicion.

'''Darth Vader.''' 16520 variant where the silver sub-dial chapter rings have faded to a near-black tone, the inverse of the Patrizzi browning. Documented by Karyn Orrico in Sotheby's Zenith Daytona guide (2025).

'''Le Roi Soleil 16518.''' The only known Van Cleef & Arpels-signed 16518 — locally-printed VCA logo with paint-drip authentication detail, VCA letter-of-provenance with 1995 sale date. Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 Lot 18, estimate CHF 50,000–100,000. See [[Reference:16518|16518]].

'''Beach dial family.''' Pastel mother-of-pearl layouts on [[Reference:16518|16518]] and [[Reference:16519|16519]] — pink, salmon, pale blue MOP base with painted Roman or applied indices. Chrysoprase, lapis lazuli, sodalite stone variants sit in this family. Rolex did not issue them in a single canonical layout.

=== In-house cal 4130 era dials ===

'''APH error dial.''' 116520 variant with a visible kerning gap between "Cosmogr" and "aph" in the dial text, first seen on white dials in 2009 and black in 2010. Documented by Phillips's Logan Baker. Carries a small market premium despite being a misprint. See [[Reference:116520|116520]].

'''2011 GT Champion 116523.''' Grey-rhodium soleil dial on a G-serial (circa 2010) 116523 presented to The Racer's Group for the #67 Porsche's GT-class win at the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Crown Royal Cask No. 16. Caseback engraved with the 2011 GT Champion mark. See [[Reference:116523|116523]].

'''Mexican red dial.''' Late-production 116528 sub-branch — black lacquer dial with red DAYTONA script more prominent than the standard configuration. See [[Reference:116528|116528]].

=== Stone and gem-set dial types ===

'''Sodalite.''' Deep-blue mineral dial with applied gold markers. Documented across gold-case references: [[Reference:16518|16518]], [[Reference:16519|16519]], [[Reference:16528|16528]], [[Reference:116520|116520]], [[Reference:116523|116523]], [[Reference:116528|116528]].

'''Lapis lazuli.''' Deeper blue-black flecked stone dial with applied markers. [[Reference:16518|16518]] and [[Reference:16528|16528]].

'''Mother-of-pearl (MOP).''' White or Tahitian (dark) MOP base with sub-dials cut from the same material on most examples. Appears across gold and in-house gen-1 references.

'''Diamond markers.''' Applied diamond hour markers in place of gold five-minute markers. Factory configurations documented by Sotheby's across the gold cal 4030 and cal 4130 generations.

'''Sapphire markers.''' Blue sapphire hour markers. Less common than diamond configurations.

'''Pavé.''' Factory-set diamond pavé across the dial surface, with or without coloured-stone accents (ruby, sapphire). Distinguishing factory from aftermarket pavé requires case-by-case authentication.

== Movement ==

'''Valjoux 72.''' Manual-wind chronograph base movement used in the Daytona from [[Reference:6238|6238]] in 1962 through the [[Reference:6263|6263]] / [[Reference:6265|6265]] in 1988. Rolex modifications produced calibers 722, 722-1, and 727 across the generation.

'''Cal 722.''' Early Rolex designation on the Valjoux 72 base, 18,000 vph. Used in the [[Reference:6238|6238]] and early [[Reference:6239|6239]] production.

'''Cal 722-1.''' Intermediate Valjoux 72 generation, late 1960s. Used in [[Reference:6239|6239]], [[Reference:6240|6240]], [[Reference:6241|6241]].

'''Cal 727.''' Final manual-wind Daytona caliber. The 1969–1970 transition lifted the beat from 18,000 to 21,600 vph. Used in [[Reference:6262|6262]], [[Reference:6263|6263]], [[Reference:6264|6264]], [[Reference:6265|6265]] through 1988. See [[Reference:Movements#cal-727|cal 727]].

'''Cal 4030 (Zenith Daytona).''' Zenith El Primero base, heavily reworked by Rolex and used from 1988 to 2000. 28,800 vph, 31 jewels, no date, free-sprung balance, COSC. Published power reserve is usually given as 52 or 54 hours. See [[Reference:Movements#cal-4030|cal 4030]].

'''Cal 4130 (in-house chronograph).''' Rolex's first wholly in-house chronograph movement. Vertical-clutch coupling, column-wheel switching, 72-hour power reserve, 44 jewels, 28,800 vph, COSC. Used 2000–2016 in the 116520 / 116523 / 116528 (and continues in post-2019 ceramic-bezel successors). See [[Reference:Movements#cal-4130|cal 4130]].

'''Zenith El Primero base.''' The 1969 Zenith El Primero 400 was the base movement Rolex used for the cal 4030. Rolex slowed it from 36,000 to 28,800 vph, replaced the escapement with a free-sprung Breguet balance, removed the date, and stamped it cal 4030. The Zenith branding never appeared on a Rolex-signed dial.

== Bracelet and clasp ==

'''Oyster bracelet.''' Three-link flat construction used across every Daytona generation in various references: 7205 / 7836 / 78350 (manual-wind era), 78360 / 78390 (Zenith era), 78490 (in-house gen 1). See [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]].

'''SEL (Solid End Link).''' Bracelet construction where the end-link is integral to the first link rather than a separate stamped piece. Introduced on the 16520 at the U-serial (1997–1998) transition and standard on every in-house-era Daytona thereafter.

'''78360.''' Heavy-link Oyster bracelet, 1976–1993. Used on the early Zenith [[Reference:16520|16520]] (R-serial through early S-serial 1988–1993).

'''78390.''' Zenith-era Oyster successor to the 78360, 1993–2000. Used on the 16520 from S-serial 1993 through end of production.

'''78490.''' In-house era SEL Oyster bracelet. Used on the [[Reference:116520|116520]] 2000–2016. 78690 turns up in some listings, but that reference belongs to the Explorer 14270 bracelet; 78490 is the consensus identification for the 116520.

'''Oysterlock.''' Rolex's safety clasp with a folding cover over a folding clasp. Multiple generations across the Daytona run.

'''Easylink.''' 5mm comfort extension inside the Oysterlock clasp — a lever-and-keeper that gives a micro-adjustment without tools. Arrived on the [[Reference:116520|116520]] around 2002–2003.

'''Glidelock.''' Micro-extension mechanism introduced on Submariner-line clasps in 2010. The Daytona never adopted it; Easylink is the only on-bracelet adjustment the 116520 generation offered.

'''Clasp date code.''' Single-letter code stamped inside the clasp blade. Runs A=1976 through CP=2011 with a 1995–98 overlap window (T/W/U/V/Z). Randomised from 2011 onward. S-prefix marks a service-replacement clasp, not a production year. See [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]] for the full key.

== Case, bezel, crystal, crown ==

'''Oyster case.''' Rolex's water-resistant case construction with screw-down caseback, screw-down crown, and screw-down pushers on chronograph variants. Introduced on the Daytona with the [[Reference:6240|6240]] in 1965.

'''Triplock.''' Screw-down crown sealing on three rubber gaskets. Rated to 100m / 330ft on the 16520-generation and 116520-generation Daytona.

'''Twinlock.''' Earlier screw-down crown sealing on two rubber gaskets. Used on manual-wind Daytona (6239 onward) before the Triplock arrived with the Zenith generation.

'''Screw-down pushers.''' Chronograph pushers that lock to prevent accidental actuation underwater. Introduced on the [[Reference:6240|6240]] in 1965, and the feature that defines the screw-pusher Oyster Daytona line: the [[Reference:6240|6240]], [[Reference:6263|6263]], [[Reference:6265|6265]], and every subsequent Daytona reference.

'''Pump pushers.''' Non-screw-down chronograph pushers. Used on the earlier [[Reference:6239|6239]], [[Reference:6241|6241]], [[Reference:6262|6262]], and [[Reference:6264|6264]].

'''Engraved metal tachymetre bezel.''' Tachymetre scale engraved directly into the bezel metal (steel or precious metal). Defines the [[Reference:6239|6239]], [[Reference:6262|6262]], [[Reference:6265|6265]], and the Zenith and in-house gen-1 steel references.

'''Acrylic bezel insert.''' Black acrylic insert carrying a printed tachymetric scale, fitted into the bezel. Defines the [[Reference:6240|6240]], [[Reference:6241|6241]], [[Reference:6263|6263]], and [[Reference:6264|6264]] — the 6264 is the acrylic-bezel sibling of the engraved-metal [[Reference:6262|6262]].

'''Cerachrom.''' Rolex's ceramic bezel material. It reached the Cosmograph in 2011 on the Everose-gold [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]], then the platinum [[Reference:116506|116506]] in 2013, and steel in 2016 with the [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]]. The steel and Rolesor [[Reference:116520|116520]]-generation references kept an engraved metal tachymetre bezel throughout.

'''Acrylic crystal.''' Plexiglass crystal used on every manual-wind Daytona (6238 through 6265). Replaced by sapphire at the 16520 generation (1988).

'''Sapphire crystal.''' Flat sapphire crystal with no Cyclops. Used on every Zenith-era and in-house gen-1 Daytona from 1988 onward.

== Serial systems ==

'''Numeric serials (pre-1987).''' Sequential numbers, about one million serials per decade. Used through the manual-wind era. See [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial decoder]].

'''Letter serials (1987–2010).''' One letter prefix per production year. Covers the Zenith-era Daytona (R 1988 through P 2000) and the early in-house 116520 generation through 2010. See [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial decoder]].

'''Random alphanumeric (2010+).''' Rolex randomised serials in 2010 to combat counterfeit decoding. Post-2010 116520 / 116523 / 116528 production carries random eight-character alphanumeric strings with no public year mapping.

== Auction landmarks ==

'''Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018.''' 32-watch thematic sale curated by Pucci Papaleo with Aurel Bacs at the rostrum. Reset price ceilings across the manual-wind Daytona category. Highlights: the Unicorn 6265 (CHF 5,937,500), the Neanderthal 6240 (CHF 3,012,500), the Oyster Sotto 6263 (CHF 1,662,500).

'''Phillips Winning Icons, New York, 26 October 2017.''' Paul Newman's own 6239 MK1 sold for USD 17,752,500 — the highest price paid for any Rolex at public auction. See [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona|Paul Newman Daytona]].

'''Phillips New York, 12 December 2020.''' Paul Newman's own Big Red 6263, its caseback engraved "DRIVE SLOWLY JOANNE" by Joanne Woodward, who bought the watch for him in 1983. Newman gave it to his daughter Clea Newman Soderlund in 2008; the lot sold for USD 5,475,000. The engraving is the companion to the "DRIVE CAREFULLY ME" Woodward had put on his [[Reference:6239|6239]] fifteen years earlier.

'''Christie's Lesson One, Geneva, 10 November 2013.''' The first Paul Newman to breach seven figures at auction — an Oyster Sotto 6263 hammered at about USD 1.089M.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]]
* [[Reference:6239|Daytona 6239]] — first Cosmograph
* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]] — manual-wind Oyster
* [[Reference:16520|Daytona 16520]] — first automatic (Zenith)
* [[Reference:116500LN|Daytona 116500LN]] — the ceramic-bezel modern Daytona

== Sources ==
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018] — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, curated by Pucci Papaleo (auction catalogue)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080117/8 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239, Lot 8, Winning Icons] — Phillips, New York, 26 October 2017
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Rolex Ref. 6263 Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red", Lot 38] — Phillips, New York, 12 December 2020 (case 6'392'137, sold USD 5,475,000)
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2013/11/spectacular-results-at-christies-rolex-daytona-lesson-one-auction-in-geneva-including-a-million-dollar-paul-newman.html Spectacular Results at Christie's Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" Auction] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches (2013)
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/a-movement-in-history-the-zenith-driven-rolex-daytona/ A Movement in History: The Zenith-driven Rolex Daytona] — Ross Povey, Revolution (2018)
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ The Rolex "John Player Special" Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241] — Bob Ridley, Revolution (2017)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-daytona-zenith-a-sothebys-guide Rolex Daytona Zenith: The Essential Guide] — Karyn Orrico, Sotheby's (2025)
* [https://mazzariolstefanoblog.com/en/stefano-mazzariol-blog-en/studio-sul-rolex-daytona-ref-116520-la-storia-i-mark-e-levoluzione-blog/ Study on the Rolex Daytona Ref. 116520: The History, the Marks and the Evolution] — Stefano Mazzariol
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee (2012–2013, three parts)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee (2013)
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/127946519/rolex-daytona-aph-dial-116520-error Accidents Happen: How a Kerning Mistake Created a More Desirable Daytona] — Logan Baker, Phillips
* [https://perezcope.com/2022/12/31/rolex-daytona-6265-the-unicorn-frankenstein-plot/ Rolex Daytona 6265 — The "Unicorn" Frankenstein Plot] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2022)
* [https://perezcope.com/2022/11/03/rolex-daytona-6240-paul-newman-neanderthal-a-myth-goes-extinct/ Rolex Daytona 6240 Paul Newman "Neanderthal" — A Myth Goes Extinct] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2022)
* [https://perezcope.com/2025/12/03/not-quite-whiter-than-white-the-reality-of-the-rare-rolex-albino-daytona-ref-6263/ Not Quite Whiter Than White: The Reality of the Rare Rolex 'Albino' Daytona Ref. 6263] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2025)

[[Category:Daytona]]
[[Category:Glossary]]

Reference:daytona

2026-09-05T01:22:30Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Cosmograph Daytona}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Daytona — Reference Guide to Every Model & Year | Rolexopedia
|description=Every pre-2020 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference, from the 1962 Pre-Daytona 6238 through the 2000-2016 in-house cal 4130 generation. Production histories, dial variants, movement specs, and collector context.
|keywords=Rolex Daytona, Cosmograph Daytona, Paul Newman Daytona, Zenith Daytona, vintage Daytona, 6239, 6263, 6265, 16520, 116520, manual-wind chronograph, Valjoux 72, cal 4030, cal 4130
|image=Daytona vintage poster.webp
|image_alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-19T03:23:49Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:59:41Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

The Cosmograph Daytona is Rolex's chronograph line and the family that now anchors the brand's collector market. Rolex launched it in 1963, ran the manual-wind generation to 1988, switched to Zenith-based automatics that same year, and brought the movement in-house with cal 4130 in 2000.

The map runs in four blocks: the 6238 Pre-Daytona, then the manual-wind Daytona from 1963 to 1988, the Zenith automatic from 1988 to 2000, and the in-house 4130 era from 2000 to 2016. Current ceramic-era production sits outside this page.

Origins from 1937 to 1963 sit on a dedicated page. The Antimagnetique, Monoblocco, and 4xxx tonneau Oyster chronographs that hand the layout to the [[Reference:6239|6239]] are tracked under [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|pre-Daytona chronographs]].

[[File:Daytona vintage poster.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line|Vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona advertising — the chronograph that defined the line]]

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a manual-wind acrylic Daytona?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:6263|6263]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Longest-running manual-wind Daytona, caliber 727, screw-down pushers. Hosts the Albino, Big Red, RCO, and the retailer-signed branches.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a Zenith-era dial photo?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:16520|16520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Twelve years on caliber 4030 with the seven-mark dial progression — MK1 floating Cosmograph porcelain through MK7 Luminova, plus the Patrizzi sub-branch.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking an in-house automatic Daytona?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:116520|116520]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First in-house Daytona, caliber 4130 with vertical clutch and column wheel, sixteen-year run from 2000 to 2016.</div></div></div>
</div>

== Manual-wind chronograph (1962–1988) ==

This is the Valjoux 72 era. Rolex first sold the 6238 as the Pre-Daytona, then moved the tachymetre to the bezel on the 6239. Screw-down pushers and the Oyster case arrived with the 6240, while the 6241 kept pump pushers behind an acrylic bezel insert. After the brief transitional 6262 and 6264, the 6263 and 6265 carried the manual-wind line out to 1988 on caliber 727.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Bezel !! Pushers !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:6238|6238]] || 1962–1968 || 722 || Smooth || Pump || "Pre-Daytona"; chronograph without the Daytona name; tachymetre printed on the dial
|-
| [[Reference:6239|6239]] || 1963–1969 || 722 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Pump || First true Cosmograph Daytona; Paul Newman's reference
|-
| [[Reference:6240|6240]] || 1965–1969 || 722-1 || Acrylic black insert || Screw-down || First Oyster Daytona; introduced screw-down pushers and 100m water resistance
|-
| [[Reference:6241|6241]] || 1966–1969 || 722-1 || Acrylic black insert || Pump || Pump-pusher sibling of the 6240; hosts the 14k yellow gold John Player Special
|-
| [[Reference:6262|6262]] || 1970–1972 || 727 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Pump || Brief transitional pair — pump pushers with the new 21,600 vph caliber
|-
| [[Reference:6263|6263]] || 1969–1988 || 727 || Acrylic black insert || Screw-down || Longest-running manual-wind Daytona; Albino, Big Red, RCO, every retailer-signed branch
|-
| [[Reference:6264|6264]] || 1970–1972 || 727 || Acrylic black insert || Pump || Acrylic-bezel pump-pusher sibling of the engraved-metal 6262; same brief window
|-
| [[Reference:6265|6265]] || 1971–1988 || 727 || Engraved metal tachymetre || Screw-down || Metal-bezel sibling of the 6263; the Unicorn 18k white gold lives here
|}

== Zenith automatic (1988–2000) ==

Rolex reworked the Zenith El Primero into caliber 4030 by cutting the beat rate, removing the date, and fitting a Rolex balance and escapement. The 16520 is the steel reference; 16518, 16519, 16523, and 16528 are the gold and Rolesor parallels. The 16520 dial map is the main collector battleground of the era.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Material !! Bracelet !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:16520|16520]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || Stainless steel || Oyster (78360 → 78390) || First automatic Daytona; MK1 floating Cosmograph porcelain through MK7 Luminova; Patrizzi
|-
| [[Reference:16518|16518]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Leather strap || Yellow gold leather-strap sibling
|-
| [[Reference:16519|16519]] || 1989–2000 || 4030 || 18k white gold || Leather strap || White gold leather-strap sibling
|-
| [[Reference:16523|16523]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Rolesor) || Oyster || Two-tone Rolesor variant
|-
| [[Reference:16528|16528]] || 1988–2000 || 4030 || 18k yellow gold || Oyster || Yellow gold bracelet sibling
|}

== In-house cal 4130 (2000–2016) ==

Caliber 4130 brought vertical clutch, column wheel, and a 72-hour reserve. The 116520 is the steel reference; 116523 and 116528 are the Rolesor and yellow-gold siblings. Cerachrom reached the Cosmograph in 2011 on the Everose-gold [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]], then the platinum [[Reference:116506|116506]] in 2013, and steel in 2016 with the [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]]. The 2017 Baselworld release carried it across the remaining precious metals on the Oysterflex strap: the yellow gold [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]], the white gold [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]], and the 116515LN re-cased off leather.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Material !! Bezel !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:116520|116520]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || Stainless steel || Steel tachymetre || First in-house Daytona; APH error dial; Fratello-measured 38.5mm true case
|-
| [[Reference:116523|116523]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Rolesor) || Gold tachymetre || Two-tone Rolesor variant; Rolex 24 At Daytona GT Champion presentation watches
|-
| [[Reference:116528|116528]] || 2000–2016 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Full yellow gold bracelet variant; Eric Clapton's example sold 2017
|-
| [[Reference:116518|116518]] || 2000–c.2015 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Yellow gold leather-strap counterpart to the 116528; alligator on yellow gold deployant; broad cal 4130 dial catalogue
|-
| [[Reference:116519|116519]] || c.2000–c.2016 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold tachymetre || White gold leather-strap counterpart to the 116509; carried the four pastel "Beach" dials with matching lizard straps; Paul Newman owned one
|-
| [[Reference:116509|116509]] || 2004–c.2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Engraved white gold tachymetre || Only cal 4130 Daytona on a white gold Oyster bracelet; broadest stone-dial catalogue — meteorite, chrysoprase, turquoise, sodalite
|-
| [[Reference:116505|116505]] || 2008–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Engraved Everose tachymetre || First Everose Daytona; Baselworld 2008 launch; chocolate, black, ivory, sundust, and 2021 meteorite dial branches
|-
| [[Reference:116515LN|116515LN]] || 2011–2023 || 4130 || 18k Everose gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || First Cerachrom Daytona; Baselworld 2011 launch; leather strap to 2017, Oysterflex after
|-
| [[Reference:116508|116508]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Gold tachymetre || Bracelet-mounted yellow gold successor to the 116528; introduced the green sundust dial
|-
| [[Reference:116503|116503]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Steel + 18k yellow gold (Yellow Rolesor) || Engraved gold tachymetre || Rolesor successor to the 116523; 2016 bezel redraw with triangular markers; last engraved-gold-bezel Daytona on a steel case
|-
| [[Reference:116500LN|116500LN]] || 2016–2023 || 4130 || Stainless steel || Black Cerachrom monobloc || First steel Cerachrom Daytona; Baselworld 2016; "Panda" white-dial and black-dial versions; one of the highest-traffic references in the family
|-
| [[Reference:116506|116506]] || 2013–2023 || 4130 || 950 platinum || Chestnut Cerachrom monobloc || First platinum Daytona; Baselworld 2013 for the 50th anniversary; ice-blue dial; standard / baguette-diamond / Arabic-Indic sub-references
|-
| [[Reference:116519LN|116519LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k white gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || White gold half of the 2017 Cerachrom-on-precious-metal launch; Oysterflex from inception
|-
| [[Reference:116518LN|116518LN]] || 2017–2023 || 4130 || 18k yellow gold || Black Cerachrom monobloc || Yellow gold half of the 2017 Oysterflex launch; the champagne-and-black "Pikachu"; meteorite dial added 2021
|}

== Variant spotlights ==

Headline and disputed variants get their own pages, where the provenance and the authentication arguments run at full length:

* [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona|Paul Newman Daytona]]: the exotic dial family across six manual-wind host references (6239 / 6241 / 6262 / 6263 / 6264 / 6265). Mk1–Mk4 progression, five color types, RCO / Oyster Sotto, JPS, Lemon. Newman's own 6239 at USD 17,752,500 (Phillips Winning Icons, October 2017) and Big Red 6263 at USD 5,475,000 (Phillips NY, December 2020).
* [[Reference:albino-daytona|Albino 6263]]: the white-on-white monochromatic dial; three documented examples; three-way authenticity dispute between Hodinkee, Jose Pereztroika of Perezcope, and Sotheby's; Clapton provenance arc from USD 50,190 (Christie's 2003) to USD 952,500 (Sotheby's Abu Dhabi 2025).
* [[Reference:unicorn-daytona|Unicorn 6265]]: the only known 18k white gold manual-wind Daytona; Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 headline at CHF 5,937,500; Pereztroika's 2022 Frankenstein dossier disputing authenticity with 2010 Newoldschlock Instagram photographs and millerighe pusher forensics.
* [[Reference:big-red-daytona|Big Red 6263]]: standard / Floating Big Red / Small Red variants; Paul Newman's own Big Red, its caseback engraved "DRIVE SLOWLY JOANNE" by Joanne Woodward, who bought the watch for him in 1983. Newman gave it to his daughter Clea Newman Soderlund in 2008, and it sold at Phillips NY in December 2020 for USD 5,475,000.
* [[Reference:neanderthal-daytona|Neanderthal 6240]]: Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 presented this as the earliest Paul Newman prototype, sold CHF 3,012,500. Pereztroika's November 2022 dossier disputes the prototype framing using the April 1998 ''Orologi & Market'' page 44 as contemporaneous evidence of a post-production construction.
* [[Reference:oyster-sotto-daytona|Oyster Sotto / RCO 6263]]: the rarest standard-production Paul Newman layout, with ROLEX COSMOGRAPH OYSTER text stack (OYSTER below Cosmograph rather than above). First Paul Newman to breach seven figures at Christie's Lesson One in 2013; hammered CHF 1,662,500 at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — the parallel dive-watch line. Same case-era splits and the other half of the steel-sports-Rolex collector market.
* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] — the parallel pilot line. Acrylic, sapphire, and ceramic crystal eras run on the same calendar.
* [[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller]] — the deeper-rated Submariner sibling. COMEX provenance overlaps the manual-wind Daytona auction record.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelets]] — the 7205, 7836, 78350, 78360, 78390, 78490, 8385, 93150 fitments and clasp date-code key (A=1976 to CP=2011, with the 1995–98 overlap).
* [[Reference:Movements|Movements]] — the Valjoux 72 manual-wind family (722 / 722-1 / 727), the Zenith-derived cal 4030, and the in-house cal 4130.
* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers]] — the three Rolex serial systems (numeric pre-1987, letter 1987–2010, random alphanumeric 2010+) with year-decoder tables.
* [[Reference:daytona-glossary|Glossary]] — every named dial variant, movement caliber, bracelet reference, and auction landmark consolidated with per-term definitions and links to the owning reference article.

== Sources ==
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Daytona Ultimatum, Geneva, 12 May 2018] — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, curated by Pucci Papaleo (auction catalogue)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080117/8 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6239, Lot 8, Winning Icons] — Phillips, New York, 26 October 2017
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/38 Rolex Ref. 6263 Cosmograph Daytona "Big Red", Lot 38] — Phillips, New York, 12 December 2020 (case 6'392'137, sold USD 5,475,000)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee (2012–2013, three parts)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee (2013)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona] — Erik Slaven, Monochrome (2024)
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/a-movement-in-history-the-zenith-driven-rolex-daytona/ A Movement in History: The Zenith-driven Rolex Daytona] — Ross Povey, Revolution (2018)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-daytona-zenith-a-sothebys-guide Rolex Daytona Zenith: The Essential Guide] — Karyn Orrico, Sotheby's (2025)
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/117303084/the-rolex-cosmograph-daytona-ref-116506-the-anniversary-watch-that-was-so-much-more The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116506] — Logan Baker, Phillips
* [https://perezcope.com/2022/12/31/rolex-daytona-6265-the-unicorn-frankenstein-plot/ Rolex Daytona 6265 — The "Unicorn" Frankenstein Plot] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2022)
* [https://perezcope.com/2022/11/03/rolex-daytona-6240-paul-newman-neanderthal-a-myth-goes-extinct/ Rolex Daytona 6240 Paul Newman "Neanderthal" — A Myth Goes Extinct] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2022)
* [https://perezcope.com/2025/12/03/not-quite-whiter-than-white-the-reality-of-the-rare-rolex-albino-daytona-ref-6263/ Not Quite Whiter Than White: The Reality of the Rare Rolex 'Albino' Daytona Ref. 6263] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope (2025)

[[Category:Daytona]]
[[Category:Family]]

Reference:day-date

2026-09-05T01:22:29Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Day-Date}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Day-Date President — Every Model & Year | Rolexopedia
|description=Every pre-2020 Rolex Day-Date reference, from the 1956 originals era (6510 / 6511 / 6611 / 6612 / 6612B) through the modern 6-digit 118238 / 118239 / 118235. Production histories, dial variant taxonomy (Stella, Stern stone, Buckley, Wide-Boy, Underline, Red Quarters, Sigma), movement progression, and presidential / Nasser / Sadat / LBJ / Khanjar provenance.
|keywords=Rolex Day-Date, President, 6510, 6611, 1803, 18038, 118238, 218238, Stella, Stern, Buckley, Wide-Boy, Underline, Red Quarters, Sigma, Khanjar, Tiffany double-signed, Nasser, LBJ, Lyndon Johnson
|image=Ref 118238 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Day-Date 118238 18k yellow gold champagne dial President
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-05-24T20:53:04Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:59:48Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

The Day-Date is the Rolex reference that spells the day of the week in full at twelve o'clock and shows the date at three. Marc Huguenin's patent for the day-and-date wristwatch complication was filed 23 July 1955; Rolex debuted the watch at the Basel Fair in 1956 as the [[Reference:6510|6510]]. The President bracelet — the bracelet that gives the line its modern shorthand — arrived a year later in 1957 with the [[Reference:6611|6611]]. The line has been in the catalogue continuously since 1956, and it is the only Rolex line offered in precious metal alone. Steel and Rolesor have never appeared on a cataloged Day-Date; the marketing-test six-piece steel 6611 from the Geneva Horology School, sold at Antiquorum in October 2002, is the only documented exception.

The index runs from the 6510 originals era through the 4-digit 1803 era, the 5-digit 18038 / 18028 / 18048 / 18078 cluster, and the modern 6-digit 118238 generation. The post-2019 Day-Date 40 and Day-Date 36 successors (128238 / 128239 / 128235 / 128236 / 128288 / 128289 / 228235 / 228238 / 228239 with cal 3255 from 2019) fall outside the vintage and discontinued focus here.

[[File:Ref 118238 hero.webp|thumb|center|400px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 118238 18k yellow gold champagne dial President|The modern Day-Date silhouette — fluted bezel, President bracelet, champagne stick-index dial — the configuration the line has carried since the 1957 introduction of the President bracelet on the 6611.]]
== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying the original 1956 Day-Date?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:6510|6510]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Marc Huguenin's 1955 patent, Basel 1956 launch, single-year cataloged run, Jubilee bracelet (the President bracelet arrives with the 6611 in 1957).</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking the canonical 4-digit Day-Date?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1803|1803]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Eighteen-year run 1959 to 1977-78, cal 1555 then cal 1556, the dial-variant explosion (Stella, Stern stone, Buckley, Wide-Boy, Underline, Red Quarters, Sigma), Nasser and LBJ provenance.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Researching a modern 36mm Day-Date?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:118238|118238]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Nineteen-year run 2000 to 2019, cal 3155 with double quickset, Parachrom Blu mid-run rollout, engraved rehaut from 2006-07, the last 36mm Day-Date before the 128238 took over.</div></div></div>
</div>

== Originals era (1956–1959) ==

The 6510 opens the line at Basel 1956 with the cal 1055 — Rolex's first day-and-date caliber. The 6611 follows in 1957 with the President bracelet and the upgraded cal 1055 (Microstella balance, SCOC certification). The cluster runs through 1959 before the 1803 takes over the 4-digit era.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Bezel !! Bracelet !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:6510|6510]] || 1956–57 || smooth / domed || Jubilee || The original Day-Date — cal 1055, single-year run, Italian-delivered case 134,636 is the earliest documented serial.
|-
| 6511 || 1956–57 || fluted || Jubilee || Parallel launch with the 6510. Introduces the fluted bezel that becomes the Day-Date signature.
|-
| 6611 || 1957–59 || fluted || President || First reference to wear the President bracelet. Upgraded cal 1055 with Microstella and SCOC dial.
|-
| 6612 || 1957–59 || smooth || President || Smooth-bezel sibling of the 6611.
|-
| 6613 || 1957–59 || gem-set || President || Factory diamond-set bezel sub-reference.
|-
| 6611B || 1958–59 || fluted || President || Late variant of the 6611.
|-
| 6612B || 1958–59 || smooth || President || Late variant of the 6612.
|}

== 4-digit era (1959–1977/78) ==

The 1803 anchors the era with an eighteen-year run, the longest single-reference Day-Date production. Its catalogue siblings differ only in bezel finish.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Bezel !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:1803|1803]] || 1959 to 1977-78 || cal 1555 → cal 1556 || fluted || The dial-variant-densest reference in the modern Rolex catalogue — Stella, Stern stone, Buckley Roman, Wide-Boy, Underline, Red Quarters, Sigma, Khanjar, Tiffany double-signed, Nasser/Sadat provenance.
|-
| [[Reference:1804|1804]] || 1959 to 1977-78 || cal 1555 / 1556 || gem-set || Factory diamond-set bezel in gold and platinum; the platinum Eastern-Arabic examples (Scheherazade) are among the most valuable 4-digit Day-Dates.
|-
| [[Reference:1806|1806]] || 1959 to 1977-78 || cal 1555 / 1556 || Florentine || Florentine finish on case, bezel and lugs; often on the rare brick bracelet.
|-
| [[Reference:1807|1807]] || 1959 to 1977-78 || cal 1555 / 1556 || bark || Full bark coverage on bezel + center links.
|-
| [[Reference:1811|1811]] || 1959 to 1977-78 || cal 1555 / 1556 || Morellis || Morellis (moiré) finish on bezel and bracelet center links.
|-
| [[Reference:1831|1831]] || c.1977 (special order) || cal 1556 / 1566 || diamond (integrated case) || The platinum "Emperor" — special-order integrated-bracelet case (1530 / 1630 / Oysterquartz idiom), about eight numbered examples for the household of the Shah of Iran plus the Omani Khanjar No. 9. Not a round President.
|}

== 5-digit era (1977–1988) ==

Sapphire crystal arrives with this generation, and caliber 3055 brings the first quickset date. The 18038 is the volume reference; its siblings differ by bezel and material.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Material !! Bezel !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:18038|18038]] || 1977–1988 || 18k yellow gold || fluted || First sapphire-crystal Day-Date. Stella third-series dials (T SWISS MADE T marking), Stern stone-dial 1980–1990 expansion, wood-burl revival, the uncatalogued Pleiade diamond-pattern sub-variant (~7,000 CHF factory surcharge).
|-
| [[Reference:18028|18028]] || 1977–1988 || 18k yellow gold || smooth || Rare smooth-bezel President — the dressy outlier; value lives in the dial (stone/Stella).
|-
| [[Reference:18048|18048]] || 1977–1988 || 18k yellow gold || gem-set || Factory diamond bezel with 44 round brilliants.
|-
| [[Reference:18078|18078]] || 1977–1988 || 18k yellow gold || bark || Bark-finish bezel and bark center links. Limited production.
|-
| 18039 || 1977–1988 || 18k white gold || fluted || White-gold equivalent of the 18038.
|-
| 18049 || 1977–1988 || 18k white gold || gem-set || White-gold equivalent of the 18048.
|-
| 18079 || 1977–1988 || 18k white gold || bark || White-gold equivalent of the 18078.
|-
| 18026 || 1977–1988 || platinum || smooth || Extremely rare platinum 5-digit Day-Date.
|}

== Late 5-digit era (1988–2000) ==

Caliber 3155 introduces double quickset (day and date both indexed from the crown). The 18238 takes the 36mm Day-Date through the 1990s.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Material !! Key distinction
|-
| 18238 || 1988–2000 || cal 3155 || 18k yellow gold || Double quickset on the 36mm President. Transition reference before the 118238 takes the case forward into the 6-digit era.
|-
| 18239 || 1988–2000 || cal 3155 || 18k white gold || White-gold sibling.
|-
| [[Reference:18248|18248]] / 18249 || 1988–2000 || cal 3155 || bark || Bark-finish (écorce) bezel and bark center links — the cal-3155 successor to the 18078. The diamond-bezel cal-3155 references are the [[Reference:18348|18348]] / 18349.
|-
| [[Reference:18348|18348]] / 18349 || 1988–2000 || cal 3155 || diamond || Factory diamond-set bezel; white gold 18349 (often Tridor), platinum 18346.
|-
| [[Reference:18208|18208]] / 18209 || 1988–2000 || cal 3155 || smooth || Plain polished bezel, the understated outlier; the platinum smooth is the ice-blue 18206.
|-
| 18078 / 18079 carryover || — || — || — || Bark-finish siblings continued from the 5-digit era.
|}

== 6-digit era (2000–2019) ==

The 118 generation refines the case and bracelet — broader lugs, solid centre links, concealed Crownclasp. Parachrom Blu hairspring rolls in from 2005; engraved rehaut from 2006–07. The 118238 closes the 36mm Day-Date era in 2019 before the 128238 takes over with the cal 3255.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Material !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:118238|118238]] || 2000–2019 || 18k yellow gold || Volume reference of the 6-digit generation. Cal 3155, fluted bezel, President. The last 36mm yellow-gold Day-Date before the 128238.
|-
| 118239 || 2000–2019 || 18k white gold || White-gold sibling on the President.
|-
| [[Reference:118208|118208]] || 2000–2019 || 18k yellow gold || Smooth/domed bezel; offered on President or Oyster bracelet. The understated sleeper; value in the dial (stone dials).
|-
| [[Reference:118138|118138]] || 2013–2019 || 18k yellow gold || Fluted bezel on a leather strap (gold deployant) — the dressiest, lightest and most affordable gold Day-Date; cognac/green dials.
|-
| [[Reference:118235|118235]] || 2005–2019 || 18k Everose || Everose launches 2005; the 118235 carries it on the President, best known for the chocolate dial.
|-
| 118205 || 2005–2019 || 18k Everose || Smooth bezel + Oyster bracelet — the casual-aesthetic outlier in the President family.
|-
| 118206 || 2000–2019 || 950 platinum || Smooth domed bezel, President. Ice-blue dial is the platinum signature.
|-
| 118138 / 118135 / 118139 || 2013–2019 || gold || Basel 2013 leather-strap subset (yellow / Everose / white).
|}

== Day-Date II (2008–2015) ==

The 41mm successor was the only Day-Date to break the 36mm Oyster envelope. Caliber 3156 scales the day-and-date module for the wider case.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Material !! Notes
|-
| 218238 || 2008–2015 || 18k yellow gold || Day-Date II yellow gold, cal 3156, 41mm.
|-
| 218239 || 2008–2015 || 18k white gold || White-gold sibling.
|-
| 218235 || 2008–2015 || 18k Everose || Everose Day-Date II.
|-
| [[Reference:218206|218206]] || 2008–2015 || 950 platinum || Platinum Day-Date II — the ice-blue "President's President"; smooth bezel only.
|}

== Oysterquartz Day-Date (1977–2001) ==

The quartz outlier: cal 5055 in the integrated-bracelet Oysterquartz case, the only quartz Day-Date Rolex built.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Material !! Notes
|-
| 19018 || 1977–2001 || 18k yellow gold || Oysterquartz Day-Date, cal 5055, integrated Oyster bracelet.
|-
| 19019 || 1977–2001 || 18k white gold || White-gold Oysterquartz Day-Date.
|}

== Movement progression ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Caliber !! Era !! Frequency !! Quickset !! Used in !! Notes
|-
| 1055 (original) || 1956–57 || 18,000 vph || none || 6510, 6511 || First day-and-date caliber. Gradual changeover at midnight. No Microstella balance; no SCOC.
|-
| 1055 (upgraded) || 1957–59 || 18,000 vph || none || 6611, 6612, 6613, 6611B, 6612B || Free-sprung Microstella balance and SCOC certification added. Same caliber number.
|-
| 1555 || 1959 to c. 1965 || 18,000 vph || none || 1803, 1804, 1806, 1807, 1811 (early) || Cal 1055-derived. Day-and-date complication carried forward.
|-
| 1556 || c. 1965 to 1977-78 || 19,800 vph || none || 1803, 1804, 1806, 1807, 1811 (mid-and-late) || Higher frequency. Hacking seconds added 1972 (mid-production, not at caliber change).
|-
| 3055 || 1977–1988 || 28,800 vph || single (date only) || 18038 and siblings || First Day-Date with quickset. Sapphire crystal era. Day still requires running hands through midnight.
|-
| 3155 || 1988–2019 || 28,800 vph || double (day + date) || 18238, 118238 and siblings || Double quickset — both day and date indexed independently from the crown. The longest-running Day-Date caliber.
|-
| 3156 || 2008–2015 || 28,800 vph || double || 218238 Day-Date II || 41mm scaled version of the 3155.
|-
| 5055 || 1977–2001 || quartz 32,768 Hz || double || 19018, 19019 Oysterquartz || Quartz caliber, integrated-case Oysterquartz.
|}

== Special branches ==

Three branches drive the headline auction record across the Day-Date line.

The Omani Khanjar dials carry crossed sheathed khanjar daggers, sometimes under a kuma hat, printed in red, white, green, or gold, the Omani flag colours. They were commissioned through Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who reigned from 1970 to 2020, and they surface on the 1803 and later references, frequently alongside Asprey crossed-swords retailer marks and Khimji Ramdas (KR) Muscat distribution.

Tiffany & Co. double-signed dials ran through the late 1970s on the 1803 and into the 1980s and 1990s on subsequent references. They trade at two to three times standard equivalents.

Presidential provenance carries the headline lot in the modern Day-Date market. Sotheby's New York Important Watches in December 2024 sold Gamal Abdel Nasser's 1803 for USD 840,000 against a USD 30,000–60,000 estimate: yellow gold, champagne "claw" dial with Arabic day-and-date discs, caseback engraved "Mr Anwar El Sadat 26-9-1963" for a gift from Sadat to Nasser. Sotheby's collector guide also documents Lyndon B. Johnson, the president behind the line's "President" advertising nickname from 1966 onward, along with Tom Landry, Jack Nicklaus, Chris Evert, and Andy Warhol.

== Notable misattributions ==

The Marlon Brando "Apocalypse Now" Rolex is a [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] 1675, not a Day-Date. Phillips New York "Game Changers" December 10 2019 sold it for USD 1.95 million with the bezel removed by Brando on set and "M. Brando" hand-engraved on the caseback.

The Eisenhower-and-Day-Date claim in casual press is similarly misattributed. Eisenhower's documented Rolex is a yellow-gold Datejust ref 6305, gifted to him in 1951 — five years before the Day-Date even existed.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] — the dive line. Shares 1500-family movement architecture with the early Day-Date through the cal 1556 era; diverges at the cal 30xx generation.
* [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] — the pilot line. The 1675 carries the same cal 1575 base movement as the early Sea-Dweller and shares 1500-family lineage with the early Day-Date.
* [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] — the parent Oyster Perpetual line, source of the rotor automatic the Day-Date carries.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any Day-Date from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the calibers used across the Day-Date line
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==

===Primary and specialist===

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]
* [https://www.puccipapaleo.com/bookstore/day-date/ ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' — Pucci Papaleo Editore, Spin Edizioni, 2015]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's Watches Department, "New York Important Watches, December 2024 — Gamal Abdel Nasser's ref. 1803", Sotheby's, 2024]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-31-37 Antiquorum, "Lot 37 — ref. 6611 in steel, École d'Horlogerie de Genève prize watch", Antiquorum, 19 October 2002]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/more-precious-than-gold-the-rolex-day-date-ref-6611-in-steel/ Monochrome editorial, "More Precious Than Gold! The Rolex Day-Date ref. 6611 in Steel", Monochrome Watches]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/40 Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, "Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 40 — ref. 6511, yellow gold", Phillips, 2015]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/50 Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, "Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 50 — ref. 6611, yellow gold, German-script SCOC dial", Phillips, 2015]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/24 Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, "Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 24 — ref. 1804 ''Scheherazade'', platinum with Eastern-Arabic dial", Phillips, 2015]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/51 Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, "Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 51 — ref. 1831 ''Emperor'' No. 5, platinum with burgundy Stella dial", Phillips, 2015]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-270-530 Antiquorum, "Geneva, lot 530 — ref. 1831 ''Emperor'' No. 5, platinum with burgundy Stella dial", Antiquorum, 2013]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/11 Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, "Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 11 — ref. 18048 with green Stella dial and Omani Khanjar emblem", Phillips, 2015]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/important-watches-i-2/day-date-stella-reference-18078-a-yellow-gold-and Sotheby's, "Important Watches I, Hong Kong, lot 2106 — ref. 18078 bark with blue Stella diamond dial", Sotheby's, 2024]
* [https://www.heritageauctions.com/ Heritage Watches Department, "Lot 54041, sale 5515 — ref. 1803 with Lyndon B. Johnson family provenance", Heritage Auctions]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/bourn-in-oman-the-rolex-collection/ Ross Povey, "Bourn in Oman: The Rolex Collection", Revolution, 2023]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/origins/day-date-ii-royal-khanjar-reference-218206-a Sotheby's Watches Department, "Origins — Day-Date II Royal Khanjar ref. 218206, Sultan of Oman commission", Sotheby's, 2025]

===Editorial and market===

* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-day-date-1956-present-president-watch-in-depth-review/ Monochrome editorial, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Day-Date, The Presidential Watch", Monochrome Watches]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-day-date-historical-overview-of-rolexs-flagship/ Fratello editorial, "Rolex Day-Date — Historical Overview of Rolex's Flagship", Fratello Watches]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://watchbase.com/blog/2015/02/21/rolex-day-date-history WatchBase editorial, "Rolex Day-Date History", WatchBase, 2015]
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-day-date-guide-1237586374/ Robb Report editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Guide to Everything You Need to Know", Robb Report]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2010/09/1956-very-first-rolex-day-date.html Jake Ehrlich, "1956 — The Very First Rolex Day-Date", Rolex Magazine, 2010]
* [https://acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/the-colourful-world-of-rolex-stella-dials A Collected Man editorial, "The Colourful World of Rolex Stella Dials", A Collected Man]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/the-stella-revolution/ Revolution Watches editorial, "The Stella Revolution", Revolution Watches]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/watch-guide-rolex-stone-dials/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "Watch Guide: Rolex Stone Dials", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2016/09/hands-on-with-the-rolex-day-date-40-eastern-arabic-middle-east-edition-plus-a-brief-history-of-the-arabic-day-date.html SJX Watches, "A Brief History of the Arabic Day-Date", SJX Watches, 2016]
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/rolex-1804-day-date-summer-colors-edition/ Le Monde Edmond editorial, "Rolex 1804 Day-Date — Summer Colors Edition", Le Monde Edmond]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/history-rolex-tiffany-dials Bob's Watches editorial, "History of Rolex Tiffany Dials", Bob's Watches]
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/thewatchclub/2024/01/25/generations-rolex-president-day-date/ SwissWatchExpo editorial, "Generations of the Rolex President Day-Date", SwissWatchExpo, 2024]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1556 WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 1556", WatchBase]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/3155 WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 3155", WatchBase]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/3156 WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 3156", WatchBase]
* [http://www.oysterquartz.net/faq.htm Oysterquartz.net, "Oysterquartz reference and movement archive", Oysterquartz.net]
* [https://www.the1916company.com/blog/rolex-quartz-movement.html The 1916 Company editorial, "Rolex Quartz Movement History: Beta 21, Oysterquartz and Rare Models", The 1916 Company]

[[Category:Day-Date]]
[[Category:Family Index]]

Reference:comex

2026-09-05T01:22:28Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex COMEX}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex COMEX — Sea-Dweller & Submariner Dive History | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex COMEX program is the institutional Submariner / Sea-Dweller branch supplied to Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises in Marseille between 1971 and 1997. Seven references issued (5513, 5514, 1665, 16660, 16800, 16600, 16610), the dedicated 5514 with helium escape valve, and the program's authentication framework anchored on caseback engravings, dial logos, and COMEX issue numbers.
|keywords=Rolex COMEX, COMEX Submariner, COMEX Sea-Dweller, 5514, 1665 COMEX, 16660 COMEX, 16610 COMEX, helium escape valve, Henri Delauze, saturation diving, COMEX 377, COMEX 850, COMEX 878
|image=Comex 5514 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 5514 COMEX Submariner — Maurice Bessard, COMEX 850
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-30T03:30:44Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T14:18:56Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''COMEX'''</small>

The COMEX-issued Rolex is the institutional dive-watch branch that sits adjacent to the retail Submariner and Sea-Dweller, supplied by Rolex to Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises in Marseille between roughly 1971 and 1997 for working saturation divers. It is an issue program rather than a single reference, touching seven Rolex references over a quarter-century, with caseback engravings, dial logos, and serialised diver numbers separating each watch from its retail counterpart. The 5514 was built as a dedicated COMEX product. The 5513, 1665, 16660, 16800, 16600, and 16610 were retail references modified or marked at supply for COMEX issue.

COMEX itself was a French commercial saturation-diving outfit founded by Henri Delauze in 1962, headquartered in Marseille, supplying divers to the offshore oil and gas industry through the boom years of North Sea, West African, and Persian Gulf field development. COMEX divers worked at depths and durations beyond the reach of conventional military or sport divers, living for days or weeks in hyperbaric chambers pressurised with helium-bearing breathing gases. The watches Rolex supplied to COMEX were tools for that work; their helium escape valves, caseback engravings, and dial logos all trace back to the practical demands of saturation diving rather than to retail product strategy.

[[File:Comex 5514 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 5514 COMEX Submariner — Maurice Bessard, COMEX 850|Rolex 5514 COMEX Submariner, formerly the property of COMEX agent Maurice Bessard (case 4,462,758, COMEX issue 850), circa 1977. Sotheby's Important Watches, Hong Kong, April 2021, lot 2140.]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| program client
| Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises (COMEX), Marseille
|-
| founder
| Henri Germain Delauze (1962)
|-
| Rolex supply window
| circa 1971 to 1997
|-
| total references issued
| seven (5513, 5514, 1665, 16660, 16800, 16600, 16610)
|-
| dedicated COMEX reference
| 5514 only
|-
| signature features
| COMEX-printed dial logo (red or white), caseback engraving with COMEX issue number, helium escape valve on Sea-Dwellers and 5514
|-
| issue numbering
| sequential COMEX-issued diver number, engraved on caseback ("Rolex COMEX [number]")
|-
| supply tail
| Rolex wound down direct supply in the mid-1990s; a final batch of 16610 examples surfaced from a later cache
|}

==Where COMEX sits in the line==

The Submariner and Sea-Dweller went to retail through Rolex's standard distribution; the COMEX branch went to a single institutional client through a parallel supply channel for working professional use. Casebacks were Rolex-engraved at the factory before delivery to COMEX in Marseille, where the watches were issued to individual divers and recorded in COMEX's own service log. Periodic six-month service intervals brought the watches back to Rolex through the program's lifespan, which is why so many surviving COMEX examples carry service-replacement dials, hands, or movement parts that diverge from original-delivery configuration.

The COMEX branch is closer in spirit to the British Royal Navy 5517 MilSub branch than to the retail Submariner: a small, traceable issue run with a defined client, period documentation, and an authentication framework anchored on caseback engravings and program records. The two branches served different work. MilSub examples went to combat divers in the SBS and SAS at relatively shallow operational depths; COMEX examples went to commercial saturation divers working oilfield infrastructure at depths where helium permeation and decompression physics drive the design.

==Issue timeline==

Rolex's COMEX supply spans four broadly distinguishable eras across roughly 25 years.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Era
! Span
! References issued
! Signature configuration
|-
| Prototype and early issue
| 1970–1972
| 5513 (modified, helium escape valve)
| Modified 5513 cases with experimental helium escape valves; small unnumbered or low-double-digit issue numbers; non-logo or early COMEX-stamped dials
|-
| First production wave
| 1972–1978
| 5514, 1665
| Dedicated 5514 reference codifies the Submariner-with-HEV product; 1665 Sea-Dweller carries its own COMEX dial-print and caseback variant in parallel; issue numbers run into the high-three-digit range
|-
| Five-digit transition
| 1978–1989
| 16660, 16800
| Sapphire crystal, 1220m / 4000ft Sea-Dweller depth rating on the 16660; matte-to-gloss dial transition; later batches carry the white-text COMEX logo
|-
| Final issue and tail
| 1989–1997
| 16610, 16600
| Submariner Date 16610 enters COMEX issue at the end of the supply relationship; small known cohort; issue tapered as Rolex wound down the supply program in the mid-1990s
|}

The 5513 COMEX is itself two distinct populations: the 1970–1971 prototype watches that pre-date the dedicated 5514 and carry experimental HEV cases, and the standard 5513 (no HEV) examples issued to COMEX divers for shallower work where saturation gas mixes were not in play.

==The references in the program==

===5513 COMEX===

The 5513 COMEX is the earliest COMEX-issued Submariner. The Antiquorum Geneva 144-323 lot (2006) documents the prototype configuration on case 2,833,552, COMEX No. 24, autumn 1970: a 5513 case with experimental helium escape valve, COMEX-logo matte dial, and 9315 folded-link Oyster bracelet. Beyond the prototype run, standard 5513 COMEX examples without HEV were issued to COMEX divers through the early-to-mid 1970s for shallower duties where gas-mix saturation was not a factor. The COMEX dial logo appears in both red and white printing across the 5513 run, with the red logo reading as the earlier configuration. The COMEX branch is one of several issue-specific 5513 sub-populations; the [[Reference:5513|5513]] article carries the full dial map and production outline.

===5514===

The 5514 is the only Rolex reference number assigned specifically for COMEX. Production ran from circa 1972 to 1978 across documented major-house lots and specialist research; total program output is contested between the often-repeated "about 154" figure and the reading Corrado Mattarelli published in Revolution in 2018, which documents at least three production batches with distinct caseback engraving sizes. The 5514 carries a 5513-derived case modified with a Rolex-designed helium escape valve at 9 o'clock, caliber 1520 movement, and "COMEX" caseback engraving with a sequential issue number running into the high-800s by 1977. Inner casebacks are stamped 5513 — the 5514 designation appears between the lugs and on the outer caseback only. The dedicated [[Reference:5514|5514]] article carries the full dial map, caseback evolution, ARA Argentine Navy variant, and lot-by-lot auction record.

===1665 COMEX===

The 1665 Sea-Dweller went to COMEX with its own dial logo and caseback engraving from the early 1970s. The COMEX 1665 carries the standard 1665 Sea-Dweller architecture — gas-tight 200m / 1220m construction, helium escape valve at 9 o'clock from the production debut, "Submariner 2000" or "Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000" dial text — supplemented by COMEX dial print and caseback issue number. Two distinct COMEX-1665 dial configurations are documented across the run: an early "Double Red" Sea-Dweller layout with red "Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000" text and the COMEX block above 6 o'clock, and a later white-text-only configuration. Alongside the standard retail Sea-Dweller, the COMEX 1665 is one of two main institutional branches of the reference; the wider production outline sits on the [[Reference:1665|1665]] page.

===16660 COMEX===

The [[Reference:16660|16660]], the Sea-Dweller "Triple Six", entered COMEX issue around 1979 as the sapphire-crystal successor to the 1665. The 16660 introduced the 1220m / 4000ft depth rating, the larger 25-jewel caliber 3035, and the matte-to-gloss dial transition that runs through the early 1980s. COMEX 16660 examples carry a white-text COMEX logo above 6 o'clock on a glossy black dial with white-gold surrounds. Caseback engraving follows the 1665 COMEX format, with a sequential issue number that picks up from the 1665 run rather than restarting.

===16800 COMEX===

The [[Reference:16800|16800]] Submariner Date is the rarest COMEX configuration on a Submariner-Date case. Documentation of 16800 COMEX examples is thin in published auction-house literature; the configuration surfaces occasionally with COMEX dial print and caseback engraving but exact issue counts have not been consolidated in primary sources. Bonhams and Antiquorum lot text from the late 2000s and 2010s document a small number of confirmed examples. Treat 16800 COMEX provenance with high authentication scrutiny given the scarcity of published references against which to cross-check issue numbers and caseback formatting.

===16600 COMEX===

The [[Reference:16600|16600]] Sea-Dweller succeeded the 16660 in 1989 with the upgraded caliber 3135. COMEX 16600 examples are relatively well-documented compared to the 16800; Phillips and Sotheby's lots from the 2010s establish issue numbers running into the low-to-mid three-digit range during the early 1990s phase of the supply relationship.

===16610 COMEX===

The [[Reference:16610|16610]] Submariner Date is the final COMEX-issued reference, with a small cohort issued in the mid-1990s before Rolex wound down the supply program. Surviving 16610 COMEX examples carry the white-text COMEX logo at 6 o'clock and caseback engraving in the late-format "wrap-around" style established on the 5514 from 1975 onward. A late batch surfaced after Rolex had ended direct supply, prompting authentication scrutiny among specialists; the consensus reading is that the late-batch caseback engravings were executed by Rolex during a final program-windup pass rather than aftermarket.

==Caseback engraving and dial logo==
[[File:Comex 5514 caseback-engraving.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=COMEX 850 caseback engraving wrap-around format|"ROLEX / COMEX 850" caseback engraving in the wrap-around format used on mid-period 5514s.]]
[[File:Comex 5514 caseback-detail.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=COMEX 850 caseback close-up|Caseback close-up: COMEX 850, the issue number that ties the watch to its diver. Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 2021, lot 2140.]]

[[File:Comex 5514 helium-valve-profile.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=5514 helium escape valve at 9 o'clock|The 5514 carries a one-way helium escape valve at 9 o'clock — the feature that defines the COMEX-specific reference. Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 2021, lot 2140.]]

The COMEX caseback evolves through three documented engraving styles across the program lifespan, all factory-engraved by Rolex rather than by COMEX in the field.

The early straight-line format runs from the prototype era through about 1975: "Rolex COMEX" written in straight lines across the caseback with a small or medium issue number stacked beneath. The watch identifier ("Submariner 2000" on the 1665, the reference number between the lugs on the 5514) is engraved in the standard position; the COMEX block sits below.

The mid-1970s wrap-around format introduces "Rolex Comex" curved around the caseback edge with a deeply engraved issue number — the so-called "Big Numbers" caseback, canonical on Antiquorum 2025 lot 383-172 (COMEX 878, 1977). The shift from straight-line to wrap-around runs roughly 1975 onward across both Submariner and Sea-Dweller cases.

The five-digit-era format on the 16660, 16800, 16600, and 16610 retains the wrap-around layout but tightens the engraving depth and font. Late-program 16610 examples carry the cleanest wrap-around format, with issue numbers in the three-digit range despite the program's quarter-century span — an indication that issuance was per-watch and per-diver rather than per-batch, with reissues and reassignments documented in COMEX's own service log.

The dial logo runs in two main configurations: red printing on early matte dials (1972 through about 1977) and white printing on later glossy dials (mid-1970s onward through the program's end). The transition is not clean: red and white logos coexist across the late 1970s and into the early 1980s on the 1665 and 5514. Service-replacement dials issued by Rolex during the program's lifespan are common on surviving examples; a service-replaced non-logo dial on a watch with documented COMEX issue number is plausible service work rather than a fake, though it is not the original-delivery configuration.

==Movements==

The COMEX program spans every major Submariner and Sea-Dweller movement of the era. The 5513 prototypes and the 5514 carry caliber 1520, the long-run non-chronometer caliber that powers the standard 5513. The 1665 carries the 1575 (Sea-Dweller chronometer-track) through its production span. The 16660 introduces the 25-jewel 3035 with the 1979 reference debut; the 16600, 16800, and 16610 carry the 3135 from 1988 onward. Service-replacement movements are documented across all references; a 5514 with a caliber 1570 movement is typically a service swap rather than original-delivery configuration, and the same logic applies to 3035-to-3135 swaps on five-digit references.

==Authenticating a COMEX==

COMEX is among the most-faked Rolex variants. Populations are small, the casebacks were engraved at Rolex rather than in the field, and unmodified retail-spec donors sit in the same case shapes. A standard 5513, 1665, or 16610 case fitted with a forged COMEX caseback is the canonical fake. The authentication framework rests on five anchors.

Caseback engraving font, depth, and layout must track the period: early straight-line versus mid-period wrap-around versus late-program tight-engraved. A 1975-or-later case fitted with an early straight-line caseback (or vice versa) is a swapped or refurbished part. Mattarelli's specialist research documents three engraving sizes overall (small / medium / large), with the size correlating to production batch.

Mid-case serial must match the serial engraved inside the caseback lid on documented examples. Rolex marked many program watches with the matching mid-case serial inside the lid for special-order traceability; mismatch on a watch claiming COMEX provenance is fatal.

Inner caseback markings differ from the outer engraving. On the 5514, the inner caseback stamps 5513, not 5514, because the 5514 designation appears between the lugs and on the outer engraving only. Any inner-caseback 5514 stamp is a forgery flag. On the 1665 and later Sea-Dwellers, the inner caseback follows the standard reference-specific stamping.

The issue number has to sit plausibly inside the bands documented in major-house lot text. COMEX 24 carries an autumn 1970 prototype configuration; COMEX 233 carries an early-1970s caseback; COMEX 377 sits in the mid-1970s; COMEX 850 and 878 carry the 1977 "Big Numbers" wrap-around. A claimed COMEX 200 with late-program wrap-around engraving is incoherent.

External validators include Henry Hudson letters from Rolex Bexley UK, which confirm the caseback engraving and the COMEX issue number. Bexley no longer issues them. Forgeries of the letters themselves are a separate concern and have surfaced in the market.

Forensic researcher Jose Pereztroika (Perezcope) has published several deep dives on COMEX caseback execution; the published forensic literature on COMEX rests primarily on Mattarelli, Perezcope, and the catalog essays from Phillips and Antiquorum specialists rather than on Rolex factory documentation, which is not publicly available for the program.

==Auction record==
[[File:Comex 5514 bessard-papers.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=COMEX 850 accessories: Bessard ID card and Rolex France service receipt|COMEX accessories that anchor a watch to its diver: Maurice Bessard's COMEX agent card (no. 16.0554) and a Rolex France service receipt signed by Bessard.]]

Major-house lots establish the COMEX market spine.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sale
! Lot
! Year
! Reference / COMEX no.
! Configuration
! Hammer
|-
| Phillips New York Watch Auction SIX
| NY080222/153
| 2022
| 5514 / 377
| 1975 case 4,089,919, matte black COMEX-logo, 9315 bracelet, Henry Hudson letter
| USD 252,000
|-
| Phillips Geneva
| CH080215/145
| 2015
| 5514 / 446
| 1974 non-logo, "Cuerpo Infanteria" Argentine Navy joint
| CHF 52,500
|-
| Phillips Geneva, "Daytona Ultimatum"
| various COMEX lots
| 2018
| 5514 and 1665 examples
| mixed-period cases including ARA-engraved 5514
| multiple six-figure CHF results
|-
| Sotheby's Hong Kong
| HK Important Watches 2021
| 2021
| 5514 / 850
| 1977 matte COMEX-logo, Maurice Bessard provenance
| HKD high-six-figure
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches
| London 2018
| 2018
| 1665 "Great White" / COMEX-issued
| 1977 white-text COMEX dial, Sea-Dweller caseback engraving
| GBP 220,000+
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches
| New York 2023
| 2023
| 5514 / case 4,089,906
| service-replaced non-logo dial on documented COMEX issue
| USD high-five-figure
|-
| Antiquorum Geneva
| 144-323
| 2006
| 5513 / COMEX 24 (prototype)
| 1970 case 2,833,552, COMEX-logo matte, Fliplock 9315, earliest documented COMEX
| CHF 76,700
|-
| Antiquorum New York
| 223-373
| 2009
| 5514 / no logo (prototype batch ~20)
| 1972 case 3,804,841, non-logo painted indexes
| USD 72,000
|-
| Antiquorum Monaco
| 383-172
| 2025
| 5514 / 878
| 1977 case 5,230,258, "Big Numbers" wrap-around caseback
| EUR 91,840
|-
| Bonhams London
| 16228/302
| 2008
| 5514 / 763
| 1976 case 5,230,248, COMEX 660ft=200m, Middle East Safety Department log books
| est. GBP 50,000–70,000
|-
| Bonhams London
| 23511/43
| 2016
| 5514 / 723
| c.1975 case / 1977-78 issue, COMEX matte, 93150 K3 clasp
| GBP 72,100
|-
| Bonhams London
| 30667/69
| 2018
| 5514 / 233
| Colin Beard provenance, c.1971 case + later service
| GBP 25,600
|-
| Christie's Geneva, Important Watches
| 2014
| 2014
| 1665 COMEX double-red
| Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000 layout, COMEX dial print
| CHF 200,000+
|}

The USD 252,000 Phillips New York result on COMEX 377 in 2022, against a USD 60,000-120,000 estimate, is the strongest documented public-auction result in the program. The 1665 COMEX with double-red dial and matched papers has hammered consistently in the GBP 200,000-plus range across the 2014–2024 period, while the 5514 spread runs from roughly USD 50,000 for service-heavy late-program examples up to the USD 252,000 paid for the best-documented one. ARA-engraved 5514 examples, of which 16 were issued to Argentine Navy divers training at the COMEX Marseille facility in 1977, command a separate premium and surface less frequently than standard COMEX 5514 examples.

==Henri Delauze and the program tail==

Henri Germain Delauze founded Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises in Marseille in 1962, building it into the dominant European commercial saturation-diving operator of the offshore-oil boom. COMEX's diving research arm conducted the deep-saturation experiments — Janus, Hydra, Physalie — that pushed working diving depths toward and beyond 500 metres in the 1970s and 1980s. The Rolex supply relationship spanned most of that arc.

Delauze died in February 2012. COMEX wound down its commercial diving operations through the 2010s and exited oilfield work; the corporate entity continues today in offshore marine engineering rather than human saturation diving. The Rolex supply program ended in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the 16610 issue closing out the institutional relationship. Surviving program documents — the COMEX service logs and diver assignment records — sit primarily in private specialist archives rather than in public corporate hands.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]]
* [[Reference:sea-dweller|Sea-Dweller family index]]
* [[Reference:5514|Submariner 5514]] — the COMEX-only Submariner reference
* [[Reference:1665|Sea-Dweller 1665]] — COMEX-issued Double Red and Great White
* [[Reference:16660|Sea-Dweller 16660]] — COMEX-issued Triple Six
* [[Reference:16600|Sea-Dweller 16600]] — later COMEX Sea-Dwellers

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080222/153 Phillips watches department, "Phillips New York Watch Auction SIX, lot 153 — Rolex Submariner Ref. 5514 COMEX No. 377", Phillips, 2022]
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080118 Phillips watches department, "Phillips Geneva Daytona Ultimatum — COMEX context lots and catalog essay", Phillips, 2018]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080215/145 Phillips watches department, "Phillips Geneva — Rolex 5514 COMEX 446 Cuerpo Infanteria Argentine Navy joint variant", Phillips, 2015]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/91552127 Phillips watches department, "Phillips MilSub and COMEX discovery essay", Phillips, 2019]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/important-watches-hong-kong Sotheby's watches department, "Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Watches — Rolex 5514 COMEX 850 Maurice Bessard", Sotheby's, 2021]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2018/important-watches-l18068 Sotheby's watches department, "Sotheby's London — Rolex 1665 Great White COMEX-issued Sea-Dweller", Sotheby's, 2018]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-ny Sotheby's watches department, "Sotheby's Important Watches NY — 5514 COMEX with service-replaced non-logo dial (case 4,089,906)", Sotheby's, 2023]
* [https://www.antiquorum.com/auctions/important-collectors-wristwatches-pocket-watches-and-clocks-geneva-2006 Antiquorum watches department, "Antiquorum Geneva lot 144-323 — Rolex 5513 COMEX No. 24 prototype (autumn 1970, case 2,833,552)", Antiquorum, 2006]
* [https://www.antiquorum.com/auctions/monaco-2025 Antiquorum watches department, "Antiquorum Monaco lot 383-172 — Rolex 5514 COMEX 878 Big Numbers caseback (1977)", Antiquorum, 2025]
* [https://www.antiquorum.com/auctions/important-collectors-wristwatches-new-york-2009 Antiquorum watches department, "Antiquorum NY lot 223-373 — Rolex 5514 prototype-batch no-logo (1972, case 3,804,841)", Antiquorum, 2009]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16228/lot/302 Bonhams watches department, "Bonhams London lot 16228/302 — Rolex 5514 COMEX 763 (1976, Middle East Safety Department log books)", Bonhams, 2008]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23511/lot/43 Bonhams watches department, "Bonhams London lot 23511/43 — Rolex 5514 COMEX 723 (1975 case / 1977-78 issue)", Bonhams, 2016]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/30667/lot/69 Bonhams watches department, "Bonhams London lot 30667/69 — Rolex 5514 COMEX 233 (Colin Beard provenance)", Bonhams, 2018]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/auction/important-watches-geneva-2014 Christie's watches department, "Christie's Geneva Important Watches — Rolex 1665 COMEX double-red Sea-Dweller", Christie's, 2014]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-rolex-and-comex Jason Heaton, "Hodinkee — A Brief History of Rolex and COMEX", Hodinkee, 2014]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-sea-dweller-reference-points Hodinkee, "Hodinkee Reference Points — Understanding the Rolex Sea-Dweller", Hodinkee, 2018]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-submariner-reference-points Stephen Pulvirent, "Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner", Hodinkee, 2019-07-18]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-comex-submariner-sea-dweller-history/ Monochrome, "Monochrome — Rolex COMEX Submariner and Sea-Dweller feature", Monochrome, 2017]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/journal Eric Wind, "Wind Vintage — COMEX provenance and the Submariner / Sea-Dweller branch", Wind Vintage, 2020]
* [https://www.lemondeedmond.com Le Monde Edmond, "Le Monde Edmond — 1665 COMEX coverage", Le Monde Edmond, 2017]
* [https://perezcope.com Jose Pereztroika, "Perezcope (Jose Pereztroika) — COMEX caseback forensics", Perezcope, 2021]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com Corrado Mattarelli, "Revolution — Corrado Mattarelli on the Rolex 5514 COMEX", Revolution, 2018]
* [https://www.comex.fr/about COMEX, "Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises — corporate history 1962-2012", COMEX, 2012]
* [https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2012/02/16/henri-germain-delauze-fondateur-de-la-comex_1644240_3382.html Le Monde, "Le Monde — Henri-Germain Delauze obituary (2012)", Le Monde, 2012]
* [https://divernet.com Divernet, "Divernet — COMEX and saturation diving history", Divernet, 2015]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-2-the-55xx-1680references/ Tom Mulraney, "History of the Rolex Submariner - Part 2, The 55XX References and 1680 Date", Monochrome, 2020-08-19]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-to-start-collecting-the-rolex-submariner Stephen Pulvirent, "The Rolex Submariner: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's, 2025-03-07]

[[Category:Submariner]]
[[Category:Sea-Dweller]]
[[Category:COMEX]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:bubbleback

2026-09-05T01:22:27Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex bubbleback}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex bubbleback — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | Rolexopedia
|description=Every Rolex Bubbleback reference from the 1933 original through the mid-1950s transitional era. Production histories, movement progression, dial variants, and collector context.
|keywords=Rolex Bubbleback, Ovetto, Ovettone, Padellone, Oyster Perpetual, Monoblocco, Submarine Hermetique, 1858, 3131, 3372, 4467, 3666, 6098, 8171, 3525, 3003, 6105, Datejust, Precision, Cal. 520, Cal. 620, Cal. 630, Cal. 1030, vintage Rolex, collector guide
|image=Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp
|image_alt=Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-17T21:11:45Z
|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:59:54Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

= Rolex Oyster & Bubbleback =

The Bubbleback is Rolex's first Oyster Perpetual family. The automatic rotor was too thick for a flat case, so Rolex domed the caseback over the movement and created the profile collectors now call Bubbleback. Production runs from 1933 into the mid-1950s, ending when cal. 1030 makes a flat back possible. Italian collectors call the standard 32mm case Ovetto and the 36mm cases Ovettone.

[[File:Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp|thumb|center|500px|alt=Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s|Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s]]

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a first-generation Bubbleback?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:1858|1858]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The first Bubbleback. Cal 520 with the full 360-degree rotor, the Didactic engravings in French on the movement plate, and the four-piece case form.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a two-piece case Bubbleback?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:3131|3131]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First two-piece case Bubbleback. The 1936 case simplification, precious-metal only (9K, 14K, 18K yellow and pink gold), Cal 620 with sub-seconds.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from a Luxury Model dial photo?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:3372|3372]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The catalogue flagship. Engine-turned bezel, Cal 630 sweep seconds, and the widest dial variety of any Bubbleback — California, sector, salmon, champagne, silvered-gilt all documented.</div></div></div>
</div>

== Pre-Oyster / Submarine (1922–1926) ==

Before the Oyster was the "Rolex Submarine." Wilsdorf's trademark was registered 31 March 1922, 31 years before the 1953 dive watch. Based on Jean Finger's 1921 Swiss patent for a double-case hermetic design, the inner watch sealed inside an outer protective case with a screw-down bezel. Winding or setting the watch required unscrewing the outer case.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:3666|3666]] || c.1924–1926 || 9¾′′′ Hunter manual, 15j || 32.35mm hermetic double-case || Finger patent CH 89276; retailed Cargills Ceylon; inner caseback signed W&D; reference later reused in 1940 for Valjoux-22 chronograph (unrelated watch)
|}

== Pre-Perpetual Oyster (1926–1932) ==

Before the Bubbleback, Rolex produced manual-wind Oysters in the 1926 case form. Most carried 10½-ligne or 9¾-ligne Aegler Hunter movements at Prima, Extra Prima, or Ultra Prima grades. Glasgow import hallmarks are common on British-market examples. The movement architecture is traditional manual wind; the case is already recognizably Oyster.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:2136|2136]] || c.1926–1940 || 10½′′′ Hunter, 15j manual || 32–34mm octagonal / cushion || Early manual-wind gold Oyster; Borgel-lineage three-piece construction; same reference reused c.1960 for a Cal. 1400 Precision
|-
| [[Reference:3003|3003]] · [[Reference:3004|3004]] || 1937+ || 10½′′′ Hunter / Cal. 700, manual, 15–17j || 33–34mm Oyster || First Rolex "Precision" references; opens the 47-year Oyster Precision line that continues alongside the Perpetual
|}

== Manual-wind Oyster Precision (1939–1948) ==

Manual-wind Oyster Precision references ran in parallel with the automatic Bubbleback through the 1940s. The cases are tonneau or cushion Oysters with the same hermetic screw-back architecture; the difference is the movement, a Hunter-derived manual instead of the Cal. 520 / 620 / 630 rotor automatics that defined the Bubbleback line.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:3139|3139]] || c.1940–1942 || 10½′′′ Hunter, manual || 32mm cushion Oyster, 3-piece || Only Rolex with "Army" on the dial; cushion case in the Borgel-derived 1920s family; documented British military and civilian examples
|-
| [[Reference:1873|1873]] || 1930s; one 9K-gold example hallmarked 1937 || Manual, 17–18j; Extra Prima and ultra prima grades; caliber unresolved || 31–32mm steel or 9K-gold tonneau Oyster || Four auctioned watches; one explicitly catalogued as flat back; often misclassified as a Bubbleback
|-
| [[Reference:3359|3359]] || c.1939–1947 || 10½′′′ Hunter, manual || 32mm tonneau Oyster, two-tone SS + pink gold || ''Viceroy''-signed dial; two-tone SS case with pink gold bezel; applied luminous numerals
|-
| [[Reference:2765|2765]] || c.1939–1942 catalogue dates; range unproved || 10–10½-ligne manual, 17–18j; caliber unresolved || 31–32mm steel tonneau Oyster; screw-down back and crown || Misclassified as a Bubbleback on collector lists; ten auction appearances represent eight watches
|-
| [[Reference:2784|2784]] || individual catalogue estimates c.1930–1945; range unproved || Manual, 15–17j; FHF 30 / Cal. 59 family attribution unconfirmed on an original photographed movement || Usually 30–31mm barrel Oyster; steel and steel/gold documented || Junior Sport, Lipton, Viceroy, Raleigh, Centregraph and photographed Solar Aqua names
|-
| [[Reference:3009|3009]] || range unproved; Glasgow import mark 1937 and presentation inscription 1947 || Mostly catalogued manual, 17–18j; Cal. 700 family attribution probable; two repeated LSK automatic descriptions unresolved || 30–33mm precious-metal tonneau Oyster || White enamel Scientific dial plus Observatory, 24-hour, California and silvered layouts
|-
| [[Reference:4220|4220]] || c.1944–1948 || Cal. 59 manual, 17j || 30mm tonneau Oyster SS || ''Speedking'' line; California dial; the canonical 1940s small-Oyster look on a manual movement
|}

== First Bubbleback (1933–1935) ==

The first production Perpetual. Cal. 520 (Hunter 8¾′′′) with a full 360-degree rotor. Early examples carry the Didactic engravings: step-by-step service instructions in French cut directly into the movement plate because no watchmaker outside Aegler had ever opened a Rolex automatic.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:1858|1858]] || 1933–1935 || Cal. 520, 17j || 32mm tonneau, 3/4-piece || First Bubbleback; Didactic movement; 60% Didactic split across 5 confirmed auction lots
|}

== Two-piece case era (1936–1944) ==

Rolex introduced a two-piece Bubbleback case with refs. 3131 and 3132 in 1936. Other references still appear in catalogues as three-body cases, including the 3134. Cal. 620 (subsidiary seconds) and Cal. 630 (sweep seconds) became the dominant automatic calibers, developed by Emile Borer at Aegler.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:2240|2240]] || 1930s–1940s catalogue dates; range unproved || 9¾-ligne automatic, 19j, centre seconds; caliber unresolved || 32mm steel tonneau; back profile unshown on specialist-catalogued examples || Bubbleback classification probable; a separately attributed watch has a domed back but no published reference engraving
|-
| [[Reference:3131|3131]] || 1936–1948 || Cal. 620, 17j, sub-seconds || 32mm tonneau, 2-piece || First two-piece case Bubbleback; precious-metal only (9K/14K/18K YG & PG)
|-
| [[Reference:3134|3134]] || 1940s–1957 catalogue dates || 9¾-ligne automatic; caliber unresolved; subsidiary and centre seconds documented || 32mm tonneau, catalogued as three-body || Steel and steel/yellow gold documented; California-dial originality unconfirmed
|-
| [[Reference:3135|3135]] || 1938–c.1945 catalogue dates || 9¾-ligne automatic family; caliber unresolved; subsidiary and centre seconds documented || 32–33mm steel tonneau; one example catalogued as two-body || Sector, Roman, radium, pink and 24-hour dials documented; manual-wind listing is a probable 3135/3136 catalogue error
|-
| [[Reference:3599|3599]] || 1939–1946 catalogue dates || Early Perpetual family; Cal. 635 documented with subsidiary seconds || 31–34mm catalogued, fitted hood covers || Mainly steel; wide flat bezel; fluted and smooth hoods; centre-seconds auction examples have unresolved caliber and factory status
|-
| [[Reference:3372|3372]] || 1938–1950 || Cal. 630, 17–19j, sweep seconds || 32mm tonneau || "Luxury Model" catalogue flagship; engine-turned bezel; widest dial variety of any Bubbleback (California, sector, salmon, champagne, silvered-gilt)
|}

== First Oyster chronograph (1939–1945) ==

Rolex's first chronograph in the waterproof Oyster case. Italian collectors call it the ''Monoblocco'' (monobloc) or ''Barilotto'' (little barrel) for the case machined from a single billet. British POWs at Stalag Luft III ordered the reference during WWII; Wilsdorf honored the orders, shipped the watches to the camps, and deferred payment until after the war.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:3525|3525]] || 1939–1945 || Cal. 13 (Valjoux 23 VZ) manual chronograph || ~35mm monobloc Oyster SS/gold || First Oyster chronograph; ''Monoblocco''/''Barilotto''; POW watch (Corporal Nutting's serial 185,983 sold £66,000 at Antiquorum 2007); first Rolex sport watch
|}

== First Datejust / Ovettone (1945–1949) ==

The 4467 launched in 1945 to mark Rolex's 40th anniversary. It is the first automatic wristwatch with a date window, the first watch to carry the Jubilee bracelet, and the origin of the fluted Datejust bezel. 36mm case (the "Big Bubbleback"), 18K gold only, about 1,000 units produced with the first 100 sold by souscription through a Swiss newspaper at CHF 975 each.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:4467|4467]] || 1945–1949 || Cal. A.295 (= 740/745), 18j || 36mm 18K YG/PG tonneau, 2-piece || First Datejust; first Jubilee bracelet; first solid end-links; ''Ovettone''; date wheel evolves all-black → all-red → roulette
|-
| [[Reference:5030|5030]] · [[Reference:5031|5031]] || 1948 || Cal. A.295 / 740 || 36mm 18K YG/PG || Early Ovettone Datejusts; small Brevet crown; some late examples mark transition to "Datejust" dial text
|-
| [[Reference:6031|6031]] || 1949 || Cal. A.295 || 36mm 18K PG || Pink-gold 1949 Ovettone; one of four "true Ovettone" references per Le Monde Edmond
|-
| [[Reference:6075|6075]] || 1950 || Cal. A.295 || 36mm 18K YG/PG || Last pre-"Datejust"-text Big Bubbleback
|-
| [[Reference:6105|6105]] || c.1950–1953 || Cal. A.296 || 36mm 18K YG/PG || First Rolex with "Datejust" text on the dial; rare left-handed (destro) variant with crown at 9
|}

== Triple calendar flagship — Padellone (1949–1953) ==

The Bubbleback era's complication flagship. "Padellone" means "big pan" in Italian, an augmentative of ''padella'' ("pan") that follows the same naming logic as Ovetto/Ovettone. Triple calendar (day, month, date) plus moonphase. The Padellone case is not a waterproof Oyster; the calendar mechanism would not fit a screw-down Oyster architecture, so Rolex used a snap caseback.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:8171|8171]] || c.1949–1953 || Cal. A.295 CPL automatic triple calendar moonphase, in-house Aegler || 38mm non-Oyster snap caseback, 18K YG/PG, SS rare || Triple calendar + moonphase; ''Padellone''; ~1,000–1,200 produced; record Christie's NY Dec 2002 "Sleeping Beauty" USD 1,145,000 in SS
|}

== Post-Bubbleback / Super Oyster (1952–1953) ==

The hinge between the Bubbleback era and the professional-family split. Cal. 1030, the first Rolex-designed-from-scratch caliber and a bi-directional automatic, made the flat caseback possible and ended the Bubbleback profile. The 6098 "Super Oyster" carried 60m water resistance into the Oyster Perpetual line, preceding the Submariner by a year and anticipating the sport-watch emphasis Rolex would formalize with the 1953 Explorer, Submariner, and GMT-Master launches.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Case !! Key distinction
|-
| [[Reference:6098|6098]] || 1952–1953 || Cal. 1030 (or A.296), 25j, bi-directional || 36mm Oyster, flat caseback || "Super Oyster" per 1953 Vailati letter; 60m water resistance; pre-Explorer / pre-Submariner ancestor; honeycomb and galaxy dials
|}

== Related references ==

The Bubbleback era connects forward to:
* [[Reference:6098|6098]] — Super Oyster, 60m water resistance (1952), the pre-Explorer and pre-Submariner ancestor
* [[Reference:6150|6150]] — first Explorer (1952)
* [[Reference:6204|6204]] — first Submariner (1953)
* 6305 — first Datejust with Cyclops (1954)
* 6604 and 6605 — first Datejust with instantaneous date change, Cal. 1065 (1956–57)

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:air-king|Air-King]] — the descendant line. The 1945 4925 / 4365 / 4499 originating Air-Kings sit in the same Bubbleback case architecture and run on the same Aegler hand-wound calibers.
* [[Reference:prince|Prince]] — the parallel 1930s line. The Aegler-supplier relationship that powers the Prince also powers every Bubbleback caliber.
* [[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] — the chronograph ancestor. The pre-Daytona Antimagnetique, Monoblocco, and 4xxx tonneau Oyster chronographs share the same era and case lineage.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any Bubbleback from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the calibers used across the Bubbleback line
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==

===Primary and specialist===

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/blogoystercase.php David Boettcher, "The Rolex Oyster Case — Hermetic, Submarine and the Borgel lineage", vintagewatchstraps.com]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/blog/2022/9/7/the-oyster-story Owen Lawton, "The Oyster Story (Part 1)", Wind Vintage, 2022]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/blog/how-rolex-became-rolex-the-automatic-perpetual-movement-part-2 Charlie Dunne, "How Rolex Became Rolex: The Automatic Perpetual Movement, Part 2", Wind Vintage, 2023]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2019/04/09/the-golden-age-of-rolex-movements-part-i-sowing-the-seeds-of-greatness/ Tim Mosso, "The Golden Age of Rolex Movements, Part I", Quill & Pad, 2019]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080220/20 Phillips, "The Geneva Watch Auction XII, lot 20 — ref. 1858, steel, bow-tie dial, c.1935", Phillips, 2020]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-108-229 Antiquorum, "Mondani Collection, lot 229 — ref. 1858 Didactic, Bucherer-signed, 1933", Antiquorum, 2006]
* [https://www.astebolaffi.it/en/lot/261/34/detail Aste Bolaffi, "Torino, lot 34 — Rolex Ovetto ref. 1858 Didactic", Aste Bolaffi, 2020]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-83-146 Antiquorum, "Geneva, lot 146 — ref. 2136, steel cushion Oyster, c.1925", Antiquorum, 1999]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches-online/rolex-ref-3372-bubbleback-retailed-by-serpico-y Sotheby's, "Watches Online, lot 71 — ref. 3372, salmon dial, retailed by Serpico y Laino, c.1945", Sotheby's, 2020]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080118/222 Phillips, "The Geneva Watch Auction VII, lot 222 — ref. 4467, 18K yellow gold, roulette date, c.1945", Phillips, 2018]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/30160/lot/116/rolex-a-rare-18k-gold-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-pre-datejust-oyster-perpetual-ref-4467-purchased-6th-august-1948/ Bonhams, "Lot 116 — ref. 4467, 18K yellow gold, purchased 6 August 1948, with Bucherer receipt and chronometer certificate", Bonhams]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-4467-datejust-souscription-lot-368-95 Antiquorum, "Hong Kong, lot 95 — ref. 4467, 18K yellow gold, numbered souscription edition", Antiquorum, 2024]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080119/68 Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, "The Geneva Watch Auction NINE, 12 May 2019, lot 68 — ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', 18K yellow gold, case 762'159", Phillips, 2019]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5759044 Christie's, "Important Watches, New York, sale 2753, 17 December 2013, lot 186 — ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', stainless steel with diamond-set numerals, case 902'514", Christie's, 2013]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/important-watches-2/rolex-padellone-reference-8171-a-stainless-steel Sotheby's, "Important Watches, Hong Kong, 9 October 2020, lot 2143 — ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', stainless steel, case 686'356", Sotheby's, 2020]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24235/lot/115/rolex-a-very-rare-18k-gold-automatic-triple-calendar-wristwatch-with-moon-phase-padellone-ref-8171-circa-1955/ Bonhams, "Fine Watches and Wristwatches, London New Bond Street, 13 December 2017, lot 115 — 18K gold ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', cal. A.295 CPL no. 20696", Bonhams, 2017]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/ Antiquorum, "Ref. 3525 chronograph, Corporal Clive Nutting provenance", Antiquorum, 2007]
* [https://perezcope.com/ Jose Pereztroika, "Sesto Continente — the ref. 6098 Super Oyster and the 1953 Vailati letter", Perezcope]
* [https://www.pandolfini.it/ Pandolfini Casa d'Aste, "Catalogue usage — ''Ovetto'' for 32mm Bubblebacks, ''Ovettone'' for 36mm Big Bubblebacks", Pandolfini]

===Editorial and market===

* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-bubbleback-watches-collector-guide-1931-1950s-1235893131/ Robb Report, "A Collector's Guide to Rolex Bubbleback Watches, 1931–1950s", Robb Report]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2019/10/rolex-8171-padellone-steel.html SJX, "Rolex Unicorns Part II — Ref. 8171 Triple Calendar ''Padellone'' in Steel", SJX Watches, 2019]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/what-makes-the-rolex-padellone-ref-8171-so-special/ Robert-Jan Broer, "What Makes The Rolex Padellone Ref. 8171 So Special?", Fratello Watches, 2024]
* [https://www.hautetime.com/close-up-1-14-million-rolex-reference-8171-padellone/38057/ Adrienne Faurote, "Close Up: $1.14 Million Rolex Reference 8171 ''Padellone''", HauteTime, 2013]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-datejust-complete-history/ Monochrome Watches, "The Evergreens: Complete History of the Rolex Datejust", Monochrome]
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/datejust-a-closer-look-at-a-rolex-icon-2/ Edmond Saran, "Datejust: A Closer Look at a Rolex Icon", Le Monde Edmond]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-oyster-perpetual-bubbleback-reference-3131 Wind Vintage, "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback Reference 3131", Wind Vintage]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-oyster-perpetual-bubbleback-reference-3372-in-18k Wind Vintage, "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback Reference 3372 in 18K", Wind Vintage]
* [https://calibercorner.com/rolex-caliber-620/ Caliber Corner, "Rolex Caliber 620", Caliber Corner]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/rolex-bubble-back.html Bob's Watches, "Rolex Bubble Back Collector's Guide", Bob's Watches]
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/the-rolex-bubbleback-history-facts Everest Bands, "The Rolex Bubbleback: History and Facts", Everest Bands]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=230912 Rolex Forums community, "Bubbleback 3131 Owners Thread", Rolex Forums]

[[Category:Reference family]]
[[Category:Bubbleback]]

Reference:air-king

2026-09-05T01:22:26Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Air-King}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Air-King — Reference Guide to Every Model & Year | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex Air-King has been in the catalogue since 1945 — the post-Battle-of-Britain piece that became Rolex's longest-running line. From the 4925 Bubbleback through the 5500 mainstay to the 14000 / 114200 sapphire era. Family hub for every published Air-King reference.
|keywords=Rolex, Air-King, family, history, references
|image=Air-King family hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Air-King family
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

The Air-King is Rolex's longest-running named line. It begins in 1945 with a small batch of hand-wound Bubblebacks bearing four cockpit-derived names — Air-King, Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, Air-Giant — produced as a Battle of Britain commemoration aimed at British pilots. Three of the four names were retired by 1953. The Air-King survived. From the 4925 of the 1940s through the 5500 mainstay of 1957–1989 and into the sapphire-crystal 14000-onward generation, the Air-King carries a single design idea forward: a 34mm steel Oyster, smooth bezel, a non-chronometer movement, and an entry-level Rolex price.

The line is Rolex's most accessible mid-century piece, in the catalogue for eight decades without ever being a flagship or a sport tool. Its role as a default Rolex made it the choice for corporate-gift programs (Domino's Pizza, Pool Intairdril, Circle Bar Drilling) and for Middle-East government-crest commissions (Saudi Armed Forces, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait). The 5500 in particular carries a wider documented dial map than any other single Air-King reference.

== References in scope ==

The published Air-King references, in production order:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference !! Production !! Movement !! Notes
|-
| [[Reference:4925|4925]] / [[Reference:4365|4365]] / [[Reference:4499|4499]] || 1945–1953 || cal 10½ Hunter hand-wound || Originating Air-King generation — the four-name Battle of Britain commemoration. 4925 = centre-seconds Air-King-only. 4365 = sub-seconds with four-name shared-case dial map (Air-King / Air-Lion / Air-Tiger / Air-Giant). 4499 = 1946+ centre-seconds running mate to 4925, 15j→17j running update (Bonhams 2012 documents 1946 15j sub-seconds variant)
|-
| [[Reference:6552|6552]] || 1953–1957 || cal 1030 automatic || First automatic Air-King; Cal 1030 butterfly rotor stamped ROLEX PERPETUAL PATENTED. Caseback duality (6552 between lugs / 6565 inside) period-correct. "Super Precision" dial despite chronometer-grade movement adjustment
|-
| [[Reference:5501|5501]] || 1959–1986 (late stock to 1987) || cal 1530 / 1520 || The only true Rolesor Air-King — steel case with solid 18k yellow gold fluted bezel and gold crown. Distinct from gold-capped 5502/5506/5520 (40-micron plated). Cotton Bowl Classic 1967-1970 + Tiffany champagne marquee branches. Caseback 5501/1102
|-
| [[Reference:5502|5502]] || 1958–1965 || cal 1530 || Gold-capped 40-micron Super Precision Air-King — US-market distribution channel. Alpha hands. Sister to 5506 (parallel-production Commonwealth-market). Distinct from solid-gold 5501 (5502 = electroplated, 5501 = solid 18k gold) and from later 5520 (5502 = Cal 1530 Super Precision alpha hands; 5520 = Cal 1520 Precision baton hands)
|-
| [[Reference:5504|5504]] || 1957/58–1963/64 || cal 1530 || 36mm Explorer-case Super Precision; the connective tissue between 5500 (34mm Air-King) and 1016 Explorer (36mm EXPLORER text + COSC). Wears 1016 case but AIR-KING dial text and non-COSC Cal 1530. 3-6-9 Explorer-dial-with-AIR-KING-text is the marquee collector branch
|-
| [[Reference:5506|5506]] || 1958–1964 || cal 1530 || Gold-capped 40-micron Super Precision Air-King — UK/Commonwealth-market distribution channel. Alpha hands. Sister to 5502 (parallel-production US-market). Bonhams 2023 lot 51 (USD 2,550) is the strongest standalone hammer record. Same Kessi Frères case + 78351 bracelet as 5502
|-
| [[Reference:5500|5500]] || 1957–1989 || cal 1530 then 1520 || The mainstay. 32-year run. Broadest documented dial map of any Air-King
|-
| [[Reference:5520|5520]] || 1974–1986 || cal 1520 || The longest-running gold-capped Air-King — 40-micron yellow gold electroplate over steel base. "Precision" dial rather than the Super Precision text of the earlier 5502/5506 pair. Baton/stick hands and markers (vs alpha on 5502/5506). Domino's "Golden Egg" marquee branch from 1980s Domino's Olympic Award. Caseback 5520/1024
|-
| [[Reference:5700|5700]] / [[Reference:5701|5701]] || 1959–1988 (late "N" codes to 1991) || cal 1525 / 1535 || Air-King-Date with date at three. Both Precision tier (non-COSC). Marquee curiosity: cursive "Explorer-Date" dial variant. 5701 sister = two-tone Rolesor steel-and-18k-gold with fluted/reeded bezel + gold crown (same Rolesor convention as 5501)
|-
| [[Reference:14000|14000]] || 1989–2000 || cal 3000 || First sapphire-crystal Air-King; non-COSC ("Precision" dial), wider dial palette than any prior Air-King (salmon, blue, Roman, Arabic, 3-6-9 Explorer), Domino's second-generation tilted-logo + Tiffany retailer-signed branches
|-
| [[Reference:14000M|14000M]] || 2000–2006 || cal 3130 || The bridge Air-King — same Cal 3130 the 114200 carries, but pre-COSC ("Precision" dial) and pre-engraved-rehaut (smooth rehaut throughout). Pre-Parachrom (hairspring adoption 2010, after 14000M production ended). Visually nearly identical to 14000
|-
| [[Reference:114200|114200]] || 2007–2014 || cal 3130 || First COSC-certified Air-King in line history. Engraved rehaut from launch. Concentric "wave" dial palette in silver/black/blue+orange-Arabic/salmon/green/Roman/3-6-9-Explorer/Arabic. Closes the 34mm Air-King chapter before the 2-year hiatus and 116900 40mm redesign
|}

The post-2014 references, the 40mm 116900 and its 126900 successor, fall outside the vintage and discontinued focus here.

== Common entry points ==

<div class="rp-grid">
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Identifying a 5500 mainstay?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:5500|5500]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">The thirty-two-year mainstay across calibers 1530 and 1520, with the broadest documented dial map of any Air-King and the reference that carried the major corporate-gift and Middle-East commissions.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Working from an Explorer-dial Air-King?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:5504|5504]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">Thirty-six-millimetre Explorer-case Super Precision. Cal 1530 and AIR-KING dial text on a 1016 case, the point where the 5500 mainstay and the 1016 overlap.</div></div></div>
<div class="rp-card"><div class="rp-card-body"><div class="rp-card-meta">Cross-checking a COSC-era Air-King?</div><div class="rp-card-title">[[Reference:114200|114200]]</div><div class="rp-card-text">First COSC-certified Air-King. Engraved rehaut from launch and the concentric wave dial palette (silver, black, blue with orange Arabic, salmon, green, Roman, 3-6-9 Explorer, Arabic) that closes the 34mm chapter in 2014.</div></div></div>
</div>

== History ==

=== Battle of Britain origins (1945) ===

Hans Wilsdorf was in London during the Battle of Britain in the autumn of 1940 and the years that followed. The Air-King and its three sister names — Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, Air-Giant — emerged in 1945 as a commemorative gesture toward RAF pilots, who were already wearing Rolex Oysters as personal purchases (the official-issue military watches went elsewhere). The four names ran on different reference numbers across the late-1940s 4925 / 4365 / 4499 / 4499/2 hand-wound Bubbleback series. The commemoration story runs through every published account of the line, though no primary Rolex document confirming it has surfaced.

The names did not all survive. Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, and Air-Giant were retired by the early 1950s. Air-King continued, settling onto the 6552 (the first automatic Air-King, 1953–1957) and then onto the 5500 mainstay (1957–1989).

=== The 5500 mainstay (1957–1989) ===

Across 32 years the 5500 carried the line, the longest single Rolex reference run. Cal 1530 (1957–c.1963) gave way to Cal 1520 (c.1963–1989); both are non-chronometer 1500-family movements. The dial text alternates between AIR-KING / SUPER PRECISION (Cal 1530 era) and AIR-KING / PRECISION (Cal 1520 era), and a minority of 5500s left the factory without AIR-KING text at all. The 5500 shared its case middle with the 1002 Oyster Perpetual, so casebacks across the 1970s-onward run carry an inside "1002" stamp that is period-correct rather than a service replacement.

The 5500 became the canvas for Rolex's most-documented corporate-gift programs (Domino's Pizza, Pool Intairdril, Circle Bar Drilling, Winn-Dixie, Levi's) and for Middle-East government-crest commissions (Saudi Armed Forces, UAE, Bahrain Al Khalifa, Kuwait Al-Sabah). The Joyería Riviera retailer-signed gilt Explorer 3-6-9 5500 sits at the top of the auction record (Phillips Geneva FIVE 2017 lot 76 at CHF 32,500; Phillips Double Signed Geneva 2019 lot 49 at CHF 37,500).

=== The sapphire era (1989+) ===

The 14000 (1989) replaced the acrylic crystal with sapphire, dropped the AIR-KING + PRECISION dial text in favor of cleaner OYSTER PERPETUAL AIR-KING typography, and adopted Cal 3000 — Rolex's modern 28,800 vph base movement. The 14000M (2000) updated to Cal 3130. The 114200 (2007) refined the case proportions, added the engraved rehaut around the dial, and introduced concentric "wave" dials and several green / blue / pink configurations across the run.

== Where it sits across Rolex ==

The Air-King line uses the same case architecture and 1500-family movement as the 1002 Oyster Perpetual (no Air-King text on dial), the 1016 Explorer (36mm with Explorer dial), and the 1018 Oyster Perpetual 36mm. The Cal 1530 generation that powers the 5500 also powers the early 1016 Explorer; a 5500 with a 3-6-9 Explorer dial is a 1016 Explorer in everything but two millimetres of case and the word on the dial.

A date at three arrived with the Air-King-Date 5700 / 5701 on the same case architecture, their 1535 / 1525 calibers adding a date module to the 1500 base and shifting the dial layout slightly. The Air-King-Date is sometimes treated as a separate sub-line by collectors and sometimes folded back into the Air-King family.

== Related families ==

* [[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] — the close cousin. Same 1500-family movement powers the 5500 and the 1016; the 5504 wears a 1016 case under an Air-King dial.
* [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] — the founding line. The 1945 4925 / 4365 / 4499 origination references sit in the same early-Oyster-Perpetual lineage the Bubbleback established.
* [[Reference:milgauss|Milgauss]] — the parallel non-flagship. Both ran as quiet, non-sport Rolexes through the 1960s and 1970s, the Air-King at the entry tier and the Milgauss at the specialist tier.

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]] — date any Air-King from its serial
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]] — the calibers used across the Air-King line
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]] — bracelet types, end-links, and clasp date codes

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.rescapement.com/blog/for-your-reference-rolex-air-king-reference-5500 Tony Traina, "For Your Reference: Rolex Air-King Reference 5500", Rescapement]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-of-the-rolex-air-king-the-underrated-pilots-watch/ Erik Slaven, "History of the Rolex Air-King, the underrated pilots watch", Monochrome Watches, 2025]
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-airking-origin-history-and-design-evolution Marcus Siems, "Rolex Air-King Origin History and Design Evolution", Goldammer]
* [https://beckertime.com/blog/rolex-caliber-15201530/ "Rolex Caliber 1520 and 1530", Beckertime]

[[Category:Air-King]]
[[Category:Family Hub]]

Reference:971

2026-09-05T01:22:26Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 971}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Prince 971 — Brancard Art-Deco, 1928–1938 | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex Prince Brancard 971 is the original Brancard — the 1928 launch reference of the rectangular Art-Deco "stretcher" Prince family. Aegler shaped chronometer movements (Cal. 300 / 350 / 360 HW) in Prima, Extra Prima, and Ultra Prima grades. Sub-references 971, 971A (18K Tiger Stripe), 971U (Ultra Prima), 971S, with Zebra (9K bicolor) and Pink Zebra (18K pink+white) variants. Documented in sterling silver, 9K/14K/18K gold, two-tone, stainless steel, and platinum.
|keywords=Rolex, Prince, 971, 971A, 971U, 971S, Brancard, Tiger Stripe, Zebra, Pink Zebra, Aegler, Cal. 300, Cal. 350, Cal. 360, Ultra Prima, Extra Prima, Eaton 1/4 Century Club, vintage, Art Deco, doctor watch, reference guide
|image=Ref 971 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Prince Brancard 971 — Pink Zebra 18K pink and white gold
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-28T05:04:07Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:56Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:prince|Prince]] › '''971'''</small>

The 971 is the original Brancard. Rolex launched the Prince family in 1928 around an Aegler-patented shaped movement, and the 971 is the reference that opened the line: a flared "stretcher" rectangular case (the French word ''brancard'' means stretcher), a duo-dial with an oversized sub-seconds register at six, and a chronometer-grade movement built to compete with the best of Swiss observatory-tested calibers. The watch acquired the "doctor's watch" nickname because the large sub-seconds register made it usable for counting a patient's pulse off the dial. Production runs from a documented 1928 English hallmark through at least 1938, with the larger 1490 Brancard taking over as the headline reference of the line through the mid-1940s. The 971 is rarer than the 1490 and comes in more documented sub-references (971A, 971U, 971S, plus the Zebra and Tiger Stripe bicolor variants).

[[File:Ref 971 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Prince Brancard 971 — Pink Zebra 18K pink and white gold|Pink Zebra: 18K pink + white gold bicolor, Antiquorum 2023 lot 138]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 971
|-
| family
| Prince (rectangular Art-Deco doctor's watch)
|-
| production
| 1928–1938 (core 1928–1935; 971A bicolor variants documented to 1938)
|-
| case shape
| rectangular flared "Brancard" stretcher; Friedberg's "outer frame" Rolex-period term
|-
| case dimensions
| approximately 23–24 mm × 36–38 mm body; 33.5 × 42.5 mm with horns (Phillips platinum Geneva V)
|-
| case construction
| two-piece, snap or screw caseback by variant
|-
| crystal
| acrylic; period mineral glass on earliest examples
|-
| crown
| onion / pull-out, non-screw (the Prince was not a water-resistant case)
|-
| lug style
| integrated flared, continuous with the case flanks
|-
| bezel
| smooth; stepped on some variants
|-
| movement family
| Aegler shaped: Cal. 300 / Cal. 350 (rectangular plates, 1928–1935); Cal. 360 HW (tonneau plates, 1936 onward)
|-
| movement grades
| Prima (15 jewels) / Extra Prima (18 jewels, 6-position) / Ultra Prima (top tier, 6-position chronometer)
|-
| beat rate
| 18,000 vph
|-
| power reserve
| approximately 50 hours (Watch-Wiki, Watch I Love); Friedberg's 58-hour figure is an outlier
|-
| balance
| bimetallic (early), with Breguet overcoil hairspring
|-
| escapement
| lever
|-
| chronometer dial designation
| "Chronometer" or "Observatory" — corresponds to Extra Prima or Ultra Prima grade
|-
| dial layout
| duo-dial with oversized sub-seconds register at six (the "doctor's watch" feature)
|-
| sub-references documented
| 971 (base), 971A (18K bicolor "Tiger Stripe"), 971U (Ultra Prima grade — examples in 9K and stainless), 971S (silver — community-asserted, not yet primary-confirmed)
|-
| price band (hammer)
| sterling GBP 3,750–USD 12,134 · 9K Zebra CHF 9,775–11,500 · 18K Tiger Stripe (971A) CHF 15,000–29,500 / USD 14,400 / HKD 70,125 · 18K Pink Zebra CHF 16,250 · stainless USD 12,134 (with box+papers) · platinum CHF 35,000–75,000
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

Rolex launched the Prince family in 1928 as Hans Wilsdorf's premium dress-watch counterpart to the Oyster. The 971 is the opening reference. The earliest documented 971 carries an English hallmark dated 1928 (the Arman Collection sterling example, Antiquorum NY March 2010 lot 401, case 70,064). Glasgow-imported silver 971s cluster at case numbers 70,668 and 71,883 with 1929 hallmarks; the matching movement-number range of 70k–75k pins this group to 1929–1930.

The 971 is the original Brancard, but the Prince story moves quickly. By the early 1930s the 1490 emerges as the larger flared evolution of the same case shape, and by the mid-1930s the 1490 is doing most of the catalog work. The 971 keeps producing in parallel — the latest documented base 971 carries a Glasgow 1929 hallmark on a Tiger Stripe variant (Antiquorum 2005 lot 97), and Bonhams Hong Kong April 2023 sold a 971A Tiger Stripe dated c.1938 (case 68,591), pushing the bicolor line into the late 1930s. Production tapers through WWII alongside the rest of the Prince family.

The Prince does not return to the Rolex catalog until the 2005 Cellini Prince revival, which sits on a different platform and is not part of the vintage Prince story this page covers. The Princess and Queen smaller spin-offs are separate ladies-line references (3361, 3362), not 971 variants.

==The Brancard nickname — 971 versus 1490==

Auction houses today apply "Brancard" to both the 971 and the 1490. Friedberg's 2001 TimeZone article assigns the nickname specifically to the 971: ''"the especially famous Prince Brancard (ref. 971)."'' Coronet Magazine's 2021 doctor's-watch piece follows Friedberg. Rolex Magazine treats the 971 as the canonical Brancard, and so does part of the dealer trade. A 2023 dealer guide reverses the assignment, applying "Brancard" to the 1490 and omitting the 971 entirely.

The reconciliation most consistent with published evidence: 971 is the original Brancard — the 1928 launch reference of the flared stretcher case shape — and the 1490 is the larger evolution of the same case form from the early 1930s onward. Both qualify as Brancard cases. The nickname attaches most strongly to the 971 in early-2000s collector writing — Friedberg's TimeZone piece is the load-bearing source — and to the 1490 in modern auction-catalog convention, because the 1490 has more surfaced examples and dominates current market activity.

==Sub-references — 971, 971A, 971U, 971S, Zebra, Tiger Stripe, Pink Zebra==

[[File:Ref 971 zebra-9k.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 971 9K Zebra bicolor|9K Zebra — Antiquorum 2020 lot 235, yellow + white gold (Antiquorum convention: 9K = Zebra, 18K = Tiger Stripe)]]
[[File:Ref 971 tiger-stripe.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 971A 18K bicolor Tiger Stripe canonical|971A 18K Tiger Stripe — Antiquorum NY 2008 lot 266, canonical reference example, hammer USD 14,400]]
The 971 has the deepest sub-reference taxonomy of any Prince. The convention is not entirely settled, but the documented usage breaks down as follows.

971 (base). All non-bicolor configurations: sterling silver, 9K yellow gold, 14K, 18K, stainless steel, platinum.

971A. 18K bicolor yellow + white gold. The classic "Tiger Stripe" configuration. The canonical reference example is Antiquorum NY June 2008 lot 266 (USD 14,400 hammer), an 18K bicolor with applied white-gold Arabic numerals dated c.1930. Production runs from a Glasgow 1929 hallmark (Antiquorum 2005 lot 97) through 1938 (Bonhams HK April 2023 lot 644, case 68,591). Tiger Stripe 971As are ''often faked''; the genuine factory configuration uses alternating-metal ridges between yellow and white gold sections, while modern fakes typically engrave a single gold case and rhodium-plate the recessed bands.

971U. Ultra Prima movement grade. Older Antiquorum cataloging (1994 lot 100, 1998 lot 4) used the U suffix on 9K bicolor examples, and modern Antiquorum continues the convention. Critically, Antiquorum November 2024 lot 462 sold a stainless-steel 971U with original box and rate certificate at USD 12,134 — establishing that the U suffix is movement-grade, not material-specific. The watchmaker Cary Hurt confirms (NAWCC) that lettered suffixes in Aegler convention denoted "some special feature" rather than a fixed material category.

971S. Silver. Community-asserted, with the suffix appearing in a RolexForums thread title (978611, currently behind Cloudflare gating). Silver examples in the auction record are typically catalogued as plain "971" without the S suffix; whether 971S is a Rolex-canon designation or a forum convention is not yet primary-confirmed.

Zebra. 9K bicolor yellow + white gold. Antiquorum convention separates this from Tiger Stripe by purity: 9K = Zebra, 18K = Tiger Stripe. Antiquorum March 2020 lot 235 sold a 9K Zebra with caseback monogram "B D J" at CHF 10,625. Bonhams December 2017 lot 133 (USD 7,500 hammer) is a 9K white+yellow bicolor at the lower price band the Zebra-versus-Tiger-Stripe purity split predicts.

Pink Zebra. 18K pink + white gold bicolor. Antiquorum May 2023 lot 138 sold one at CHF 16,250 with German collector provenance, case 45,950. The pink-gold variant is rarer than the yellow-gold Tiger Stripe and reads visibly different on the wrist.

==The case — Brancard stretcher==

The 971 case is a two-piece rectangular structure in the flared "Brancard" form. The body measures approximately 23–24 mm wide by 36–38 mm long; with the horns the measurement runs to roughly 33.5 × 42.5 mm (Phillips Geneva V platinum, case 6,013) or 41 mm long on the larger 971A bicolor variants. The discrepancy across catalog sources is consistent with the convention each house uses — some measure the bezel only, others the case-to-horn-tip span, and the flared profile makes any single dimension misleading. Forum collector reports cluster at 41 mm long for 971A on the wrist.

The flared profile is unmistakably Art-Deco. The case curves outward at the lug ends and back toward the centre — a stretcher-on-its-end silhouette, hence the French ''brancard''. The lugs are integrated into the case rather than soldered or spring-bar drilled, a one-piece flared structure that takes a strap on through-pins. The crystal is acrylic by the standard production period; the earliest examples sometimes carry period mineral glass.

The crown is onion-form push-pull, non-screw. The Prince was a dress watch, not a water-resistant case, and the crown configuration reflects the priority — easier winding access, no Oyster waterproof seal. Gold cases carry gold crowns; steel cases carry steel Rolex crowns. The crown signature is a useful authentication check.

The caseback is two-piece — snap on most variants, screw on some. Bonhams HK April 2023 lot 644 explicitly notes a snap caseback on the 1938 Tiger Stripe.

==Case materials==

[[File:Ref 971 eaton.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 971 Eaton 1/4 Century Club Switzer 1907-1932|Eaton 1/4 Century Club presentation: T.D. Switzer 1907–1932 service dedication]]
The 971 has documented examples in more material configurations than any other Prince reference:

* Sterling silver, hallmarked: the most-surfaced configuration in the auction record, particularly with Glasgow and Edinburgh import marks dating 1928–1930. Sotheby's Important Watches Hong Kong 2019 lot 1075 (case 02,508, c.1935, Extra Prima 15j) and Bonhams London September 2018 lot 37 (Glasgow 1929, GBP 3,750 hammer) are typical examples.
* 9K yellow gold, Glasgow-assayed.
* 9K bicolor yellow + white gold ("Zebra"): Antiquorum March 2020 lot 235 (CHF 10,625), Bonhams NY December 2017 lot 133 (USD 7,500). The 9K bicolor reads markedly different from the 18K Tiger Stripe, both visibly and at hammer.
* 9K + steel two-tone: documented on the Eaton 1/4 Century Club presentation (Monaco Legend July 2019 lot 156).
* 14K + steel two-tone: same Eaton presentation, case 1,472, dial signed "Eaton / 1/4 Century Club," caseback engraved ''"Presented to T.D. Switzer to mark a quarter-century of continuous service with T. Eaton C., Ltd., 1907–1932."'' The Eaton Toronto retailer program issued Princes as 25-year service awards, and the 1907–1932 service window on this watch establishes that the 971 was the earliest Prince used in the Eaton program — predating the 1490s that took over the program later.
* 18K yellow gold: Antiquorum 2008 Geneva lot 690 (Observatory 15j).
* 18K yellow + white gold ("Tiger Stripe" / 971A): the canonical bicolor variant, with multiple auction examples spanning Glasgow 1929 through case 68,591 in 1938.
* 18K pink + white gold ("Pink Zebra"): Antiquorum May 2023 lot 138.
* Stainless steel: rarer than gold or silver in the auction record. Antiquorum November 2024 lot 462 (case 74,768 with original box and rate certificate, USD 12,134) is the documented anchor; RolexMagazine references a 1934 all-steel Brancard without specifically tagging it 971S.
* Platinum: at least four documented examples — Phillips case 6,047 (CHF 75,000 hammer, 2015), Phillips case 6,013 (sold three times: CHF 48,750 in 2017, relisted 2019, CHF 55,440 in 2021), Antiquorum case 6,077 (CHF 35,000 in 2013, catalog noted as only the fourth platinum 971 sold through Antiquorum). Platinum 971s sit at the absolute top of the reference's price hierarchy.

==The movement==

[[File:Ref 971 platinum.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 971 platinum Phillips case 6013 black dial 1935|Platinum 971, case 6,013, Cal. 300 7½′′′ 18-jewel, black dial, c.1935, Phillips Geneva V hammer CHF 48,750]]
The 971 runs on Aegler shaped movements. The 1927 Wilsdorf-Aegler patent for "shaped watch movement with a seconds dial" placed the winding barrel at one end of the rectangular movement and the balance at the other — an architectural choice that allowed both a larger balance wheel (for improved precision) and a larger mainspring barrel (for a longer power reserve) than competing shaped calibers of the period. The Aegler-Rolex relationship was a supplier arrangement (Aegler as an independent manufacturer in Bienne until Rolex purchased the firm from the Borer family in April 2004; Aegler and Rebberg refer to the same factory — Aegler is the company name, Rebberg the Bienne street).

Two distinct caliber generations appear in 971 cases, and they are visually identifiable from the movement plate shape:

* Cal. 300 / Cal. 350 — rectangular plates, 1928–1935. 7½ by 14½ lignes. 18,000 vph. Approximately 50-hour power reserve. 15 jewels at the Prima base; 18 jewels at Extra Prima and Ultra Prima with 6-position adjustment. Phillips Geneva V lot 212 documents a platinum 971 with Cal. 300 7½′′′ 18-jewel movement in case 6,013 dated 1935.
* Cal. 360 HW — tonneau plates, 1936–late 1930s. The successor caliber for the late-period 971s and the 1936-onward Prince family broadly. Auction houses routinely lump both calibers as "Prince movement" without distinguishing the plate shape; the NAWCC discussion (Doug Sinclair, gmorse, Cary Hurt, March 2013) is the load-bearing source for the cal. 300 versus cal. 360 split. A 971 with rectangular movement plates is a 1928–1935 example; a 971 with tonneau plates is 1936-onward.

Movement grading runs Prima → Extra Prima → Ultra Prima, corresponding to ascending jewel counts (15 → 18), adjustment positions, and chronometer testing rigour. The "Chronometer" or "Observatory" designation on the dial indicates Extra Prima or Ultra Prima grade. The Kew-Teddington observatory tradition runs through this period — Rolex submitted Prince movements to the National Physical Laboratory at Kew for independent rate certificates against the Swiss Bureaux Officiels Suisse de Contrôle. Antiquorum's May 2013 platinum 971 (case 6,077) noted only the fourth platinum 971 sold through that house at the time, suggesting that platinum-cased Princes were specifically reserved for the highest movement grades.

A specific service-tell deserves naming: the cal. 300 winding-stem bridge is a known fail point. A 971 that sets time but disengages immediately is symptomatic of a broken stem bridge. Aftermarket CNC-machined brass replacement bridges circulate among watchmakers, and aftermarket "cal. Prince TS" winding stems are commercially available. Owners of cal. 300 971s should treat the stem bridge as a known maintenance item rather than a hidden fault.

==Dial — the duo-dial and the doctor's watch==

The 971 dial is a duo-dial: hours and minutes in the upper register, an oversized sub-seconds dial at six o'clock occupying nearly half the dial face. The architecture earned the Prince its "doctor's watch" nickname — the large sub-seconds register let physicians count a patient's pulse cleanly off the dial, with the seconds hand running clearly enough to support the "feel pulse, count seconds, multiply" workflow that was the standard medical timing technique of the period.

Dial signatures and configurations documented on surfaced 971 examples:

* Silvered duo-dial with Arabic numerals — most common.
* Silvered duo-dial with Roman numerals — period dress variant.
* Two-tone sector duo-dial — typical 1930s Art-Deco geometric dial.
* Matte silver with painted Breguet numerals — late-period dress variant.
* Gold duo-dial on gold-cased examples.
* Black duo-dial (rare) — Phillips Geneva V platinum case 6,013 carries a black dial.
* "Eaton 1/4 Century Club" retailer-replacement signature — almost uniquely among Rolex production, the Eaton dial replaces the "Rolex" name with the retailer's text. The Switzer 1907–1932 example is the documented anchor; the Eaton program later moved to 1490 examples for subsequent recipients.

Hand styles documented: blued steel leaf hands (most common), blued steel dauphine, blued steel pencil/baton, blued Breguet-style on dress variants. Sub-seconds hands are blued steel; refinished sub-seconds hands are the most common service intervention on 971s, like the broader Prince family.

Period-original 971 dials show light foxing in the small-seconds well — a glassy-perfect dial on a watch this age is a refinish. Refinishers active through the mid-twentieth century in the UK, Switzerland, and North America produced work hard to distinguish from original without a side-by-side comparison. Original dials with even patina, matched hand aging, and period-correct printing carry a meaningful premium within the reference's price range.

==Authentication==

The 971 has enough documented configurations and enough surfaced examples that authentication is tractable. The strongest signals:

# Caliber-to-plate-shape match. A 971 should carry an Aegler shaped movement. Rectangular plates indicate Cal. 300 or Cal. 350 (1928–1935 production); tonneau plates indicate Cal. 360 HW (1936-onward). A non-Aegler base movement (Schild, Peseux, ETA) under a 971 dial is a transplant. A Gruen-stamped Aegler movement under a 971 case is a known transplant pattern from the Aegler-Gruen marketing split — Rolex sold to the British Empire markets, Gruen to the United States, and parts crossing markets in service later produced franken-1490s and franken-971s with brand-mismatched movements.

# 971A Tiger Stripe alternating-metal ridges. Genuine Tiger Stripe is two physical pieces of gold (yellow + white) separated by raised ridges. Modern fakes engrave a single gold case and rhodium-plate the recessed bands. A Tiger Stripe whose stripes are visibly ''recessed'' rather than separated by ridges is suspicious; a side-light examination reveals the difference quickly. The watch-guy.com and VRF documentation of 971A fakes is consistent on this point.

# English hallmarks date the case import precisely. Glasgow and Edinburgh assay offices stamped imported watches with year-letter codes; a Glasgow 1929 hallmark dates the case import to 1929, regardless of when the movement was assembled. Cross-check the movement number against the 70k–75k range that corresponds to 1929–1930 silver imports.

# 18-jewel capped-endstone bridge. An unusual high-grade configuration on Extra Prima and Ultra Prima movements; its survival on a service-untouched watch indicates originality.

# Crown material match. A gold case should carry a gold Rolex crown. A steel crown on a gold 971 is a service replacement.

# Caseback engraving style. Period-correct 971 casebacks are factory-stamped. Hand-engraved markings indicate post-factory work — except for legitimate retailer-presentation engravings on Eaton 1/4 Century Club and similar retailer-program watches, which sit alongside the factory stamping rather than replacing it.

==Auction record==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! year
! venue
! configuration
! hammer
|-
| 1994
| Antiquorum Geneva
| 971U 9ct gold Observatory
| CHF 11,500
|-
| 1998
| Antiquorum Geneva
| 971U 9K bicolor Extra Prima 15j
| CHF 9,775
|-
| 2005
| Antiquorum Geneva
| Tiger Stripe 18K Glasgow 1929
| CHF 18,400
|-
| 2006
| Antiquorum Geneva
| Tiger Stripe 18K case 65,377
| CHF 29,500
|-
| 2008
| Antiquorum NY
| Canonical Tiger Stripe 971A 18K c.1930
| USD 14,400
|-
| 2010
| Antiquorum NY
| Sterling, English hallmark 1928 (Arman)
| (Arman Collection)
|-
| 2013
| Antiquorum Geneva
| Platinum, case 6,077
| CHF 35,000
|-
| 2015
| Phillips Geneva
| Platinum, case 6,047, c.1935
| CHF 75,000
|-
| 2015
| Antiquorum Geneva
| Tiger Stripe 971A case 65,196
| CHF 15,000
|-
| 2017
| Phillips Geneva V
| Platinum, case 6,013, c.1935
| CHF 48,750
|-
| 2017
| Bonhams NY
| 971A 9K white+yellow gold
| USD 7,500
|-
| 2018
| Bonhams London
| Sterling silver, Glasgow 1929
| GBP 3,750
|-
| 2019
| Sotheby's HK
| Sterling, case 02,508, Extra Prima 15j
| (passed est. USD 8–12k)
|-
| 2020
| Antiquorum Geneva
| Zebra 9K bicolor case 60,206
| CHF 10,625
|-
| 2021
| Phillips Geneva XIV
| Platinum, case 6,013 (third sale)
| CHF 55,440
|-
| 2023
| Antiquorum Geneva
| Pink Zebra 18K case 45,950, lot 138
| CHF 16,250
|-
| 2023
| Bonhams HK
| 971A 18K Tiger Stripe c.1938
| HKD 70,125
|-
| 2024
| Antiquorum
| 971U stainless steel + box + papers
| USD 12,134
|}

The same platinum case 6,013 sold through Phillips three times — 2017, 2019 (relisted), and 2021 (CHF 55,440 hammer, +13.7% over 2017). Cases 6,047 and 6,077 are separate platinum examples; at least three distinct platinum 971s are documented in the auction record. Antiquorum's 2013 catalog noted only the fourth platinum 971 sold through their house at the time, framing platinum 971 production as low single-digit examples.

The 1990s Antiquorum prices (CHF 9,775–11,500 for 971U 9K bicolor) versus the 2006 record CHF 29,500 for an 18K Tiger Stripe show that the bicolor 971A premium grew markedly across the decade as collector interest in shaped Rolex matured. The platinum band tracked the same trajectory: CHF 35,000 in 2013, CHF 48,750 in 2017, CHF 55,440 in 2021. Sterling silver 971s have been more stable, sitting in the GBP 3,500–4,500 band consistently from 2018 through 2024, with the 2024 Antiquorum stainless example at USD 12,134 (with original box and rate certificate) as the upper anchor for non-precious-metal configurations.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:1343|Prince 1343]] — Classic Rectangular (1928–1935)
* [[Reference:1862|Prince 1862]] — 1928–1942
* [[Reference:1490|Prince 1490]] — 1928–1945
* [[Reference:1491|Prince 1491]] — 1930–1945
* [[Reference:1527|Prince 1527]] — 1930–1945
* [[Reference:3361|Prince 3361]]

See also the [[Reference:prince|Prince family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080215/210 "Rolex Prince Reference 971 Platinum", Phillips, 2015-05-09]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080117/212 "Rolex Prince Reference 971 Platinum, Geneva V", Phillips, 2017-05-12]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080219/201 "Rolex Prince 971 Platinum, Geneva X", Phillips, 2019-11-09]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080221/187 "Rolex Prince 971 Platinum, Geneva XIV", Phillips, 2021]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/watches-online-7/rolex-prince-reference-971-a-silver-wristwatch "Rolex Prince Reference 971 Silver", Sotheby's, 2019]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/important-watches/rolex-ref-971-prince-brancard-a-silver-rectangular "Rolex Prince Brancard Reference 971 Silver", Sotheby's, 2019]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24629/lot/37/ "Rolex Prince Reference 971 Silver Glasgow 1929", Bonhams, 2018-09-11]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24500/lot/133/ "Rolex Prince Reference 971A 9K White and Yellow Gold", Bonhams, 2017-12-04]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/28684/lot/644/ "Rolex Prince Reference 971A 18K Two-Tone Tiger Stripe", Bonhams, 2023-04]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-126-100 "Rolex Prince 971U 9ct Gold Observatory", Antiquorum, 1994-10-15]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-90-4 "Rolex Prince 971U 9K Bicolor Extra Prima", Antiquorum, 1998-04-18]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-103-97 "Rolex Prince Tiger Stripe 971A 18K Glasgow 1929", Antiquorum, 2005-11-13]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-144-316 "Rolex Prince Tiger Stripe 971 Case 65377", Antiquorum, 2006-11-12]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-207-266 "Rolex Prince Tiger Stripe 971A — Canonical NY 2008", Antiquorum, 2008-06-18]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-226-401 "Rolex Prince 971 Sterling Silver — Arman Collection, English Hallmark 1928", Antiquorum, 2010-03-10]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-971-lot-272-100 "Rolex Prince 971 Platinum", Antiquorum, 2013-05-12]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-971-a-lot-295-275 "Rolex Prince 971A Tiger Stripe", Antiquorum, 2015-11-08]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-971-prince-chronometer-lot-327-235 "Rolex Prince 971 Zebra Brancard 9K", Antiquorum, 2020-03-21]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-971-prince-brancard-lot-360-138 "Rolex Prince 971 Pink Zebra 18K", Antiquorum, 2023-05-14]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-2024-lot-462 "Rolex Prince 971U Stainless Steel — Box and Papers", Antiquorum, 2024-11]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-jewels-14/lot-156 "Rolex Prince 971 Eaton 1/4 Century Club", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2019-07]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2017/05/the-complete-history-of-rolex-prince.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History of the Rolex Prince", Rolex Magazine, 2017-05]
* [https://quillandpad.com/2019/04/09/the-golden-age-of-rolex-movements-part-i-sowing-the-seeds-of-greatness/ Tim Mosso, "The Golden Age of Rolex Movements Part I", Quill & Pad, 2019-04-09]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/the-current-prince-a-different-side-of-rolex/ Martin Green, "The Current Prince: A Different Side Of Rolex", Revolution Watch, 2014-02-28]
* [https://www.watchonista.com/articles/depth/uncommon-objects-rediscovering-rolexs-discontinued-collections Rhonda Riche, "Uncommon Objects: Rediscovering Rolex's Discontinued Collections", Watchonista, 2025-11-06]
* [https://www.watch-wiki.net/doku.php?id=rolex_prince "Rolex Prince", Watch-Wiki (DE)]
* [http://people.timezone.com/mfriedberg/articles/RolexPrince.html Michael Friedberg, "Rolex's Charming Prince", TimeZone, 2001-01-23]
* [https://www.everestbands.com/blogs/bezel-barrel/the-rolex-prince-from-the-1930s Vincent Deschamps, "The 1930s Rolex Prince", Everest Bands, 2023-12-12]
* [https://www.coronet.org/new-1minute-reads/the-doctors-rolex Andres Ibarguen, "The Doctor's Rolex", Coronet Magazine, 2021-08-22]
* [https://www.analogshift.com/blogs/transmissions/a-brief-history-of-the-doctor-s-watch Oren Hartov, "A Brief History of the Doctor's Watch", Analog/Shift, 2024-07-08]
* [https://www.vintagerolexforum.com/showthread.php?t=23475 Christian Wass, "The Rolex Prince — my journey so far", VintageRolexForum (via Tapatalk t23475), 2011-04-17]
* [https://www.watchprosite.com/rolex/very-rare-971/8.1145894/ "Very rare 971 platinum", Watchprosite, 2018-11-19]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/2020/https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/rolex-tonneau-movement.100077/ "Rolex Tonneau Movement?", NAWCC, 2013-03-11]
* [https://www.watch-guy.com/rolex-prince-cal-300-stem-bridge-cnc/ "Rolex Prince Cal. 300 — CNC-machined stem bridge", Watch Guy (watch-guy.com)]
* Pucci Papaleo, "I Cronografi Rolex – La Leggenda"
* Ehrhardt + Demesy, "Vintage American & European Wrist Watch Price Guide, Book 2"
* Colin A. White, "The Vintage Rolex Field Manual", Morning Tundra

[[Category:Prince]]

Reference:8171

2026-09-05T01:22:25Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 8171 Padellone}}
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|title=Rolex 8171 'Padellone' — Triple-Calendar Moonphase, 1949–1952 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 8171 is the complication flagship. Launched around 1949 and produced for roughly three years, it is — with its Oyster-cased sibling the 6062 — one of…
|keywords=Rolex, 8171, Padellone, specifications, reference guide
|image=Ref 8171 hero.jpg
|image_alt=Rolex 8171 Padellone hero
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|published_time=2026-04-17T21:45:22Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:53Z
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[[File:Ref 8171 hero.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 8171 Padellone hero|Rolex 8171 Padellone, yellow gold, triple-calendar moonphase]]
<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] › '''8171'''</small>

The 8171 is the complication flagship. Launched around 1949 and produced for roughly three years, it is, with its Oyster-cased sibling the 6062, one of only two triple calendar moonphase references Rolex ever put into series production. Day, date, month, and moonphase, in a 38mm round case at a moment when dress watches were 32mm or smaller. Automatic caliber A.295 with a complete calendar module, the same A.295 platform that powers the Ovettone Datejust underneath the added complication. Non-Oyster, snap-on caseback, non-waterproof. The thing Rolex would not compromise on its sport references was exactly what it gave up to build a dress complication.

Italian collectors named the watch ''Padellone'', "big pan": ''padella'' is Italian for frying pan and the -one suffix is an augmentative. The nickname is affectionate, registering a diameter that stood out far enough from its 1950s contemporaries that "big pan" was the first thing to say. The reference is now the most expensive non-chronograph vintage Rolex outside the Daytona lineage, and one of the most expensive Rolex watches ever sold at auction.

<span id="core-facts"></span>
== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 8171
|-
| nickname
| ''Padellone'' (Italian: "big pan")
|-
| family
| Padellone / triple calendar moonphase
|-
| production
| c. 1949 – c. 1952/1953
|-
| total production
| about 1,000–1,200 units (collector estimate)
|-
| case diameter
| 38mm
|-
| case construction
| two-piece, snap-on caseback (non-Oyster)
|-
| water resistance
| none — non-Oyster case
|-
| case materials
| 18K yellow gold (most common); 18K pink gold (rare); stainless steel (very rare)
|-
| movement
| Cal. A.295 CPL (automatic, in-house Aegler)
|-
| complications
| day, month (apertures at 12); date (peripheral pointer); moonphase (aperture at 6)
|-
| crystal
| acrylic, domed
|-
| dial signature
| "Rolex Oyster Perpetual" + "Officially Certified Chronometer" or "Precision"
|-
| bracelet
| leather strap, period Rolex buckle
|-
| italian nickname
| ''Padellone'' — parallel to ''Ovetto/Ovettone'' diminutive-augmentative pattern
|}

<span id="what-the-8171-is"></span>
== What the 8171 is ==

By the late 1940s Rolex had Oyster, Perpetual, chronometer, and date. What it did not have was a flagship complication watch. The answer was a pair: the dressier 8171 and the Oyster-cased 6062, both triple-calendar moonphases on the same A.295 base. Rolex never returned to this kind of watch after the mid-1950s.

Within the 6062/8171 pair, the 8171 is the non-Oyster dress watch. That is the simple line to remember.

<span id="padella-and-padellone"></span>
== Padella and Padellone ==

''Padella'' is the Italian word for frying pan. ''-one'' is the Italian augmentative suffix; applied to a noun, it produces a bigger version. ''Padellone'' is "big pan." Italian collectors used the nickname as the reference circulated through the Italian auction and dealer market from the 1980s onward, and it stuck.

The naming follows the same diminutive-augmentative pattern as the Bubbleback-era ''Ovetto/Ovettone'' distinction. ''Ovetto'' (little egg) is the 32mm Bubbleback. ''Ovettone'' (big egg) is the 36mm Big Bubbleback, including the 4467. For the 8171, the augmentative -one operates on ''padella'' directly. The 38mm case was, for a 1950s dress watch, conspicuously large. A period-correct dress watch of 1950 was 32–34mm, often 30mm. A 38mm dial sat on the wrist like a flat, wide plate, hence a big pan.

"Padellone" is now the universal collector-market term for the reference. Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, and Antiquorum all use it in lot titles.

<span id="the-38mm-case"></span>
== The 38mm case ==

At 38mm, the 8171 was about 4–6mm larger than its dress-watch contemporaries and roughly 2mm larger than the 6062. The case is round with tapered, fluted lugs and a smooth stepped bezel. No decorative fluting, no engine-turning, no anniversary flourish. The visual weight lives in the diameter and in the dial: eight pieces of information (hour, minute, second, day, month, date, moonphase, moon age indicator) sit inside the chapter ring, arranged around apertures at 12 and 6 and a peripheral date track read by a central blued-steel pointer.

Case construction is two-piece: mid-case and snap-on caseback. The caseback snaps into the mid-case with a friction fit and is opened with a caseback knife rather than a threaded spanner. This is standard watchmaking practice for dress watches of the period, and it is the opposite of the Oyster approach. The 8171's caseback carries a serial number and the Rolex coronet but no depth rating, no "Oyster" engraving, and no model-line marking.

Three recessed pushers on the caseband correct the day, month, and moon indications. Date advances with the hour hand through the 24-hour cycle, without quickset, consistent with the A.295 generation. The crown is a small dress-style pushpiece rather than the screw-down brevet crown used on the Oyster cases. Opening and closing the 8171 for service is quick compared to an Oyster, but the trade-off is well documented: snap-on backs lose seal tolerance through repeated service cycles, and many 8171 dials today show moisture-driven patina variability as a direct consequence.

<span id="materials-yellow-gold-pink-gold-steel"></span>
== Materials: yellow gold, pink gold, steel ==

The 8171 was produced in 18K yellow gold, 18K pink gold, and stainless steel. Yellow gold dominates the documented population. The majority of auction lots, dealer listings, and published examples are 18K yellow gold. Pink gold is substantially rarer; collectors estimate the pink gold population at a small fraction of yellow. Steel is the unicorn.

Dealer consensus usually puts steel production around 800 pieces, though the auction survivor count feels much lower. That mismatch is one of the open questions that still hangs over the steel 8171 story.

Why steel exists at all on a dress complication is still not documented cleanly. The practical point is that steel Padellones are the most sought-after configuration, even if the production logic behind them stays unclear.

<span id="the-dial"></span>
== The dial ==

Dial text follows the Rolex convention of the period. Coronet at 12, "Rolex" beneath, then "Oyster Perpetual" on two lines. Below 6, above the moonphase aperture, either "Officially Certified Chronometer" or "Precision"; both are correct, both appear on documented examples, and the two configurations do not track cleanly to case material or production year. Day and month are printed in small apertures flanking the 12 position. The date runs around the dial periphery as a printed track, read by a central blued-steel pointer hand. The moonphase aperture at 6 shows the waxing and waning crescent across a starfield, with the moon disc rotating through the lunar cycle.

Most 8171 dials are silvered with applied gilt baton hour markers. The outer minute track is printed black. The outer calendar track, the ring of date numbers 1 through 31 around the edge, is printed blue on silvered dials, producing the two-tone graphic read common to the reference.

Several dial and hand variants are documented. The useful collector split is between the ordinary silvered watches and the rare configurations: grain-finish silver, salmon, black, and the two-tone dial that carried the 2019 Phillips result.

Hand configurations vary with the dial. Most 8171 dials carry gold dauphine hands on gold cases; feuille hands appear on certain configurations. The central seconds hand is typically a simple baton; the date pointer is blued steel with a fine arrow tip that reaches the periphery.

<span id="movement-a.295-cpl"></span>
== Movement: A.295 CPL ==
[[File:Ref 8171 movement.jpg|thumb|right|280px|alt=8171 movement and calendar mechanism|8171 movement with triple-calendar mechanism and moonphase disc]]

The 8171 uses caliber A.295 CPL, the same A.295 platform (10.5 lignes, 18 jewels, rhodium-plated, self-winding with a unidirectional perpetual rotor, straight-line lever escapement, Breguet balance spring) used in the 4467 Ovettone, with the addition of a complete-calendar-plus-moonphase module. "CPL" is the complication suffix. The movement is chronometer-certified, and dials are marked accordingly.

The caliber matters because it ties the 8171 back to the Big Bubbleback and Datejust world, and because it separates the watch from the Datocompax references of the same era. The 8171 is not Valjoux-based and not a chronograph. The consistent reading across serious Rolex sources is A.295 CPL.

No quickset. Date changes with the hour hand, advanced through a 24-hour cycle. Day, month, and moon are corrected by recessed caseband pushers, pressed with a paperclip or a dedicated tool. The mechanism is sound in period service but, as with any complete-calendar movement of the era, has a few hours around midnight when correction should be avoided; pushing against an engaged change mechanism will damage the teeth.

<span id="the-6062-and-the-complication-pair"></span>
== The 6062 and the complication pair ==

The 8171's sister reference is the 6062, the Oyster-cased version of the same complication set, produced concurrently in 18K yellow gold, 18K pink gold, and stainless steel. Same A.295 CPL movement, same day-month-date-moonphase complication set, same general dial architecture. The differences are case construction and case size. The 6062 is an Oyster: 36mm, screw-down caseback, screw-down crown, waterproof. The 8171 is non-Oyster: 38mm, snap-on caseback, dress crown, non-waterproof.

Within Rolex history, the 6062 and 8171 are treated as a pair. Collector vocabulary uses both names without hierarchy. Auction catalogs cross-reference: Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams all describe the 8171 and the 6062 in each other's terms when one surfaces. The 6062 produced the Bao Dai result: Phillips Geneva May 2017, CHF 5,066,000, the black dial diamond-marker example commissioned by the last Vietnamese emperor. That lot is not an 8171 lot, but it is the apex of the complication pair's market history and sits on a watch that is mechanically identical to the 8171 beneath the Oyster case.

The distinction is simple. The 6062 is the Oyster complication watch. The 8171 is the dress complication watch. Rolex stopped making either kind after the mid-1950s.

<span id="auction-record"></span>
== Auction record ==

The 8171's public auction history is dominated by four or five landmark results, with a deeper tier of yellow gold standard-configuration sales establishing the reference's baseline.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Venue
! Date
! Lot
! Material
! Configuration
! Result
|-
| Christie's New York Important Watches, sale 2753 ("Sleeping Beauty")
| 17 Dec 2013
| 186
| stainless steel, diamond-set numerals
| triple calendar moonphase
| USD 1,145,000 (est. 250,000–350,000)
|-
| Phillips Geneva Watch Auction Nine
| May 2019
| 68
| 18K YG
| two-tone dial, original hang tag and box
| CHF 980,000
|-
| Phillips Geneva Watch Auction Ten
| Nov 2019
| 175
| stainless steel
| exceptional preservation
| CHF 1,028,000
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches Part I
| 2023
| —
| 18K YG
| circa 1950
| — (standard-tier result)
|-
| Phillips New York Watch Auction: XI
| 7 Dec 2024
| 33
| stainless steel
| triple calendar moonphase, Gay Frères bracelet
| USD 203,200 (est. 100,000–200,000)
|-
| Phillips Bacs & Russo
| Dec 2024
| —
| —
| —
| USD 100,205
|}

The Christie's December 2013 "Sleeping Beauty" sale is the historically important result. Estimated at USD 250,000–350,000, the watch sold for USD 1,145,000 after a multi-country bidding contest, a world auction record for the reference. The "Sleeping Beauty" nickname attached at the moment of sale, a play on the price surprise and on the watch itself, a stainless steel 8171 with diamond-set numerals that had been quiet in the market until that night. The sale restructured collector perception of the 8171 and of complicated Rolex in general; a seven-figure result for a triple-calendar moonphase moved the reference into territory that until then had belonged to the chronographs.

Phillips' 2019 pair is the modern market benchmark: CHF 980,000 for a top yellow-gold watch and CHF 1,028,000 for a benchmark steel one. That pair is still the clearest marker of where the reference sits.

Standard yellow gold 8171 results run well below these landmarks. The 2024 cycle produced results in the USD 100,000–200,000 range for mid-tier examples. Condition, preservation of factory finishes, originality of dial, presence of original paperwork and packaging, and material (gold versus steel) all move the result meaningfully within the tier. Dealer asking prices for yellow gold 8171s typically run USD 120,000–300,000+ depending on configuration; steel examples rarely surface at retail at all.

The market tier structure for the 8171 is clear in outline: steel at the apex (seven-figure ceiling, mid-six-figure baseline); pink gold as a scarcity-premium tier above standard yellow gold; yellow gold as the volume tier, itself heavily stratified by dial, provenance, and preservation.

<span id="what-the-8171-established-and-did-not"></span>
== What the 8171 established, and did not ==

The 8171 did not found a line. No 8171 successor reference exists. Rolex did not continue the complete-calendar-moonphase programme past the 1950s, did not reissue a 38mm non-Oyster dress complication, and has not revisited the moonphase as a series production complication in any wristwatch reference since. The 8171 and the 6062 are a closed chapter.

What the 8171 did establish was that Rolex could, when it chose to, produce a complete-calendar-plus-moonphase complication at the same level of finish and chronometer certification as its three-hand watches. The A.295 CPL movement was not an outsourced module in the Datocompax sense; it was an in-house Aegler platform with an added complication. The 8171 and 6062 showed, briefly, what a complicated Rolex could look like. The firm's subsequent decision to orient around sport-watch specialization (Submariner, GMT-Master, Day-Date, Daytona) relegated that demonstration to a single reference pair and closed the door on a path the 8171 had opened.

The market recognized the closure retroactively. Through the 1970s and 1980s, 8171s traded quietly. Through the 1990s, collector attention grew. The 2013 Christie's "Sleeping Beauty" sale marked the moment the reference became an apex collector artifact. The 2017 Bao Dai 6062 result at CHF 5M extended that status to the pair. By the late 2010s, Phillips Geneva auctions had established both the yellow gold benchmark (CHF 980,000) and the steel benchmark (CHF 1,028,000) for the 8171 in isolation.

<span id="related-references"></span>
== Related references ==

The 6062 is the Oyster-cased sibling: same A.295 CPL movement, same complication set, 36mm screw-down Oyster case, produced concurrently in yellow gold, pink gold, and stainless steel. The Bao Dai 6062 (Phillips May 2017, CHF 5,066,000) is the highest public result for the complication pair.

The Rolex Datocompax chronographs (4767, 5036, 6036, 6236) are chronograph-plus-calendar references of the same era, using the Valjoux 72C ébauche with Rolex finishing. They are not mechanically related to the 8171 (different base caliber, chronograph function), but they occupy the same complication-flagship segment Rolex addressed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The 6236, produced from 1958, is known as the "Jean-Claude Killy" after the skier's ownership of one.

The 4467 is the Big Bubbleback Ovettone. It shares the A.295 movement platform without the CPL complication module. The 4467 and the 8171 are the two most prominent A.295-family dress references, one with a date, one with a full calendar and moonphase. Naming follows the same Italian augmentative pattern: ''Ovettone'' (big egg), ''Padellone'' (big pan).

The 6305 is the first Datejust with a Cyclops (1954): Oyster-cased, single date complication, Cal. 1030. It is the Oyster-cased continuation of the dress-with-date programme, while the 8171 and 6062 are the non-continuation of the dress-with-full-calendar programme.

The Padellone sits at the chronograph-and-complication tail of the same era as the [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs|pre-Daytona chronograph]] line; the 8171 carries the calendar-and-moonphase complication while the 3525 / 4xxx / 6034 / 6234 / 6238 references carry the chronograph complication into the 6239 and the Cosmograph Daytona.

<span id="collecting-considerations"></span>
== Collecting considerations ==

The 8171 occupies a narrow but well-defined collecting slot. It is a bona fide rarity in absolute terms, the complication flagship of the Bubbleback-era Rolex, and a reference whose market has been established at auction for more than two decades with a clear tier structure.

The configuration hierarchy runs from steel at the apex to standard yellow gold at the base. A stainless steel example with original dial, hands, case finish, and paperwork sits at the top, the Phillips November 2019 Lot 175 tier. An 18K pink gold example with original dial and paperwork carries a scarcity premium over yellow gold but falls below steel. An 18K yellow gold example with a rare dial (salmon, black, or two-tone) plus box and paperwork is the Phillips May 2019 Lot 68 tier. Below that sits the yellow gold standard-silvered-dial example with box and paperwork, and below that the same without paperwork.

Authentication on the 8171 comes down to a short checklist. Case metal first: yellow gold, pink gold, and steel all exist, so swapped cases matter. Movement next: it should be A.295 CPL throughout. Dial originality is critical, especially on salmon, black, and other rare colours. Case condition matters because the snap-on caseback does not tolerate repeated opening well. Calendar correctors should work cleanly, because parts are not easy to source. Original box, hang tag, and paperwork add major value, as the Phillips 2019 result made clear.

Period-correct leather straps and Rolex buckles in matching metal appear on the strongest auction examples. A gold 8171 on a service strap with a non-Rolex buckle is a routine presentation; a gold 8171 on a period Rolex strap with a matching gold buckle is not.

== Sources ==
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2019/10/rolex-8171-padellone-steel.html SJX Watches — 8171 padellone steel 2019]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/what-makes-the-rolex-padellone-ref-8171-so-special/ What Makes The Rolex Padellone Ref. 8171 So Special?] — Robert-Jan Broer, Fratello, 2024
* [https://www.coronet.org/ Coronet — 8171 history]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080119/68 The Geneva Watch Auction: NINE, 12 May 2019, Lot 68 — ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', 18K yellow gold, case 762'159] — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080219/175 The Geneva Watch Auction: X, 10 November 2019, Lot 175 — ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', stainless steel, case 1'977'074] — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5759044 Important Watches, New York, sale 2753, 17 December 2013, Lot 186 — ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', stainless steel with diamond-set numerals, case 902'514] — Christie's
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080424/33 The New York Watch Auction: XI, 7 December 2024, Lot 33 — ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', stainless steel, case 820'744] — Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://www.hautetime.com/close-up-1-14-million-rolex-reference-8171-padellone/38057/ Close Up: $1.14 Million Rolex Reference 8171 "Padellone"] — Adrienne Faurote, HauteTime, 27 December 2013
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/important-watches-2/rolex-padellone-reference-8171-a-stainless-steel Important Watches, Hong Kong, 9 October 2020, Lot 2143 — ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', stainless steel, case 686'356] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24235/lot/115/rolex-a-very-rare-18k-gold-automatic-triple-calendar-wristwatch-with-moon-phase-padellone-ref-8171-circa-1955/ Fine Watches and Wristwatches, London New Bond Street, 13 December 2017, Lot 115 — 18K gold ref. 8171 ''Padellone'', cal. A295 CPL no. 20696] — Bonhams
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/rolex-8171/ Le Monde Edmond — 8171]
* [https://amsterdamvintagewatches.com/ Amsterdam Vintage Watches — 8171]
* [https://hairspring.com/ Hairspring — 8171]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/ Bob's Watches — watches 8171]

[[Category:Padellone]]

Reference:6694

2026-09-05T01:22:24Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6694}}
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|title=Rolex 6694 Oysterdate Precision — Calibers, Dials & Production | Rolexopedia
|description=The last of the four manual-wind Oysterdate references. Documented from about 1959 to 1986, calibers 1210, 1215 and 1225, and the most mis-catalogued vintage Rolex in the mid-market.
|keywords=Rolex, 6694, Oysterdate, Precision, caliber 1225, caliber 1215, reference guide
|type=Article
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<small>[[Reference:precision|Precision]] › '''6694'''</small>

The 6694 is the last of the four manual-wind Oysterdate references and by a wide margin the most numerous. A 34 mm steel Oyster, a date at three under a cyclops, a hand-wound Rolex caliber from the 1200 family, and no rotor — that is the whole watch. Documented examples run from about 1959 to about 1986, and new old stock was still leaving authorised dealers in 1989. For thirty years it was the cheapest way into a waterproof Rolex on a bracelet, and Rolex sold it accordingly.

Ubiquity has a cost. The 6694 is the most frequently mis-catalogued vintage Rolex in the mid-market. Four of the six major auction houses have described 6694 lots as automatic, and every one of those attributions contradicts its own movement field; no lot at any house names an automatic Rolex caliber. The reference has also acquired a distinction it cannot support — that it was the last manual-wind Rolex ever made — which Rolex's own product pages refute. Both errors are common enough that a buyer will meet them before meeting a clean example, so both are addressed below rather than left implied.

[[File:Ref 6694 hero.webp|thumb|right|340px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate Precision reference 6694 in stainless steel with a silvered baton dial on a riveted Oyster bracelet|The default configuration: 34 mm steel Oyster, silvered dial with polished baton markers, date at three under a cyclops. Case 1840635, caliber 1225, inside back coded II.68, on a riveted 7205 bracelet.]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6694
|-
| model designations
| Oysterdate Precision, Oysterdate, Oyster Date, Date
|-
| family
| Precision (non-chronometer manual-wind Oyster)
|-
| documented production
| about 1959 to about 1986; retail into 1989
|-
| case diameter
| 34 mm (auction catalogues state 33–36 mm; see below)
|-
| case shape
| tonneau / round Oyster, three-piece
|-
| case materials
| stainless steel; gold plated, gold shell, gold filled and two-tone on steel
|-
| lug width
| 19 mm
|-
| bezel
| smooth polished; engine-turned or fluted gold on gold-cased variants
|-
| crown
| screw-down, single seal
|-
| crystal
| acrylic with cyclops
|-
| movement
| manual-wind Rolex cal. 1210, 1215 and 1225, all 17 jewels
|-
| date
| non-quickset
|-
| chronometer
| no
|-
| no-date sibling
| 6426
|-
| automatic counterpart
| Oyster Perpetual Date 1500 / 1501 / 1503
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The Oysterdate ran as a four-reference sequence — 6094, then 6294, then 6494, then 6694 — and the 6694 outlived the other three put together. The introduction is usually given as 1958, replacing the 6094 and 6494, but that date rests on dealer and marketplace copy with no primary citation behind it, and one collector-forum account offered explicitly as belief rather than documentation. No Rolex catalogue for the 6694 was reached in researching this page. What can be shown is that the earliest example whose case number agrees with its catalogue date is a 1959 watch.

[[File:Ref 6694 with 6426.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=A Rolex Oyster 6426 and an Oysterdate 6694 in stainless steel shown side by side on leather straps|The 6426 and the 6694 as Antiquorum offered them, together in one lot catalogued "ROLEX, REF. 6426/ 6694, OYSTER AND OYSTERDATE, STEEL". Same case, same base caliber; the date is the whole difference.]]

Two neighbours matter for identification. The 6426 is the same watch without the date — same case, same base caliber, same bracelet — and Antiquorum has offered the pair together in a single lot, catalogued as "ROLEX, REF. 6426/ 6694, OYSTER AND OYSTERDATE, STEEL". The other is the Oyster Perpetual Date 1500, 1501 and 1503: a 34 mm steel Oyster with a date and a cyclops, visually near-identical across a display tray, and genuinely automatic on calibers 1560, 1565 and 1570. That second pairing is the likeliest source of the winding confusion that runs through the auction record.

==Production outline==

[[File:Ref 6694 1959 example.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate Precision 6694 with a sunburst silvered dial on a green leather strap, catalogued circa 1959|Case 476635 with caliber 1215, the earliest example whose case number agrees with its catalogue date. The green strap is a later fitment.]]

Documented examples begin around 1959. The anchor is a Bonhams lot catalogued "Circa 1959" carrying case number 476635 and caliber 1215, a serial that falls inside the 437255–530168 band the published Pergola chart assigns to 1959. Antiquorum's earliest specific year is 1960. The latest examples cluster in 1986: Antiquorum dates case 9305597 to that year, Christie's dates case 9'304'937 to it, and Bonhams catalogues a case in the 8.82 million range as "Circa 1985". All three sit inside the 8,000,000–9,900,000 band that reads as 1984 to 1987.

Catalogue dates earlier than 1959 are cataloguing errors rather than evidence of early production, and the auction record contains the proof of that inside its own pages. Three Bonhams lots carry case numbers within 4,613 of each other — 472027, 476522 and 476635 — and the same department dated them "Circa 1947", "Circa 1950" and "Circa 1959". The serial chart puts all three in 1959. Two of the three attributions are wrong and the third is right, from one cataloguing desk. Heritage shows the same pattern from the other direction: it dates case 172362 to "circa 1940" and case 5550967 to "circa 1949", while dating case 790816 to 1962 and case 1210912 to 1965, which is not a monotonic reading of its own serials. The mechanical argument closes it. The Rolex 1200 caliber family dates to 1954, so no 6694 can predate it.

Where a lot transcribes the quarter-and-year stamp from inside the caseback, that stamp and the serial chart agree: case 722333 with IV.61, case 1504914 with III.66, case 1840635 with II.68, case 2660571 with IV.70. That agreement across a dozen lots is what makes the handful of outliers diagnosable.

[[File:Ref 6694 new old stock.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Caseback of a new old stock Rolex 6694 with the green and gold Rolex foil sticker reading 6694 still attached|A new old stock example, case 7162599, with the green and gold Rolex foil hang sticker still on the caseback — the state in which unsold 6694s sat in dealer drawers into the late 1980s.]]

Production appears to stop around 1986, but the watch stayed on shelves. One owner records buying serial 882xxxx new from an authorised dealer in June 1989, noting it had been at the dealer "for quite a while" — which dates the sale rather than the manufacture, and explains the widely repeated but unsupported claim that the reference was built until 1989.

===The "last manual-wind Rolex" claim===

The 6694 is often described as the last manual-wind Rolex ever made. It was not, and the error is worth naming because it travels.

Rolex sold manual-wind watches for roughly a quarter century after the 6694 left the catalogue. Its own product pages for the Cellini Rolex Prince, live through December 2014, carry a section headed "Wound by hand" and read: "The Prince features a manually-wound mechanical movement - the 7040 calibre - specially developed and manufactured by Rolex." The specification block on the same pages gives "Manually wound mechanical movement" and "Calibre 7040, Manufacture Rolex". That is the manufacturer describing current production, and it settles the point.

The narrower version — that the 6694 is the last manual-wind Rolex in the Oyster case — is not yet provable either. The 6426 shares the case, the caliber and the bracelet, and no source consulted dates the end of its production. Until the 6426 is dated, the 6694 cannot be called the last of anything.

==Movement notes==

[[File:Ref 6694 movement.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Manual-wind Rolex caliber 1225 in a 6694 case with the screw-down caseback removed and set beside it|Caliber 1225 in case 828496, with the screw-down back lifted off. No rotor, no automatic winding bridge, and a back that is flat because nothing needs clearance under it.]]

Three calibers are documented on 6694 lots, all manual-wind, all 17 jewels, all from the Rolex 1200 family. Caliber 1220 is never named on a 6694 at any of the six houses searched.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! caliber
! beat
! date
! seen on 6694 lots at
|-
| 1210
| 18,000 A/h
| per the caliber literature, no date
| Antiquorum, Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams
|-
| 1215
| 18,000 A/h
| date
| Phillips, Sotheby's, Heritage, Bonhams
|-
| 1225
| 21,600 A/h
| date
| all six houses; the dominant attribution
|}

The family architecture is described consistently by two independent sources — the watch-wiki caliber pages and a working watchmaker's teardown review of the 1200 series. The 1200 is the sub-seconds base; the 1210 adds centre seconds; the 1215 is the 1210 with a date; the 1220 is the 1210 uprated from 18,000 to 21,600 A/h; the 1225 is the 1220 with a date. The move from 1215 to 1225 in the 6694 is therefore a beat-rate upgrade rather than a redesign, and it lands somewhere in the mid-1960s. Datapoints straddle 1964 and the exact year is not settled. Owners report the practical consequence: escapement parts for the slower 1215 are scarce and expensive, and Rolex's own service network treats a 1215 watch as vintage and a 1225 watch as ordinary.

Two disagreements are worth carrying rather than resolving. The caliber literature makes the 1210 the no-date variant, yet Antiquorum, Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams all catalogue a 1210 inside a date-carrying 6694 — either those cataloguers are transcribing a base-caliber marking, or the date and no-date split is less clean than the reference pages state. And power reserve is given as 58 hours by both caliber sources and as about 40 hours across much of the market literature. No source consulted addresses hacking either way, so nothing is claimed here.

The date is non-quickset. Setting it means running the hands round.

A reader comparing catalogue entries will also meet caliber numbers that do not exist. Bonhams prints "Cal.210", "Cal.215", "Cal.160" and "Cal.619"; Heritage prints "Cal. 215"; Antiquorum prints "Cal. 1224" once, against 1225 on every sibling lot, and stores a 9½-ligne size as database mojibake in six older entries. Leading-digit truncation of 1210 and 1215 is the obvious reading, and it appears independently at two houses. One Phillips lot gives "manual caliber 726", which belongs to no part of the 1200 family and is corroborated nowhere else.

===The automatic attributions===

[[File:Ref 6694 black dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black-dial Rolex Oysterdate 6694 on a steel Oyster bracelet|Case 2943776, sold with its dated guarantee and swing tag. The lot title calls it automatic; the movement field on the same page reads 17-jewel manual wind.]]

[[File:Ref 6694 caseback.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Flat screw-down caseback of a Rolex 6694 on its Oyster bracelet and folding clasp|The back of case 2 083 433. A rotor needs a domed caseback to turn under; every 6694 back in the auction record is flat.]]

Four of the six houses have catalogued a 6694 as automatic or self-winding. Every instance contradicts itself inside its own entry, and the pattern is the same everywhere: the error sits in the title or the prose sentence, never in the movement specification.

Christie's supplies the cleanest case. Lot 6194009 is titled "AN EXTREMELY FINE AND RARE STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH", and its own specification block on the same page reads "Movement: Manual, Cal. 1225, 17 jewels, signed". At Bonhams, five of the seven lots with "automatic" in the title give "manual wind" or "Manual Winding" in their own movement field, including both Gulf special-order dials. A sixth reads "17-jewel Cal.1215 automatic" — 1215 is manual in every other attestation. The seventh reads "17-jewel Cal.854 automatic, No.1215", which is two watches spliced together: caliber 854 is IWC's automatic, a Pellaton-wound movement of 21, 23 or 25 jewels, so the stated 17 jewels belongs to the Rolex, and a Rolex caliber number is sitting in the serial field. There is no Rolex caliber 854.

Sotheby's contributes the most instructive version. Two Dubai lots, offered eight months apart, both read "cal. 6694 automatic, 17 jewels" — the reference number entered in the caliber field. They share case number 5'106'160. It is one watch re-offered with the error copied forward, and the two entries disagree with each other on dial colour. Antiquorum's four self-winding lots all name a manual caliber in the movement line immediately below the word. Phillips and Heritage never call one automatic; a Phillips essay states the position plainly, noting that "the absence of 'PERPETUAL' on the dial is justified" by the manual caliber.

The boring explanations were tested first. A service-replaced automatic movement would show up as an automatic caliber in the movement field, and never does. A genuine automatic variant would need a reference block, and Rolex already had one for the automatic 34 mm date Oyster. Across roughly 160 lots at six houses, none names an automatic Rolex caliber, describes a rotor, or describes the domed caseback a rotor requires. There is no automatic 6694.

==Dial map==

Dial variety is the reason to care about this reference. Rolex ran the 6694 for a quarter century across every market it served, and the dial is where that shows.

===Factory colours and finishes===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! dial
! notes
|-
| sunburst silvered
| the default, and by a wide margin the most common
|-
| silvered, thatched or linen-textured
| period surface treatment on an otherwise standard dial
|-
| champagne
| recurring across the run
|-
| black, gloss with gilt printing
| earlier examples; gilt markers and gilt dagger or baton hands
|-
| black, matte
| later examples
|-
| black, semi-gloss
| catalogued at Heritage with the crown at 12
|-
| grey sunburst
| mid-1970s examples
|-
| blue
| catalogued at Bonhams, Sotheby's and Heritage
|-
| lime green
| Bonhams, on a 1964 example with Mercedes hands
|-
| yellow
| Antiquorum and Christie's
|-
| burgundy
| Antiquorum, 1962
|-
| matte pink
| Antiquorum, 1963
|-
| cream
| Bonhams, on the gold-plated case
|-
| two-tone silver, painted gold Roman numerals
| Antiquorum
|-
| white gold radial Roman numerals
| Antiquorum, 2013 sale
|-
| ivory
| on the gold-filled 6694/5
|-
| tropical gilt
| aged rather than made; gilt printing turned brown
|}

[[File:Ref 6694 blue dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate Precision 6694 with a blue dial on a folded-link steel bracelet|A blue dial on case 2730705, circa 1971, caliber 1225, on a folded 7835 bracelet with 357 end links.]]

[[File:Ref 6694 tropical dial.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate 6694 with a gilt dial that has aged to brown, on a riveted steel bracelet|A tropical gilt dial on case 828496: the printing has turned brown with age rather than leaving the factory that colour. On a riveted 7205 bracelet with 61 end links.]]

Markers run from applied faceted gilt chevrons and arrowheads on the earliest watches to the applied polished batons that dominate the middle and late run. Hands follow: dauphine early, then pointed batons with luminous inserts as the standard, with gilt daggers, alpha and — on at least one catalogued example — Mercedes hands appearing across the range.

The dial footer dates the watch as usefully as the serial. Earliest examples are radium and read SWISS alone. Tritium arrives after 1963 and brings the T SWISS T footer, written with flanking dashes on 1970s dials. A watch with a 1.02 million serial and a SWISS-only footer is a mismatch, and forum specialists treat it as one.

===Special-order dials===

[[File:Ref 6694 Sheikh Abdullah dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate 6694 with a black lacquer dial carrying gilt Arabic graphics, on a steel Oyster bracelet|The black lacquer dial with gilt Arabic graphics made for Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 1965, caliber 1215 — the strongest result the reference has recorded.]]

[[File:Ref 6694 Yemen dial.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate 6694 with a cream dial carrying the eagle coat of arms of the Yemen Arab Republic|The Yemen Arab Republic coat of arms, 1975, caliber 1225. Phillips checked the arms against the period, noting the version shown was used from 1974 to 1990.]]

The 6694's most valuable branch is the special-order emblem dial, concentrated heavily in the Gulf states. Rolex supplied these to governments, armed forces, ministries, universities and companies, and they are where the reference's strongest results sit.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! emblem
! example
|-
| UAE Coat of Arms / Crest / Eagle
| at least seven lots across Antiquorum and Sotheby's, 1971 to 1986
|-
| UAE Air Force
| Antiquorum, 1985, offered with its original warranty
|-
| UAE Quraysh Hawk
| Sotheby's, cal. 1210, circa 1974; a Christie's example carries Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's signature
|-
| Abu Dhabi Ministry of Defence
| Christie's, case 4'449'821, circa 1976
|-
| Abu Dhabi Defense Force
| Sotheby's, cal. 1225, case 2'048'392, circa 1969
|-
| Kuwaiti Army
| Christie's, case 5'265'110, circa 1977
|-
| made for Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
| Phillips, 1965, black lacquer with gilt graphics, cal. 1215
|-
| Yemen Arab Republic coat of arms
| Phillips, 1975, cal. 1225
|-
| State of Qatar emblem
| Bonhams, champagne dial
|-
| The Saudi Fund for Development
| Bonhams, champagne dial
|-
| King Abdulaziz University
| Sotheby's, case 5'106'160
|-
| Arab crest / Arabic logo
| Antiquorum, three lots, 1966 to 1974
|-
| Coca-Cola
| Antiquorum, case 7019721, made 1981
|-
| San Miguel brewery
| Heritage, cal. 1225, case 8299388, with a C.R.S. mark in the caseback
|}

[[File:Ref 6694 Qatar dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate 6694 with a champagne dial carrying the State of Qatar emblem|The State of Qatar emblem on a champagne dial, case 3787963, 1974, caliber 1225.]]

[[File:Ref 6694 Saudi Fund dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate 6694 with a champagne dial carrying the green globe logo of The Saudi Fund for Development, on a Jubilee bracelet|The Saudi Fund for Development logo, case 1029790, 1964, caliber 1225, here on a Jubilee bracelet.]]

Phillips does the most careful work on these. On the Yemen dial it notes that the arms shown are the coat of arms of North Yemen used from 1974 to 1990, "which is correct for the date of this watch" — the kind of internal check that separates a documented special order from a decorated dial. On the Kuwaiti example its research "suggests that this watch was made to commemorate the independence of Kuwait". One Sotheby's entry carries an oddity worth noting: it describes a "UAE enamel logo" on a watch it also identifies as a King Abdulaziz University gift, which is a Saudi institution.

[[File:Ref 6694 Tiffany dial.webp|thumb|right|260px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate 6694 with the Tiffany and Co. retailer signature under the Rolex coronet on a silvered dial|A Tiffany & Co. signature under the coronet, sold with its original Tiffany box.]]

Retailer signing is thinner but real. Tiffany & Co. dials are documented at two houses — an Antiquorum example sold with its original Tiffany presentation box, and a run of five from a single collection at Sotheby's.

===Mickey Mouse and the aftermarket dials===

[[File:Ref 6694 mickey mouse dial.webp|thumb|right|320px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate Precision 6694 with a silvered dial carrying an applied Mickey Mouse figure, on a tan crocodile strap|A Mickey dial on a circa 1966 case, catalogued by the house as a customised dial rather than factory work.]]

The 6694 is the canonical base watch for aftermarket Mickey Mouse dials, and they are aftermarket. Bonhams catalogues them precisely, describing the dial as "Silvered, later applied Mickey and Minnie Mouse"; Antiquorum grades one "Reprinted" in its own dial grading and calls it a refinished Topolino dial. Christie's and Sotheby's both sell them without claiming factory origin. Forum specialists are blunter — the long-standing position among vintage Rolex moderators is that no genuine factory example exists, and that Rolex never offered a Mickey Mouse dial. They are still being manufactured today: a current parts supplier sells a new Mickey dial cut for the cal. 1225 with feet at 23 and 52 for well under two hundred dollars.

One editorial voice dissents. Writing in 2011, Ariel Adams argued that "it looks very likely that Rolex did have an actual relationship with Disney in mostly the 1960s and 1970s up to the early 1980s". No primary source is offered for it, and the attribution is to his own research. It is recorded here as the minority position it is.

The same caution extends further. Salmon, tuxedo and bright primary-colour dials circulate on 6694 cases and are treated as refinishes by the specialists who see the most of them — one moderator states flatly that no red 6694 exists, and describes a UK operation that spent the late 1990s swapping tired original dials for fake coloured ones in imitation of Stella dials. Bonhams has nonetheless catalogued a "Red, signed" dial on a 1978 example without qualification, and Antiquorum labels its own red and green examples as aftermarket. The houses do not agree with each other. How much of the surviving dial population is original is itself disputed: one experienced contributor estimates nine in ten currently for sale are aftermarket, another says there is not much fake material on 6694 cases because values never justified the effort. Both are worth weighing before buying a coloured dial.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

The case is a three-piece Oyster, tonneau in profile, with a screw-down back and a screw-down crown. The crown is a single-seal design rather than a two-seal Twinlock, a detail that matters in service — an oversized replacement O-ring is a common reason a 6694 crown will not seat fully. The crystal is acrylic with a moulded cyclops. The bezel is smooth and polished on steel examples, and engine-turned or fluted on the gold-cased variants.

Case diameter needs care, because the auction record does not agree with itself. Bonhams alone states 33 mm on one lot, 34 mm on nine, 35 mm on twenty-one and 36 mm on one, for the same reference; Sotheby's spans 33 to 36 mm, Christie's 33 to 35, Heritage 34 and 35, Phillips 34 and 35. 34 mm is the figure the collector literature uses and the figure quoted above. No source consulted explains the spread, so no explanation is offered here — but a catalogue-stated case size for this reference should not be relied on.

[[File:Ref 6694 steel and gold.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate Precision 6694 in steel with a gold fluted bezel and a white dial, on a tan lizard strap|Case 476522 in steel with a gold fluted bezel, and one of the few 6694s catalogued with a roulette date wheel.]]

[[File:Ref 6694 pink gold capped.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Rolex Oysterdate Precision 6694 with a pink gold capped case and a black galvanic dial on a dark strap|A pink gold capped case with a black galvanic dial, 1962, caliber 1225. The caseback on these stays steel.]]

Beyond plain steel, the 6694 was cased several ways. Gold-plated examples pair a plated case with a stainless steel back and carry a "KB 40" stamp between the lugs at six o'clock; the marking is read by forum specialists as Kessi Frères of Bienne, the case maker, at 40 microns of plating. Matching plated bracelets of the era carry a large P on the end link. No auction house records the KB stamp, so this identification rests on community research rather than catalogue evidence. Gold shell and gold-capped constructions appear in both yellow and pink, described variously as "gold shell top and sides on steel", "pink gold capped" and "pink gold topped and steel" with a steel caseback in each case. A gold-filled variant carries its own sub-reference, 6694/5, with a yellow gold engine-turned bezel. Antiquorum has catalogued one two-tone example as "yellow gold plated and stainless steel Rolésor".

Solid gold is not confirmed. The single candidate is a title-only Sotheby's lot from 2001 that went unsold and whose description has not survived, which is an attribution rather than a description. Nothing here should be read as establishing that a solid gold 6694 exists.

==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

Lug width is 19 mm, and the bracelet fitted depends on where in the run the watch falls.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! bracelet
! type
! period
|-
| 7205
| riveted
| earlier examples; end links 60 and 61 recorded
|-
| 6635
| riveted, European stretch
| alternative riveted fitment
|-
| 7835 (also 7835/19, 7835,19B)
| folded link
| middle of the run; end links 357, 361, 361B
|-
| 78350
| solid link
| later; end links 557 and 557B
|}

The folded-to-solid changeover falls around 1976, so either can be correct on a mid-1970s watch. Leather is common on surviving examples but is usually a later fitment rather than an original delivery — auction descriptions mark these as "associated" more often than not.

Clasp stamps recorded across the Bonhams lots include 2 69, 4 68, 3 63, 2 71, 4 52, S1, S11, N4, M11, G, S U10 and 7835 J2. One of those is instructive: a clasp stamped 4 52 sits on a watch dated to around 1960. A clasp code dates the bracelet, not the head, and the 6694 — cheap, common, and worn hard — has had more bracelets swapped between cases than almost any other vintage Rolex.

==Auction record==

The 6694 is a four-figure watch in plain configuration and a five-figure one when the dial carries an emblem. The gap between those two states is the single most important thing about its market.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! sale
! lot
! result
|-
| Phillips, Hong Kong Watch Auction: TWO, 31 May 2016
| lot 215, black lacquer gilt dial made for Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 1965, cal. 1215
| HK$106,250 against HK$60,000–90,000
|-
| Phillips, Hong Kong Watch Auction: TWO, 31 May 2016
| lot 31, Yemen Arab Republic coat of arms, 1975, cal. 1225
| HK$75,000
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 11 November 2007
| lot 106, Coca-Cola logo dial, made 1981
| CHF 14,160 against CHF 4,000–6,000
|-
| Sotheby's, Hong Kong
| lot 8651, Abu Dhabi Defense Force, circa 1969
| HK$48,640
|-
| Bonhams, Hong Kong, 2018
| lots 866 and 867, State of Qatar emblem and Saudi Fund for Development
| HK$37,500 each
|-
| Antiquorum, Forte dei Marmi, 26 June 2021
| lot 87, Tiffany & Co. signed with original box, circa 1974
| EUR 6,125
|-
| Sotheby's, Mellon Jewelry, 20–21 November 2014
| lots 133–137, five Tiffany-signed examples from one collection
| USD 6,250 to 8,125 each, against USD 1,500–2,000 estimates
|-
| Antiquorum, Milan, 17 April 2025
| lot 136, refinished Topolino dial, circa 1985
| EUR 3,528 against EUR 1,000–2,000
|}

These results span two decades and five currencies, so no single figure is presented as the reference's record. Plain steel examples in the same sale rooms generally settle between the low four figures and about USD 3,000, and the Mellon results show what a provenance and a Tiffany signature do to that baseline — five watches estimated at USD 1,500 to 2,000 apiece all sold at three to five times the low estimate.

Two watches in the record appear twice each, re-offered at the same house within months, which is worth knowing before treating lot counts as population counts.

==What to look for==

The caseback interior is the primary document. It carries the reference stamp and, on many examples, a Roman-numeral quarter and year that dates the case directly — I.64, III.66, IV.70 — and that stamp has proved more reliable than the catalogue date printed above it.

Match the caliber to the era. A 1215 on an early-1960s serial and a 1225 on anything after the mid-1960s are both period-correct; the reverse combination needs explaining. Match the dial footer too: SWISS alone with radium on the earliest watches, T SWISS T after 1963.

Treat any coloured dial as a question rather than a feature until it is verified, and treat a Mickey Mouse dial as a refinish, because that is what the houses selling them say it is. Read a stated case diameter as noise. And read the word "automatic" in a lot title as a cataloguing error, then check the movement field, which will almost always say otherwise.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6426|Oyster Precision 6426]] — the same watch without the date
* [[Reference:3003|Precision 3003]] — where the Precision line begins

See also the [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://www.bonhams.com/search/?chronology=past&query=rolex+6694 "Bonhams past-lot archive: Rolex reference 6694", Bonhams]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots?q=rolex+6694 "Antiquorum catalogue archive: Rolex reference 6694", Antiquorum]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080116/215 "Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction: TWO, 31 May 2016, lots 215 and 31; and XV, 29 November 2022, lot 1004", Phillips]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6194009 "Christie's live and online sale archive: Rolex reference 6694", Christie's]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/results "Sotheby's lot archive: Rolex reference 6694", Sotheby's]
* [https://jewelry.ha.com/ "Heritage Auctions timepieces archive: Rolex reference 6694", Heritage Auctions]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141017054035/http://www.rolex.com/watches/cellini-rolex-prince/m5442_5-0001.html "Rolex.com: Cellini Rolex Prince, calibre 7040", Rolex, 2014]
* [https://watch-wiki.net/index.php?title=Rolex_1225 "watch-wiki: Rolex calibre 1210, 1215, 1220, 1225", watch-wiki.net]
* [https://mitka.co.uk/2021/11/10/rolex-calibre-1200-1210-1215-2020-2025-review/ mitka88, "Rolex calibre 1200 / 1210 / 1215 / 2020 / 2025 review", mitka.co.uk, 2021-11-10]
* [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html RolexHaven (anonymous specialist), "RolexHaven — Serial Numbers (Pergola + Dowling charts photographed)", rolexhaven.com]
* [https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/vintagerolexforum/ "VintageRolexForum: 6694 dial authenticity and case marking threads", VintageRolexForum]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=961833 "RolexForums: 6694 ownership, service and bracelet threads", RolexForums]
* [https://www.ablogtowatch.com/rolex-oyster-date-mickey-mouse-watch-available-on-james-list/ Ariel Adams, "Rolex Oyster Date Mickey Mouse Watch Available On James List", aBlogtoWatch, 2011-04-24]

[[Category:Precision]]

Reference:6612B

2026-09-05T01:22:23Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Day-Date 6612B}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Day-Date 6612B — The Platinum Arabic "Lone Star"
|description=The Rolex 6612B is the thicker-plate smooth-bezel originals-era Day-Date and home of the platinum Eastern-Arabic "Lone Star" (named by Pucci Papaleo) — among the first entirely Arabic-script Day-Dates and the apex of the 1950s President.
|keywords=Rolex 6612B, Day-Date 6612B, Lone Star, platinum Arabic Day-Date, Eastern Arabic dial, Pucci Papaleo, caliber 1055B, originals Day-Date
|image=Ref 6612B hero.webp
|image_alt=Platinum Rolex 6612B Lone Star Arabic dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-06-21T23:51:15Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:50Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
|titlemode=replace
}}
<small>[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]] › '''6612B'''</small>

The 6612B is the late, thicker-plate version of the smooth-bezel originals-era Day-Date, and the reference behind the most storied of all the early Presidents: the platinum, fully Eastern-Arabic "Lone Star." Where the gold [[Reference:6612|6612]] is the smooth-bezel brother of the fluted [[Reference:6611|6611]], the 6612B carries the second-generation caliber 1055B, and in its rarest form a platinum case and bracelet, diamond hour markers and a dial with the day and date both spelled out in Arabic. That watch, named the "Lone Star" in Pucci Papaleo's ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' (Pucci Papaleo Editore, 2015), is among the first entirely Arabic-script Day-Dates Rolex made, and it sits at the very top of the originals-era market with the platinum 6612 and 6613.

[[File:Ref 6612B hero.webp|thumb|right|260px|alt=Platinum Rolex 6612B Lone Star Arabic dial|The Rolex 6612B "Lone Star" — platinum, smooth bezel, diamond markers and a fully Eastern-Arabic dial, the most storied of the originals-era Day-Dates.]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6612B
|-
| family
| Day-Date
|-
| production
| circa 1957 to 1959 (originals era)
|-
| movement
| caliber 1055B, the second-generation thicker-plate 1055 — chronometer, free-sprung Microstella
|-
| case
| 36mm — 18k gold (yellow / pink / white) and platinum
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| bezel
| smooth (the smooth-bezel member of the 66xx cluster)
|-
| bracelet
| President in gold; a platinum brick-link bracelet on the Lone Star
|-
| dial
| "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified"; the Lone Star is platinum with diamond markers and Eastern-Arabic day and date
|-
| crown
| Twinlock screw-down
|-
| nickname
| "Lone Star" — the platinum Arabic example, named by Pucci Papaleo
|-
| sibling references
| 6611 (fluted), 6613 (diamond bezel); the gold smooth 6612
|-
| predecessor
| 6510 / 6511 (1956)
|-
| successor
| 1803 and the 4-digit era
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 6612B is the "B" sub-variant of the smooth-bezel [[Reference:6612|6612]], carrying the thicker-plate caliber 1055B that the [[Reference:6611|6611]] takes as the 6611B. The change is a late-run movement plate, not a new model. The shared smooth-bezel story, the case, the bracelet and the dial range, sits on the [[Reference:6612|6612]] entry. The platinum Arabic "Lone Star" is why the 6612B is remembered separately.

The platinum originals-era Day-Dates are the apex of the early line. They were made in platinum for Gulf clients because Islamic custom discourages gold on men, and they carry diamond markers, with Eastern-Arabic calendars on the rarest. Three watches define the group: the platinum 6612 "Big Kahuna" with a grey dial, the platinum Arabic 6613, and this smooth-bezel platinum Arabic 6612B, the Lone Star. It is also the ancestor of the 4-digit platinum Arabic Presidents that follow, the 1804 "Scheherazade" and the platinum [[Reference:1831|1831]] "Emperor."

==Production outline==

The 6612B belongs to the 1957–1959 originals run, the smooth-bezel reference in its late, caliber-1055B form. Like the 6611B, the "B" marks the second-generation movement plate rather than a metal or dial change, and gold examples are the bulk of what survives. The platinum examples are a tiny special-order population built for Middle-Eastern clients; the fully-Arabic Lone Star appears to be a single watch, documented in Papaleo's book rather than in any production record. No Rolex figure has surfaced. The whole 66xx cluster gives way to the 4-digit [[Reference:1803|1803]] around 1959.

==Movement notes==

The 6612B runs the caliber 1055B, the second-generation version of the first Day-Date movement: an automatic, chronometer-certified caliber with the free-sprung Microstella balance and the instant midnight changeover that the early 1055 lacked. It is the same movement the 6611B carries. What sets the 6612B apart is the smooth bezel and, on the Lone Star, the platinum case. The [[Reference:Movements]] page holds the caliber lineage, and the [[Reference:6612|6612]] entry covers the smooth-bezel reference's mechanics in full.

==Dial map==
[[File:Ref 6612B dial.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Lone Star dial close-up with Arabic day and date|The Lone Star dial — diamond markers, the day spelled out in Arabic at twelve and the date in Arabic numerals, one of the earliest entirely Arabic-script Day-Date dials.]]

The standard 6612B dials are the smooth-bezel "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dials of the period, covered on the [[Reference:6612|6612]] entry. The dial that defines this reference is the Lone Star's: a gilt-champagne ground with round-brilliant diamond hour markers in prong settings, and the day and date both rendered in Eastern-Arabic script, the day spelled out in the window at twelve and the date in Arabic numerals at three. SJX Watches' history of the Arabic Day-Date calls it likely the first such dial made by the Swiss industry. The deep dial taxonomy that spans the President line sits on the [[Reference:1803|1803]] entry.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

The case is the 36mm smooth-bezel Oyster shared with the [[Reference:6612|6612]], with an acrylic crystal and a Twinlock screw-down crown. On the Lone Star the case and bracelet are platinum rather than gold, the choice that marks the Gulf special orders, and the smooth bezel reads cleaner in white metal than the fluted 6611 does. Within the cluster that plain bezel is what separates the 6612 and 6612B from the fluted 6611 and the diamond-set 6613.

==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

Gold 6612Bs wear the President bracelet, as the [[Reference:6612|6612]] does. The Lone Star wears a platinum brick-link bracelet in place of the President, the woven flat-link style seen on the platinum originals-era Day-Dates. As with any watch of the era, a clasp date code dates the bracelet, which may be older or newer than the head, and the cross-family detail sits on [[Reference:Bracelets]].

==Special branches==

===The "Lone Star"===

The Lone Star is a platinum, smooth-bezel 6612B with diamond hour markers and a fully Eastern-Arabic calendar. Papaleo's book documents it and nothing else does; it has never surfaced at public sale, which leaves its market position untested. If it ever came up it would price as a unique trophy above the platinum lots below.

===The platinum-originals apex===

Platinum sits an order of magnitude above gold across this cluster. Phillips sold a platinum 6612 with a grey diamond-set dial, the "Big Kahuna," for CHF 473,000 in 2015, then a Day-Date world-record price. A platinum diamond-bezel 6613 with an Eastern-Arabic calendar made CHF 425,450 at Phillips in 2025, and an earlier platinum diamond-bezel 6613, its dial aged to brown, HK$275,000 in 2016. The Lone Star is the smooth-bezel, fully-Arabic member of that platinum apex, and the only one of the group never offered publicly.

==Auction record==

The Lone Star has never appeared at public auction. What has sold from the platinum originals era is its diamond-bezel 6613 sibling and the platinum non-Arabic 6612. Gold 6612B examples trade in the dealer market rather than the catalogued sales, in the same low-five-figure band as the gold 6611 and 6612.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! date
! house
! configuration
! result
|-
| 2015
| Phillips Geneva, Glamorous Day-Date, lot 43
| platinum 6612 "Big Kahuna", grey dial, eight round-cut and two baguette-cut diamond markers
| CHF 473,000
|-
| 2025
| Phillips Geneva XXI, lot 198
| platinum 6613 (1959), silvered dial with circular satin finish, Eastern-Arabic calendar
| CHF 425,450
|-
| 2016
| Phillips Hong Kong, lot 201
| platinum 6613 (1958), diamond-set bezel, brown aged dial with Arabic numerals
| HK$275,000
|}

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6611|Day-Date 6611]] — 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6612|Day-Date 6612]] — Early President (1957–1959)
* [[Reference:6510|Day-Date 6510]] — 1956–1957
* [[Reference:6511|Day-Date 6511]] — 1956–1957
* [[Reference:1803|Day-Date 1803]] — Fluted President (1960–1977)
* [[Reference:18028|Day-Date 18028]] — 1977–1988

See also the [[Reference:day-date|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2016/09/hands-on-with-the-rolex-day-date-40-eastern-arabic-middle-east-edition-plus-a-brief-history-of-the-arabic-day-date.html Adel Al-Rahmani with Eric Ku, "A Brief History of the Arabic Day-Date (with the Day-Date 40 Arabic special edition hands-on)", SJX Watches, 2016-09]
* [https://www.puccipapaleo.com/bookstore/day-date ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' — Pucci Papaleo, Pucci Papaleo Editore, 2015]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/214914 Phillips, "Rolex Ref. 6613 Day-Date, platinum with Eastern-Arabic calendar and diamond markers — Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XXI, lot 198", Phillips, 2025]
* [https://www.phillips.com/ Phillips Watches Department, "Phillips Glamorous Day-Date Geneva May 2015 lot 43 — platinum 6612", Phillips, 2015-05-09]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080116/201 Phillips, "Rolex Ref. 6613 Day-Date, platinum with English calendar and diamond markers — Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction TWO, lot 201", Phillips, 2016]
* [https://rolexpassionmarket.com/watches/rolex-the-gold-black-day-date-ref-6612b/ Rolex Passion Market editorial, "Rolex Day-Date 6612B Gold Black Dial", Rolex Passion Market]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1055b WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 1055B (registry page)", WatchBase]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-day-date-1956-present-president-watch-in-depth-review/ Monochrome editorial, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Day-Date, The Presidential Watch", Monochrome Watches]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history ''Rolex Day-Date'' — Giorgia Mondani and Guido Mondani, Guido Mondani Editore]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]

[[Category:Day-Date]]

Reference:6612

2026-09-05T01:22:22Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6612 Day-Date}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Day-Date 6612 — Early President, 1957–1959 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6612 (1957–1959) is the smooth-bezel Day-Date of the second-generation 66xx cluster, sibling to the fluted 6611 and diamond-bezel 6613. 36mm 18k gold (rare platinum), caliber 1055B with free-sprung Microstella balance, President bracelet, and the "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dial.
|keywords=Rolex 6612, Day-Date, President, smooth bezel, 66xx cluster, 6611, 6613, caliber 1055B, [[Reference:6612B|6612B]], platinum Day-Date
|image=Ref 6612 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Day-Date 6612 in platinum with smooth bezel and grey diamond dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-06-07T05:24:12Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:47Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]] › '''6612'''</small>

The 6612 is the smooth-bezel member of the Day-Date's second-generation cluster. It arrived in 1957 alongside the fluted [[Reference:6611|6611]] and the diamond-bezel 6613, about a year after the [[Reference:6510|6510]] and [[Reference:6511|6511]] originals, and it carries the same three upgrades that turned the Day-Date into the President: the President bracelet, the "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dial line, and the rebuilt caliber 1055 with a free-sprung Microstella balance. Where the 6611 wears the fluted "Millerighe" bezel, the 6612 wears a plain polished one. That is the whole difference between them.

The shared origin story — the day-disc patents, the Presidential nickname, the full cluster roster — belongs to the [[Reference:6510|6510]] entry, and the bracelet-and-caliber bundle that defines the cluster is set out on the [[Reference:6611|6611]].

[[File:Ref 6612 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 6612 in platinum with smooth bezel and grey diamond dial|The 6612 in platinum — smooth bezel, grey dial with diamond markers, on the President bracelet. One of the documented platinum examples. Photo: Phillips / EveryWatch]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6612
|-
| family
| Day-Date
|-
| production
| 1957–1959
|-
| movement
| caliber 1055 second generation (1055B) — free-sprung Microstella balance, Breguet overcoil, COSC-certified, instant midnight changeover
|-
| case
| 36mm 18k gold Oyster — yellow, pink, white gold; platinum (rare)
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| bezel
| smooth (polished)
|-
| bracelet
| President
|-
| dial designation
| "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified"
|-
| crown
| Twinlock screw-down
|-
| predecessor
| 6510 (smooth) / 6511 (fluted), 1956 originals
|-
| cluster siblings
| 6611 (fluted bezel), 6613 (diamond bezel)
|-
| successor
| 1803 and the 4-digit era, from c.1959
|-
| sub-variant
| 6612B (movement plate about 0.1mm thicker)
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 6612 belongs to the 66xx cluster that succeeds the 1956 originals around 1957. Within the cluster the bezel is the divider: the 6611 takes the fluted bezel, the 6612 the smooth, and the 6613 a factory diamond-set bezel. The smooth bezel links the 6612 back to the first-generation [[Reference:6510|6510]], the only other early Day-Date to wear one; everything inside the watch is second-generation. By about 1959 the [[Reference:1803|1803]] and its siblings replace the whole cluster and the Day-Date settles into its long 4-digit era.

Dating the cluster is not quite unanimous. Sotheby's groups the 66xx references with the 1956 launch, while Monochrome places them at 1957. The 1957 reading is the common one and matches the President bracelet's own introduction.

==Production outline==

The 6612 arrived in 1957 with the rest of the cluster, keeping the 36mm Oyster case and the gold-and-platinum catalogue of the period, and ran for about three years.

No Rolex archival production figure has surfaced, and the smooth-bezel 6612 is scarcer in the record than the fluted 6611 — most early Day-Dates that reach the market wear the fluted bezel that became the line's signature. Case numbers fall in the same late-1950s band as the rest of the cluster; the platinum pair below carries numbers around 403,680, consistent with 1958.

==Movement notes==

The 6612 carries the second-generation caliber 1055, the version registries label 1055B, the same movement as the fluted 6611. It keeps the first-generation running gear (automatic, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, 28.50mm across) and adds the two upgrades that define the cluster: a free-sprung balance with Rolex's Microstella regulating screws paired with a Breguet overcoil, and COSC chronometer certification. The midnight changeover becomes instant, fixing the slow day-and-date roll-over that hobbled the first-generation 1055 and is usually blamed for the one-year run of the 6510 and 6511. The full caliber lineage sits on [[Reference:Movements]].

==Dial map==

The 6612 carries the four-line "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" text at six o'clock that the cluster introduced, with the spelled-out day at twelve, the date at three, applied faceted gold indices, and the period's shift toward alpha hands. The printing is gilt, gold text on a glossy lacquered ground, the finish Rolex used before matte printing arrived in the 1960s. Its condition drives value on any surviving example. Day discs follow the retail market — English, French, German, Italian and Spanish discs are all documented across the cluster.

Dials on the 6612 split two ways. The standard configuration is a champagne or silvered dial with applied gold batons. The platinum examples instead carry a grey dial set with round- and baguette-cut diamond markers, the configuration Phillips documented in 2015. Diamond hour markers otherwise belong to the precious-metal and diamond-bezel configurations rather than a standard gold 6612.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

The 6612 uses the 36mm three-piece Oyster case shared across the cluster: screw-down Twinlock crown, screw-down caseback, acrylic crystal. The bezel is the plain polished one, the single feature that separates the 6612 from the fluted 6611.

The metals are yellow, pink and white gold, with yellow the common case material. Platinum is the outlier: a pair of 1958 platinum examples with consecutive case numbers is documented, one of which Phillips catalogued as one of only two known. Platinum with a diamond-set dial places these among the scarcest early Day-Dates.

==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

The 6612 wears the President, the three-piece semi-circular-link bracelet designed for the Day-Date and introduced with this cluster in 1957. The bracelet's name predates the Johnson-era association: a 1957 Italian advertisement reproduced by Rolex Magazine already calls it the President. The cross-family detail sits on [[Reference:Bracelets]]. As ever, a clasp date code dates the bracelet, not the watch head, and service swaps over seventy years are common.

==Special branches==

===Platinum===

The platinum 6612 is the reference's headline rarity. Phillips sold a 1958 example, case 403,680, with a grey dial set with eight round-cut and two baguette-cut diamond markers at the Glamorous Day-Date sale in Geneva in May 2015, cataloguing it as one of only two platinum 6612s known and noting that the two carry consecutive case numbers. Collectors know that watch as the "Big Kahuna." A platinum early Day-Date is unusual in any reference; documented in the smooth-bezel 6612, it is among the rarest configurations of the whole 66xx group.

===The 6612B===

A late sub-variant, the 6612B, carries a movement plate about 0.1mm thicker than the standard 6612, the same plate change tracked by the 1055B caliber designation and mirrored on the fluted 6611B. The external case is stamped 6612; the "B" appears in service paperwork and registries. It turns up across metals, including a yellow-gold example with a black dial.

==Auction record==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! sale
! date
! metal
! notes
! result
|-
| Phillips, Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 43
| 9 May 2015
| platinum
| the "Big Kahuna": case 403,680 (1958), grey dial with eight round-cut and two baguette-cut diamond markers; catalogued as one of two platinum 6612s known, with consecutive case numbers
| CHF 473,000
|}

The platinum "Big Kahuna" carries the reference's one landmark result, CHF 473,000 at Phillips in May 2015, a world record for any Day-Date at the time. Plain gold 6612s trade in the same modest band as the gold 6611, with the smooth bezel making them marginally harder to find; the platinum pair is the clear exception on rarity. Beyond that lot the 6612 has no deep run of results of its own, so the smooth-bezel reference is best read through the cluster it belongs to.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6611|Day-Date 6611]] — 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6612B|Day-Date 6612B]] — 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6510|Day-Date 6510]] — 1956–1957
* [[Reference:6511|Day-Date 6511]] — 1956–1957
* [[Reference:1803|Day-Date 1803]] — Fluted President (1960–1977)
* [[Reference:18028|Day-Date 18028]] — 1977–1988

See also the [[Reference:day-date|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-day-date-1956-present-president-watch-in-depth-review/ Monochrome editorial, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Day-Date, The Presidential Watch", Monochrome Watches]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-day-date-historical-overview-of-rolexs-flagship/ Fratello editorial, "Rolex Day-Date — Historical Overview Of Rolex's Flagship", Fratello Watches]
* [https://watchbase.com/blog/2015/02/21/rolex-day-date-history WatchBase editorial, "Rolex Day-Date History", WatchBase, 2015-02-21]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2010/09/1956-very-first-rolex-day-date.html Jake Ehrlich, "1956 — The Very First Rolex Day-Date", Rolex Magazine (Jake's Rolex World), 2010-09]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2021/10/rolex-president-ad-from-1957-uncovered.html Jake Ehrlich, "Rolex President Ad From 1957 Uncovered", Rolex Magazine (Jake's Rolex World), 2021-10]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1055b WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 1055B (registry page)", WatchBase]
* [https://www.phillips.com/ Phillips Watches Department, "Phillips Glamorous Day-Date Geneva May 2015 lot 43 — platinum 6612", Phillips, 2015-05-09]
* [https://rolexpassionmarket.com/watches/rolex-the-gold-black-day-date-ref-6612b/ Rolex Passion Market editorial, "Rolex Day-Date 6612B Gold Black Dial", Rolex Passion Market]

[[Category:Day-Date]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6611

2026-09-05T01:22:22Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6611 Day-Date}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 6611 Day-Date — First President Bracelet, First "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" Dial | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6611 (1957–1959) is the fluted-bezel Day-Date that introduced the President bracelet and the first "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dial, on the upgraded Microstella caliber 1055/1055B. 36mm 18k gold; the fluted reference of the 66xx cluster alongside the 6612 and 6613.
|keywords=Rolex 6611, Day-Date, President bracelet, Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified, caliber 1055B, Microstella, 6611B, 6510, 6511
|image=Ref 6611 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Day-Date 6611 in yellow gold on the President bracelet
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-06-02T21:30:23Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:44Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]] › '''6611'''</small>

The 6611 is the reference that turned the Day-Date into the President. It arrived in 1957, about a year after the [[Reference:6510|6510]] and [[Reference:6511|6511]] originals, and it brought three firsts at once: the President bracelet, the "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dial line, and a rebuilt caliber with a free-sprung Microstella balance and chronometer certification. The 6510 and 6511 invented the complication; the 6611 fixed its weak points and gave the line the bracelet and the dial text that define it today.

Within the second-generation cluster the 6611 is the fluted-bezel reference, sitting alongside the smooth-bezel 6612 and the diamond-bezel 6613. It kept the 36mm Oyster case and the 18k gold-only catalogue of the originals, and ran for three years before the 1803 and its siblings replaced the whole group around 1959. The shared origin story (Marc Huguenin's patents, the Presidential nickname, the full cluster roster) belongs to the [[Reference:6510|6510]] entry.

[[File:Ref 6611 hero.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 6611 in yellow gold on the President bracelet|Rolex Day-Date 6611 in 18k yellow gold on the President bracelet — the fluted bezel that the 6611 carried into the second generation. Image via Phillips.]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6611
|-
| family
| Day-Date
|-
| production
| 1957–1959
|-
| movement
| caliber 1055 second generation (1055B) — free-sprung Microstella balance, Breguet overcoil, COSC-certified, instant midnight changeover
|-
| case
| 36mm 18k gold Oyster — yellow gold, pink gold, white gold
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| bezel
| fluted ("Millerighe")
|-
| bracelet
| President (the first Day-Date to carry it)
|-
| dial designation
| "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" — the first Rolex dial to carry it
|-
| crown
| Twinlock screw-down
|-
| predecessor
| 6511 (fluted) / 6510 (smooth), 1956 originals on Jubilee and the first-generation caliber
|-
| cluster siblings
| 6612 (smooth bezel), 6613 (diamond bezel)
|-
| successor
| 1803 and the 4-digit era, from c.1959
|-
| sub-variant
| 6611B (movement plate about 0.1mm thicker)
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 6611 succeeds the 6510 and 6511 roughly a year after their 1956 Basel launch. The dating is not unanimous. Sotheby's groups the 6611 with the 1956 originals, while Monochrome and Rolex Magazine place it at 1957. The 1957 reading is the common one and matches the President bracelet's own introduction date.

The reference anchors the second-generation 66xx cluster. The 6611 takes the fluted bezel, the 6612 the smooth bezel, and the 6613 a factory diamond-set bezel; the late 6611B carries a slightly thicker movement plate. The 6510 and 6511 offered nothing equivalent, a two-watch bezel-finish pairing where the 66xx cluster is a proper range. By about 1959 the 1803 and its siblings take over and the Day-Date moves into its long 4-digit era.

==Production outline==

The reference kept the 36mm Oyster case and the gold-only catalogue of the originals, and ran for three years. Everything that separated it from them landed in a single step in 1957, which is why the 6611 reads as the start of the modern Day-Date rather than a minor update.

Case numbers from the auction record sit a little above the originals' range (214,124 on a 1956/57 yellow-gold example, 401,546 on a 1958 white-gold 6611B), consistent with the 1957–1959 window. No Rolex archival production figure has surfaced. The cluster as a whole gives way to the 1803 around 1959, and from that point the President bracelet and the SCOC dial that the 6611 introduced become Day-Date standards.

==Movement notes==

The 6611 carries the second-generation caliber 1055, the version watch registries label 1055B. It keeps the running gear of the first-generation movement (automatic, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, 28.50mm across) but stands about 0.1mm taller at roughly 7.1mm and adds the two upgrades that matter. The balance becomes free-sprung with Rolex's Microstella regulating screws, paired with a Breguet overcoil, and the movement is COSC chronometer-certified. The midnight changeover becomes instant, fixing the gradual day-and-date transition that hobbled the first-generation 1055 and is usually blamed for the 6510/6511's single-year run. The full caliber lineage sits on [[Reference:Movements]].

Auction catalogues mislabel these early movements. Antiquorum's 2002 steel lot lists the caliber as a 1556, a movement that did not exist until the 1803 era; the watch in fact carries the second-generation 1055. The dial text and the construction identify these movements more reliably than a caliber number assigned decades after the fact.

==Dial map==

[[File:Ref 6611 dial.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=6611 Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified dial|The four-line "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dial the 6611 introduced. Image via Antiquorum.]]

The 6611 introduces the four-line "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" text at six o'clock, the first Rolex of any line to carry it. The wording is a direct consequence of the COSC certification the upgraded caliber earned, and it replaces the pre-SCOC lines of the 6510/6511 ("Superlative Chronometer by Official Test" or "Officially Certified Chronometer"). Beyond the text, the dials follow the period layout: the full-word day aperture at twelve, the date at three, applied faceted gold indices, and a shift toward alpha hands where the originals ran dauphine.

Hands and lume vary across surviving examples. The yellow-gold Serpico y Laino 6611B was catalogued with luminous alpha hands and applied faceted baton indexes, while the white-gold Phillips 6611B carried non-luminous leaf-shaped hands, black enamel hand centres, and no luminous dots at the hour markers. On these early Day-Dates, dial language, market disc, metal, and lume package move independently.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! dial
! indices / detail
! text
! documented on
|-
| champagne / gold
| applied faceted gold batons, pie-pan profile
| English SCOC
| yellow gold (Antiquorum 2017 lot 136, Serpico y Laino)
|-
| pale champagne / silvered
| applied baton markers, pie-pan, no diamonds
| English SCOC
| white gold 6611B (Phillips 2015 lot 154)
|-
| German-script
| German day disc, oversized "DAY-DATE", red date
| "Superlativer Chronometer Amtlich Geprüft"
| yellow gold (Phillips 2015 lot 50, probably unique)
|-
| satiné silver
| tritium baton indices
| English SCOC
| steel École prize watch (Antiquorum 2002 lot 37)
|}

The day disc follows the retail market — English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese discs are all documented, and the German-script Phillips lot, catalogued as probably unique, was likely built to win orders in German-speaking markets. The 6611 era is also where Arabic day discs first appear: SJX dates the spelled-out-Arabic dials to the late 1950s, with the date wheel kept in the Western "roulette" style, odd numbers in red and even in black. Diamond hour markers belong to the diamond-bezel 6613 and the precious-metal configurations rather than the standard 6611.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

[[File:Ref 6611 pink-gold.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=pink-gold 6611|An 18k pink-gold 6611 with a fluted pink-gold bezel and warm radium dial patina.]]

The 6611 uses the 36mm three-piece Oyster case carried over from the originals: screw-down Twinlock crown, screw-down caseback, acrylic crystal. The bezel is the fluted "Millerighe" in 18k gold matching the case, the finish that became the Day-Date signature and the one that separates the 6611 from its smooth-bezel sibling, the 6612.

The metals are yellow, pink and white gold. Yellow gold is the common case material; pink and white gold are scarcer, and the white-gold examples are usually diamond-set, which is what made the plain white-gold 6611B at Phillips notable enough to call out. Platinum and factory diamond-set dials are sometimes listed among the cluster's options, but no platinum or factory-diamond 6611 has surfaced at auction — Sotheby's treats the early references as gold only, and the diamond-bezel reference of the cluster is the 6613. The safe reading is that platinum and diamond-set examples belong to the 6613, not the 6611.

==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

The 6611 is the first Day-Date to wear the President, the three-piece semi-circular-link bracelet designed for this watch and now inseparable from it. The 6510 and 6511 launched on the Jubilee; the President arrives here in 1957. One of the earliest examples in the record is the President on the German-script Phillips lot, its folding clasp stamped 2.57. The bracelet is widely attributed to Gay Frères on contract to Rolex, though no primary documentation confirms it. The bracelet's name is older than the watch's: a 1957 Italian newspaper advertisement reproduced by Rolex Magazine already calls it the "President," years before Lyndon Johnson's presidency attached the name to the watch itself in the mid-1960s. The cross-family detail sits on [[Reference:Bracelets]].

The Italian copy describes the Day-Date as solid 18k gold with bracelet "PRESIDENT" 7286/16, and the same Rolex Magazine piece reproduces a 1958 Canary Islands catalogue and a 1959 German advertisement using the President/Präsident bracelet language. The name was a launch-period sales term before it was anything else.

As with the originals, the bracelet on a surviving 6611 does not always match the head: clasp date codes date the bracelet, not the watch, and service swaps are common across seventy years.

==Special branches==

===Steel examples===

A small number of 6611s exist in stainless steel, and they are among the most argued-over watches in the Day-Date story. Two overlapping populations sit behind them. One is a set of École d'Horlogerie de Genève prize watches, their casebacks engraved "Ecole d'Horlogerie de Genève – 1963" and given to top graduates of the Geneva watchmaking school; Antiquorum sold one in 2002 and catalogued the reference as 6611 while noting, in the same lot, that the model "was first created under the reference No. 6511." The other is a run of factory prototype or scholar pieces made before the launch, cased without reference numbers.

The sources do not agree on how many exist or what to call them. Antiquorum counts six, Monochrome five, and Phillips four; the prize-watch and prototype framings are treated as one population by some and two by others. The most expensive of them, an ex-John Goldberger steel example with case number 99,272, was sold by Monaco Legend in 2024 as a reference 6511, not a 6611, on the strength of its first-generation caliber 1055 and riveted Oyster bracelet. The steel Day-Date is best treated as a disputed branch shared between the two reference numbers rather than a settled 6611 variant.

Antiquorum's 2002 lot essay gives one more version of the steel story: it says the six steel watches followed a marketing test in which demand proved stronger for gold, after which Rolex stopped steel production and kept the Day-Date in precious metals. That account comes from the auction house rather than the Rolex archive, but it explains why steel 6611s sit awkwardly between prototype, school-prize watch, and aborted-commercial-reference categories.

===The 6611B===

[[File:Ref 6611 white-gold.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=white-gold 6611B|A white-gold 6611B with a pale-champagne pie-pan dial and no diamonds — the rare plain configuration. Image via Phillips.]]

A late sub-variant, the 6611B, carries a movement plate about 0.1mm thicker than the standard 6611 — the same plate change that the 1055B caliber designation tracks. It is rare and turns up across metals: a plain white-gold example at Phillips, a Serpico y Laino-retailed yellow-gold example at Antiquorum. The external case is stamped 6611; the "B" appears in service paperwork and registries.

Antiquorum's 2017 lot records case no. 386,339, a matching Spanish day disc, and a "big logo" Rolex bracelet dated 1958, describing the package as built for the Spanish market. The 6611B is therefore an export-market branch as much as a late movement-code branch.

==Auction record==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! sale
! date
! metal
! result
! notes
|-
| Phillips, The Geneva Watch Auction TWO, lot 154
| 7 Nov 2015
| white gold (6611B)
| CHF 93,750
| case 401,546 (1958), pale-champagne pie-pan dial, no diamonds — prized for being plain
|-
| Antiquorum, Exceptional Horological Works of Art, lot 37
| 19 Oct 2002
| stainless steel
| CHF 50,600
| École d'Horlogerie de Genève prize watch, caseback engraved 1963, one of about six steel examples
|-
| Phillips, Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 50
| 9 May 2015
| yellow gold
| CHF 45,000
| case 214,124, German-script SCOC dial, probably unique; President clasp stamped 2.57
|}

A plain gold 6611 is a comparatively modest buy, with examples clearing in roughly the CHF 12,000–20,000 range; the white-gold 6611B and the steel prize watch are the clear exceptions on rarity. Pink-gold and yellow-gold 6611B examples appear in the record at Sotheby's, and a Serpico y Laino yellow-gold 6611B at Antiquorum documents the English-SCOC dial, though results for several of those lots are no longer publicly listed. The ex-Goldberger steel example sold for EUR 1,196,000 in 2024, but it was catalogued as a 6511, and as a one-off prototype it sits outside any 6611 price band.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6612|Day-Date 6612]] — Early President (1957–1959)
* [[Reference:6612B|Day-Date 6612B]] — 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6510|Day-Date 6510]] — 1956–1957
* [[Reference:6511|Day-Date 6511]] — 1956–1957
* [[Reference:1803|Day-Date 1803]] — Fluted President (1960–1977)
* [[Reference:18028|Day-Date 18028]] — 1977–1988

See also the [[Reference:day-date|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore)'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]
* [https://www.puccipapaleo.com/bookstore/day-date/ ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' — Pucci Papaleo Editore, Spin Edizioni, 2015-05]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-day-date-1956-present-president-watch-in-depth-review/ Monochrome editorial, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Day-Date, The Presidential Watch", Monochrome Watches]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/more-precious-than-gold-the-rolex-day-date-ref-6611-in-steel/ Monochrome editorial, "More Precious Than Gold! — The Rolex Day-Date ref. 6611 in STEEL", Monochrome Watches]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-day-date-historical-overview-of-rolexs-flagship/ Fratello editorial, "Rolex Day-Date — Historical Overview Of Rolex's Flagship", Fratello Watches]
* [https://watchbase.com/blog/2015/02/21/rolex-day-date-history WatchBase editorial, "Rolex Day-Date History", WatchBase, 2015-02-21]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1055b WatchBase, "Rolex caliber 1055B (registry page)", WatchBase]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2010/09/1956-very-first-rolex-day-date.html Jake Ehrlich, "1956 — The Very First Rolex Day-Date", Rolex Magazine (Jake's Rolex World), 2010-09]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2016/09/hands-on-with-the-rolex-day-date-40-eastern-arabic-middle-east-edition-plus-a-brief-history-of-the-arabic-day-date.html Adel Al-Rahmani with Eric Ku, "A Brief History of the Arabic Day-Date (with the Day-Date 40 Arabic special edition hands-on)", SJX Watches, 2016-09]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2021/10/rolex-president-ad-from-1957-uncovered.html Jake Ehrlich, "Rolex President Ad From 1957 Uncovered", Rolex Magazine (Jake's Rolex World), 2021-10]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-31-37 Antiquorum, "Rolex Day-Date Ref. 6611 steel, École d'Horlogerie de Genève prize watch, Antiquorum lot 37", Antiquorum, 2002-10-19]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/50 Phillips (in association with Bacs & Russo), "Rolex Ref. 6611 yellow gold, German-script SCOC dial, Phillips Glamorous Day-Date lot 50", Phillips, 2015-05-09]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080515/154 Phillips (in association with Bacs & Russo), "Rolex Ref. 6611B white gold (no diamonds), Phillips The Geneva Watch Auction TWO lot 154", Phillips, 2015-11-07]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6611b-lot-307-136 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 6611B yellow gold, Serpico y Laino, English SCOC dial, Antiquorum lot 136", Antiquorum, 2017-05-14]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-35/lot-110 Monaco Legend Auctions, "Rolex steel Day-Date prototype sold as Ref. 6511 (ex-Goldberger), Monaco Legend lot 110", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2024-10-19]

[[Category:Day-Date]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6610

2026-09-05T01:22:21Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6610 Explorer}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Explorer 6610 — Cal 1030, Gilt Dial | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6610 is the second-generation Explorer, 1955–59 active production into 1963 leftover stock. Caliber 1030 chronometer, gilt chapter-ring dials with red-depth and no-depth variants, the "Albino" white-dial sub-branch.
|keywords=Rolex, 6610, Explorer, caliber 1030, red depth, Albino, tropical, Officially Certified Chronometer
|image=Ref 6610 hero 2.webp
|image_alt=Explorer 6610 — black Officially Certified Chronometer dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:53Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:41Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] › '''6610'''</small>

The 6610 is the second-generation Explorer. Active production runs 1955 to 1959 across major-house lots, with leftover stock cased and dispatched to dealers as late as 1963 (specialist documentation; Monochrome 2024). The 6610 carries caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber, with the butterfly rotor that replaces the thicker uni-directional autowind module of the A296 used on the 6150 / 6350 / 6098 — and settles the Explorer dial into the layout that runs forward into the 1016. Among Explorer dials in any reference the 6610 holds the rarest of all sub-branches, the white-dial "Albino." Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' calls the 6150 and 6610 "the first real Oyster Perpetual Explorers."

<span id="core-facts"></span>

[[File:Ref 6610 hero 2.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Explorer 6610 — black Officially Certified Chronometer dial|Explorer 6610 — black Officially Certified Chronometer dial]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6610
|-
| family
| Explorer
|-
| production
| 1955–1959 active manufacture (Hodinkee Reference Points; Phillips, Sotheby's, Bonhams catalogues); leftover stock cased into 1963. VRFM gives 1959 as start year — minority view
|-
| serial bands
| 113,092 → 360,272+ across documented lots; red-depth concentrated in 113,xxx (first-year batch)
|-
| case
| 36mm stainless steel, smooth fixed bezel with knurled outer edge, polished top
|-
| caseback
| flatter than the 6150's bubble-back profile — the cleanest visual differentiator
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| movement
| caliber 1030, 25 jewels, COSC chronometer-rated, adjusted to 5 positions and temperature
|-
| dial
| lacquered black gilt with chapter ring; Mercedes hour, baton minute, lollipop seconds; radium lume throughout (no tritium variants)
|-
| dial text
| "Explorer" + "Officially Certified Chronometer" (OCC); some early examples carry red "50m" depth print, dropped mid-run
|-
| bracelet
| 6636 expandable rivet or 7206 fixed-link rivet with 57/58 end-links — period-correct delivery; 9315 folded-link is post-1968 service replacement
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6610 replaces the pre-Explorer 6150 and the chronometer-rated 6350. Both predecessors ran the A296 — a full-rotor uni-directional Perpetual, thicker than what came after. The 6610's caliber 1030 is the first bidirectional self-winding Rolex, the butterfly-rotor architecture that runs forward through the 1530 series and into the 1560 that powers the early 1016. The Field Manual describes the 6150 and 6610 as "indistinguishable from one another" except for the movement (A296 versus 1030) and the flatter caseback on the 6610. Side by side the caseback profile is immediate.

The 6610 sits as the bridge between the early Explorer cluster (6098, 6150, 6350) and the long-running 1016 that succeeds it. Hodinkee's Reference Points piece on the Explorer (Bues, 2018) puts the 6610 between the 6350 (1953–55) and the 1016 (1959 onwards). The 1016 then runs for thirty years on caliber 1560 and eventually 1570, but the 6610 is where the modern Explorer dial settles.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Active production runs 1955 to 1959 across the Phillips, Sotheby's, Bonhams, and Antiquorum lot corpus surveyed. Hodinkee's Reference Points Explorer guide (Bues, 2018) gives the same window. Monochrome's Explorer family history (Geelen, 2024) extends the dispatch window to 1963, reading the late market presence as leftover stock dispatched after Rolex had moved to the 1016 in 1959. The Field Manual gives 1959 as the start year and does not specify an end — a minority view that the rest of the corpus does not corroborate. That leaves two date bands in play: 1955–59 active per the auction record, Hodinkee, and Monochrome; 1959–63 per VRFM in start-only form.

Documented serial numbers run from 113,092 to 360,272+. Red-depth-printed dials concentrate in the first-year 113,xxx batch (Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95; Phillips Watch Auction One lot 167). Standard no-depth gilt examples populate the late-1950s bands. The serial-band evidence supports the 1955-active-production reading.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

The 6610 runs caliber 1030 — a 25-jewel automatic with self-compensating Breguet balance spring, monometallic balance with shock absorber, and 5-position chronometer adjustment with temperature compensation. The 1030 is Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber and dropped the bubble-back caseback profile that the thicker A296 autowind module required for clearance. The Field Manual treats the movement as the primary distinguishing feature between the 6610 and the 6150; the two references are otherwise described as "indistinguishable."

The 1030 also runs concurrently on the 6536 / 6536-1 small-crown Submariner and on the 6538 big-crown Submariner — the same architecture serves Explorer and Submariner production through the late 1950s. COSC chronometer rating is universal on the 6610 (the dial reads "Officially Certified Chronometer"), distinguishing it from the non-chronometer 6150 that ran "Precision."

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

[[File:Ref 6610 hero.webp|thumb|right|260px|alt=6610 red depth rating dial|6610 red depth rating dial]]

Three named dial generations on the 6610. The auction corpus does not document an underline 6610 — the underline convention belongs to 1963-onwards 1016 production, by which point active 6610 production had ended.

<span id="red-depth-50m-gilt"></span>
=== Red depth 50m gilt (early) ===

The earliest 6610 dials carry a red-printed "50m=165ft" depth rating beneath the OCC line. Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95 (case 113,xxx) and Phillips Watch Auction One lot 167 anchor the variant; Antiquorum lot 368-493 documents another red-depth example. Red-depth dials concentrate in the 113,xxx serial cluster — first-year 1955 production. The red-depth signature is the cleanest dating anchor for an unrestored 6610. Documented red-depth examples populate the upper tier of the 6610 collector market.

<span id="gilt-no-depth-mid-late"></span>
=== Gilt, no depth (mid to late) ===

The mid- and late-run dial drops the depth-rating print, keeping the OCC line and the standard "Explorer" / 3-6-9 layout. Gilt printing on a glossy black lacquer ground; chapter ring on the perimeter; radium lume on the markers and Mercedes hands. Bonhams 29152 lot 24 and Bonhams 30669 lot 26 anchor the standard-gilt configuration; Sotheby's GE1904 lot 315 documents an unrestored gilt example with full-set provenance.

<span id="tropical-conversion"></span>
=== Tropical conversion ===

Black gilt that has shifted to brown under sustained UV. Documented but lower-frequency than the tropical 5512 / 6538 dials of the same period. Earlier examples (1955–1957) skew toward conversion. Sotheby's 2022 Fine Watches documented a tropical 6610 at the upper end of the conversion-dial market for Explorer references.

<span id="albino-white-dial"></span>
=== Albino (white dial) ===

The Albino is a white-dial 6610 — among the rarest of all Explorer dials in any reference. White ground with dark printing, in place of the black lacquered standard. Auction appearances are uncommon and surviving counts are not formally documented. How the Albino came to exist is not on public record. Whether it was a special order or a limited factory run has not been established, and Rolex has not published anything on it. The Albino sits at the apex of the 6610 collector market when examples surface.

<span id="lollipop-seconds-evolution"></span>
=== Lollipop seconds hand evolution ===

The lollipop seconds hand — a circular aperture at the tip of the seconds hand — changes across the run. Early examples have a large circle aperture; later examples carry a noticeably smaller one. The transition has not been pinned to a specific serial range, but the small-vs-large lollipop is a useful corroborating dating cue alongside the case-back interior date stamp.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The 6610 case is 36mm stainless steel with a smooth fixed bezel — knurled outer edge, polished top, no insert. The bezel architecture is consistent across the entire run. The acrylic crystal sits in the standard Oyster mount. The caseback is the diagnostic — visibly flatter than the 6150's bubble-back profile, reflecting the slimmer caliber 1030 underneath. Side by side, the 6610's flatter caseback is immediate.

Crown markings follow the small-crown Brevet convention. The case carries radial brushing across the top with a polished bevel running along the lugs. Examples that have been over-polished show eroded lug chamfers — the cleanest single-point originality test on a vintage Explorer case.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

Period-correct delivery is the 6636 expandable rivet or the 7206 fixed-link rivet, both with 57 or 58 end-links. Both bracelets share the late-1950s Explorer / Submariner end-link cluster. The 9315 folded-link Oyster turns up frequently on cataloged 6610 examples but the clasp date codes prove these are post-1968 service replacements — not period-correct for any 6610. The 78360 folded-link Oyster (introduced in the 1970s) is a known service swap on later survivors.

Big Logo Swiss rivet bracelets surface on a small group of late 6610s; whether they were original-delivery or later fitments is not always clear from the surviving record. Specialist documentation records a 1958 6610 with service papers on a Big Logo bracelet, which suggests a service-era refit rather than original delivery.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Variant !! Hammer
|-
| Phillips Geneva 8 || 95 || 2018 || 113,xxx || red-depth gilt || CHF 30,000+
|-
| Phillips Watch Auction One || 167 || 2015 || — || red-depth gilt || —
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong XV || 1055 || 2022 || — || red-depth gilt || HK$ 302,000
|-
| Antiquorum || 368-493 || — || — || red-depth || —
|-
| Bonhams || 29152/24 || — || — || standard gilt OCC || —
|-
| Bonhams || 30669/26 || — || — || standard gilt OCC || —
|-
| Sotheby's GE1904 || 315 || 2019 || — || unrestored gilt, full set || —
|-
| Sotheby's Fine Watches || — || 2022 || — || tropical 6610 || —
|}

The 6610 trades in three tiers. Red-depth dials with original 113,xxx-cluster serials sit at the top of the standard market — Phillips Hong Kong's HK$ 302,000 result is the headline figure. Tropical and no-depth gilt examples populate the upper-middle. Service-dial and refit examples settle at the lower end. The Albino, when it surfaces, sits in its own tier above all of the above. The reference's narrow collector audience values the technical handoff from the uni-directional A296 6150 to the bidirectional 1030, and the dial-side handoff from the 6350 OCC layout to the 1016 standard that follows.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:1016|Explorer 1016]] — Gilt to Matte (1963–1989)
* [[Reference:6098|Explorer 6098]] — 1952–1953
* [[Reference:6150|Explorer 6150]] — Early Explorer-Dial Oyster
* [[Reference:6350|Explorer 6350]] — First 'Explorer' Dial (1953–1955)
* [[Reference:14270|Explorer 14270]] — First Sapphire (1989–2001)
* [[Reference:114270|Explorer 114270]] — 2001–2010

See also the [[Reference:explorer|Explorer family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-explorer-reference-points A Comprehensive Collector's Guide To The Rolex Explorer I] — Jon Bues (Hodinkee, 2018)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-from-1953-36mm-1016-14270-114270-214270-124270-in-depth-review/ The History of the Rolex Explorer] — Frank Geelen (Monochrome Watches, 2024)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/rolex-info/rolex-explorer.html Rolex Explorer Guide] (editorial)
* [https://www.woundforlife.com/2015/08/12/under-the-loupe-rolex-explorer-reference-6610/ Under the Loupe — Rolex Explorer Reference 6610] (Wound For Life, 2015)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080218/95 Rolex Explorer 6610 — Phillips Geneva 8, lot 95] (Phillips, 2018)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080215/167 Rolex Explorer 6610 — Phillips Watch Auction One, lot 167] (Phillips, 2015)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080222/1055 Rolex Explorer 6610 — Phillips Hong Kong XV, lot 1055] (Phillips, 2022)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29152/lot/24/ Rolex Explorer 6610 — Bonhams lot 29152/24] (Bonhams)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/30669/lot/26/ Rolex Explorer 6610 — Bonhams lot 30669/26] (Bonhams)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6610-explorer-lot-368-493 Rolex Ref. 6610 Explorer — Antiquorum lot 368-493] (Antiquorum)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-ge1904/lot.315.html Sotheby's GE1904 lot 315] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/fine-watches-2/reference-6610-explorer-a-stainless-steel Reference 6610 Explorer tropical — Sotheby's Fine Watches] (Sotheby's, 2022)
* [https://www.41watch.com/en/journal/buyers-guides/the-origins-of-the-rived-rolex-oyster-bracelets The Origins of Riveted Rolex Oyster Bracelets] (41Watch)
* [https://www.craftandtailored.com/products/1958-rolex-explorer-i-ref-6610-gilt-chapter-ring-dial 1958 Rolex Explorer I Ref. 6610 — gilt chapter-ring] (Craft and Tailored)
* [https://tropicalwatch.com/watches/1958-rolex-explorer-6610-gilt-dial-with-service-papers/bwnd 1958 Rolex Explorer 6610 — gilt dial with service papers] (Tropical Watch)
* [https://bulangandsons.com/products/rolex-explorer-gilt-dial-6610 Rolex Explorer 6610 gilt dial]
* [https://rolexpassionmarket.com/watches/rolex-explorer-ref-6610/ Rolex Explorer Ref. 6610] (Rolex Passion Market)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Explorer]]

Reference:6580

2026-09-05T01:22:20Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6580}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6580 — Honeycomb Dial, Circa 1954 | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6580, circa 1954 — a steel cal 1030 automatic with an off-white honeycomb dial and 3-6-9 numerals, smooth bezel.
|keywords=Rolex, Oyster Perpetual, 6580, honeycomb dial, cal 1030, vintage Rolex, 1954
|image=Ref 6580 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6580 honeycomb dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''6580'''</small>

[[File:Ref 6580 hero.webp|thumb|right|300px|Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6580, circa 1954, honeycomb dial with 3-6-9 numerals.]]

The 6580 is a steel Oyster Perpetual from the same mid-1950s flat-caseback generation as [[Reference:6098|6098]], [[Reference:6085|6085]] and [[Reference:6564|6564]], carrying an off-white honeycomb dial with a 3-6-9 numeral layout under a smooth bezel. A documented example dates to circa 1954, cal 1030, 34mm steel case.

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6580
|-
| family
| Oyster Perpetual
|-
| production
| circa 1954 (documented example)
|-
| case
| 34mm x 11mm, stainless steel
|-
| crystal
| Plexiglass (acrylic)
|-
| movement
| Caliber 1030, self-winding
|-
| dial
| Off-white honeycomb texture, 3-6-9 Arabic numerals
|-
| bezel
| Smooth
|}

== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6580 shares its cal 1030 movement and case architecture with [[Reference:6098|6098]], [[Reference:6085|6085]] and [[Reference:6564|6564]], and specifically shares the honeycomb dial vocabulary with 6085 and 6098. Its own dealer description contrasts the smooth bezel here against a "shinier fluted cousin" elsewhere in the family — consistent with the same bezel-driven naming logic that organises the classic 4-digit [[Reference:1002|1002]] / [[Reference:1003|1003]] / [[Reference:1005|1005]] generation a few years later.

== Production outline ==

A documented example, case number 39801, dates to circa 1954. No Rolex-published production window exists; the reference sits inside the same mid-1950s window as its flat-caseback siblings.

== Movement notes ==

Caliber 1030, the self-winding movement shared across this generation. No jewel count or beat rate was recovered from the located source.

== Dial map ==

The signature configuration is an off-white honeycomb texture with printed 3-6-9 Arabic numerals, showing light aging around the indexes on the documented example, with radium lume plots described as largely intact aside from a few losses between 12 and 6 o'clock. No other dial variant has been independently confirmed for this reference.

== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The case is stainless steel, 34mm across and 11mm thick, fitted with a Plexiglass crystal and a smooth steel bezel.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6098|6098]] and [[Reference:6085|6085]] — the honeycomb-dial siblings of the same generation.
* [[Reference:6564|6564]] — the gold-case sibling on the same cal 1030 platform.
* [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]]

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]]
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]]
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]]

== Sources ==

* [https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/1950s-rolex-oyster-perpetual Hodinkee Shop — "1954 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Reference 6580"]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6564

2026-09-05T01:22:19Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6564}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6564 — 18k Gold, Circa 1955 | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6564, circa 1955 — an 18k yellow gold cal 1030 automatic from the flat-caseback generation, with early "Brevet" patent markings on case, crown and movement.
|keywords=Rolex, Oyster Perpetual, 6564, cal 1030, vintage Rolex, 1955, Brevet
|image=Ref 6564 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6564 in 18k yellow gold
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''6564'''</small>

[[File:Ref 6564 hero.webp|thumb|right|300px|Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6564, circa 1955, 18k yellow gold, "Brevet" patent marking.]]

The 6564 is a mid-1950s Oyster Perpetual built in 18k yellow gold around the cal 1030 automatic, the same flat-caseback movement family that powers [[Reference:6098|6098]], [[Reference:6085|6085]] and [[Reference:6580|6580]]. A documented early example carries "Brevet" — French for patent — stamped on the case, crown and movement, along with a meters-first depth rating under the dial signature, both details specialists read as early-production tells for this reference.

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6564
|-
| family
| Oyster Perpetual
|-
| production
| 1955 launch (documented example dated to the same year)
|-
| case
| 34mm x 12mm, 18k yellow gold
|-
| crystal
| Plexiglass (acrylic)
|-
| movement
| Caliber 1030, self-winding — Rolex's first bidirectional automatic-winding movement, also used across contemporaneous Submariner references
|-
| dial
| Gold-tone dial with even patina; early examples marked "Brevet" and depth rating meters-first under the signature
|}

== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6564 is the gold-case member of the same cal 1030 flat-caseback generation that produced the steel [[Reference:6098|6098]] and [[Reference:6580|6580]] and the gold-and-steel spread of [[Reference:6085|6085]]. A separately attested reference, 6567, is described in dealer listings as a gold Oyster Perpetual Chronometer of the same era with a fluted bezel — a plausible sibling on the same case and movement platform, though its own case dimensions and dial were not independently confirmed for this article and it is flagged here as a lead rather than asserted as fact.

== Production outline ==

A documented example, case number 141XXX, dates to 1955 and carries "Brevet" (patent) markings on the case, crown and movement — a detail associated with the earliest run of the reference. No Rolex-published production window exists; the reference sits inside the broader mid-1950s window shared with its flat-caseback siblings.

== Movement notes ==

Caliber 1030 is Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding movement, introduced in this generation and carried forward into contemporaneous Submariner references. No jewel count or beat rate was recovered from the located source.

== Dial map ==

The documented example shows a gold-tone dial with an even, consistent patina. Distinguishing early-production features include the "Brevet" case/crown/movement marking and a depth rating printed meters-first beneath the signature — later production is understood to have dropped these in favour of standard catalogue text, though the exact cutover has not been independently dated.

== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The case is 18k yellow gold, 34mm across and 12mm thick, fitted with a Plexiglass crystal. The documented example's crown carries the same "Brevet" patent marking as the case and movement.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6098|6098]] and [[Reference:6580|6580]] — steel siblings on the same cal 1030 platform.
* [[Reference:6085|6085]] — the precious-metal-capable honeycomb-dial sibling of the same generation.
* [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]]

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]]
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]]
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]]

== Sources ==

* [https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/1955-rolex-oyster-perpetual-reference-6564 Hodinkee Shop — "1955 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Reference 6564"]
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6552

2026-09-05T01:22:18Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6552 Air-King}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 6552 Air-King — The First Automatic Air-King, Cal 1030 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6552 is the first automatic Air-King — 1953 to 1957, 34mm steel Oyster, Cal 1030 (Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber). The bridge between the hand-wound 4925 and the long-running 5500. "Super Precision" dial text despite chronometer-grade movement adjustment.
|keywords=Rolex, 6552, Air-King, Cal 1030, butterfly rotor, Super Precision
|image=Ref 6552 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 6552 Air-King silvered dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-05-02T00:07:44Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:38Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:air-king|Air-King]] › '''6552'''</small>

The 6552 is the first automatic Air-King — a four-year reference (1953–1957) that sits between the hand-wound 4925 and the long-running 5500. Inside the case is Cal 1030, Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber, with the butterfly rotor stamped ROLEX PERPETUAL PATENTED. The dial reads AIR-KING / SUPER PRECISION rather than the chronometer-rated OYSTER PERPETUAL text the contemporary Submariner and Explorer carried, even though the movement underneath was being adjusted to chronometer grade. The 6552 is where the Air-King first becomes the entry-tier Rolex with a flagship-tier movement underneath.

The reference is rare at major-house auction. Antiquorum's Mondani Collection lot 108-89 (Geneva, 14 May 2006) is the strongest single anchor; Dorotheum, Monaco Legend Group, and a handful of European weekly sales round out a documented record of four named-house lots in total. Phillips, Sotheby's, and Christie's have no standalone 6552 catalogue lot in the auction record through 2025 — the 5500 absorbs the major-house attention, and the four-year production window left fewer 6552s in circulation to anchor headline essay material.

<span id="core-facts"></span>

[[File:Ref 6552 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 6552 Air-King silvered dial|Rolex 6552 Air-King, silvered dial with applied baton indices, alpha hands, c.1958]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6552 (caseback inside often stamped 6565 — period-correct, see Production outline)
|-
| family
| Air-King
|-
| common name
| "the Cal 1030 Air-King," "the first automatic Air-King"
|-
| production
| 1953–1957 active production; case-stock completion documented through 1959
|-
| case
| 34mm × 12.5mm stainless steel Oyster, smooth bezel, drilled lugs (19mm)
|-
| crystal
| acrylic plexiglass, domed
|-
| crown
| screw-down (Twinlock-era; Twinlock patent dates to 1953 but lot text on 6552s reads simply "screw-down")
|-
| movement
| Cal 1030, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, ~42 hour reserve, bidirectional butterfly rotor, Breguet balance spring, monometallic balance adjusted to five positions and temperature
|-
| dial text
| "AIR-KING" + "SUPER PRECISION" — dial sub-chronometer-grade despite movement adjustment
|-
| chronometer
| no — dial text is "Super Precision" (entry-tier), not "Officially Certified Chronometer"
|-
| bracelet
| 19mm Oyster — period-correct rivet 7205 + 57 end-link (documented on a 1958 example)
|-
| water resistance
| 50m (Marcus Siems and Robb Report consensus); Time-Wire reads 100m — the 50m figure is better-sourced
|-
| caseback
| screw-down threaded Oyster; inside stamped 6565 (case-only ref shared with the chronometer-grade Oyster Perpetual sibling), 6552 stamped between the lugs
|-
| predecessor
| 4925 (1945–53, hand-wound Cal 10½ Hunter)
|-
| successor
| 5500 (1957–89, Cal 1530 then 1520)
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6552 closes the founding vintage Air-King trilogy. The 4925 (1945) introduced the Air-King name on a hand-wound 34mm Oyster. The 6552 (1953) carried the same case envelope forward but replaced the Cal 10½ Hunter with the bidirectional Cal 1030 — Rolex's first in-house designed chronometer-grade automatic caliber. The 5500 (1957) inherits the case again and runs Cal 1530 then 1520 across 32 years. The architecture handoff at each step is the same: keep the 34mm Oyster, swap the movement.

The 6552's Cal 1030 sits at the centre of an architecturally important moment. The same caliber powers the contemporary 6534 / 6536 small-crown Submariner (1955–58), the 6610 Explorer (1955–59), and the 6202 Turn-O-Graph at the end of its production. These four references — 6552 Air-King, 6536 Submariner, 6610 Explorer, 6202 Turn-O-Graph — share the Cal 1030's architecture and run roughly in parallel through the mid-1950s. The 6552 is the Air-King's only true Cal 1030 reference; by the 5500's introduction in 1957 the line is already moving onto the Cal 1530 / 1520 era.

The 1002 Oyster Perpetual that some sources identify as a 6552 sibling actually arrives later (1959 onward) and overlaps with the 5500 rather than the 6552. The 5504 (36mm oversized Air-King with an Explorer-case profile) sits parallel to the 5500 from 1958, post-dating the 6552.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

The 1953 introduction year is consensus across Marcus Siems, Monochrome (Erik Slaven, January 2025), Robb Report's Air-King guide, ''Rolex Magazine'' (Jake Ehrlich), and Watch-Wiki. The 1957 retirement year — when the 5500 takes over — is similarly consensus. The four-year window is shorter than any other Air-King reference; the line moved fast through this caliber generation before settling on the 1530 family for the 5500.

One general-family editorial source conflates the 6552 with a non-existent 6652 throughout, dating "6652" to roughly 1954 and describing it as "12 months before the GMT." The reference number is wrong — there is no 6652 Air-King.

Surviving 6552s often carry case numbers that date to 1958 or 1959 — past the 1957 active-production end. Antiquorum lot 108-89 (case 437,255) is dated 1959; Monaco Legend Group July 2024 lot 72 (case 376,058) is 1958; Dorotheum lot 145-051401/0001 (case 376,310) is c.1958. The pattern is the same as the 6610 Explorer (active production ends 1959, retail through 1963) — leftover cases continued to be assembled and dispatched to dealers after the catalogue end-date, often with later parts and movement service swaps already in place.

Total production output is not published by Rolex. The four-year production window plus the 6552's modest profile in its day suggests substantially smaller output than the 5500. The reference is rare at major-house auction chiefly because most surviving examples sit in the dealer market or in private collections rather than circulating through Phillips / Sotheby's / Christie's headline sales; production scarcity is the smaller factor.

The caseback stamping deserves explicit attention. Inside the caseback the 6552 typically reads 6565 — the case-only reference shared with the chronometer-grade Oyster Perpetual sibling that ran in parallel and used the same case middle. The 6552 designation appears stamped between the lugs as the model reference. This duality is correct and original, confirmed across Antiquorum lot 108-89 ("the back is stamped 6552, the case is stamped 6565") and the Relojes Vintage Mexico Patrizzi-documented 1958 example. A 6552 caseback stamped only "6552" inside is unusual; "6565" inside with "6552" between the lugs is the period-correct configuration.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

The 6552 runs Cal 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber, introduced in 1950 with the butterfly rotor that succeeded the uni-directional thicker-rotor A-series Perpetuals (A260 / A290 / A295 / A296). The 1030 is the architectural fork in the Rolex movement timeline: every Rolex automatic before it was uni-directional and required the bubbleback caseback dome for rotor clearance; the 1030's slimmer butterfly rotor eliminated the need for the dome and powered the post-1950 generation of slim-cased Oysters.

Specifications across documented examples: 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, approximately 42-hour power reserve, Breguet balance spring, monometallic balance adjusted to five positions and temperature. The Antiquorum lot 108-89 catalogue text quotes the canonical spec: "Cal.1030, rhodium-plated with decoration. 25 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to five positions and temperature, with Breguet balance spring." Dorotheum's lot describes movement N809,993 with the same spec.

The chronometer status is the interesting question. The 6552's Cal 1030 movement was being adjusted to chronometer grade in many examples — the Antiquorum lot's "five positions and temperature" adjustment is itself the COSC adjustment standard. But the dial reads "AIR-KING / SUPER PRECISION" rather than "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER," which keeps the watch in the entry tier despite the underlying movement quality. Marcus Siems makes the distinction explicit: "in contrast to other Oyster Perpetuals these Air-Kings weren't Chronometer certified and marked Super Precision." The 6552 walks the line — chronometer-grade movement, sub-chronometer dial designation. Both can be true simultaneously and frequently are on the same watch.

Charlie Dunne, writing at Wind Vintage in the Perpetual Movement Part 2 piece, describes the 1030's red-anodized aluminium wheels in the self-winding module as the first time Rolex's own self-winding architecture appeared, and frames the 1030 as the first in-house designed chronometer-grade calibre. The 1030 begins the line that runs forward through the 1530 / 1520 (5500 era), the 1560 (early 1016 Explorer), and the 1565 / 1570 (Submariner / Sea-Dweller). Reading the 6552 as the Air-King's only Cal 1030 reference puts it in the same architectural moment as the small-crown Submariners and the early Explorer.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

Five documented dial variants surface in the major-house auction record. The 6552 dial map is narrower than the 5500 — fewer surfaced examples, less variation — but the variation that exists is real and well-anchored.

<span id="silvered-applied-batons"></span>
=== Silvered with applied baton indices ===

The production-volume dial. Silvered or matte-grey ground, applied dart or baton hour markers, alpha hands, central seconds, "AIR-KING" at twelve and "SUPER PRECISION" above six. The dial sits as the standard configuration across the four-year production window. Antiquorum Mondani lot 108-89 (1959, case 437,255), Dorotheum lot 145-051401/0001 (c.1958, case 376,310), Monaco Legend Group lot 72 (1958, case 376,058) all wear this dial.

<span id="explorer-3-6-9"></span>
=== Explorer 3-6-9 with applied coronet ===

A documented early-run dial layout — silvered ground with 3-6-9 Arabic numerals at three, six, and nine, spear-faceted indices at the other hours, applied coronet at twelve. The same Explorer-style 3-6-9 layout that runs across the 5500's later production already appears on the 6552 in its first years. Siems's Air-King family history names "spear indices and Explorer(ish) Arabics" as the early-run configuration, and a RolexForums archive thread (936946) catalogues an early 6552 with a 3-6-9 dial as "fairly rare." Time-Wire confirms the same layout for the early run. No major-house lot anchors the 3-6-9 6552 in the auction record, leaving the variant well-supported by editorial but light on auction-house provenance.

<span id="black-gloss-step-dial"></span>
=== Black gloss / black gilt step-dial ===

A third documented variant surfaces in marketplace listings catalogued as "EXTREMELY RARE ROLEX AIRKING 6552 SUPER PRECISION w/ BLACK GILT STEP-DIAL". Glossy black lacquer or gilt-on-glossy ground, stepped dial profile with the indices and AIR-KING / SUPER PRECISION text on a raised inner section. A documented 1958 example (signed "Oyster Perpetual" only at six rather than carrying AIR-KING text) wears the same dial type aged to a tropical chocolate-brown — the original and the tropicalised version of the same configuration. The black gloss step-dial 6552 is dealer-grade evidence; corroboration from a major-house lot would lift the variant from "documented at marketplace" to "auction-anchored."

<span id="tropical-chocolate"></span>
=== Tropical chocolate ===

A documented 1958 6552 surfaces with a "glossy deep brown tropical dial" — the gloss black step-dial above aged through decades of UV exposure to a uniform chocolate-brown. The dial is signed "OYSTER PERPETUAL" only at six rather than carrying AIR-KING text, suggesting either a sister 1002-class dial or a service-replacement dial swap. The configuration is the only documented tropical 6552 in documented examples — the rate of tropical conversion appears low compared to later Cal 1530 / 1520 5500s.

<span id="patrizzi-two-tone"></span>
=== Patrizzi two-tone (creamy outer + sunburst silver inner) ===

The most book-grade rarity in the 6552 dial map. A 1958 example documented in Osvaldo Patrizzi's ''Rolex, Collecting Wristwatches'' (2001 edition, page 184) carries a two-tone dial — creamy outer ring with a sunburst silver inner section — and is unsigned (no "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER" text). The same watch's documented record notes the caseback duality (6552 between the lugs, 6565 inside) explicitly. The Patrizzi-book documentation is the strongest provenance anchor in the 6552 dial map; the configuration itself is rare.

The honeycomb / clous-de-Paris, all-Arabic UK-market, and retailer-signed (Tiffany / Cartier / Beyer / Asprey / Joyería Riviera) 6552 configurations have not surfaced in the auction record. Honeycomb dials of this era live on the 6305 Datejust, 6202 Turn-O-Graph, 6350 / 6298 Explorer / Bubbleback rather than on the 6552. Tiffany-signed Air-Kings are a 5500-era story (a documented Tiffany-signed 5500 is the anchor); no 5500-era retailer signature has been documented on a 6552. Their absence is not proof — additional variants may surface as auction catalogues digitise older sales — but the documented record does not currently carry them.

<span id="case-and-construction"></span>
== Case and construction ==

34mm × 12.5mm stainless steel three-piece Oyster — case middle, threaded caseback, threaded crown. The case profile reads slimmer than the pre-1950 Bubbleback architecture that the 4925 inherited; the Cal 1030's butterfly rotor is the architectural reason the case middle could come down to ~12.5mm without rotor clearance issues. Lugs are 19mm with drilled spring-bar holes. The bezel is fixed and steel and smooth.

The crown is a screw-down. Twinlock — Rolex's two-gasket sealed-crown patent — was filed in 1953, the same year the 6552 launched, but no surfaced 6552 lot text specifically marks the watch as "Twinlock-equipped." The convention reads simply "screw-down crown." Twinlock branding becomes formally consistent on Rolex sport references later in the 1950s; 6552-era crowns may or may not carry the patent markings depending on production date within the four-year window.

The 6552 is steel-only across documented examples. No two-tone, no gold-capped, no precious-metal 6552 has surfaced. The two-tone gold-capped Air-Kings live on adjacent reference numbers — 5501 (Rolesor with gold fluted bezel), 5502 / 5506 (gold-capped 40-micron) — that post-date the 6552 and run alongside the 5500 rather than alongside the 6552.

Water resistance reads at 50m on the Marcus Siems and Robb Report sources (and on most period dial markings reading "50m = 165ft"); Time-Wire reads 100m, which is the 5500-era specification. The 50m figure is better-sourced and consistent with the period rating Rolex used on the entry-tier Oyster line.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end-links, and clasps ==

19mm lug width across the production. The period-correct delivery configuration on a 6552 is a riveted Oyster bracelet 7205 with end-link 57 — A documented 1958 6552 (white dial, serial 37x,xxx, original radium hands) carries this fitment. The 7205 / 57 combination is also the early-run configuration on the 5500 that succeeds the 6552, so the bracelet-end-link pairing carried straight across the reference transition without a generation change.

Most surviving 6552s wear later bracelets — service-era refits with the 7835 folded-link (1969+) or 78350 solid-link (1976+) Oysters succeeding the original 7205. Bracelet originality on a 6552 needs case-and-clasp-date verification rather than relying on the bracelet reference number alone. A 6552 on a 7835 or 78350 is service refit, not original delivery.

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

The 6552 era pre-dates the documented Air-King special-branch programs. Domino's Pizza, Pool Intairdril, Circle Bar Drilling, Winn-Dixie, Levi's, the Royal Saudi Armed Forces / UAE / Bahrain / Kuwait government-crest commissions are all 5500-era — they begin no earlier than 1977 (Domino's) and concentrate in the 1980s. No documented military-issue 6552, no retailer-signed Joyería Riviera or Tiffany 6552, no commissioned-engraved 6552 has surfaced in the auction record through 2025.

What does qualify as a special branch on the 6552 is the dial-variant rarity captured above: the Patrizzi-documented two-tone, the Explorer 3-6-9 early-run, the black gilt step-dial, and the tropical chocolate. These are the 6552's distinguishing variants, not commemorative commissions.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Reference details !! Result
|-
| Antiquorum Mondani Collection (Geneva) || 108-89 || 2006 || 6552 / 6565 case 437,255, 1959, silvered two-tone with alpha hands, Cal 1030 || Hammer CHF 7,080 (est. CHF 2,000–3,000)
|-
| Dorotheum (Vienna) || 145-051401/0001 || c.2024 || 6552 c.1958, case 376,310, movement N809,993, silvered with applied indices || EUR 4,096
|-
| Monaco Legend Group July Online Sale || 72 || 2024 || 6552 1958, case 376,058, silvered || USD 1,478 (est. USD 1,083–2,167)
|-
| (Subscriber-gated European weekly sale, attribution via EveryWatch) || 25 || — || 6552 1959, case 437,256, two-tone silvered || USD 1,306–1,958 sold band
|-
| (Subscriber-gated, attribution via EveryWatch) || 181 || — || 6552 1956, silvered || est. USD 1,200–1,500, sold
|}

The 6552 trades in roughly the USD 1,500–8,000 band for clean original examples. The Antiquorum Mondani Collection example at CHF 7,080 sits at the top of the range — its Mondani Collection provenance and clean originality drove the result. Rare dial branches (Explorer 3-6-9, black gilt step-dial, Patrizzi two-tone, tropical) carry premiums into the USD 6,000+ range based on dealer-side asks. Phillips, Sotheby's, and Christie's have no documented standalone 6552 lots through 2025 — the 5500 absorbs the major-house attention.

<span id="authentication"></span>
== Authentication ==

The 6552 is 70 years old. The first question on any 6552 is originality across the case, dial, movement, and crown, and most surviving examples have been serviced multiple times in that span. The dial restoration window of the 1980s–2000s caught many 6552s; a perfectly clean original-looking dial reads as suspect; dials with even minor period patina are the originality positive.

The caseback stamping is the cleanest single authentication anchor: 6552 between the lugs, 6565 inside the caseback, both correct on a period-original 6552. A caseback stamped only with the model reference inside (no 6565) is unusual and worth examining; conversely a caseback stamped only with 6565 (no 6552 between the lugs) suggests a service replacement caseback or case-middle swap. The Antiquorum lot 108-89 catalogue text describes the configuration explicitly — period-original 6552s carry both stampings.

The case-number band runs roughly 350,000–440,000 across documented examples, with the latest dated examples from 1959 carrying numbers in the 437,000–438,000 range. A 6552 with a case number well outside this band — particularly anything above 600,000 — should be examined as a potential service-replacement case middle. The Roman-quarter date code inside the caseback (II.55, III.57, IV.58, etc.) should be period-consistent with the case-number band.

The movement number versus the case number is the standard authentication anchor. Both should be period-consistent and both should match the catalogue's recorded ranges. A 6552 with a Cal 1530 or Cal 1520 (5500-era) movement is service-replacement and not original — the 6552 should always carry a Cal 1030 with its butterfly rotor stamped ROLEX PERPETUAL PATENTED. A non-1030 movement on a 6552 case is a service event, not a rare configuration.

The bracelet usually doesn't help. Most surviving 6552s wear bracelets that post-date the 6552's own production window — 7835 folded-links from the 1970s or 78350 solid-links from the 1980s. Authenticate the head and movement first, read the bracelet as supplementary evidence rather than as an originality anchor.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:4365|Air-King 4365]]
* [[Reference:4499|Air-King 4499]]
* [[Reference:4925|Air-King 4925]]
* [[Reference:5500|Air-King 5500]] — 34mm Oyster (1957–1989)
* [[Reference:5501|Air-King 5501]]
* [[Reference:5502|Air-King 5502]]

See also the [[Reference:air-king|Air-King family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.rescapement.com/blog/rolex-air-king-history Tony Traina, "Rolex Air-King History: The Forgotten King", Rescapement]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-of-the-rolex-air-king-the-underrated-pilots-watch/ Erik Slaven, "History of the Rolex Air-King, the underrated pilots watch", Monochrome Watches, 2025]
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-airking-origin-history-and-design-evolution Marcus Siems, "Rolex Air-King Origin History and Design Evolution", Goldammer]
* [https://beckertime.com/blog/rolex-decades-the-40s-air-king-versus-the-50s-air-king/ "Rolex Decades The 40s Air-King Versus The 50s Air-King", Beckertime]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-108-89 "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref 6552/6565 Case 437255 1959 Mondani Collection", Antiquorum, 2006]
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/6552/watch-11375345 "Rolex Air-King Ref 6552 1958 Monaco Legend Group July Online Sale Lot 72", Monaco Legend Group, 2024]
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/6552/watch-2093482 Günter Eichberger, "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Super Precision Air King Ref 6552 c.1958", Dorotheum]
* [https://relojesvintagemexico.com/products/oyster-perpetual-two-tone-dial "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref 6552 Two-Tone Dial 1958 Patrizzi-documented", Relojes Vintage Mexico]
* [https://www.visionvintagewatches.com/product-page/rolex-1600-tropical "Rolex 6552 Oyster Perpetual Tropical Dial 1958", Vision Vintage Watches]
* [https://www.craftandtailored.com/products/1958-rolex-air-king-ref-6552-white-dial "1958 Rolex Air-King Ref 6552 White Dial", Craft and Tailored]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/blog/how-rolex-became-rolex-the-automatic-perpetual-movement-part-2 Charlie Dunne, "How Rolex Became Rolex - The Automatic Perpetual Movement Part 2", Wind Vintage]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2013/07/the-complete-history-of-rolex-air-king.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History Of The Rolex Air-King", Rolex Magazine, 2013]
* [https://www.watch-wiki.net/doku.php?id=rolex_air-king "Rolex Air-King", Watch-Wiki]

[[Category:Air-King]]

Reference:6542

2026-09-05T01:22:18Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6542 GMT-Master}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master 6542 — First GMT, Bakelite Pepsi, 1955–1959 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6542 is the first GMT-Master and still the strangest one to collect. Launched in the Pan Am era with an unguarded Oyster case and a bakelite 24-hour…
|keywords=Rolex, 6542, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|image=6542 Dial.png
|image_alt=6542 Dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:21:17Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:34Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] › '''6542'''</small>

The 6542 is the first GMT-Master and still the strangest in the line to collect. The steel watch carries the Pepsi bezel that became the family signature, the gold watch shows that the GMT-Master was a two-metal proposition from the catalogue's first page, and the bakelite insert that defined both makes originality unusually hard to read on any surviving example.

Crown guards and aluminum inserts came later. Much of the surviving market has to be read through service replacement rather than factory-original purity.

<span id="core-facts"></span>

[[File:6542 Dial.png|thumb|340x340px]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| [[Reference:6542|6542]]
|-
| family
| GMT-Master
|-
| production
| broadly 1955-1959, though the Field Manual table uses 1954-1959
|-
| movement
| early movement picture unresolved; direct lots show 1030, the Field Manual lists 1036, 1065, and 1066
|-
| case
| about 38-39mm Oyster, no crown guards
|-
| crystal
| acrylic with Cyclops
|-
| water resistance
| 50m / 165ft in the Field Manual
|-
| steel branch
| black gilt dial, red-and-blue bakelite bezel
|-
| gold branch
| brown bakelite bezel, alpha hands, lighter gold or champagne-tone dial family
|-
| main survival issue
| original bakelite often replaced by later service aluminum inserts
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6542 opens the line and hands almost every later GMT-Master theme down by inheritance. The Pan Am association and the airline-travel framing start here. So does the red-and-blue bezel that became the steel branch's signature. The steel-and-gold split was in place from the first catalogue, and the bakelite insert nobody could keep intact set up the service-replacement reading that still defines the market for surviving examples.

On the wrist the 6542 sits smaller and less settled than what comes next. The [[Reference:1675|1675]] is where the GMT-Master arrives at its mature vintage form. The 6542 still reads as the experiment.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

[[File:Ref 6542 gold-brown.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Gold 6542 with brown bakelite|Gold 6542 with brown bakelite]]
[[File:Ref 6542 service-example.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Service-path 6542 with metal insert|Service-path 6542 with metal insert]]
The 6542 reads in three paths rather than as a single chronology: the steel bakelite watch, the gold bakelite watch, and the service-path survivor. The run was short enough that a year-by-year generation map would invent precision the production record does not support.

<span id="steel-bakelite-watch"></span>
=== Steel bakelite watch ===

The classic early GMT-Master: black gilt dial, no crown guards, red-and-blue bakelite insert, Mercedes hands, and a red GMT hand tipped with a small lume triangle. A brief lume-plot shift around 1958 turns up in the family histories, but the steel watch still reads as one compact early branch rather than a long sequence of formal generations.

<span id="gold-bakelite-watch"></span>
=== Gold bakelite watch ===

The gold branch runs in parallel from the start. Brown bakelite bezel, alpha hands, lighter dial palette: under the same reference number the gold watch reads as a separate model.

<span id="service-path-watch"></span>
=== Service-path watch ===

Bakelite cracks. Later service cycles replaced inserts wholesale, and often took the dial and hands along with them. A 6542 carrying a metal insert is not automatically a lesser watch, but it is a different watch from an untouched bakelite example and has to be priced and read on those terms.

Launch year is contested. Broad family histories use 1955, and Sotheby's collector guide treats the 6542 as the first GMT-Master without pinning a month. The Vintage Rolex Field Manual sets the range at 1954-1959, especially in the gold-GMT context. Two dates sit behind the split. Some early casebacks carry an internal 1954 date stamp, while the GMT-Master name was not registered as a trademark until 21 April 1955, which is the date Rolex reaches for when asked. The watch belongs to the 1954-1955 launch window; forcing it cleaner than that goes beyond what the sources support.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

Caliber attribution on the 6542 is layered. Sotheby's steel lots from 1956 and 1958 show the 1030. ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' lists 1036, 1065, and 1066. Monochrome treats 1065 and 1066 as the GMT-specific path.

The practical reading is that early watches used 1030-family architecture, with 1036 as the GMT-adapted bridge and 1065/1066 as the mature production caliber. The handover points have not been mapped to year with confidence.

On a specific watch, the movement has to be checked directly.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

The steel and gold dials sit in separate lanes from the start.

<span id="steel-dial"></span>
=== Steel dial ===

The core steel dial is glossy black gilt with Mercedes hands and a red GMT hand tipped with a small lume triangle. Monochrome notes a brief 1958 shift toward larger lume plots before the smaller plots return.

<span id="gold-dial"></span>
=== Gold dial ===

The gold dial family is lighter in tone and paired with alpha hands rather than Mercedes. The gold GMT was given its own visual language from the launch catalogue rather than being treated as a steel watch executed in another metal.

<span id="white-dial-albino"></span>
=== White-dial Albino ===

The Albino 6542 is a steel GMT-Master with a white dial in place of the normal black gilt. Two photographed examples anchor the branch, but Rolex never listed it as a standard option. The watches are real. Whether they left the factory that way has not been settled.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==

The case is the defining physical clue. No crown guards, an acrylic crystal with Cyclops, and a 24-hour bezel that originally carried a bakelite insert rather than aluminum.

Recorded case size floats by a millimetre depending on the source. Monochrome frames the steel watch at 38mm. One direct Sotheby's steel lot measures 39mm. The difference does not change how the watch wears, but it is wide enough that any decimal-point claim about the case is overreach.

The bezel is the bigger story. Original bakelite inserts are scarce because the material cracked and most went back to Rolex during service for metal replacements. A service-insert watch is not automatically a lesser watch, but insert originality sits at the centre of how the 6542 gets read and priced. An untouched bakelite insert on a matching radium dial is the defining shape of a first-tier 6542, and surviving examples of that standard reach the mid-five-figure GBP range at retail. Most surviving 6542s do not look like that, which is exactly why the ones that do form a separate collector tier.

The Vintage Rolex Field Manual gives 50m / 165ft water resistance and ties the 6542 back to the Turn-O-Graph 6202 in the early family table. The first GMT-Master still belongs to Rolex's mid-1950s tool-watch experimentation rather than the fully resolved professional-line language of the 1960s.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==

Bracelet documentation on the 6542 is genuinely thin. Sotheby's collector guide pairs the steel watch with a matching stainless Oyster but does not split end-link or clasp variation by year. Surviving examples point at a riveted Oyster (reference 6636) with a folding steel clasp as the default steel fitment, but the surviving population is not deep enough to fix a universal end-link or clasp rule across the full run.

Documented steel lots show more than one survival pattern. The Captain Warren lot carries provenance weight but is too thin on bracelet detail to set a fitment rule. The Serpico y Laino lot shows an Oyster USA bracelet, useful as observed evidence on a single watch rather than universal delivery logic.

The gold branch is thinner still. One serious listing shows a gold-bracelet example, another shows the same gold branch on leather, and having both blocks any single surviving configuration from being read as the rule. Sotheby's collector guide treats the solid-gold 6542 as a separate 1958 proposition with its own dial, bezel, and hand vocabulary, but does not publish a gold-bracelet fitment standard either.

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

[[File:Ref 6542 gold-bonanno.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Gold 6542/8 on gold bracelet|Gold 6542/8 on gold bracelet]]
[[File:Ref 6542 albino-white.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=White-dial Albino outlier|White-dial Albino outlier]]
<span id="gold-65428"></span>
=== Gold 6542/8 ===

Brown bakelite bezel, alpha hands, lighter dial palette: the gold watch is separated from the steel one from launch.

Sotheby's collector guide dates the solid-gold 6542 to 1958 and reads it as a deliberate second proposition rather than a late coda. The package: brown bakelite bezel, alpha hands in place of Mercedes, and a nipple dial with raised conical metal markers. The narrower collector reading places the full gold run across 1958 and 1959 with caliber 1065, though no primary source publishes a firm production figure or a year-by-year caliber mapping for the branch. What is not disputed is that the gold watch shipped with a brown or champagne dial and that the gold GMT vocabulary (alpha hands, nipple markers, warm dial) was in place from the catalogue's first appearance rather than emerging into the reference later.

Originality is the place to slow down on the gold branch. Surviving gold 6542 dials turn up in champagne, brown-gilt, and more rarely white configurations, with gold-on-gold and even black-bakelite-on-gold pairings circulating in the market. A Hindman auction lot of a gold 6542 with a white dial shows that these exotic pairings reach serious salerooms, though none has been certified as factory original by a top-tier house. A direct gold lot from Phillips, Sotheby's, or Christie's that would settle gold-branch fitment logic has not yet appeared in the auction record.

<span id="captain-warren-provenance-watch"></span>
=== Captain Warren provenance watch ===

The strongest steel 6542 anchor is the Captain Clarence Warren lot sold by Sotheby's. Warren was a Pan Am captain, and the lot carried period accessories alongside the watch, which ties the 6542 directly back to the Pan Am commission rather than leaving the airline association as generic brand myth. Provenance of this quality is rare on the reference.

<span id="serpico-y-laino-retailer-signed-watch"></span>
=== Serpico y Laino retailer-signed watch ===

Retailer-signed 6542s matter because the dial signature and the caseback marks can survive together on a single watch and give later examples a documented comparison point.

Serpico y Laino-signed 6542s are best read as individual data points rather than a separate production class. At least one documented example left Rolex for the Caracas market with the co-signature intact; that single anchor is what lets the rest of the candidates be argued at all.

<span id="service-path-watch-1"></span>
=== Service-path watch ===

A documented service-path 6542 shows how the reference often survives in practice: a later gloss service dial, a metal insert, matching service hands, and a watch that remains compelling on the wrist even though it no longer represents the original radium-and-bakelite configuration.

<span id="white-dial-albino-1"></span>
=== White-dial Albino ===

The Albino 6542 is a steel GMT-Master with a white dial where the reference is otherwise known for glossy black gilt. Rolex has never catalogued it, and the configuration appears in neither ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' reference table nor Sotheby's collector guide dial list. It exists because a small handful of watches keep turning up with factory-style printed white dials, on cases, bezels, and movements that specialists read as period-correct.

Modern acceptance of the Albino runs through Stefano Mazzariol's 2010 study of a white-dial 6542 and Ben Clymer's 2015 Hodinkee write-up of a second example from East Crown. Those two studies moved the watch from rumour to documented oddity without settling the originality question. The Mazzariol watch is dated 1958 by the caseback stamp.

Albino 6542s are not resolved. Theories range from a Pan Am-linked special request to service-era dial swaps to tiny pre-production output. The often-repeated "maybe 100 pieces" line does not square with what is known about period allocation numbers. The honest reading: a small handful of white-dial 6542s exist, and their factory-original status has not been settled.

The Albino stays contested because the authentication ladder is steep. Bakelite inserts, dials, and hands routinely moved on the 6542 in service, so the default read on any anomaly starts at service-swap or redial. A white dial with factory-grade printing on a period-correct case does not separate from that default until the watch is opened, and the number of specialists comfortable adjudicating the specific prints is small. The examined population today is a handful of watches, and any new candidate has to clear the same ladder before joining them.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

The steel side of the 6542 now has a documented market layer. The 1958 Sotheby's Captain Warren lot gives the strongest provenance anchor among surviving examples. A 1956 Sotheby's steel lot sits alongside it as a cleaner non-provenance control. The Serpico y Laino lot adds retailer-signed depth rather than another generic steel example.

The service side is documented too. A service-path example illustrates why originality on the 6542 is read as a spectrum rather than a yes-or-no category.

The gold side is better evidenced than it was, but it remains the weak point in the auction layer. Two serious gold listings (one on bracelet, one on leather) carry enough weight to write the branch with confidence; neither replaces a direct gold auction lot from a top-tier house, which is what the documented record still needs.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:1675|GMT-Master 1675]] — Pepsi & Root Beer (1959–1979)
* [[Reference:16750|GMT-Master 16750]] — 1979–1988
* [[Reference:16753|GMT-Master 16753]] — 1979–1988
* [[Reference:16758|GMT-Master 16758]] — 1979–1988
* [[Reference:16760|GMT-Master 16760]] — "Fat Lady", Coke Bezel (1983–1988)
* [[Reference:16700|GMT-Master 16700]] — 1988–1998

See also the [[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-gmt-master-and-gmt-master-ii-1955-2024-iconic-traveller-watch-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II] — Monochrome
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-master-the-complete-collectors-guide The Rolex GMT-Master: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent, Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/important-watches-part-i/gmt-master-captain-warren-reference-6542-an-advert?locale=en GMT-Master 'Captain Warren', Reference 6542, circa 1958] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/745d2d21-14d8-464a-a867-6b8517decd36/lots/f0420f6d-a407-49ea-bb06-95d1e6cd13ea GMT-Master, Reference 6542, circa 1956] — Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/important-watches-including-property-from-the-time-museum-n08474/lot.135.html Rolex 6542 retailed by Serpico y Laino] — Sotheby's
* [https://greyandpatina.com/product/1957-rolex-6542-tropical-service-gilt-chapter-ring-gmt-2/ 1957 Rolex 6542 Tropical Service Gilt Chapter-Ring GMT] — Grey and Patina
* [https://www.gioielleriabonanno.it/prodotto/rolex-gmt-master-6542-18k-gold-bakelite-bonvintage/ Rolex GMT-Master 6542 18k Gold Bakelite] — Gioielleria Bonanno
* [https://www.maurideangelis.com/prodotto/rolex-gmt-master-6542-brown-dial-with-bakelite-bezel-excellent-condition/ Rolex GMT-Master 6542 – Brown Dial with Bakelite Bezel – Excellent Condition] — Deangelis

[[Category:GMT-Master]]

Reference:6541

2026-09-05T01:22:17Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6541 Milgauss}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Milgauss 6541 — Lightning-Bolt Hand, 1956–1960 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6541 is the cataloged Milgauss: 1956 catalog debut, lightning-bolt seconds added 1957, run ends 1960. Caliber 1066M to 1080, soft-iron Faraday cage, honeycomb gilt dial, 1,000 gauss CERN-verified rating. Phillips Geneva XVII May 2023 record CHF 2,238,000, Bonhams 2009 no-MILGAUSS-text Wolverhampton lot, PerezCope Bull-Gauss authentication canon.
|keywords=Rolex 6541, Milgauss, cal 1066M, cal 1080, honeycomb gilt, lightning-bolt seconds, CERN, Faraday cage, Phillips Geneva XVII 2023, Bonhams 2009 no-MILGAUSS-text, PerezCope Bull-Gauss, Mondani Milgauss
|image=Ref 6541 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Milgauss 6541 — honeycomb black dial, lightning-bolt seconds, smooth fixed polished-steel bezel of the US-market "ROW" variant. Image via Monochrome.
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-05-17T05:54:08Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:31Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:milgauss|Milgauss]] › '''6541'''</small>

[[File:Ref 6541 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Milgauss 6541 — honeycomb black dial, lightning-bolt seconds, smooth fixed polished-steel bezel of the US-market "ROW" variant. Image via Monochrome.|Rolex Milgauss 6541 — honeycomb black dial, lightning-bolt seconds, smooth fixed polished-steel bezel of the US-market "ROW" variant. Image via Monochrome.]]
[[File:Ref 6541 smooth bezel american.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Milgauss 6541 smooth-bezel American-market variant. Smooth polished bezel was the alternative factory bezel option to the heavier engine-turned bezel; documented across late-production examples.|6541 smooth-bezel American-market variant — alternative factory bezel to the engine-turned signature.]]
[[File:Ref 6541 phillips-record.webp|thumb|right|320px|alt=Honeycomb gilt 6541 — the Phillips Geneva XVII May 2023 record example (case 412'399). Image via Monochrome / Phillips.|Honeycomb gilt 6541 — the Phillips Geneva XVII May 2023 record example (case 412'399). Image via Monochrome / Phillips.]]

The 6541 is the cataloged Milgauss. It enters the Rolex catalog at Baselworld 1956 with a straight seconds hand inherited from the proto-reference 6543, the lightning-bolt seconds is added in 1957, and the configuration that defines the reference stabilises from that point. Production ends in 1960. Fewer than 200 examples were produced across the 6543 and 6541 combined, with the 6541's own count constrained to roughly 75–150 once the 6543's share is subtracted. Every documented surviving case sits in a single 412xxx batch, the most concentrated serial-band production in vintage Rolex sport-line history. The reference was engineered for laboratory environments. CERN became operationally commissioned in 1956 and independently verified Rolex's 1,000-gauss anti-magnetic rating against the soft-iron Faraday cage that defines the 6541's case architecture. Rolex's contemporary marketing tagged the reference "Guaranteed Radium Safe" alongside the magnetic-resistance copy. The watch sells slowly through its production years, drifts for decades, then becomes the most-traded vintage Milgauss in the modern auction era, culminating in the Phillips Geneva XVII May 2023 sale of lot 25, which cleared its high estimate several times over on a bid widely understood to have been placed by Rolex itself for the brand's museum archive.

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6541
|-
| family
| Milgauss
|-
| production
| catalog intro 1956; lightning-bolt seconds added 1957; run ends 1960
|-
| documented serial range
| case 412'075 (lowest documented, Bonhams 2009 lot 133) to 412'479 (highest documented, Sotheby's NY 2018 lot 256) — every surfaced case sits in the 412xxx batch
|-
| movement
| caliber 1066M (early run, "M" engraved on bridge) transitioning to caliber 1080 (purpose-built Milgauss caliber, later run) — 25 jewels, ~18,000 vph, soft-iron movement cover integrated
|-
| case
| 38mm three-body steel Oyster; 20mm lug width (vs the 6543's 19.5–19.7mm)
|-
| crown
| Twinlock screw-down, reference 21
|-
| Faraday cage
| inner soft-iron ring around movement + soft-iron bell cover — moves the magnetic shielding inward, enabling a refined sport-line caseback (the 6543 used a thick caseback to handle the shielding)
|-
| antimagnetic rating
| 1,000 gauss (independently verified at CERN)
|-
| bezel variants
| rotating engraved bidirectional aluminium insert with red triangle at 12 + single-unit 1-5 markings across six 10-minute sectors (standard, Euro/ROW market) + smooth fixed polished steel (US-market, movements stamped "ROW")
|-
| dial variants
| honeycomb gilt with applied steel triangular indices at 3-6-9 + lume plots elsewhere + red MILGAUSS at 12 (standard); honeycomb tropical (aged black to brown, red MILGAUSS frequently faded to pink); non-luminous "CERN" honeycomb; no-MILGAUSS-text honeycomb (sub-five known, English Midlands provenance cluster)
|-
| hands
| lightning-bolt centre seconds from 1957; dauphine hour and minute (Mercedes hands on the no-MILGAUSS-text trial cluster only)
|-
| bracelet
| reference 6636 riveted Oyster, 80 end-links, "Big Logo" clasp
|-
| period marketing copy
| "Guaranteed Radium Safe" + anti-magnetic 1,000-gauss certification
|-
| auction record
| Phillips Geneva XVII, 13 May 2023, lot 25 — case 412'399, mvt N782694, full papers + 14 June 1960 secondary chronometer cert + hang tag + box, CHF 2,238,000 incl. premium (asterisked: Rolex-buyer market spike, not a clean collector-market comp)
|-
| cleanest market clearing comp
| Antiquorum Monaco, 18 January 2022, lot 111 — case 412'278, EUR 221,000 against EUR 130k–230k estimate
|-
| predecessor
| 6543 (proto-reference, 1954–1956) — same Milgauss family, the 6543 is the 6541's predecessor not a different reference
|-
| successor
| 1019 (1960–1988, cal 1580 — not cal 1066 as occasionally misattributed)
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 6541 is the first cataloged Milgauss. The 6543 came earlier as a proto-reference: straight seconds, no lightning bolt, non-standard 19.5–19.7mm lug width that prevented bracelet compatibility (the 6543 shipped exclusively on leather straps), thick one-piece caseback that handled the magnetic shielding directly, and a smaller production run (Watchguys cites 75–200 examples across 1954–1956). The 6541 supersedes the 6543 architecturally. The lug width moves to the 20mm sport-line standard that allows the 6636 Oyster bracelet, the internal soft-iron Faraday cage and soft-iron bell cover push the shielding inward and free up the caseback, and the lightning-bolt seconds hand added in 1957 becomes the reference's external signature.

The 6541's contribution to the Milgauss line is the lightning bolt, the honeycomb dial, and the rotating engraved bezel. The 1019 strips those signatures back for its 1960–1988 dress-coded successor silhouette. The 2007 116400 revival quotes them back, with the 116400's orange lightning-bolt seconds a deliberate visual lift, though the original 6541's hand is luminous-tipped rather than orange.

The 6541 is the rarest sport-line Milgauss by a wide margin. The 1019 has its 28-year run and survivor count in the low thousands. The 116400 has its 16-year revival and survivor count in the tens of thousands. The 6541 has 412xxx-batch production capped at roughly 75–150 examples once the 6543's share of the combined <200 figure is subtracted. The rarest sub-variant, the no-MILGAUSS-text dial, surfaces in fewer than five known cases. Two of the documented examples share English Midlands provenance: Bonhams Dec 2009 lot 133 case 412'075 from Wolverhampton, and a Sotheby's London 2007 lot from Coventry approximately 35 miles distant. The geographic cluster suggests a small trial run hitting a single UK retail point.

Goldberger's ''100 Superlative Rolex Watches'' (Damiani Editore, 2008, ISBN 9788862080392) does include the 6541. Goldberger's Le Monde Edmond interview about the Phillips Hong Kong Milestone sale describes how hard a nice 6541 is to source, but the watch is in the book, not omitted as occasionally restated in tertiary collector chatter.

==Production outline==

===Catalog introduction (1956)===

The 6541 enters the Rolex catalogue at Baselworld 1956. CERN became operationally commissioned the same year, and the timing aligns with the reference's commercial brief. Rolex built a watch specifically for the laboratory environment that CERN was about to open, and CERN independently verified the 1,000-gauss anti-magnetic rating against the soft-iron Faraday cage architecture. Rolex's own statement on the relationship: "CERN was the first institution to confirm that the Milgauss would indeed resist magnetic fields of 1,000 gauss." Early 1956 production carries the straight seconds hand inherited from the proto-reference 6543, visually a 6543 with the new 20mm lug width and revised caseback.

===Lightning-bolt seconds (1957)===

The lightning-bolt seconds hand is added in 1957. The exact intra-year cutoff is not documented. Specialist secondary sources read the 1956 catalog year as the formal launch and the 1957 lightning-bolt addition as the configuration that defined the reference. WatchProZine puts it as "according to Rolex, the first Milgauss was launched in 1956. This almost certainly refers to the second series of Milgauss, the 6541." Some dealer-tier sources push the effective production start to 1957 on this reading. The cleanest framing in the canonical record is the 1956–1960 production window with the lightning bolt arriving in 1957.

===Production batch finalised (1958)===

The IV.1958 + "Patented" caseback stamp is the dating anchor for the majority of surfaced cases. The fourth-quarter-1958 caseback stamp appears on documented examples including Sotheby's Nov 2024 lot 137 (case 412'283), Phillips Geneva XIX Mondani Collection lot 142 (case 412'424), and Sotheby's Nov 2025 lot 182 (an IV.1958 caseback with cataloger-database-error "circa 1976" dating that should be corrected on sight to 1958). PerezCope's authentication canon, the "Bull-Gauss" five-test set, includes the IV.1958 + Patented stamps as one of five forensic markers; their absence on a claimed 6541 caseback is a franken-watch flag.

===Run ends (1960)===

Production ends in 1960. The 1019 succeeds the 6541 the same year with a different caliber generation: cal 1580 at 19,800 vph against the 6541's ~18,000 vph, a 25-jewel-to-26-jewel architecture change, fixed engine-turned bezel, and silver or black dial options without honeycomb texture. The smooth-bezel US-market 6541 sub-variant clears late in the run. Eric Ku's reading restated in Rolexmagazine: "the best scholarship suggests Rolex replaced the spinning bezels with plain steel bezels to make the Milgauss look different as they didn't originally sell well. That is why you never see Rolex collateral material showing the smooth bezel. It was like a blowout at the end."

==Dial variants==

The honeycomb dial is a 6541 signature but is not 6541-exclusive; the 6543 prototype already carried the honeycomb texture. The dial itself functions as the inboard half of the magnetic shielding architecture. Two crossed laminated copper layers under the gilt surface create the honeycomb geometry, and the geometry is functional first, decorative second (Phillips, PerezCope, Sotheby's catalog text). Italian Watch Spotter occasionally describes the construction as "two-layer laminated aluminum"; the specialist consensus settles on copper.

===Honeycomb gilt with luminous indices — production default===

Black honeycomb gilt, applied steel faceted triangular indices at 3, 6, and 9, lume plots at the other positions, dauphine hour and minute hands, lightning-bolt seconds, "MILGAUSS" printed in red at 12. The launch configuration. The dial-side anchor for the standard production-volume configuration is Phillips Geneva XVII May 2023 lot 25 (case 412'399, mvt N782694), full papers plus the 14 June 1960 secondary chronometer cert plus hang tag plus box, CHF 2,238,000 incl. premium against estimate CHF 500k–1M.

===Honeycomb tropical===

Aged from black to brown, red MILGAUSS frequently faded to pink. Documented across multiple anchor lots: Sotheby's London 2020 lot 365 (case 412'351, mvt DN903318), Antiquorum HK Jun 2023 lot 150 (case 412'149, mvt DN903495), Sotheby's Nov 2024 lot 137 (case 412'283), Sotheby's Dec 2023 lot 102 (case 412'159, mvt N872810, smooth-bezel US-market combined with tropical honeycomb dial), Monaco Legend Auctions Exclusive Timepieces 31 lot 32 (case 412'375, "charm brown" tropical smooth-bezel US-market, EUR 143,000), and Antiquorum Geneva Nov 2022 "PINK" lot 481 (case 412'254, rotating bezel, US collector consignment, est CHF 100k–200k).

===Non-luminous "CERN" dial===

Honeycomb pattern with the lume plots omitted on the indices. The attribution to CERN is editorial inference rather than documented procurement. The practical rationale is solid: tritium beta-decay would create scintillation background in radiation detectors, and removing the lume plots eliminates that interference. The historical relationship to CERN is real. But no CERN-issuance roster, no caseback engraving, and no provenance chain links a specific non-luminous 6541 to CERN procurement. The unpolished CERN-spec example most recently in the editorial record traced through a Canadian collector's family inheritance, not a CERN chain. Defensible phrasing: "non-luminous sub-variant reportedly developed for the CERN environment", not "issued to CERN scientists."

===No-MILGAUSS-text dial===

Standard "Oyster Perpetual" upper line, no "MILGAUSS" below the centre. Sotheby's London 2020 lot 365 essay frame: "with less than a handful of pieces known to exist." Bonhams Dec 2 2009 lot 133 (case 412'075, mvt DN911451, cal 1066M) is the canonical sub-five example, and carries Mercedes hands rather than the standard dauphines, suggesting a small no-MILGAUSS-text trial run with Submariner-style hands. A second comparable sold at Sotheby's London 2007. Both originated from the English Midlands: Bonhams from Wolverhampton, Sotheby's 2007 from Coventry, approximately 35 miles apart, suggesting a small no-MILGAUSS-text production trial that hit a single UK retail point. The Sotheby's London 2020 lot 365 example confirms the configuration repeats; sub-five total examples publicly documented.

===White dial===

Repeated in dealer-summary tertiary pages; no auction-house lot or specialist essay surfaces a documented white-dial 6541. The white dial belongs to the 1019, not the 6541. Treat the white-dial 6541 attribution as apocryphal pending a Mondani 2011 or Goldberger 2008 page-level cross-check.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==

===Case===

38mm three-body Oyster, polished and brushed finishes, screw-down Twinlock crown (Rolex ref 21), screw-down caseback with IV.1958 + "Patented" stamps on documented production examples. Lug width is 20mm. The move from the 6543's non-standard 19.5–19.7mm to the sport-line standard 20mm is the architectural change that enables bracelet compatibility with the reference 6636 riveted Oyster. The 6541's lugs are visibly thicker than the 6543's. Sotheby's New York 2018 lot 256 measured the case at 37mm; Sotheby's Nov 2024 lot 137 and Nov 2025 lot 182 both cataloged at 39mm; Artcurial M1015 lot 214 cataloged at 38mm. The discrepancy is measurement-method (across bezel vs across midcase), not a production variation. Best practice in published prose: 38mm with a measurement-method note.

===Faraday cage===

An inner soft-iron ring around the movement combined with a soft-iron bell cover sitting between the movement and the caseback. The architecture moves the magnetic shielding inward from the caseback (the 6543's approach) and frees up the caseback geometry. The Faraday cage rates the watch to 1,000 gauss, independently verified at CERN, and is the engineering reason the reference exists. PerezCope's "Bull-Gauss" forensic canon includes the soft-iron cage components as test 4: a brass cage in place of soft-iron is a franken-watch flag.

===Bezel — two factory variants===

The standard configuration is a rotating engraved bidirectional bezel, predominantly Euro/ROW market: black aluminium insert, red triangle at 12, bidirectional rotation, single-unit 1-5 markings inside six 10-minute sectors. The 1-2-3-4-5 reading omits the trailing zero on each ten-minute mark; the bezel reads as 60 minutes divided into six sectors with single-unit refinement. The 1-5 layout has no published Rolex rationale and remains one of the open questions of the early Milgauss design language. PerezCope's authentication test 5: serifed numerals are factory original; non-serif numerals indicate service or aftermarket bezel insert.

The US-market variant is a smooth fixed polished steel bezel with no graduation. Movements are stamped "ROW" (Rolex's export marking for non-Swiss-domestic destination). Eric Ku quoted in Rolexmagazine: "Rolex replaced the spinning bezels with plain steel bezels to make the Milgauss look different as they didn't originally sell well... it was like a blowout at the end." Documented smooth-bezel cases include 412'108 (Antiquorum lot 576), 412'159 (Sotheby's Dec 2023 lot 102), and 412'375 (Monaco Legend lot 32, "charm brown" tropical).

===Crown and crystal===

Screw-down Twinlock crown, Rolex reference 21, the standard sport-line crown of the period shared with Submariner and GMT-Master siblings. Acrylic crystal. No sapphire variant exists; the 6541's crystal is acrylic throughout the run.

==Movement — caliber 1066M to caliber 1080==

The cleanest reading of the caliber sequence is cal 1066M (early run, lower 412 serials, M-engraved bridge) transitioning to cal 1080 (later run, higher 412 serials, purpose-built Milgauss caliber). The "M" engraving on the movement bridge is the Milgauss-specific anti-magnetic spec marker.

Cal 1066M documentation runs through Antiquorum Monaco Jan 18 2022 lot 111 (case 412'278, mvt 872818) cataloged "Rolex 1066"; Sotheby's Nov 2024 lot 137 (case 412'283) cataloged as "M-engraved bridge"; Phillips Geneva XVII May 2023 lot 25 (case 412'399, mvt N782694, the record-setter) cataloged "automatic, caliber 1066, 25 jewels"; and Bonhams Dec 2 2009 lot 133 (case 412'075) cataloged "Cal:1066M nickel-finished lever movement with anti-magnetic cap." Cal 1080 documentation runs through Sotheby's NY 2018 lot 256 (case 412'479, mvt N726507) and Sotheby's June 2023 lot 75 (case 412'370, mvt 866560, full Rolex USA 2008 authentication letter plus complete box and certificate). Watchguys: "the 6543 was equipped with a unique caliber reference 1080, which was modified from the base caliber 1030. Calibre 1080 was based on the first in-house Rolex calibre 1030 from 1950, and both beat at 18,000 vph."

PerezCope's reading: "Cal. 1066M was later replaced with Cal. 1080 which was specifically produced for the Milgauss." The exact case-serial cutoff between the two calibers is not documented.

Common spec across the caliber generations: 25 jewels, ~18,000 vph (2.5 Hz), automatic with Borer 1931-architecture perpetual rotor, soft-iron movement cover integrated into the caliber, ~42–45 hour power reserve, no hacking seconds and no quickset.

Against the 1019's caliber, a correction: the 1019 (1960–1988 successor) carries cal 1580, a different caliber generation, running at 19,800 vph against the 6541's 18,000 vph, with 26 jewels against 25. The "cal 1066" attribution to the 1019 that circulates in some tertiary sources is a misattribution. The 1019 ran cal 1580 throughout production.

==Bracelet, clasp, packaging==

Reference 6636 riveted Oyster bracelet. 80 end-links. "Big Logo" clasp. The 6636 is the period sport-line standard, shared with Submariner 6538, GMT-Master 6542, and other 1956–1960 sport siblings. Documented date codes on surfaced clasps cluster around the production-period quarters (II.57, IV.58, III.59); clasps far ahead or behind the case serial typically indicate later service-replacement bracelets.

The 6543, the proto-reference, shipped exclusively on leather straps due to its 19.5–19.7mm non-standard lug width that prevented bracelet compatibility. The 6541's move to the 20mm sport-line standard lug width is the change that enables the 6636 fitment.

==Auction record==

The 6541's modern auction record runs from a first six-figure benchmark in 2013 to the 2023 Phillips Geneva XVII record-setter, with multiple anchor lots in between.

===Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XVII, 13 May 2023, Lot 25 — the record===

Case 412'399, movement N782694, caliber 1066, 25 jewels. Honeycomb gilt dial. Full papers plus Rolex secondary chronometer certificate dated 14 June 1960 plus original hang tag plus original box. Estimate CHF 500,000–1,000,000. Hammer CHF 2,205,000; total with premium CHF 2,238,000. The buyer was publicly described as a representative bidding for "the Crown". Philipp Stahl (Rolex Passion Report) interpreted this as a Rolex representative acquiring for the brand's future-museum archive, noting the result is "almost 50 percent higher than we see in regular auction" and reasoning Rolex spent CHF 10 million-plus across multiple lots that day. Robb Report and Italian Watch Spotter both framed the day as "Rolex Just Bought 3 Rolex Watches For 8.3 Million Euros."

The CHF 2.2M result therefore carries an asterisk: it is a Rolex-driven market spike, not a clean collector-market comp.

===Antiquorum Monaco, 18 January 2022, Lot 111 — the cleanest market comp===

Case 412'278, movement 872818, caliber 1066. Honeycomb black dial, dauphine hands, rotating engraved bezel. Estimate EUR 130,000–230,000. Hammer EUR 221,000. The cleanest modern regular-market clearing comp for a standard-configuration 6541, free of the museum-spike asterisk.

===Christie's Geneva Important Watches, 11 November 2013 — first six-figure benchmark===

Honeycomb gilt. Hammer USD 345,034 (approximately USD 354,000 with premium). The lot that established the 6541 as a six-figure collector category and inflected the modern market cycle.

===Bonhams Fine Watches & Wristwatches, London (New Bond Street), 2 December 2009, Lot 133===

Case 412'075 (lowest documented surfaced serial), movement DN911451, cal 1066M nickel-finished lever movement with anti-magnetic cap. The no-MILGAUSS-text plus Mercedes hands rarity. Wolverhampton (English Midlands) provenance. Estimate £25,000–30,000. The sister Coventry example sold Sotheby's London 2007. The two documented English Midlands no-MILGAUSS-text examples sit ~35 miles apart and suggest a small UK trial production hitting one retail point.

===Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, 10 November 2024, Lot 137===

Case 412'283, M-engraved bridge cal 1066. Tropical honeycomb dial. Rolex Atelier of Restauration restored. Provenance: Important Asian Private Collector. Estimate CHF 150,000–250,000.

===Sotheby's Important Watches, 7 December 2023, Lot 102===

Case 412'159, movement N872810, cal 1066. Smooth-bezel US-market combined with tropical honeycomb dial, the canonical US-market tropical 6541. Estimate USD 180,000–360,000.

===Sotheby's Important Watches, 9 June 2023, Lot 75===

Case 412'370, movement 866560, cal 1080. Honeycomb black. Full Rolex USA 2008 authentication letter plus complete box and certificate. Estimate USD 80,000–120,000.

===Antiquorum HK, 13 June 2023, Lot 150===

Case 412'149, movement DN903495, cal 1066. Tropical honeycomb. Estimate HKD 700,000–1,000,000.

===Phillips Geneva XIX (Mondani Collection), 11–12 May 2024, Lot 142===

Case 412'424, cal 1066. Honeycomb. IV.1958 caseback stamp. Estimate CHF 100,000–200,000.

===Antiquorum Geneva, November 2022, Lot 481 — the "PINK"===

Case 412'254, cal 1066. Tropical honeycomb with the red MILGAUSS faded to pink, rotating engraved bezel, US collector consignment. Estimate CHF 100,000–200,000.

===Sotheby's London Important Watches, 2020, Lot 365===

Case 412'351, movement DN903318. Tropical plus no-MILGAUSS-text sub-five rarity. Estimate £35,000–65,000.

===Artcurial Horlogerie de Collection M1015, Lot 214===

Case 412'179, cal 1066. Honeycomb black, single-owner provenance since 1965. Hammer EUR 109,200 against estimate EUR 90,000–120,000. A clean single-owner-since-period clearing comp.

===Antiquorum (US-market variant), Lot 576===

Case 412'108 (one of the lowest documented surfaced serials), cal 1065 cataloging (likely a looser cataloging of cal 1066M or an earlier-still designation). Brown tropical honeycomb, smooth-bezel US-market, "ROW" movement stamp, sold 30 January 1959. Hammer CHF 105,750 against estimate CHF 70,000–90,000.

===Sotheby's New York Important Watches (N09952), 2018, Lot 256===

Case 412'479 (highest documented surfaced serial), movement N726507, cal 1080. Honeycomb black, Rolex guarantee dated 1966 (later papers, not original to the production year). Estimate USD 100,000–150,000.

===Sotheby's Important Watches Part I, 9 November 2025, Lot 182===

Cataloger transcription "4'121'168", almost certainly a transcription error for 412'168, with cataloger-database-error "Circa 1976" dating that conflicts with the lot's own IV.1958 caseback reference. Movement N872244, cal 1066. Tropical honeycomb. Estimate CHF 60,000–100,000. Treat the 1976 date as a cataloging error to be corrected on sight.

==Authentication — the PerezCope "Bull-Gauss" canon==

Jose Pereztroika's July 2023 PerezCope exposé "Incorrigible Antiquorum — A Rolex 'Bull-Gauss' And Other Shenanigans" establishes the canonical forensic test set for 6541 authentication. Five markers, in order:

# An M suffix engraved on the movement bridge under the "1066" caliber designation. The "M" is the Milgauss-specific anti-magnetic spec marker. Its absence on a claimed 6541 movement is a franken flag.
# Milgauss-spec balance cock geometry. The shape and finishing of the balance cock differ from standard cal 1066 (non-Milgauss) production. Substitution with a standard cal 1066 balance cock is a franken flag.
# IV.1958 plus "Patented" caseback stamps. The fourth-quarter-1958 production stamp and the "Patented" marking sit together on documented production casebacks. Their absence is a franken flag.
# Soft-iron Faraday cage components. The inner cage ring and bell cover are soft-iron magnetic. Brass substitution, sometimes seen on franken builds where a standard cal 1066 movement has been dropped into a 6541 case without the period-correct cage components, is a franken flag.
# Serifed bezel-insert numerals. Factory bezel inserts carry serifed numerals. Non-serif numerals indicate service or aftermarket replacement.

Case 412'320 (Antiquorum Geneva November 2017 lot 230, CHF 81,250 hammer; re-offered Luxembourg 2019 and Antiquorum again 2023) failed all five tests in the PerezCope exposé and is the canonical "Bull-Gauss", a constructed franken with a standard cal 1066 movement, non-period bezel insert, and brass cage components. The wider argument PerezCope makes: a meaningful fraction of high-priced 6541 lots in the modern auction record are franken builds, and the Bull-Gauss canon is the forensic toolkit a serious collector needs before bidding.

==Race-prize tradition — Daytona Continental and NASCAR==

Jake Ehrlich's 2014 Rolexmagazine archive (restated by aBlogtoWatch and Hodinkee community editorial) documents a 6541 race-prize tradition through the late 1950s and early-to-mid 1960s. The narrative is single-source from Ehrlich; the named recipients carry varying levels of physical corroboration.

Pedro Rodriguez took the 1963 3-Hour Daytona Continental and the 1964 2000 km Continental in Ferrari 250 GTO N.A.R.T. entries. Ehrlich's archive carries photographs of Rodriguez receiving the watch and wearing it while posing for the camera.

Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby won the 1965 Daytona Continental 2000 km in Ford GT40 #73, the GT40's first victory anywhere and the architectural ancestor of the 1966 Le Mans triumph that ''Ford v Ferrari'' was built around. Both received smooth-bezel US-market 6541s as race prizes. Ruby was photographed in 2002 still wearing his (by then tropical brown) Milgauss, the best-documented continuous-wear photograph in the tradition.

Edward "Fireball" Roberts, NASCAR driver, was photographed in a 1962 or 1963 Rolex print advertisement wearing his 6541. The strongest period documentation of NASCAR-driver Milgauss ownership.

Bobby Allison, NASCAR driver, owned a smooth-bezel US-market 6541 with the caseback engraved "Bobby Allison / 1st", strongly suggesting a race-prize commemorating a first-place victory. Surfaced via aBlogtoWatch's "Race Car Driver Bobby Allison's Flat Bezel Tropical Dial Rolex Milgauss Ref. 6541 Watch." The caseback engraving is the strongest physical evidence in the tradition.

Richard Petty is the softest attribution. A reader-tier community claim circulates in Rolexmagazine comment threads that Petty "purchased a 6541 brand new in 1958". Apocryphal-feeling and third-hand.

The Daytona Continental race results themselves are independently confirmed by NBC Sports, The Henry Ford archive, supercars.net, and Motor Sport Magazine. The 6541-as-race-prize claim itself is Jake Ehrlich single-source; no motorsport archive corroborates the race-prize tradition independently of Ehrlich's chain.

==CERN provenance==

The Rolex-CERN relationship is well-attested. CERN became operationally commissioned in 1956. CERN scientists approached Rolex in the early 1950s requesting a wristwatch capable of maintaining precision in strong magnetic fields. CERN independently verified Rolex's 1,000-gauss rating against the 6541's soft-iron Faraday cage architecture. Rolex's own contemporary statement: "CERN was the first institution to confirm that the Milgauss would indeed resist magnetic fields of 1,000 gauss." Phillips's editorial "What's the Legacy Of The Rolex Milgauss?" frames the relationship as foundational testing partnership rather than procurement contract.

No public roster of CERN-issued 6541 serials exists, since CERN's Scientific Information Service does not host watch-issuance records online; no named CERN scientist linked by provenance to a specific 6541 case (Wolfgang Pauli was at CERN and died in 1958, chronologically open, but no Pauli/Milgauss link surfaces in any record; Pierre Auger, founding figure at CERN, has no documented 6541 attribution); and no caseback-engraved CERN-presented example has surfaced in any major-house catalog. Engraved casebacks that have surfaced are commemorative (Bobby Allison's "1st") rather than CERN-issued.

The closest the public record comes to a documented CERN-adjacent scientist provenance is Martin Skeet's 2016 prototype thesis. Skeet's "The Rolex Milgauss 6541 prototype - the rarest production Rolex ever?" documents a putative 6541 prototype belonging to a Swiss scientist working on hydroelectric dam projects in the early 1950s, later moving to Egypt's Aswan Dam project. The watch carries gold Submariner hands rather than the lightning-bolt plus dauphine combination, with "Milguass" (misspelled) printed in red at the bottom of the dial. Skeet attributes authentication to Rolex Geneva, who described the example as a field-test prototype "issued to people to test in the field." Sold Christie's 2001 for just over £28,000. Treat as Skeet single-source with Rolex Geneva authentication.

The best-documented operator-provenance 6541 in the public auction record is Roberto Pichardo's CIA Bay of Pigs example. Pichardo was a CIA operator at the Bay of Pigs invasion (1961), Brigade 2506 member, radio technician for B-26 aircraft. His 6541, case 412'206, circa 1958, tropical dial, surfaced with attestation from the Pichardo family documenting his Bay of Pigs involvement.

The strongest "scientist" association for the 6541 remains institutional (CERN tested the rating) rather than individual (no documented CERN-issued example exists). Defensible prose framing: "tested at CERN, marketed for the laboratory environment, with a non-luminous dial sub-variant reportedly developed for the CERN environment", not "issued to CERN scientists in documented batches."

==Print bibliography==

The principal print authorities on the Milgauss line:

* Mondani, Guido + Mondani, Franca + Spinello, Paolo + Vittozzi, Gabriele. ''Rolex: Milgauss, Yacht-Master, Turn-O-Graph, Explorer.'' Guido Mondani Editore, 2011. ISBN 9788890372384. 276 pages, format 31×41 cm (described as "the world's biggest book on Rolex watches"). Bilingual English/Italian hardback. Cover price EUR 620. Limited edition 2,000 copies. Photographs of dials, hands, bezels, casebacks, crowns, bracelets, and calibers across every Milgauss reference including the 6541. The most-cited print authority on the Milgauss in dealer and auction-catalog citations. A 2022 successor edition exists (ISBN 9788894972122) and a 2025 bilingual hardback successor (216 pages), both updated to include 116400 modern coverage and post-2011 production data.
* Papaleo, Pucci. ''I Cronografi Rolex – La Leggenda.'' Pucci Papaleo Editore, December 2004. ISBN 9788880000518. 416 pages, ~1,000 original images. Italian with bilingual content in places. Covers Rolex chronographs from 1930s–1990s; the 6541 is illustrated in the volume. The Milgauss is not Papaleo's primary subject; his canon leans Daytona and Day-Date. The 6541 entry is a corroborating cross-reference.
* Goldberger, John. ''100 Superlative Rolex Watches.'' Damiani Editore, 2008. ISBN 9788862080392. 287 pages. The 6541 is illustrated.
* Skeet, Martin + Urul, Nick. ''Vintage Rolex Sports Models.'' Schiffer Publishing. First edition ISBN 9780764314964; expanded edition ISBN 9780764322488; revised 3rd edition ISBN 9780764329814; 4th edition (2019/2020) ISBN 9780764358449. Covers Submariner, Sea-Dweller, GMT-Master, Explorer, Turn-O-Graph, Milgauss, Cosmograph from 1952–1990. ~140 vintage models.
* White, Colin A. ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual: An Essential Collectors Reference Guide.'' Morningtundra, 2020. ISBN 9780578630823. Covers 1,483 references including the 6541.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:1019|Milgauss 1019]] — Anti-Magnetic, CERN (1960–1988)
* [[Reference:116400|Milgauss 116400]] — Green Sapphire 'GV' (2007–2023)

See also the [[Reference:milgauss|Milgauss family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

===Primary and specialist===

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* ''Rolex: Milgauss, Yacht-Master, Turn-O-Graph, Explorer'' — Guido Mondani, Franca Mondani, Paolo Spinello, Gabriele Vittozzi, Guido Mondani Editore, 2011
* ''I Cronografi Rolex - La Leggenda'' — Paolo Gobbi, Pucci Papaleo Editore, 2004
* ''100 Superlative Rolex Watches'' — John Goldberger, Damiani Editore, 2008
* ''Vintage Rolex Sports Models: A Complete Visual Reference & Unauthorized History'' — Martin Skeet and Nick Urul, Schiffer Publishing, 2019
* [https://perezcope.com/2023/07/25/incorrigible-antiquorum-a-rolex-bull-gauss-and-other-shenanigans/ Jose Pereztroika, "Incorrigible Antiquorum - A Rolex "Bull-Gauss" And Other Shenanigans", Perezcope, 2023]
* [https://www.martinskeet.com/rolex-valuation-authentication-news/2016/rarest-prototype-rolex Martin Skeet, "The Rolex Milgauss 6541 prototype - the rarest production Rolex ever?", martinskeet.com, 2016]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-milgauss-one-in-a-thousand/ Ross Povey, "Rolex Milgauss: One in a Thousand", Revolution Watch, 2019]

===Editorial and market===

* [https://www.phillips.com/article/122097700/rolex-milgauss-vintage-1019-6541-discontinued Phillips Watches, "What's the Legacy of the Rolex Milgauss?", Phillips]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080123/25 Phillips, "The Geneva Watch Auction XVII, Lot 25 - Rolex Milgauss Ref. 6541 (record example)", Phillips, 2023]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-milgauss-collection-in-depth-review/ Monochrome Watches, "In-Depth: The Complete History of the Rolex Milgauss", Monochrome Watches]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-rolex-milgauss/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of Rolex Milgauss", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2014/04/the-complete-history-of-rolex-milgauss_8.html Jake Ehrlich, "The Complete History Of The Rolex Milgauss", Rolex Magazine, 2014]
* [https://www.rolexencyclopedie.nl/english/models/the-milgauss-a-missed-opportunity/ Jaap Bakker, "The Milgauss: a missed opportunity", Rolexencyclopedie]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-n09952/lot.256.html Sotheby's, "Rolex Milgauss Ref. 6541 - Sotheby's Important Watches (2018-2025 lots)", Sotheby's]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6541-milgauss-lot-347-111 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 6541 Milgauss - Antiquorum lots (2017-2025)", Antiquorum]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16896/lot/133/ Bonhams, "Rolex Milgauss Ref. 6541, honeycomb dial with no MILGAUSS designation - Bonhams London, lot 133", Bonhams, 2009]
* [https://www.artcurial.com/en/sales/M1015/lots/214-a Artcurial, "Rolex Milgauss ref. 6541 (n.412179) - Artcurial M1015, lot 214", Artcurial, 2017]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-31/lot-32 Monaco Legend Group, "Rolex Milgauss Ref. 6541, brown tropical honeycomb dial - Monaco Legend Exclusive Timepieces 31, lot 32", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2023]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-milgauss-reference-6541-unpolished Eric Wind, "Rolex Milgauss Reference 6541 Unpolished (non-luminous "CERN" dial)", Wind Vintage]
* [https://www.ablogtowatch.com/race-car-driver-bobby-allisons-flat-bezel-tropical-dial-rolex-milgauss-ref-6541-watch/ aBlogtoWatch, "Race Car Driver Bobby Allison's Flat Bezel Tropical Dial Rolex Milgauss Ref. 6541 Watch", aBlogtoWatch]
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/john-goldberger-explaining-the-hk-milestone-sale-in-more-detail/ Edmond Saran, "John Goldberger: Explaining the Phillips HK Rolex Milestone sale in more detail", Le Monde Edmond, 2016]

[[Category:Milgauss]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6538

2026-09-05T01:22:16Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6538 Submariner}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Submariner 6538 'Big Crown' — James Bond, 1956–1959 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6538 is the big-crown Goldfinger Submariner. 1956–1959 production, no crown guards at any point, two-line gilt and rare four-line OCC dials, Connery on-screen across four films, A/6538 SBS military sub-branch,
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|image=Ref 6538 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:28Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''6538'''</small>

The 6538 is the big-crown Submariner of the late 1950s and the most famous vintage Rolex outside the Daytona Paul Newman category. Sean Connery wore a two-line gilt 6538 on a 16mm striped NATO across 20mm lugs in ''Dr. No'' (1962), ''From Russia with Love'' (1963), ''Goldfinger'' (1964), and ''Thunderball'' (1965), and that on-screen run turned the reference into the most recognised early Submariner on the planet. The Bond association is half the story. The 6538 is also the mature no-crown-guard big-crown Submariner: 200m depth rating, caliber 1030 (Rolex's first bidirectional automatic), and the oversized 8mm Brevet crown that gives the case its silhouette. When collectors say "big crown Sub" or "Bond Sub," this is the watch they mean.

<span id="core-facts"></span>

[[File:Ref 6538 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538|Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6538
|-
| family
| Submariner
|-
| production
| 1956–1959 auction-house consensus (Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, Antiquorum); dealer sources push the launch year to 1955
|-
| total examples
| genuinely contested. Blackbird Watch Manual's serial-range model implies ~1,500–2,000 across four series; a dealer editorial mirror gives "estimated 40,000 examples" — the 40,000 figure is anomalously high vs every auction-house claim and almost certainly conflates broader serial-range data
|-
| serial-range series (Blackbird)
| First series ~140,300–140,500 (~200 watches); Second series ~158,100–158,400; Third series 307,100–307,600 plus a 383,000 group; Fourth series ~426,000–449,300
|-
| case
| 37mm without crown
|-
| crown
| 8mm Brevet — engraved "BREVET" (Swiss-French for "patent")
|-
| crown guards
| none, throughout the run. Crown guards arrive with the 5512 in late 1959; the "four-liner" descriptor on this reference is a dial designation, not a crown-guard format
|-
| movement
| caliber 1030, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, ~42-hour reserve. Rolex's first bidirectional automatic. Chronometer-rated only on the four-line dial variants
|-
| depth rating
| 200m / 660ft
|-
| dial versions
| two-line (common, ~10–20:1 majority); four-line OCC chronometer (~30% premium when new)
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| Connery films
| ''Dr. No'' (1962), ''From Russia with Love'' (1963), ''Goldfinger'' (1964), ''Thunderball'' (1965)
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6538 is the direct successor to the 6200 on the big-crown side and the first big-crown Submariner produced at meaningful volume. It runs alongside the small-crown 5508 and is paralleled briefly by the transitional 5510 before the crown-guard 5512 changes the line in late 1959. The 6200 introduced the big crown and the 200m rating, but only 303 units were built. The 6538 is where that specification scaled into a recognisable production reference — still short-lived by later standards, but far broader than the 6200 experiment.

The crown-guard transition often misattributed to the 6538 is in fact the 6538-to-5512 transition. Phillips's 2025 article on the four-line 6538 reads it as "the last of the pure, no-guard Submariners, before Rolex transitioned to the more familiar Ref. 5512 and Ref. 5513." Dealer-side editorial agrees the no-crown-guard format is universal across the 6538 run. Articles that describe "four-liner crown guards" on later 6538s confuse two different evolutions — the four-line dial (mid-run, see Dial map) and the 5512 crown guards (late 1959, after the 6538). The 6538 carries no crown guards at any point.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Production ran 1956 to 1959 across the auction-house consensus. Monochrome's Altieri (2017) writes "manufactured from 1955 until about 1959"; the specialist dealer trade variously gives "the latter part of the 1950s", "less than six years from 1955 to the end of 1959", and ca. 1955 through ca. 1959. Phillips, Sotheby's, and Christie's lots cluster the launch in 1956, which leaves the 1955 reading as the dealer-trade minority view against a 1956–1959 auction-house consensus.

Total production is the noisiest gap. Blackbird Watch Manual (Biebuyck, December 2019) gives case-number ranges by series rather than a single total: First Series ~140,300–140,500 (~200 watches); Second Series ~158,100–158,400; Third Series 307,100–307,600 plus a 383,000 group; Fourth Series ~426,000–449,300. The four series add to roughly 1,500–2,000 examples — the strongest direct evidence in the auction record. Aggregator dealer copy quotes "estimated 40,000 examples" with "barely 30%" surviving. The 40,000 figure is anomalously high vs every auction-house claim and almost certainly conflates broader serial-number range with reference-specific output. Both extremes deserve mention; the Blackbird four-series model is the better-grounded reading.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

The 6538 runs caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional automatic, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, ~42-hour reserve. The 1030 first appears on the 6098 in 1952 and runs across the no-crown-guard Submariner family (6536 / 6536-1 / 6538) into the early Explorer 6610 era. On the 6538, chronometer rating tracks the dial: only four-line "Officially Certified Chronometer" examples carried the chronometer regulation and Bureau Officiels Suisse de Contrôle (the Swiss official chronometer testing body, BO; later COSC) certification. The standard two-line dial is the same caliber without the chronometer pass. Four-line examples underwent additional Rolex regulation and Swiss Government testing, earning a roughly 30% chronometer premium when new.

A296 — used on the 6098 / 6150 / 6350 line that runs alongside the small-crown Submariners — is a full-rotor uni-directional Perpetual, not a bumper. Rolex's 1931 Perpetual patent designed the rotor for 360° rotation from the start; the 1030 of 1950 introduced bidirectional winding via the butterfly rotor and a thinner autowind module, which is what dropped the bubble-back caseback profile. Earlier Rolex articles describing A296 as bumper-style mistook the autowind-module thickness for a bumper architecture (Phillips Geneva Watch Auction FOUR lot 146, November 2016, frames the A296→1030 swap explicitly as a thickness change rather than an architectural one).

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

[[File:Ref 6538 dial-detail.jpg|thumb|right|220px|alt=6538 dial close-up|6538 dial close-up]]
[[File:Ref 6538 four-line-chronometer.jpg|thumb|right|220px|alt=Four Line Chronometer|Four Line Chronometer]]

<span id="two-line-gilt"></span>
=== Two-line gilt ===

The standard 6538 dial. Glossy black lacquer ground with gilt printing, "Submariner" above and the depth-rating line below. The dominant configuration across the run, including the Connery on-screen watch. Specialist estimates put the ratio of two-line to four-line surviving examples at 10–20:1.

<span id="four-line-gilt-chronometer"></span>
=== Four-line gilt chronometer (OCC) ===

The four-line dial adds two further lines of "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" text. Phillips New York 2018 lot 77 (NY080118/77) is the canonical four-line auction record — a 1957 example with full set including a chronometer certificate dated 12 August 1957. The Sotheby's tropical four-line lot, circa 1958 (already-cited), anchors the variant in the auction record. Blackbird places four-line dials predominantly in the second series (case range ~158,100–158,400), US market.

<span id="tropical-variants"></span>
=== Tropical variants ===

Tropical dials appear in both two-line and four-line configurations. Aging patterns vary — even brown in some examples, dramatic chocolate or reddish tones in others. Tropical change is irreversible. A tropical four-line 6538 with an honest case, original bezel, and documented provenance is among the most valuable vintage Rolex watches on the market — four-line rarity, tropical irreversibility, and Bond-era production converging on a single configuration.

<span id="red-depth-text"></span>
=== Red depth text ===

Some 6538 dials carry the depth rating in red rather than gilt or white. Phillips (Logan Baker, 2019) has sold both MK I and MK II Red Sub lots at its Geneva sales. The most famous red-depth 6538 in the public record is the Christie's June 2018 example (see auction record below): an Explorer dial with red meters-first "200/660" depth rating,.

<span id="explorer-dial-6538"></span>
=== Explorer dial ===

[[File:Ref 6538 explorer-369.jpg|thumb|right|220px|alt=Explorer 369|Explorer 369]]
[[File:Ref 6538 explorer-dial.jpg|thumb|right|220px|alt=Explorer Dial|Explorer Dial]]

Explorer-dial 6538 examples carry the 3-6-9 numeral layout (numerals at three, six, and nine o'clock in place of the usual baton markers) most associated with the 6200. The prevailing reading among collectors and auction catalogs is that Rolex used Explorer dials as substitutes when supplies of the standard Submariner dial ran short during early production. Of the fifteen Explorer-dial Submariners Phillips has sold across all references (6200, 6538, 5510, 5512, 5513), only a handful are 6538s. The Christie's June 2018 record-setter combines an Explorer dial with red meters-first depth text — the configuration Hodinkee's Pulvirent called "a perfect storm Submariner."

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

[[File:Ref 6538 crown-detail.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=8mm Brevet crown detail|8mm Brevet crown detail]]

The defining feature is the oversized 8mm Brevet crown — larger than the 6mm crowns of the 5508 and 6536 and the source of the reference's nickname. The case measures 37mm without crown, with a domed acrylic crystal. No crown guards across the entire run; the unguarded case profile is one of the cleanest single visual identifiers. The 5512 introduces full crown guards in late 1959 and runs alongside the early 5513.

Bezel inserts evolve across the run. Early production carries a red-triangle insert with the twelve-o'clock marker filled in red enamel or lacquer and no minute graduations between 0 and 15. "Long 5" bezels — where the numeral 5 has a long descending tail — surface frequently and are tracked by specialists as a sub-variant. Later production adds the 0–15 minute hashes that carry into the 5512 / 5513 era.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==

[[File:Ref 6538 hero 2.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538|Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538]]

Period-correct delivery splits across two rivet bracelet families. The 7206 is the fixed-link rivet Oyster, found with end-links 80 (7206/80). The 6636 is the expandable rivet Oyster, with end-links 64 or 65 (6636/64, 6636/65) — the same fitments documented across the 5508, 5510, 6536, 6542, and earliest 5512 / 1675 production. Reference-number stamping on the bracelets only appears from 1961 onwards, so 6538-era bracelets are typically unstamped — an important authentication tell. The "Big Logo" deployant clasp is characteristic of the late-1950s / early-1960s rivet runs and turns up frequently on cataloged 6538 examples.

The 9315 folded-link Oyster is post-rivet, primarily a 1968-onwards service replacement. A 9315 on a 6538 is a swap, not original delivery. Connery's on-screen Bond 6538 wore a 16mm striped NATO across 20mm lugs rather than a bracelet; that NATO presentation is what most viewers picture, but the factory delivery configuration was the rivet Oyster.

<span id="bond-on-screen-attribution"></span>
== Bond on-screen attribution ==

The Christie's June 2018 record-setting 6538 (USD 1,068,500) is not Connery's actual screen watch. Editorial coverage confirms the lot was an Explorer dial 6538, "meters-first, reading '200/660' with no actual units present, and printed in red instead of white or gilt," sold without bezel on a too-small NATO. The lot came from the family of an original-owner painter. Bonhams's December 2020 sale carried an explicit disclaimer: "the watches on auction have NOT appeared in the films but are the same model" (via Bond Lifestyle).

The whereabouts of the actual Connery screen watches are not publicly documented. The on-screen configuration is consistently described as a two-line gilt 6538 on a striped NATO; that combination drives much of the modern collector demand for documented two-line 6538s. The Bond connection drives a meaningful premium across the reference, but no public lot has been credibly tied to the screen watches themselves.

[[File:Ref 6538 bonhams-explorer.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Bonhams Explorer|Bonhams Explorer]]

<span id="a6538-special-boat-service-military"></span>
== A/6538 Special Boat Service military variant ==

The A/6538 (sometimes written 6538A) is a Royal Marines Special Boat Service military issue, not a civilian sub-variant with a chapter ring. Revolution's 2016 "MilSub Before the MilSub" piece and the parallel Rolex Passion Report article are the canonical sources. Initial order: 21 watches, originally referenced 6540, restamped A/6538 by Rolex because of the small run. Estimated total production up to ~50 examples.

The A/6538 carries an Explorer dial — radium 3/6/9 with red "200/660" depth printing, the first red text on a Rolex sports dial — alongside a German-silver bezel (a copper-nickel-zinc alloy, distinct from the standard brass or aluminum production bezels), fixed lug bars rather than spring-bar lugs, no serial number between the lugs (the case-back carries the serial), and the H.S.10 CD case-back marking. Manufactured Q3 / Q4 1957, issued to Royal Marines SBS.

Only three examples with original dials are documented; most surviving A/6538 dials were reprinted "Burford" tritium in the early 1960s after the MoD radium withdrawal. The A/6538 is the earliest documented intersection of the big-crown Submariner and British military diving, predating the 5517 MilSub program by nearly fifteen years. With ~50 surviving examples — and only a handful with original dials — it sits among the rarest military Submariner configurations in existence.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial / config !! Variant !! Hammer
|-
| Christie's New York || — || Dec 2017 || four-line, original || four-line OCC || USD 492,500
|-
| Christie's New York || Rare Watches and An Important Diamond || Jun 2018 || Explorer dial, red meters-first 200/660, no bezel, original-owner painter provenance || record-setting Explorer dial || USD 1,068,500
|-
| Phillips New York 080118 || 77 || 2018 || four-line, Aug 1957 chronometer cert, transitional bezel, full set || four-line OCC || USD 567,000
|-
| Sotheby's Online || 4 || 2019 || four-line tropical, red triangle || tropical four-line ||
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches || 44 || 2020 || Long 5 bezel, Big Logo bracelet || two-line gilt ||
|-
| Bonhams London Fine Watches New Bond Street || 43 || Dec 2020 || gilt dial, gilt hands, c.1956 || two-line gilt || est. GBP 50,000–90,000
|-
| Specialist dealer sale || — || Nov 2020 || 1957 two-line gilt || two-line gilt || USD 180,000
|-
| Antiquorum Geneva || 368 || May 2024 || former property of Guido Mondani || Big Crown two-line || est. ~USD 33,000–56,000
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches / Olmsted Complications || 170 || Dec 2024 || black gilt with chapter ring, serial 449,004, fourth series late 1958 / 1959 || black gilt chapter ring || est. USD 100,000–200,000
|-
| Phillips New York || — || Dec 2025 || four-line, article-tied lot || four-line OCC ||
|}

The Christie's June 2018 USD 1,068,500 result for the Explorer-dial red-depth 6538 is the public record price ceiling and shows dial rarity plus original-owner provenance rather than any direct Bond link. The Phillips USD 567,000 four-line is the canonical four-line OCC benchmark. Tropical four-line examples in clean condition trade at the upper-middle of the market alongside Bond-era two-line gilts in original condition. The 6538 holds its market position across both dial configurations — condition, dial character, and presence of original components drive the spread far more than sub-variant rarity does.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6200|Submariner 6200]] — "King Sub", the first Big Crown (1953–1956)
* [[Reference:6536|Submariner 6536]] — the small-crown early gilt counterpart (1955)
* [[Reference:5510|Submariner 5510]] — the second Big Crown, cal 1530 (1957–1958)
* [[Reference:5512|Submariner 5512]] — first crown-guard Submariner, the direct successor (1959–1978)
* [[Reference:6204|Submariner 6204]] / [[Reference:6205|6205]] — the original 1953 Submariners

See also the [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-submariner-reference-points Reference Points: Understanding The Rolex Submariner] — Stephen Pulvirent (Hodinkee, 2019)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-submariner-6538-christies-new-york-most-expensive-ever Rolex Submariner Sells For Over $1,000,000, Becoming The Most Expensive Sub Ever] — Stephen Pulvirent (Hodinkee, 2018)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/historical-perspective-original-bond-rolex-submariner-reference-6538-big-crown/ Historical Perspective: The Original Bond Rolex Submariner Reference 6538 Big Crown] — Paul Altieri (Monochrome Watches, 2017)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-1-the-early-references/ History of the Rolex Submariner — Part 1, The Early References] — Tom Mulraney (Monochrome, 2020)
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/2932/the-history-of-the-rolex-small-and-big-crown-james-bond-submariner/ The History of the Rolex Small and Big Crown James Bond Submariner] — Philipp Stahl (Rolex Passion Report, 2019)
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-submariner-reference-6538-james-bond Rolex Submariner Reference 6538 James Bond] — Eric Wind (Wind Vintage)
* [https://www.41watch.com/en/journal/buyers-guides/rolex-submariner-6538-aka-submariner-james-bond Rolex Submariner 6538 — aka Submariner James Bond] (41Watch, 2021)
* [https://www.blackbird-watchmanual.com/manual/icons/the-rolex-reference-6538-submariner/ The Rolex Reference 6538 Submariner] (Blackbird Watch Manual, 2019)
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/the-milsub-before-the-milsub-part-2-rolex-milsub-a6538a-a-special-edition-for-the-special-boat-service/ The MilSub Before the MilSub: Part 2 — Rolex MilSub A/6538] — James Dowling (Revolution Watch, 2016)
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/20008/unique-rolex-a6538-uk-military-big-crown-submariner/ Unique Rolex A/6538 UK Military Big Crown Submariner] — Philipp Stahl (Rolex Passion Report, 2016)
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/164272805/rolex-submariner-big-crown-four-liner-ref-6538-auction-phillips-new-york-dec-2025 Rolex Submariner Big Crown Four-Liner Ref. 6538 — Phillips New York Dec 2025] (Phillips, 2025)
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/144608770/rolex-submariner-explorer-dial-6200-big-crown-5512-vintage-auction In-Depth: A Review of Vintage Rolex Submariners with Explorer Dials] — Logan Baker (Phillips, 2019)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080118/77 Rolex 6538 four-line — Phillips NY080118 lot 77] (Phillips, 2018)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/25e5416b-f436-484a-834e-1ba10a9dfc69/lots/9a553d3f-0450-465f-b767-7f1946a7bfc0 Submariner Ref. 6538 four-line tropical — Sotheby's lot] (Sotheby's)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/60db879c-cc93-4b34-8bee-830456483399/lots/a3eec5fd-6c49-4e16-86db-2d94ce2ba52c Reference 6538 Big Crown — Sotheby's lot 44] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/important-watches-2/reference-6538-submariner-big-crown-james-bond-a Reference 6538 Submariner Big Crown — Sotheby's Important Watches lot 170] (Sotheby's, 2024)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6538-submariner-big-crown-lot-368-549 Rolex Ref. 6538 Submariner Big Crown — Antiquorum lot 368] (Antiquorum, 2024)
* [https://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/news/rolex-submariner-6538-and-5513-bonhams-fine-watches-auction Rolex Submariner 6538 and 5513 — Bonhams Fine Watches Auction] (Bond Lifestyle / Bonhams, 2020)
* [https://www.41watch.com/en/journal/buyers-guides/the-origins-of-the-rived-rolex-oyster-bracelets The Origins of Riveted Rolex Oyster Bracelets] (41Watch)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/editorial/vintage-rolex-submariner-6538.html Vintage Rolex Submariner 6538] (editorial)
* [https://professionalwatches.com/the-quintessential-rolex-james-bond-submariner-ref-6538/ The Quintessential Rolex James Bond Submariner Ref. 6538] (Professional Watches)
* [https://iconicalternatives.com/2019/06/08/the-james-bond-rolex-submariner-6538/ The James Bond Rolex Submariner 6538] (Iconic Alternatives, 2019)
* ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep'' — Nicholas Foulkes (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Submariner]]

Reference:6536-1

2026-09-05T01:22:15Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6536/1 Submariner}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 6536-1 — Production, Dials & Serial Ranges | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6536/1 is the caseback-confirmed sub-variant of the late-1950s small-crown, no-crown-guard Submariner. Production 1955-1959, caliber 1030 bidirectional automatic, three bezel evolutions within the run, OCC chronometer four-line dial subset.
|keywords=Rolex, 6536/1, Submariner, small crown, caliber 1030, OCC, no crown guards
|image=Ref_6536-1_hero.jpeg
|image_alt=Rolex 6536/1 small-crown Submariner
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:40Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:22Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] -> [[Reference:6536|6536]] -> '''6536/1'''</small>

The 6536/1 is the caseback-identified sub-variant of the [[Reference:6536|6536]]. Case, dial-text variants, bezel insert, bracelet, movement, crown, and case dimensions all overlap with the parent — the same late-1950s small-crown no-crown-guard case, the same caliber 1030, the same 100m depth rating. What separates the two is a caseback stamped 6536/1 rather than 6536. A portion of the 6536/1 run was submitted for chronometer certification and carries a four-line dial with "Officially Certified Chronometer" added above the depth-rating line.

[[File:Ref_6536-1_hero.jpeg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 6536/1 small-crown Submariner|Rolex 6536/1 small-crown Submariner]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6536/1
|-
| family
| Submariner (no date), small-crown no-crown-guard generation
|-
| production
| 1955 to 1959 (auction-house consensus). Hard caseback evidence "IV.55" and "4 55" on cases 112,341 and 112,256 anchors the late-1955 introduction
|-
| total examples
| no separate 6536/1 vs parent 6536 split is published. The parent 6536 reads at 5,350 pieces 1955-1959 from the 2024 Rolex archive data; the /1 share is unstated
|-
| case
| 37mm, small 6mm Brevet crown, no crown guards
|-
| crystal
| acrylic (domed)
|-
| movement
| caliber 1030 — 25 jewels, 18,800 vph, ~42-hour reserve. Rolex's first bidirectional automatic; butterfly rotor stamped ROLEX PERPETUAL PATENTED. Identical to parent 6536
|-
| depth rating
| 100m / 330ft
|-
| chronometer
| split — both COSC-certified four-line OCC dial examples and non-certified two-line dial examples exist on the same caliber 1030 base
|-
| date
| none
|-
| hands
| Mercedes-type, gilt finish; long-neck hour hand on earliest production
|-
| bezel
| three documented evolutions within 1957 alone: silver triangle no-hash → red triangle no-hash → red triangle 15-minute hash by 1959
|-
| bracelet
| 6636 expandable rivet or 7206 fixed-link rivet with end-link 65 or 80 — period-correct delivery
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 6536/1 is the small-crown branch of the last no-crown-guard Submariner generation. It runs concurrently with the parent 6536 inside the 1955-1959 production window, and feeds directly into the [[Reference:5508|5508]], which carried the small-crown case forward into the newer caliber 1530 from 1958. On the big-crown side, the contemporary [[Reference:6538|6538]] runs the same caliber 1030 in the 200m / 8mm-Brevet configuration. The crown-guard transition arrives with the 5512 in late 1959, ending the unguarded small-crown generation entirely.

Wider family context sits on the parent [[Reference:6536|6536]] page: the 6205 lineage that precedes this generation, the 6536/8 transitional sub-variant with crossed-out "6538" caseback engravings, the bezel and dial evolution timeline within 1957, and the full production-volume framing.

==The /1 suffix==

Rolex used numeric suffixes (/1, /2, and so on) to flag a caseback engraving update inside an existing reference — a tracked variant rather than a new reference number. On the 6536 the caseback is the only standard distinction; everything from the case dimensions to the bracelet options is shared.

A caseback engraved "6536/1" in full belongs to the sub-variant; a caseback reading "6536" alone belongs to the parent. Both stampings exist on cases produced in the same period — the parent 6536 stamp continues to appear well into the 6536/1 era. The 6536/8 transitional variant (with crossed-out "6538" engraving and "6536" re-engraved over the strikethrough) is documented separately on the parent reference page; it is its own subvariant rather than a 6536/1 ancestor.

==Production outline==

Documented examples run 1955 to 1959. Two casebacks anchor the late-1955 introduction — a Q4-1955 stamp ("4 55") on case 112,256 and an IV.55 stamp on case 112,341, both engraved 6536/1. Mid-run examples carry caseback codes I.57, II.56, II.57, and III.57 across cases 155,502 / 229,640 / 306,989 / 30x,xxx; late-run examples extend into 1959 with cases in the 39x,xxx range.

Because the two ran concurrently inside the 1955-1959 window, the caseback engraving decides which variant a given example belongs to; the calendar date does not. The 2024 Rolex archive analysis gives the parent 6536 a total of 5,350 pieces 1955-1959, 44% of the 12,144 total no-crown-guard Submariners across the five references (6200, 6204, 6205, 6536, 6538). No separate 6536/1 vs parent 6536 production split is published.

==Movement notes==

Caliber 1030 is confirmed across documented 6536/1 examples — 25 jewels, 18,800 vph, ~42-hour reserve, 28.5 × 5.85mm, monometallic balance, blue Breguet overcoil. Introduced in 1950, the 1030 is Rolex's first bidirectional automatic; its butterfly rotor, stamped ROLEX PERPETUAL PATENTED, succeeds the thicker uni-directional A-series Perpetuals (A260 / A290 / A295 / A296) of the early Submariners. The A-series itself is full-rotor, not bumper, and Rolex never produced a bumper caliber.

Chronometer-certified (OCC) and non-certified examples both exist within the 6536/1 family on the same base caliber. Some movements went out for chronometer rating and some did not, with nothing mechanical separating them. The Sotheby's December 2018 lot 252 caseback is stamped 6536/1 with III.57 (third quarter 1957) on a chronometer-rated four-line dial example; non-chronometer 6536/1 examples surface across the same period with the standard two-line dial.

==Dial map==

The dial taxonomy on the 6536/1 mirrors the parent 6536. Three depth-text variants run across the production window — red ("100/330" without units, earliest 1955-56), gilt-gold ("100m/ft = 330" with units, 1956 onward, dominant), and silver (late-run examples). The dial finish shifted from matte in early 1957 production to increasingly glossy by 1959; lume colour shifted in parallel from whitish-beige to orange-mid-run to beige-late.

Four dial-text layouts surface.

The standard two-line dial pairs "SUBMARINER" with the depth rating and accounts for most examples. Four-line OCC dials add "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER" across two extra lines, paired with the chronometer-rated movement; the Sotheby's 2018 case-22x,xxx example anchors the configuration, which is rare relative to two-line. Four-line SCOC dials carry the later "SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED" wording, the same change that runs through the 5508/5512 transition — the line count is identical, only the wording moves. A three-line dial, transitional between the two- and four-line layouts, is documented but rare.

An "invert" dial variant, where the dial text reverses the standard layout, appears in collector forum sources. Surviving examples are extremely scarce, and no major-house lot has corroborated it.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

The case is the slim small-crown 37mm Oyster of the late-1950s no-guard generation, with a 6mm Brevet crown — distinct from the contemporary [[Reference:6538|6538]]'s 8mm "big" Brevet crown. Acrylic crystal with the domed profile of the period.

Bezel evolution within 1957 alone is the single most useful dating tool on a 6536/1. The earliest 1957 examples carry a silver triangle at twelve with no minute hash marks across the first fifteen minutes. Mid-1957 production keeps the no-hash format and switches to a red triangle at twelve. Late 1959 production carries the red triangle alongside individual minute hash marks across the first fifteen minutes — the closest ancestor to the bezel that defines the 5512.

The crown is the original single-coronet "Brevet" 6mm with double-lock; a three-dot crown on a 6536/1 is a service replacement. Quarterly inside-caseback stamps — a Roman-numeral quarter followed by a two-digit year — date the case head, and the format holds across documented examples: IV.55, I.56, II.56, I.57, II.57, III.57.

==Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes==

Three bracelet families appear as original delivery. The 6636 expandable rivet Oyster with end-link 65 or 80 is the most common period-correct delivery. The 7206 fixed-link rivet Oyster with end-link 80 is documented on Q2 1956 examples. The Jubilee 62510 surfaces on at least one Q4 1955 example with a clasp stamped 1960 — period-fitted but unusual rather than standard original-delivery configuration.

End-link "65" is the small-crown standard across documented examples; end-link "80" appears on later 1959 examples and post-Submariner-line bracelets. Decades of service work saw rivet bracelets swapped out routinely, so an original undisturbed rivet bracelet on a 6536/1 adds materially to completeness.

==Authentication==

The dominant authentication problem on this generation is cross-reference confusion. The 6536/1 vs 5508 distinction sits on case dimensions (the 6536/1 is wider, ~37.5mm vs the 5508's narrower head), dial colour tone (6536/1 reads more golden, 5508 more silver), and caliber (1030 vs 1530, with the bidirectional butterfly rotor distinguishing 1030). Bezel inserts date the same way: a 1957 case wearing a 1959-style hashed insert is a swap, not a factory delivery.

Service dials surface frequently: a matte finish carrying crisp gilt printing reads as a replacement against the original gloss. Over-polishing erodes the lug chamfers, and unpolished examples with sharp bevels and crisp lug edges sit at the top of the collector market.

==Historical market and auction record==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Configuration !! Result
|-
| Sotheby's New York Important Watches || 252 || 2018 || 306,989 || III.57 caseback, no-hash red triangle bezel, glossy two-line dial, white small-circle seconds — world record for any small-crown Submariner || USD 225,000 against USD 20,000 low estimate
|-
| Sotheby's Geneva || 215 || 2018 || 229,640 || I.57 caseback, cal. 1030, Oyster bracelet stamped 7-70 made in USA || est. CHF 70,000–100,000
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches || 35 || 2021 || 112,256 || "4 55" caseback (Q4 1955) — earliest documented 6536/1 caseback. Jubilee 62510 stamped 1960 || est. CHF 20,000–35,000
|-
| Phillips Geneva V || 102 || 2017 || 155,502 || II.56 caseback, on 7206 rivet bracelet || est. CHF 40,000–80,000
|-
| Phillips Geneva XVIII || — || 2021 || — || 1955 "Red Depth" || est. USD 54,000–109,000
|-
| Bonhams || 36 || 2021 || 112,341 || Red Depth, IV.55 caseback, brown leather strap, no-minute-marker bezel || est. GBP 60,000–80,000
|-
| Christie's Online HK || — || 2023 || 230,421 || gilt tropical, later/incorrect bezel insert, end-links stamped 75 (incorrect), aftermarket clasp || (sold with red-flag notes)
|-
| Antiquorum Monaco || — || 2025 || — || 1957–58 era || USD 14,622
|-
| Antiquorum Switzerland || — || 2025 || — || 1957–58 era || USD 17,074
|}

The Sotheby's 2018 New York result, 11× over low estimate, is the world record for any small-crown Submariner. Small-crown Submariners had traded in the USD 100,000-150,000 band before it; the result moved the ceiling. Chronometer-rated four-line examples in unpolished condition cluster at the upper-middle of the current market, with non-chronometer two-line examples a step below. The Phillips XVIII 2021 Red Depth lot carries the highest estimate among the dating-anchor variants.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:1680|Submariner 1680]] — First Date Sub, 'Red Sub' (1969–1979)
* [[Reference:3666|Submariner 3666]]
* [[Reference:5508|Submariner 5508]] — 1957–1961
* [[Reference:5510|Submariner 5510]] — Big Crown, Cal 1530 (1957–1958)
* [[Reference:5512|Submariner 5512]] — First Crown-Guard (1959–1978)
* [[Reference:5513|Submariner 5513]] — Non-Date Classic (1962–1989)

See also the [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-n09952/lot.252.html Submariner Ref. 6536/1 c.1957 — Sotheby's NY Important Watches lot 252] (Sotheby's, 2018)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-ge1804/lot.215.html Submariner Ref. 6536/1 lot 215 — Sotheby's Geneva] (Sotheby's, 2018)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/important-watches-2/reference-6536-1-submariner-a-stainless-steel-automatic Reference 6536/1 Submariner Q4 1955 — Sotheby's Important Watches lot 35] (Sotheby's, 2021)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080117/102 Reference 6536/1 — Phillips Geneva V lot 102] (Phillips, 2017)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27664/lot/36/ Submariner Reference 6536/1 Red Depth IV.55 — Bonhams lot 36] (Bonhams, 2021)
* [https://onlineonly.christies.com.cn/s/important-watches-online/lots/3000 Christie's HK Online October 2023 6536/1] (Christie's, 2023)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-1-the-early-references/ History of the Rolex Submariner — Part 1, The Early References] (Monochrome, 2020)
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/2932/the-history-of-the-rolex-small-and-big-crown-james-bond-submariner/ The History of the Rolex Small and Big Crown James Bond Submariner] (Rolex Passion Report)
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/3-rolex-6536-1/ Three Rolex 6536/1 — comparative study] (Le Monde Edmond)
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/world-record-rolex-6536-1-sothebys-2018/ World Record Rolex 6536/1 — Sotheby's 2018] (Le Monde Edmond)
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/comparison-rolex-submariner-6536-1-vs-5508/ Rolex Submariner 6536/1 vs 5508] (Le Monde Edmond)
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-small-crown-submariner-reference-65361-copy Rolex Small Crown Submariner Reference 6536-1 Unpolished] (Wind Vintage)
* [https://greyandpatina.com/product/1958-rolex-6536-1-small-crown-submariner/ 1958 Rolex 6536-1 Small Crown Submariner] (Grey and Patina)
* [https://chrono-shop.net/en/watch-movements/142-rolex-caliber-1030.html Rolex Caliber 1030 technical reference] (Chrono-Shop)
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-finally-releases-insights-quantifying-the-early-rolex-submariner Quantifying the Early Rolex Submariner] (Goldammer, September 2024)
* [https://rolexhaven.com/65368-double-ref.--54.html 6536/8 Double Ref] / [https://rolexhaven.com/6536-1-red-depth--55.html 6536-1 Red Depth] / [https://rolexhaven.com/6536-1-gold-depth--56.html 6536-1 Gold Depth] / [https://rolexhaven.com/6536-1-occ--57.html 6536-1 OCC 1957] (RolexHaven)
* ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep'' — Nicholas Foulkes (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Submariner]]

Reference:6536

2026-09-05T01:22:14Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6536 Submariner}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Submariner 6536 — Early Gilt No-Crown-Guard, 1955–1958 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6536 and 6536/1 are the last small-crown 100m no-crown-guard Submariners. 1955 to 1959, ~5,350 produced. Caliber 1030 bidirectional automatic. Sotheby's 2018 USD 225,000 record for III.57 case 306,989.
|keywords=Rolex, 6536, 6536/1, Submariner, small crown, caliber 1030, butterfly rotor, no crown guards
|image=Ref 6536 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:34Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:19Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:submariner|Submariner]] › '''6536'''</small>

The 6536 and 6536/1 are the last small-crown 100m no-crown-guard Submariners. The pair shares a case generation, a production era (1955 to 1959 across major-house lots), and caliber 1030, Rolex's first bidirectional automatic. The /1 marks a caseback-engraving update on an otherwise identical reference, and that engraving is the only standard way to tell the two apart. Nicholas Foulkes's ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep'' (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024), drawing on Rolex archive data, gives the parent 6536 a total of 5,350 pieces. The 100-unit figure that circulates in dealer listings is wrong for the parent reference and almost certainly describes the OCC four-line subvariant only. The pair closes out the unguarded small-crown Submariner before the 5512 brought crown guards in late 1959.

<span id="core-facts"></span>

[[File:Ref 6536 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536|Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6536 and 6536/1 (and 6536/8 transitional with crossed-out 6538 caseback)
|-
| family
| Submariner (no date)
|-
| production
| 1955 to 1959 (auction-house consensus: Phillips, Sotheby's, Bonhams; hard caseback evidence "IV.55" and "4 55" on cases 112,256 and 112,341); a minority of dealer listings read launch in 1956
|-
| total produced (parent 6536)
| 5,350 pieces 1955–1959. The five no-crown-guard Submariner references (6200, 6204, 6205, 6536, 6538) total 12,144 pieces — the 6536 is roughly 44% of all pre-crown-guard Submariners
|-
| case
| 37mm small crown, no crown guards (37.5mm on the 6536/8 transitional)
|-
| crown
| 6mm Brevet — distinct from the 8mm big-crown 6538 / 5510 and the later 7mm guarded 5512 / 5513
|-
| crown guards
| none
|-
| movement
| caliber 1030, 25 jewels, 18,800 vph, ~42-hour reserve. Rolex's first bidirectional automatic (1950); butterfly rotor stamped ROLEX PERPETUAL PATENTED. Bonhams Lot 116 catalogs one example as 26-jewel, almost certainly a typo
|-
| depth rating
| 100m / 330ft — the last Submariner with 100m rating
|-
| crystal
| acrylic (domed)
|-
| hands
| Mercedes-type, gilt finish; the 6536/8 transitional and earliest 6536/1 examples carry a "long neck" hour hand
|-
| lume
| radium
|-
| bezel
| bidirectional 60-minute, black anodised aluminium; three documented evolutions across 1957–59 (silver triangle no-hash → red triangle no-hash → red triangle 15-minute hash)
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6536 family sits on the small-crown side of the last no-crown-guard generation. The 6205 came first in the mid-1950s. The 6536 and 6536/1 followed from 1955 to 1959 as the refined small-crown no-guard watches on caliber 1030. The 5508 took over in 1958 on the newer caliber 1530, ran alongside the 6536 / 6536-1 for several years, and the 5512 closed the chapter in late 1959 with crown guards.

On the big-crown side, the 6538 is the "Bond Sub" (Sean Connery wore one in ''Dr. No'' in 1962), rated to 200m and also without crown guards, also on caliber 1030. The 5510 took the big-crown role in 1958–1959 as the first big-crown on caliber 1530. The small-crown and big-crown lines both converge on the 5512 in late 1959.

<span id="the-1-suffix-system"></span>
== The /1 suffix system ==

Rolex used numeric suffixes (/1, /2 and so on) to flag a caseback-engraving update inside an existing reference: a tracked variant rather than a new reference number. The 6536 and 6536/1 share the case, the production period, the caliber, and the dial / bezel / bracelet specifications. The caseback is the only standard distinction.

A caseback engraved "6536/1" in full belongs to the sub-variant; a caseback reading "6536" alone belongs to the parent. Casebacks engraved "6536" without the "/1" exist in the same period as cased-up "6536/1" backs (Bonhams Lot 116 carries case 306,706 with a March 1957 6536-only caseback). The 6536/8 transitional, where "6538" appears crossed out and "6536" is re-engraved (catalogued as the 6536/8 double-reference), is its own subvariant, treated in its own section below.

Dial wording does not separate the two: both occur with two-line, two-line gilt depth, three-line, and four-line OCC dials. Bezel insert, bracelet, movement, crown, and case dimensions all overlap. The /1 marks a caseback update and nothing else.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Production ran 1955 to 1959. The hardest evidence for late-1955 production is on the 6536/1 sub-variant: Sotheby's 2021 Lot 35 carries case 112,256 with a "4 55" caseback (Q4 1955), and Bonhams's December 2021 Lot 36 (Red Depth, case 112,341) carries a "IV.55" caseback. For the parent 6536, Bonhams Lot 116 (case 306,706, March 1957) and Sotheby's Lot 121 (case 399,228, circa 1959) show 6536-stamped casebacks running well into the 6536/1 era. The end-1958 reading that circulates in dealer listings runs against Sotheby's own catalogue, which dates its tropical 6536 (case 399,228) to circa 1959; Le Monde Edmond's comparative study of three examples reaches the same late-1959 end point. The launch year is the part that stays open: 1955 on the caseback evidence, 1956 in a minority of readings.

Foulkes gives the parent 6536 a total of 5,350 pieces across 1955–1959, drawn from Rolex archive data. The five no-crown-guard references combined total 12,144 pieces, which puts the 6536 alone at roughly 44% of all pre-crown-guard Submariner production. The widely-quoted "approximately 100 units" figure is wrong for the parent reference: it almost certainly described the OCC chronometer four-line subvariant only, then spread by repetition until it covered the whole reference. No split is published for 6536/1 against 6536, and no COSC-versus-non-COSC breakdown.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

[[File:Ref 6536 movement.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Caliber 1030 movement|Caliber 1030 movement]]

The 6536 family runs caliber 1030, Rolex's first bidirectional automatic, introduced in 1950. The 1030 carries a butterfly rotor stamped ROLEX PERPETUAL PATENTED, two prongs hollowed on a semi-circle, and replaces the thicker uni-directional autowind module of the A-series Perpetuals (A260 / A290 / A295 / A296) that powered the bubble-back era. The A-series architecture is itself full-rotor, not bumper. Published specifications agree across the technical registries and the major-house lots: 28.5mm × 5.85mm, 25 jewels, 18,800 vph, monometallic balance, blue Breguet overcoil. The same caliber appears on late 6205 production and across the 6538.

Chronometer-certified (OCC) and non-certified versions both exist within the 6536 family on the same base caliber. The split is a certification distinction rather than a mechanical one: some movements went for chronometer rating and some did not. Chronometer-rated 6538 examples are typically dated to the end of 1958; the 6536/1 OCC chronometer arrived earlier, with one documented OCC 6536/1 dated to 1957 (case 22x,xxx). Five-position adjustment is the period-equivalent of modern COSC certification.

Sotheby's 2018 Lot 252 carries the strongest documentation for caliber 1030 on the 6536/1: a caseback stamped 6536/1 with III.57, case 306,989. Le Monde Edmond's study of three examples (cases 22x,xxx, 306,xxx, and 399,xxx, dated 1957–1959) confirms caliber 1030 across the full production run.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

[[File:Ref 6536 red-depth-photo.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=6536-1 with red depth rating text|6536-1 with red depth rating text]]
[[File:Ref 6536 gilt-dial-photo.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=6536 gilt dial — standard 1956 production|6536 gilt dial — standard 1956 production]]

[[File:Ref 6536-1 dial-detail.jpg|thumb|right|220px|alt=6536 dial close-up|6536 dial close-up]]

Seven dial and case variants are catalogued within the 6536 family: the 6536/8 transitional, the red, gold, and silver depth-text dials, the OCC, the no-hash red, and the tropical.

The 6536 is the first Submariner reference where every production example carries Mercedes hands. The 6205 introduced them, but only across its second series. Hands are gilt (gold-plated), and the 6536/8 transitional and the earliest 6536/1 production carry a "long neck" hour hand, the section between the Mercedes aperture and the base of the hand visibly extended. The seconds hand evolved during production: early examples carry a large white lollipop typical of the earliest Submariners, and later production shifted to a gilt finish with progressively smaller lume plots at the tip.

<span id="depth-rating-text"></span>
=== Depth rating text ===

Depth-rating text is one of the cleanest dating tools on a 6536 dial. Red depth, printed "100/330" without units, belongs to the earliest 1955–1956 production and is the most sought-after configuration. Gilt-gold depth, "100m/ft = 330" with units, takes over from 1956 and dominates the run. Silver depth turns up on late-run examples, tracking Rolex's broader move away from red printing across the late 1950s. All three appear on both the 6536 and the 6536/1.

<span id="dial-finish-evolution"></span>
=== Dial finish evolution ===

Le Monde Edmond's comparative study of three 6536/1 examples documents the dial finish shifting from a matte quality in early 1957 production to an increasingly glossy finish by 1959 — late examples read as fully glossy gilt. Lume colour shifted in parallel: whitish-beige in early examples, orange in the middle of the run, and back to beige in late production.

<span id="two-line-four-line-occ-scoc"></span>
=== Two-line, four-line OCC, four-line SCOC, and three-line dials ===

The two-line dial, "SUBMARINER" over the depth rating, is the standard, and it dominates the documented examples; Sotheby's, Bonhams, and Phillips lots are predominantly two-line. The four-line OCC dial adds two lines below the depth rating reading "Officially Certified Chronometer"; one documented 6536-1 OCC dated 1957 carries case 22x,xxx, and Rolex Passion Report calls the configuration "extremely rare." That is almost certainly the variant the 100-unit production figure described. The four-line SCOC dial carries the later "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" wording, the same change that runs through the 5508 / 5512 transition. OCC and SCOC are the easiest pair to conflate: both are four-line dials, and only the wording separates them. A three-line dial sits between the two-line and the four-line, documented but rare.

<span id="bezel-variants"></span>
=== Bezel variants ===

Le Monde Edmond's three-watch study captures the bezel evolution within 1957 alone. The earliest 1957 examples carry a silver triangle at zero with no hash marks across the first fifteen minutes — the cleanest and earliest layout. Mid-production examples from 1957 to 1958 keep the no-hash layout but switch to a red triangle at zero, a shift confirmed on a dated 1958 example. Late 1959 production carries the red triangle alongside individual minute hash marks across the first fifteen minutes, the closest ancestor to the bezel that defines the 5512.

<span id="invert-dial-variant"></span>
=== Invert dial variant ===

Rolex Forum collectors have documented an "invert" dial variant on the 6536/1 where the dial text is inverted from the standard layout. Documented examples are extremely scarce and the configuration is a rare sub-variant without major-house corroboration.

<span id="6536-8-transitional"></span>
== The 6536/8 transitional variant ==

A transitional variant is catalogued as 6536/8 (also 6536/6538), where both reference numbers appear on the caseback with one crossed out in favour of the other. It predates the formal 6536 production run and uses a slightly larger, thicker case matching 6538 dimensions, while retaining the 6mm small crown and 100m depth rating of the standard 6536 family. Long-neck hour hands are documented on this transitional reference. The 6536/8 is a documented subvariant rather than a one-off. The likeliest reading is that early 6536 production drew on available 6538 cases, re-stamped at the factory until standard 6536 case production caught up, though no Rolex documentation confirms it.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

[[File:Ref 6536 case-profiles.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Case profile comparison across Small Crown era|Case profile comparison across Small Crown era]]

The case runs about 37mm (37.5mm on the 6536/8 transitional) with a 6mm Brevet crown. The 6mm crown is the visual tell against the 6538's oversized 8mm Brevet. The case belongs to the same generation as the 6538, built around the same tooling philosophy, but sized for the smaller crown tube and lacking the crown guards that arrive with the 5512 in late 1959. The crystal is domed acrylic throughout. The bezel is bidirectional, 60-minute, black anodised aluminium, with a looser action than the precise-click unidirectional bezels that come in later generations. The crown is the original single-coronet "Brevet" 6mm with double-lock; a three-dot crown on a 6536 is a service replacement.

Quarterly inside-caseback stamps (Roman-numeral quarter, two-digit year) date the case head: IV.55 on Bonhams Red Depth case 112,341; "4 55" on Sotheby's 2021 case 112,256; I.57 on Sotheby's 2018 Lot 215 case 229,640; II.56 on Phillips Geneva V Lot 102 case 155,502; II.57 / III.57 on multiple 1957 lots. The format is consistent and reliable, and it dates the case head, not the bracelet. Additional service or job numbers are sometimes added by Rolex New York in the upper-left of the inside back.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==

[[File:Ref 6536-1 hero 2.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536|Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536]]

Three original-delivery bracelet families are documented on the 6536 / 6536-1, all stamped end-link 65 or 80. The riveted, expandable 6636 Oyster is the most common period-correct delivery for 1956–58 examples, US-made by Gay Frères with end-links stamped 80 (Sotheby's Lot 121). The fixed-link rivet 7206 Oyster is documented directly: Phillips Lot 102, case 155,502 from Q2 1956, is fitted on a 7206-stamped bracelet with end-links 80, which puts the 7206 on early 6536/1 delivery. The Jubilee 62510 turns up on Sotheby's 2021 Lot 35, case 112,256, wearing a Jubilee stamped 1960; a period-fitted Jubilee on a 6536/1 is unusual and not the standard original-delivery configuration, but it is in the auction record.

The 6251H is documented elsewhere on small-crown Subs but is not directly attested for 6536 / 6536-1 in the published lot record. End-link "65" is the small-crown standard across the published examples; end-link "80" appears on later 1959 examples and post-Submariner-line bracelets.

Survival is the harder question. Rivet bracelets of this era are a collecting category in their own right, and decades of service saw owners and dealers replace them. An original, undisturbed rivet bracelet adds materially to a 6536's completeness.

<span id="6536-1-vs-5508-side-by-side"></span>
== 6536/1 vs 5508 — how they compare ==

Both are small-crown, no-crown-guard Submariners rated to 100m, the last two Submariners to share that specification. Case height matches at 12.8mm and end-to-end length at 38mm; the 5508 caseback is slightly smaller in diameter.

The movement is the main mechanical distinction. The 6536/1 runs caliber 1030; the 5508 runs the newer caliber 1530, treated by collectors as more modern and more reliable. Both use full-rotor architectures (1030 butterfly, 1530 standard). Both dials are gilt with Mercedes hands; the 6536/1 reads more golden in tone and the 5508 more silver.

The bezel is the cleanest dating tell. The 6536/1 carries the earlier layout: silver-then-red triangle, no minute graduations or 10-minute interval markers. The 5508 carries the later individual hash marks across only the first fifteen minutes alongside the red triangle. Caseback stamping is decisive: 6536/1 stamps "6536/1," 5508 stamps "5508."

<span id="authentication"></span>
== Authentication ==

Cross-reference confusion among 6536 / 6536/1 / 5508 is the dominant authentication problem on this generation:

* 6536 vs 6536/1: caseback stamp is the only standard distinction. Everything else (dial, bezel, bracelet, movement, crown, case dimensions) overlaps. The 6536/8 transitional with crossed-out "6538" → "6536" is its own subvariant.
* Bezel insert swaps: the insert evolved rapidly within 1957 alone (silver → red triangle, no-hash → hashed), so a 1957 case wearing a 1959-style hashed insert is a swap rather than factory delivery. Christie's 2023 lot 230,421 was sold with a "later and incorrect" bezel insert plus "incorrect" stamped-75 end-links and an aftermarket clasp, which is the red-flag pattern in miniature.
* Service dials: a documented hazard on the 6536/1. Matte-finish dials with crisp gilt printing read as service replacements against original gloss.
* Crown: the original is the single-coronet "Brevet" 6mm with double-lock. A three-dot crown is a service replacement.
* Case polish / lug bevels: unpolished examples command 5–10× over polished pieces. Sharp bevels and crisp lug edges are non-negotiable for top-tier examples.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

[[File:Ref 6536-1 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536|Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536]]
[[File:Ref 6536 hero 2.jpeg|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536|Rolex Submariner Ref. 6536]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Reference / serial !! Variant / config !! Hammer
|-
| Sotheby's New York Important Watches || 252 || 2018 || 6536/1, case 306,989, caseback III.57 || world-record. Original no-hash bezel red triangle, glossy two-line dial, white small-circle seconds || USD 225,000 (~11× est.)
|-
| Sotheby's Geneva || 215 || 2018 || 6536/1, case 229,640, caseback I.57 || cal. 1030, Oyster bracelet stamped "7-70 made in USA" || est. CHF 70,000–100,000
|-
| Sotheby's London || 121 || 2019 || 6536 (parent), case 399,228, c.1959 || brown tropical dial, Oyster bracelet stamped 1/69 with end-links 80, faded red-triangle bezel || est. GBP 45,000–70,000
|-
| Sotheby's Important Watches || 35 || 2021 || 6536/1, case 112,256, caseback "4 55" Q4 1955 || Jubilee bracelet stamped 1960; earliest documented 6536/1 caseback || est. CHF 20,000–35,000
|-
| Phillips Geneva V || 102 || 2017 || 6536/1, case 155,502, caseback II.56 || on 7206 rivet bracelet || est. CHF 40,000–80,000
|-
| Phillips Geneva XVIII || — || 2021 || 6536/1 1955 "Red Depth" || Tiffany To specialist's pick || est. USD 54,000–109,000
|-
| Bonhams London || 116 || 2012 || 6536 (parent), case 306,706, March 1957 || cal. 1030, gloss black gilt, red triangle bezel, bracelet date-coded 4/58 || GBP 21,250 incl. premium
|-
| Bonhams || 36 || 2021 || 6536/1 Red Depth, case 112,341, caseback IV.55 || brown leather strap, no-minute-marker bezel first 15 min || est. GBP 60,000–80,000
|-
| Christie's Online HK || — || 2023 || 6536/1, case 230,421 || gilt tropical, later/incorrect bezel insert, end-links stamped 75 (incorrect), aftermarket clasp || (sold with red-flag notes)
|-
| Antiquorum Monaco || — || 2025 || 6536/1 || (1957–58 era) || USD 14,622 (~10% over est.)
|-
| Antiquorum Switzerland || — || 2025 || 6536/1 || (1957–58 era) || USD 17,074
|}

Sotheby's 2018 New York result, Lot 252 at USD 225,000 against a USD 20,000 low estimate, is the world record for any small-crown Submariner and hammered at roughly eleven times the low. The watch was a first-series 1957 example (case 306,989), unpolished, with the no-hash-mark red-triangle bezel, glossy gilt dial, and original white circle seconds hand. Small-crown Submariners had previously traded in the USD 100,000–150,000 band; the Sotheby's result reset the ceiling. The Phillips Geneva XVIII 2021 Red Depth lot sets the high estimate at USD 54,000–109,000. Bonhams 2012 (£21,250) is a useful pre-boom marker for how far the small-crown market has moved over the past decade.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:5510|Submariner 5510]] — Big Crown, Cal 1530 (1957–1958)
* [[Reference:6538|Submariner 6538]] — "Big Crown", James Bond (1956–1959)
* [[Reference:6205|Submariner 6205]] — 1953–1957
* [[Reference:6200|Submariner 6200]] — "King Sub", Big Crown (1953–1956)
* [[Reference:5508|Submariner 5508]] — 1957–1961
* [[Reference:6204|Submariner 6204]] — 1953–1954

See also the [[Reference:submariner|Submariner family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/rolex-finally-releases-insights-quantifying-the-early-rolex-submariner Quantifying the Early Rolex Submariner] (Goldammer, September 2024) — Foulkes-derived Rolex archive production data
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/vintage-rolex-reference-6536.html Vintage Rolex Reference 6536] (editorial)
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-submariner-history-part-1-the-early-references/ History of the Rolex Submariner — Part 1, The Early References] — Tom Mulraney (Monochrome, 2020)
* [https://rolexpassionreport.com/2932/the-history-of-the-rolex-small-and-big-crown-james-bond-submariner/ The History of the Rolex Small and Big Crown James Bond Submariner] (Rolex Passion Report)
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/3-rolex-6536-1/ Three Rolex 6536/1 — comparative study] (Le Monde Edmond)
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/world-record-rolex-6536-1-sothebys-2018/ World Record Rolex 6536/1 — Sotheby's 2018] (Le Monde Edmond)
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/comparison-rolex-submariner-6536-1-vs-5508/ Rolex Submariner 6536/1 vs 5508] (Le Monde Edmond)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-n09952/lot.252.html Submariner Ref 6536/1, A Stainless Steel Automatic Wristwatch With Bracelet, Circa 1957] — Sotheby's NY 2018 Lot 252 world record
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-ge1804/lot.215.html Submariner Ref 6536/1 Lot 215 — Sotheby's Geneva 2018]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/fine-watches-l19011/reference-6536-submariner-a-stainless-steel-automatic Reference 6536 Submariner tropical c.1959 — Sotheby's London Lot 121] (Sotheby's, 2019)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/important-watches-2/reference-6536-1-submariner-a-stainless-steel-automatic Reference 6536/1 Submariner Q4 1955 — Sotheby's Lot 35] (Sotheby's, 2021)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080117/102 Reference 6536/1 — Phillips Geneva V Lot 102] (Phillips, 2017)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080521/ Phillips Geneva XVIII 2021 6536/1 Red Depth] (Phillips)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/19831/lot/116/ Rolex Submariner Reference 6536, March 1957 — Bonhams London Lot 116] (Bonhams, 2012)
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27664/lot/36/ Rolex Submariner Reference 6536/1 Red Depth IV.55 — Bonhams Lot 36] (Bonhams, 2021)
* [https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/important-watches-online/lots/3000 Christie's HK Online October 2023 6536/1] (Christie's, 2023)
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-small-crown-submariner-reference-65361-copy Rolex Small Crown Submariner Reference 6536-1 Unpolished] — Eric Wind (Wind Vintage)
* [https://greyandpatina.com/product/1958-rolex-6536-1-small-crown-submariner/ 1958 Rolex 6536-1 Small Crown Submariner] (Grey and Patina)
* [https://chrono-shop.net/en/watch-movements/142-rolex-caliber-1030.html Rolex Caliber 1030 technical reference] (Chrono-Shop)
* [https://rolexhaven.com/65368-double-ref.--54.html 6536/8 Double Ref] / [https://rolexhaven.com/6536-1-red-depth--55.html 6536-1 Red Depth] / [https://rolexhaven.com/6536-1-gold-depth--56.html 6536-1 Gold Depth] / [https://rolexhaven.com/6536-1-occ--57.html 6536-1 OCC 1957] (RolexHaven)
* ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep'' — Nicholas Foulkes (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Submariner]]

Reference:6511

2026-09-05T01:22:13Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6511 Day-Date}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 6511 Day-Date — The Fluted-Bezel 1956 Original, Caliber 1055, Jubilee Bracelet | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6511 is the fluted-bezel half of the original 1956 Day-Date, sibling to the smooth-bezel 6510. First-generation caliber 1055, 36mm 18k gold Oyster on a Jubilee bracelet, pre-SCOC dial. The fluted bezel became the Day-Date signature; the President bracelet arrives a year later with the 6611.
|keywords=Rolex 6511, Day-Date, fluted bezel, caliber 1055, Jubilee bracelet, 6510, 6611, Basel 1956
|image=Ref 6511 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Day-Date 6511 in yellow gold on a Jubilee bracelet
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-06-02T21:30:08Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:16Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
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<small>[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]] › '''6511'''</small>

The 6511 is the fluted-bezel half of the original Day-Date. Rolex showed it at the Basel Fair in 1956 next to the smooth-bezel [[Reference:6510|6510]]; the two references are mechanically identical and parted only by the finish of their bezels. The fluted bezel the 6511 carried became the visual signature of the Day-Date and has stayed on the model for seventy years. The 6510's smooth bezel did not survive the originals era. Both wear the first-generation caliber 1055, and both launched on a Jubilee bracelet rather than the President — the bracelet that gives the line its nickname arrives a year later with the 6611.

The cataloged run lasts a single year before the 6611 takes over. Surviving cases push the production window earlier than the launch itself. The two earliest documented examples were made in 1955, ahead of the Basel debut. The patent history, the origin of the Presidential nickname, and the full originals-era roster belong to the [[Reference:6510|6510]] entry.

[[File:Ref 6511 hero.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 6511 in yellow gold on a Jubilee bracelet|Rolex Day-Date 6511 in 18k yellow gold on a Jubilee bracelet — the fluted Millerighe bezel that became the Day-Date signature.]]

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6511
|-
| family
| Day-Date
|-
| catalogue debut
| Basel Fair 1956
|-
| production
| 1956–1957 cataloged; earliest documented cases made 1955
|-
| movement
| caliber 1055, first generation (no Microstella, no COSC, gradual midnight changeover, pre-SCOC dial line)
|-
| case
| 36mm 18k gold Oyster — yellow gold (production-volume), pink gold (uncommon), white gold (rare, disputed at launch)
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| bezel
| fluted ("Millerighe")
|-
| bracelet
| Jubilee (the President bracelet arrives with the 6611 in 1957)
|-
| crown
| Twinlock screw-down
|-
| sibling
| 6510 (smooth/domed bezel, parallel 1956 launch)
|-
| successor
| 6611 (1957 — Microstella cal 1055B, COSC, President bracelet)
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 6510 and 6511 launched together as a bezel-finish pair. Everything else about them matches: the 36mm Oyster case, the Twinlock crown, the acrylic crystal, the first-generation caliber 1055, the Jubilee bracelet, the single cataloged year. The bezel is the one intended difference. The 6510 took the smooth, gently domed bezel; the 6511 took the fluted "Millerighe" bezel, the corrugated edge Rolex had used on the Datejust through the early 1950s. Of the two finishes, the fluted one became the Day-Date's identity, which is why the 6511 reads today as the more familiar of the originals even though the 6510 carries the lower number.

The pair sit apart from the rest of the originals-era cluster on two counts. They are the only Day-Date references to use the first-generation cal 1055, and the only two to ship on the Jubilee. From the 6611 onward the line moves to the Microstella-regulated, COSC-certified second-generation caliber and to the President bracelet, and the "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dial designation appears for the first time. The 6511 is the last fluted-bezel Day-Date made before the President bracelet the design is now inseparable from.

==Production outline==

Rolex debuted the 6510 and 6511 together at the Basel Fair in 1956, but production had already started. The earliest documented 6511 cases, 111,654 and 134,692, were both made in 1955, before the public launch. Case numbers on surfaced examples run from that 1955 cluster up to 166,725 in 1956, a narrow band consistent with a short run. No Rolex archival production figure has surfaced for the reference.

By 1957 the 6611 replaces the 6511. The upgraded caliber, the President bracelet, and the chronometer-certified dial all arrive together, so the 6511 closes the first Jubilee-and-1055 phase of the Day-Date rather than running alongside its successor. The whole originals-era cluster gives way to the 1803 and its siblings around 1959.

==Movement notes==

The 6511 carries the first-generation caliber 1055, the founding day-date complication movement and a caliber it shares only with the 6510. It runs at 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz) on 25 jewels, measures 28.50mm across and about 7.0mm tall, and holds roughly 42 hours. It has no Microstella balance, no COSC certification, and a gradual rather than instant changeover at midnight. The early caliber lacks the stored torque to flip both the day disc and the date through in a single impulse, so the two calendars settle into place over a window either side of twelve. That changeover is the deficiency usually blamed for the reference's single-year life. The 6611's second-generation caliber, internally a 1055B, fixed it in 1957 alongside the free-sprung Microstella balance and COSC certification. The full caliber lineage sits on [[Reference:Movements]].

A 1956 example was catalogued at auction with a rhodium-plated cal. 1055, oeil-de-perdrix decoration, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperatures and five positions, shock protection, and a self-compensating Breguet balance spring. Those details fit the 6511's odd place in the line, technically ambitious and chronometer-minded but still one generation short of the Microstella-regulated caliber that made the Day-Date formula stable.

The dial designation on the 6511 is pre-SCOC, reading either "Superlative Chronometer by Official Test" or "Officially Certified Chronometer" depending on the example; the four-line "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" block is the 6611's introduction. Auction catalogues occasionally mis-state the caliber. Phillips listed the movement of its 1955 yellow-gold lot as a 1555, a caliber that did not exist until the 1803 era; a watch of this date carries the 1055.

==Dial map==

[[File:Ref 6511 dial.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=6511 pre-SCOC dial|The pre-SCOC dial reading "Officially Certified Chronometer", with the full-word day aperture at twelve. Image via Antiquorum.]]

Surfaced 6511 examples spread across several factory dial colours, all sharing the period layout: the full-word day aperture at twelve, the date at three under a Cyclops, applied faceted gold indices, dauphine or alpha hands, and radium lume.

The red printing carries information beyond colour. The 1955 yellow-gold example with case 111,654 places the red "Day-Date" signature at six o'clock and pairs it with a red date wheel, while other early examples move toward the more familiar chronometer text hierarchy. The 6511 dial map is therefore less settled than later Day-Dates. Rolex was still deciding where the model name, chronometer line, and calendar colour belonged on a flagship calendar dial.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! dial
! indices / detail
! chronometer line
! documented on
|-
| champagne / gold
| applied faceted gold batons, red printed "Day-Date", red date wheel
| pre-SCOC
| yellow gold (Phillips 2015 lot 40)
|-
| silvered / white
| applied faceted gold batons, red "Day-Date"
| "Officially Certified Chronometer"
| yellow gold (Antiquorum 2008 lot 81; Monaco Legend 2024 lot 220)
|-
| black gloss / lacquer
| applied gold indices, radium plots
| pre-SCOC
| less common; yellow and pink gold
|-
| pink
| red-and-black date
| none printed
| pink gold (Phillips 2015 lot 41)
|}

The pink-gold Phillips lot is the clearest evidence that some early dials carry no chronometer line at all, a pre-certification quirk rather than a refinish. A small number of examples add a depth rating to the dial. One Monaco Legend yellow-gold lot reads "50 m = 165 ft" beneath the centre, a holdover from period Oyster dial practice. Day discs follow the retail market: English is the rule, and a Portuguese-calendar disc is documented on at least one yellow-gold example. Grey and tropical-brown dials surface on aged examples, the result of radium oxidation and lacquer breakdown over seventy years rather than a separate factory finish; black-dial pink-gold examples that have gone tropical command their own following.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==

The 6511 uses the 36mm three-piece Oyster case that becomes the Day-Date standard for the next five decades: screw-down Twinlock crown, screw-down caseback, acrylic crystal. The case is the same one the 6510 wears; the bezel is what sets the reference apart.

That bezel is the fluted "Millerighe," the finely corrugated ring Rolex carried over from the early Datejust. Descriptions of the early pattern vary between fluted and a tighter "coin-edge" cut, though both labels point at the same physical bezel. The flutes are cut into solid 18k gold matching the case. This is the bezel that defines the Day-Date silhouette, and the 6511 is where it enters the line.

The metals are where the sources genuinely disagree. Yellow gold is the production-volume case material and pink gold is confirmed but uncommon, the pink-gold Phillips lot settling that variant directly. White gold and platinum are contested: Fratello lists both among the originals' metals, while Rolex Magazine limits the 1956 launch to 18k pink and yellow gold, and no white-gold or platinum 6511 has surfaced in the auction record. The documented platinum piece of the originals era is the diamond-set 6612, not a 6511.

==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

[[File:Ref 6511 bracelet.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=6511 yellow-gold Jubilee bracelet|The 18k yellow-gold Jubilee bracelet — the period-correct fitment before the President bracelet arrived with the 6611.]]

The period-correct 6511 fitment is the Jubilee, the five-link bracelet Rolex had used as its house luxury band since the late 1940s. A Monaco Legend yellow-gold lot still wearing its original yellow-gold Jubilee is the cleanest confirmation. The President bracelet, the three-link semi-circular band designed for this watch, does not arrive until the 6611 in 1957, and here the sources split: Fratello describes the originals as delivered on the President under an earlier name, while Monochrome and the surfaced examples place them on the Jubilee. The Basel-era advertising reproduced by Rolex Magazine shows the first Day-Date on a Jubilee and gives the 1956 launch as 18k pink or yellow gold on that bracelet, with the President added the following year.

In practice the bracelet on a surviving 6511 proves little. Confirmed lots turn up on Presidents, on "Big Logo" bracelets, and on later brick-link bands — a Bonhams example wears an 18ct bracelet hallmarked 1959, three years after the case. These are period swaps and service replacements; the clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head.

==Auction record==

The 6511 is the better-documented of the two originals at auction, helped by Phillips's inaugural watch sale. Confirmed lots:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! sale
! date
! metal
! result
! notes
|-
| Phillips, Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 40
| 9 May 2015
| yellow gold
| CHF 191,000
| case 111,654 (Q4 1955), full set with guarantee dated 7 May 1957, wallet and box; highest standard-gold result and earliest documented case
|-
| Phillips, Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, lot 41
| 9 May 2015
| pink gold
| CHF 56,250
| case 134,692 (1955), pink dial with no chronometer line; confirms the pink-gold variant
|-
| Monaco Legend, Exclusive Timepieces 35, lot 220
| 19 Oct 2024
| yellow gold
| EUR 50,700
| case 166,725 (1956), original yellow-gold Jubilee, "50 m = 165 ft" dial
|-
| Monaco Legend, Exclusive Timepieces 31, lot 22
| 22 Apr 2023
| yellow gold
| EUR 35,100
| case 111,695 (1956), grey patinated dial, Portuguese day disc
|-
| Antiquorum, Revolution, New York, lot 81
| 17 Apr 2008
| yellow gold
| USD 24,000
| "Officially Certified Chronometer" dial; billed as the first yellow-gold 6511 at the house
|-
| Bonhams, London, lot 156
| 23 Nov 2004
| yellow gold
| unsold
| Glasgow import mark 1956; later 1959-hallmarked bracelet
|}

A clean standard-gold 6511 has settled into roughly the EUR 35,000–55,000 band in recent sales, with the Phillips full-set yellow-gold lot a clear outlier on the strength of its papers and pre-launch date. Pink-gold and tropical-dial examples have also come up at Christie's and Antiquorum, though those results are less firmly documented.

One result sits outside the band entirely. Monaco Legend sold a steel 1955 prototype with a tropical dial and a gold bezel for EUR 1,196,000 in October 2024, an example from John Goldberger's collection published in Pucci Papaleo Editore's ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' (Spin Edizioni, 2015). Its reference is disputed: Monaco Legend catalogued it as a 6511, while Sotheby's and Monochrome attribute the five known steel pre-launch prototypes to the 6611. Either way it is a record-tier one-off with no bearing on the standard-production market.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6510|Day-Date 6510]] — 1956–1957
* [[Reference:6611|Day-Date 6611]] — 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6612|Day-Date 6612]] — Early President (1957–1959)
* [[Reference:6612B|Day-Date 6612B]] — 1957–1959
* [[Reference:1803|Day-Date 1803]] — Fluted President (1960–1977)
* [[Reference:18028|Day-Date 18028]] — 1977–1988

See also the [[Reference:day-date|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore)'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]
* [https://www.puccipapaleo.com/bookstore/day-date/ ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' — Pucci Papaleo Editore, Spin Edizioni, 2015-05]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-day-date-1956-present-president-watch-in-depth-review/ Monochrome editorial, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Day-Date, The Presidential Watch", Monochrome Watches]
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/rolex-day-date-historical-overview-of-rolexs-flagship/ Fratello editorial, "Rolex Day-Date — Historical Overview Of Rolex's Flagship", Fratello Watches]
* [https://watchbase.com/blog/2015/02/21/rolex-day-date-history WatchBase editorial, "Rolex Day-Date History", WatchBase, 2015-02-21]
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-day-date-guide-1237586374/ Robb Report editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: a Guide to Everything You Need to Know", Robb Report]
* [https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2010/09/1956-very-first-rolex-day-date.html Jake Ehrlich, "1956 — The Very First Rolex Day-Date", Rolex Magazine (Jake's Rolex World), 2010-09]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/day-date/ref-rolex-6511/lpi Collectors Square editorial, "Rolex Day-Date Ref. 6511 — auction price index and lot listings", Collectors Square]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/40 Phillips (in association with Bacs & Russo), "Rolex Ref. 6511, yellow gold, Phillips Glamorous Day-Date lot 40", Phillips, 2015-05-09]
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080115/41 Phillips (in association with Bacs & Russo), "Rolex Ref. 6511, pink gold, Phillips Glamorous Day-Date lot 41", Phillips, 2015-05-09]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-204-81 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 6511, yellow gold, Antiquorum Revolution: The Evolution of the Rolex Sport Watch lot 81", Antiquorum, 2008-04-17]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/10769/lot/156/ Bonhams, "Rolex Ref. 6511, 18ct gold, Glasgow import mark 1956, Bonhams lot 156", Bonhams, 2004-11-23]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-35/lot-220 Monaco Legend Auctions, "Rolex Ref. 6511, yellow gold on Jubilee, Monaco Legend Exclusive Timepieces 35 lot 220", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2024-10-19]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-31/lot-22 Monaco Legend Auctions, "Rolex Ref. 6511, yellow gold, Monaco Legend Exclusive Timepieces 31 lot 22", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2023-04-22]
* [https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-35/lot-110 Monaco Legend Auctions, "Rolex steel Day-Date prototype sold as Ref. 6511 (ex-Goldberger), Monaco Legend lot 110", Monaco Legend Auctions, 2024-10-19]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/day-date/ref-rolex-6511/lpi Christie's, "Rolex Ref. 6511, pink gold black tropical dial, Christie's Watches Online Geneva", Christie's, 2021-11-16]

[[Category:Day-Date]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6510

2026-09-05T01:22:13Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6510 Day-Date}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 6510 Day-Date — The Original 1956 Day-Date, Huguenin Patent, Jubilee Bracelet | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6510 is the first cataloged Day-Date — Basel 1956 launch, caliber 1055, 36mm 18k gold Oyster on Jubilee bracelet, smooth/domed bezel. Marc Huguenin's CH 322341A + CH 323982A patents for the day-of-week complication. Single-year run before the 6611 introduces the President bracelet in 1957.
|keywords=Rolex 6510, Day-Date, Huguenin patent, cal 1055, cal 1055B, Jubilee bracelet, Basel 1956, originals era, 6611, 6612, 6613, 6611B, 6612B, Microstella, SCOC
|image=Ref 6510 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Day-Date 6510 / 6511 — the 1956 originals-era pair. The 6510 carries the smooth/domed bezel; the 6511 carries the fluted bezel that becomes the Day-Date signature.
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-05-24T20:27:17Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:13Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:day-date|Day-Date]] › '''6510'''</small>

[[File:Ref 6510 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 6510 / 6511 — the 1956 originals-era pair. The 6510 carries the smooth/domed bezel; the 6511 carries the fluted bezel that becomes the Day-Date signature.|Rolex Day-Date 6510 / 6511 — the 1956 originals-era pair. The 6510 carries the smooth/domed bezel; the 6511 carries the fluted bezel that becomes the Day-Date signature.]]

The 6510 is the original Day-Date, the first wristwatch with the day of the week spelled out in full at twelve o'clock combined with the date at three. Marc Huguenin filed two related Swiss patents in 1955 covering the mechanism, with a 1950 priority filing as the architectural ancestor, and Rolex debuted the watch at the Basel Fair in 1956. The reference launches on the Jubilee bracelet. The President bracelet, the fitment that gives the line its modern nickname, arrives a year later in 1957 with the 6611. The "Presidential" nickname itself does not enter Rolex advertising until 1965-1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson is photographed wearing a yellow-gold 1803 and Rolex builds the campaign around the image. Period 6510 retail marketing called the watch the "Day-Date" or the "Oyster Perpetual Day-Date", not the President. The 6510 sits chronologically before the political-watch-gift culture the Day-Date later anchors, and reads as a connoisseur reference rather than a status totem.

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6510
|-
| family
| Day-Date
|-
| Swiss patents
| CH 322341A (instant-change date mechanism) + CH 323982A (Day-Date module), both filed by Marc Huguenin in 1955; 1950 priority filing covers the architectural ancestor
|-
| catalogue debut
| Basel Fair 1956
|-
| production
| 1956 to 1957 (single-year cataloged run; crosses into early 6611 production mid-1957)
|-
| movement
| caliber 1055 first-generation (7.0mm height, no Microstella, gradual midnight changeover, dial reads "Superlative Chronometer by Official Test" or "Officially Certified Chronometer")
|-
| case
| 36mm 18k yellow gold / 18k pink gold / 18k white gold Oyster (platinum is 6611+ territory; no documented platinum 6510)
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| bezel
| smooth / domed (the 6511 carries the fluted bezel)
|-
| bracelet
| Jubilee — the only Day-Date reference to launch on Jubilee
|-
| earliest documented serial
| 134,636 (Italy 1956 — dauphine hands, pointed baton markers, red date wheel)
|-
| predecessor
| none
|-
| successor
| 6511 (parallel launch, 1956-57) → 6611 (1957-59, with cal 1055B and SCOC dial)
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 6510 opens the Day-Date line at Basel 1956. The complication is the first of its kind on a wristwatch: day-of-the-week spelled out in full at twelve, date displayed at three. The Huguenin patent portfolio takes the Day-Date module from a 1950 priority filing through to two cataloged filings in 1955. Swiss patent CH 322341A covers the instant-change date jumper-and-cam mechanism that ratchets the date through midnight in a single impulse. Swiss patent CH 323982A covers the Day-Date module proper, with the seven-toothed star wheel sitting atop a 31-tooth calendar wheel ratcheted once every 24 hours at midnight. Both wheels advance from the main calendar pinion via concentric levers. The architecture stays in use across every subsequent Day-Date caliber, including the modern cal 3255 (out of scope) that closes the line's pre-2020 cataloged run.

The originals-era cluster (6510 / 6511 / 6611 / 6612 / 6613 / 6611B / 6612B) runs from 1956 through 1959 before the 1803 era replaces it. Within the cluster, the 6510 is the smooth-bezel original; the 6511 launches alongside with the fluted bezel that becomes the Day-Date signature; the 6611 in 1957 introduces the President bracelet and the upgraded cal 1055B; the 6612 is the smooth-bezel sibling of the 6611; the 6613 carries a factory gem-set bezel; the 6611B and 6612B are late-1958/1959 movement-plate-revision variants with a bridge plate approximately 0.1mm thicker than the standard 6611/6612.

The 6510 and 6511 are the only two references in the cluster to launch on the Jubilee bracelet and to wear the first-generation cal 1055 (7.0mm height, no Microstella, no COSC, gradual midnight changeover). The 6611 onward carries the President bracelet, the bracelet Rolex designed specifically for this reference and the canonical Day-Date fitment for seventy years, paired with the upgraded cal 1055B (7.1mm height, free-sprung Microstella balance, Breguet overcoil, COSC certified, the first reference of any Rolex line to carry the "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dial designation).

==Production outline==

===Patent portfolio (1950-1955)===

A 1950 Swiss patent filing credited to Marc Huguenin (Rolex's day-date complication engineer) covers the architectural ancestor of the mechanism. Two cataloged 1955 filings, both with Huguenin as inventor, split the engineering. CH 322341A is the instant-change date: a cam-and-jumper architecture that snaps the date wheel through midnight in a single impulse, with a small auxiliary spring tensioned through the day and discharged at the trigger so the seconds train is not robbed of timekeeping. CH 323982A is the Day-Date module proper: a seven-toothed star wheel above a 31-tooth calendar wheel, advanced via concentric levers from the main calendar pinion.

The CH 322341A mechanism is the architectural ancestor of every Rolex date complication from 1955 forward and survives functionally into the cal 3255 of the modern Day-Date 40 / Day-Date 36 (out of scope). The CH 323982A module powers the Day-Date specifically. Both architectures are unique to Rolex through the production period and no record of Rolex litigating either patent has surfaced. Later day-date competitors (Mido, Enicar, Seiko 1959) use independently engineered modules, and the Huguenin patents appear to have functioned defensively rather than as litigation tools.

===Basel Fair launch (1956)===

Rolex debuts the 6510 and the parallel-launch 6511 at the Basel Fair in 1956. Both references carry the first-generation cal 1055: 25 jewels, 18,000 vph / 2.5 Hz, 28.50mm diameter, 7.0mm height, bidirectional perpetual rotor with red-anodised reversing wheels. The dial reads either "Superlative Chronometer by Official Test" or "Officially Certified Chronometer" at six o'clock; both lines appear on documented examples and they pre-date the formal SCOC dial designation. The day-disc carries five language options at launch (English, French, Italian, Spanish, German), the five major European retail markets where Rolex had distribution. The 26-language figure widely cited "from launch" is a retrospective conflation; the documented Rolex catalogue trail is 1963 = 11 languages, 1979 = 24, 1985 = 25, peak = 26 by the late 1980s.

The earliest documented case serial is 134,636, traced to an Italian 1956 delivery. The watch carries dauphine hands (replaced by alpha hands on later production), pointed baton markers (replaced by rectangular indices), and a red date wheel (replaced by black-on-white discs through standard production). Serial numbers below 134,636 are theoretically possible for late-1955 / very-early-1956 production but none have surfaced in the published auction record. The Italian retailer's name and subsequent ownership chain are not published in the documented sources.

===Bezel split (1956)===

The 6510 and 6511 launch in parallel as a bezel-finish pair. The 6510 carries a smooth or domed bezel in polished gold; specialist literature distinguishes "domed" from "smooth" by the degree of crown radius on the bezel face, with production-period 6510 bezels reading smooth-and-polished, sometimes with a subtle dome that catches reflected light. The 6511 carries the fluted bezel, the radial-flute pattern that becomes the Day-Date signature for the next seventy years.

===President bracelet introduction (1957, 6611)===
[[File:Ref 6510 6611 president bracelet.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 6611 with the original 1957 President bracelet — three-link semi-circular construction, made by Gay Frères on contract to Rolex.|6611 with the original 1957 President bracelet — three-link semi-circular construction. The first reference to wear the bracelet Rolex designed specifically for the Day-Date.]]

The 6611 launches in 1957 with the first President bracelet: three-link semi-circular construction, made initially by Gay Frères on contract to Rolex (Rolex acquired Gay Frères in 1998). The President is the first bracelet Rolex designed specifically for a single reference and the first three-link semi-circular bracelet in the Rolex catalogue. Early-period President construction uses folded centre links with bark-textured or brushed accent, structurally distinct from the solid-link Presidents that arrive on later 1803 / 18038 production. The early clasp is a folded buckle-style closure with visible Rolex coronet signature. The hidden Crownclasp (concealed under a flip-down decorative cover) is a later 1803-era development and does not appear on production-period 6611s; concealed clasps fitted to documented 6611 / 6612 examples are service refits, not factory-original.

===Caliber upgrade (1957, cal 1055B)===

The 6611 also introduces the upgraded cal 1055B: 7.1mm height (0.1mm taller than the original cal 1055), free-sprung Microstella balance (the four-screw gold-mass adjustment on the balance rim that defines Rolex regulation through to the modern cal 3255), Breguet overcoil hairspring (Antiquorum's October 2002 Lot 37 essay confirms the construction), and COSC chronometer certification (the first Rolex reference of any line to carry it). The 6611's dial introduces the "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" four-line text block at six o'clock, the first SCOC dial designation across Rolex. Earlier 6510 / 6511 examples retain the pre-COSC "Superlative Chronometer by Official Test" or "Officially Certified Chronometer" lines.

A small number of transitional 6510 examples surface with the upgraded cal 1055B and the SCOC dial line. Phillips and Antiquorum essay tradition treats these as transitional builds where the reference case was already stamped 6510 but the movement and dial received the upgraded specification. Fewer than five are documented in the published auction record.

===Originals-era closeout (1958-1959)===

The 6611B and 6612B sub-variants surface in late 1958 and 1959 production. Italian Watch Spotter documents the distinction: "A very limited number of specimens of 6611 have a different bridge plate, 0.1mm thicker. These specimens can be recognized thanks to the specific reference 6611B and, for their extreme rarity, are highly sought after by collectors." The "B" suffix is a Rolex-internal mark for the bridge-plate variation. The external case stamping reads "6611", with "6611B" appearing in service paperwork and on the inner caseback. The 6612B carries the same bridge-plate variation on the smooth-bezel platform.

Production of the entire originals-era cluster ends in 1959 when the 1803 / 1804 / 1806 / 1807 / 1811 cluster, the 4-digit Day-Date era anchored by the 1803, takes over.

==Movement notes==

===Caliber 1055 first generation (6510, 6511)===

* 25 jewels
* 18,000 vph / 2.5 Hz
* 28.50mm diameter, 7.0mm height
* Self-winding bidirectional rotor with red-anodised reversing wheels
* Swiss lever escapement, Kif anti-shock
* Approximately 42-hour power reserve
* Day-and-date complications via Huguenin's CH 322341A + CH 323982A architecture
* Gradual midnight changeover. The early cal 1055 lacks sufficient stored torque to clear both day disc and date wheel through their full transitions instantly; the wheels settle into their new positions over a window stretching from approximately 11:50 PM to 12:10 AM. The mechanical issue is dual-load: storing enough torque in the day-and-date cam to clear two discs in one impulse stresses the mainspring, with the energy focused on triggering the midnight cam rather than on timekeeping.
* No hacking seconds. Hacking arrives across the 1500 family in 1972 on the cal 1556.
* No quickset. Date and day advance only by running hands through midnight.
* No Microstella balance, no COSC certification, no SCOC dial line.

===Caliber 1055B second generation (6611, 6612, 6613, 6611B, 6612B)===

* 25 jewels
* 18,000 vph / 2.5 Hz
* 28.50mm diameter, 7.1mm height (0.1mm taller than first-generation cal 1055)
* Self-winding bidirectional rotor with red-anodised reversing wheels
* Free-sprung Microstella balance: the four-screw gold-mass adjustment on the balance rim, first deployment on a Day-Date and the regulation system that defines modern Rolex through the cal 3255
* Breguet overcoil hairspring (Antiquorum October 2002 Lot 37 essay confirmation)
* COSC chronometer certified, first Day-Date generation and first Rolex reference of any line to carry it
* Dial designation "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" first appears on the 6611 dial
* Improved midnight changeover. The redesigned cal 1055B solves the cam-load issue by distributing the changeover energy throughout the day rather than concentrating it in the minutes immediately before midnight; the day-and-date transition becomes near-instantaneous rather than gradual.
* 6611B / 6612B variants carry a bridge plate approximately 0.1mm thicker than the standard cal 1055B; otherwise identical.

The cal 1055 / 1055B architecture is the founding day-date complication caliber and the architectural ancestor of every subsequent Rolex day-date movement. The lineage runs through cal 1555 (1959-c.1965, 1803 early), cal 1556 (c.1965-1977/78, 1803 late, hacking added 1972 mid-production), cal 3055 (1977-1988, 18038 era, single quickset, 28,800 vph), cal 3155 (1988-2019, 18238 / 118238 era, double quickset), cal 3156 (2008-2015, 218238 Day-Date II, 3155 scaled up), and (out of scope) cal 3255 from 2019.

==Dial map==

===Production-volume dials===

Silver, champagne, and black stick or baton indices on the 18k yellow gold case. Pink-gold and white-gold cases pair with appropriately-toned dials. The dial text reads "Rolex Oyster Perpetual" at the top, day-of-week in the cut-out at twelve in the full-word format Huguenin's patent introduced, the date window at three, and one of three chronometer designation lines near the bottom edge:

* "Superlative Chronometer by Official Test" — pre-SCOC, appears on early 6510 / 6511 examples
* "Officially Certified Chronometer" — pre-SCOC alternative, appears on 6510 / 6511 examples
* "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" — SCOC dial designation, first appears on the 6611 in 1957 and becomes the Rolex standard from that point forward

The chronometer-designation line is the single cleanest dial-side dating anchor for the originals-era cluster. The first two formats sit on 6510 / 6511 (cal 1055 first-generation); the third (SCOC) is the 6611 introduction.

===Earliest 6510 dial configuration (case 134,636)===

The earliest documented example carries pointed baton markers (replaced by rectangular indices on later production), dauphine hands (replaced by alpha hands on later production), and a red date wheel (replaced by black-on-white discs through standard production). Lume is radium; the 1962 tritium transition arrives on the 1803 generation, and no originals-era dial carries factory tritium.

===Black gloss dials===

Surface on 6611 and 6612 examples with applied gold indices. Less common on 6510 production. The black lacquer dial of the period uses radium-painted plots at the hour positions; oxidation produces honey or chocolate tropical patterns on some surviving examples, with genuine factory-tropical distinguished from sun-faded original via same-batch documentation.

===Diamond-set indices===

Documented on platinum 6612 / 6613 examples. The Phillips Glamorous Day-Date Lot 43 (8 May 2015) platinum-diamond 6612 carries 8 round-cut and 2 baguette-cut diamond hour markers, with the baguettes at six and nine o'clock. This is the headline cluster lot; see Auction record.

===Day-disc language variants===

The 1956 launch catalogue offered English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German, the five major European retail markets at launch. Dutch and Swedish surface on 6611 / 6612 production as mid-1950s additions. Arabic day discs surface on 6611 / 6612 production from approximately 1958, not on the 6510 / 6511 cluster directly; the 6612B "Lone Star" in platinum is the canonical Arabic-script originals-era piece, with platinum case, platinum President bracelet, and Arabic day-and-date inscriptions. The Arabic platinum configuration was acceptable in Islamic culture because the platinum case avoided the gold-on-men prohibition. Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Hebrew, and Greek discs are later additions, none documented on originals-era cataloged production.

Roman-alphabet day discs are the rule on the 6510 / 6511. Day-wheel swapping is endemic in the vintage market, and same-batch documentation distinguishes factory-original day discs from later-period service swaps; the language on a surviving 6510 should match the period catalogue retail market.

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==

36mm three-piece Oyster construction (case, screw-down crown, screw-down caseback). The 36mm Oyster envelope becomes the Day-Date standard for the next fifty-two years; the 1803, 18038, and 118238 all share the dimension. The 218238 Day-Date II breaks it in 2008 for the 41mm case.

===Case materials===

The 6510 ships in three 18k gold variants: yellow gold (production-volume), pink gold (uncommon), and white gold (rare). The pink-gold alloy of the period is the copper-heavy formula Rolex used internally before the modern Everose alloy (introduced 2005), approximately 75% gold, 22% copper, 3% silver. "Pink gold" and "rose gold" are used interchangeably in the period English literature; in Italian retail the alloy appears as "oro rosa."

Platinum 6510 is not documented in the published sources. Rolex Magazine's note that "the very first Day-Date came only in 18kt pink or yellow gold on a Jubilee" excludes both white gold and platinum for the original 1956 launch, though white-gold examples surface in later 6510 production. The platinum slot opens with the 6611 / 6612 / 6613 cluster in 1957. The canonical platinum originals-era reference is the 6612 (Phillips Glamorous Day-Date Lot 43, 8 May 2015, sibling to the example in Goldberger's ''100 Superlative Rolex Watches'').

===Caseback===

Screw-down. Inside the caseback, Rolex stamped the reference number "6510" plus quarter-year Roman-numeral lot codes that date the caseback's manufacturing run. Outer casebacks are plain gold on civilian production; presentation engravings are owner-added.

===Bezel===

Smooth or domed on the 6510, in polished 18k gold matching the case material. The fluted bezel that defines the modern Day-Date silhouette is the 6511's signature in the parallel-launch pair. Specialist literature distinguishes "domed" from "smooth" by the degree of crown radius on the bezel face; production-period 6510 bezels read smooth-and-polished, sometimes with a subtle dome that catches reflected light.

===Crown===

Twinlock screw-down, the standard sport-line crown architecture the 6510 shares with the Submariner, GMT-Master, and Datejust siblings of the period.

===Crystal===

Acrylic. Sapphire-crystal Day-Dates do not arrive until the 18038 in 1977.

==Bracelet==

The 6510 launches on the Jubilee bracelet: five-link semi-circular construction made by Gay Frères on contract to Rolex. The Jubilee was Rolex's house luxury bracelet from 1945, originally introduced for the 4467 Datejust anniversary reference, and by 1956 was the canonical luxury fitment across the Datejust and the new Day-Date. The Day-Date launch on Jubilee is consistent with mid-1950s Rolex's broader bracelet allocation: Datejust on Jubilee, Submariner on Oyster rivet, Day-Date on Jubilee.

The President bracelet, Rolex's first three-link semi-circular bracelet and designed specifically for the Day-Date, arrives a year later in 1957 with the 6611. The 6510 is the only Day-Date reference to predate the President bracelet. From the 6611 forward, every cataloged Day-Date wears the President as the canonical fitment.

Documented 6510 examples occasionally appear on later President bracelets; these are service refits or owner-led modifications. Period-correct 6510 fitment is the Jubilee. Clasp date codes inside the Jubilee clasp leaf are the dating anchor, and clasps far ahead or behind the case serial typically indicate later service-replacement bracelets.

==Auction record==

The originals-era cluster's two headline lots sit on different sub-references but both inform the 6510 collector market.

===Phillips Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, 8 May 2015, Lot 43===

Platinum diamond-set 6612, c.1958. One of two known platinum 6612s with consecutive case numbers; the sibling is documented in John Goldberger's ''100 Superlative Rolex Watches'' (Damiani Editore, 2008, ISBN 9788862080194). Dial carries 8 round-cut and 2 baguette-cut diamond hour markers, with the baguettes at six and nine o'clock. Estimate CHF 100,000-200,000; hammer CHF 473,000. The headline result for the originals-era cluster and the lot that re-anchored the cluster market in the modern auction cycle.

===Phillips Glamorous Day-Date, Geneva, 8 May 2015 (separate lot)===

6511 in 18k yellow gold, c.1955, complete with guarantee, wallet, and box. Estimate USD 20,000-40,000; hammer above USD 205,000. The most-cited 6511 lot result in the cluster market, and it informs the 6510 by adjacent reference.

===Antiquorum Geneva, Exceptional Horological Works of Art, 19 October 2002, Lot 37===
[[File:Ref 6510 ecole horlogerie 6611 steel.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Rolex Day-Date 6611 in stainless steel — the École d'Horlogerie de Genève prize-watch run. Caseback engraved "Ecole d'Horlogerie de Genève – 1963" with the Rolex crown. One of only six such steel 6611s produced.|6611 steel — École d'Horlogerie de Genève prize watch, c.1959, caseback engraved 1963. Antiquorum Geneva, 19 October 2002, Lot 37 — CHF 50,600 hammer against CHF 25-30k estimate.]]

6611 stainless steel, École d'Horlogerie de Genève prize watch. Caseback engraved "Ecole d'Horlogerie de Genève – 1963" with the Rolex crown logo. The lot is one of only six stainless-steel Day-Dates Rolex ever produced, a marketing-test run donated as prize watches to top École d'Horlogerie graduates, with the school distribution completed by 1963 (hence the engraving year). The lot card lists "circa 1959" for case production with the 1963 engraving for the school dedication; caliber listed as "1556, 26 jewels, Breguet balance spring" (a known Antiquorum cataloguing imprecision, since the underlying movement is the cal 1055B with Breguet overcoil and free-sprung Microstella). 36mm tonneau case fitted to a stainless-steel Oyster bracelet. Estimate CHF 25,000-30,000; hammer CHF 50,600. Only one of the six École d'Horlogerie steel 6611s has surfaced publicly. The other five sit in private collections or family-inheritance chains; the school's graduate records would identify the six recipients but are not public.

===Auction context for 6510 specifically===

Direct 6510 auction lots are uncommon in the major-house catalogue track because surfaced examples are rare and many transactions sit in private retail. The 6510's market value in the modern collector cycle (2025-2026) is derived from cluster comparables rather than direct lot history. Verified period production runs in low numbers; Goldberger omitted the originals-era cluster from later editions of his ''100 Superlative Rolex Watches'' because clean examples were too rare to source, and the cluster as a whole sits as a connoisseur-tier category rather than a high-volume traded segment.

==Originals-era cluster — complete sub-reference roster==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Reference
! Period
! Bezel
! Bracelet
! Movement
! Notes
|-
| '''6510'''
| 1956–57
| smooth / domed
| Jubilee
| cal 1055 (first generation, 7.0mm, gradual changeover, pre-SCOC dial)
| The original. Subject of this article. Earliest documented case 134,636.
|-
| '''6511'''
| 1956–57
| fluted
| Jubilee
| cal 1055 (first generation)
| Parallel-launch sibling. Carries the fluted bezel that becomes the Day-Date signature. Phillips 2015 yellow gold lot above USD 205,000 anchor.
|-
| '''6611'''
| 1957–59
| fluted
| President (first reference)
| cal 1055B (Microstella + COSC, 7.1mm)
| First Day-Date on the President bracelet. First Rolex reference of any line with "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" dial designation.
|-
| '''6612'''
| 1957–59
| smooth
| President
| cal 1055B
| Smooth-bezel sibling of the 6611. Phillips 2015 Lot 43 platinum diamond CHF 473,000 anchor.
|-
| '''6613'''
| 1957–59
| factory diamond
| President
| cal 1055B
| Factory diamond-set bezel sub-reference.
|-
| '''6611B'''
| 1958–59
| fluted
| President
| cal 1055B with 0.1mm-thicker bridge plate
| Late variant of the 6611. Movement-plate revision; external case stamped "6611".
|-
| '''6612B'''
| 1958–59
| smooth
| President
| cal 1055B with thicker bridge plate
| Late variant of the 6612. The "Lone Star" Arabic-script platinum sub-variant sits in this slot.
|}

No 6614 or 6615 has surfaced in the published auction record or the Rolex reference ledger. The cluster cleanly stops at 6613, with the B-suffix bridge-plate variations as the further differentiation. The numbers may have been reserved by Rolex but never released; the 1803 / 1804 / 1806 / 1807 / 1811 cluster replaces the originals era from 1959 onward.

==The "Presidential" nickname — origin and dating==

At launch the 6510 was simply the Day-Date. Period 1956 Rolex marketing called it the "Day-Date" or the "Oyster Perpetual Day-Date." The bracelet introduced in 1957 with the 6611 was called the President from the start, but the watch's "Presidential" framing emerges only in the mid-1960s.

The canonical transfer event is Lyndon B. Johnson's documented wearing of a yellow-gold 1803 across his presidency (1963-1969). Rolex's first advertising as "the President's watch" or "the President" dates to a 1965-1966 campaign built around the LBJ image, eight years after the 6611 launched the bracelet. From that point the nickname becomes catalogue shorthand; by the 1970s it is the canonical name for the Day-Date 36mm reference.

The 6510 / 6511 / 6611 sit chronologically before the LBJ campaign and before the political-watch-gift culture the Day-Date later anchors. Period retail framing for these references is connoisseur horology: chronometer-certified, full day-of-week-spelled-out wristwatch. The "Presidential" framing is retrospective when applied to the originals-era cluster.

==Documented historical wearers==

Direct primary documentation of originals-era cluster ownership is thin; most "head of state Rolex" claims attach to later 1803 / 18038 production when the President silhouette was already established.

* Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower's canonical Rolex is the Datejust 6305 gifted 19 December 1950 / received 1951 by René-Paul Jeanneret of Rolex Geneva, marking the 150,000th Rolex chronometer. The Day-Date launches in 1956, after Eisenhower already wore the Datejust. A claim circulates in collector community editorial that Rolex gifted Eisenhower a second watch (a Day-Date) to mark his 1956 re-election. The claim is not corroborated by Rolex archive documents or by the Eisenhower Presidential Library catalogue and should be flagged as contested folklore unless primary documentation surfaces.
* King Faisal ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. Linked in the collector tradition to Arabic-script Day-Dates including the 6612B "Lone Star" in platinum. The published King Faisal commissions in the auction record are primarily on Cellini 4112 and Cellini 3833 from the 1970s. A platinum 6612B Arabic dial in the Faisal circle from the late 1950s is plausible, given that the Arabic-script originals-era cluster sits in the Saudi royal family and Gulf state retail orbit through dealers like Asprey London and Geneva intermediaries, but the specific link is not directly documented in the published sources. Open question.
* Sukarno of Indonesia. Documented Rolex collector; Indonesian-language sources confirm Sukarno owned multiple Rolexes including Day-Date references. No published direct link between Sukarno and a 6510 / 6511 / 6611 with serial-number documentation. Sukarno's Day-Date ownership is most often attributed to early 1803 production, not the originals cluster.
* Pope Paul VI. Famously associated with a yellow-gold Day-Date during his pontificate (1963-1978). Reference attribution is most commonly the 1803, not an originals-era piece.

The originals-era cluster sits before the political watch-gift tradition the Day-Date later anchors. The 6510 / 6611 are connoisseur watches in 1956-1959, not yet status totems. The Presidential gift culture is built on the 1803 in the 1960s and 1970s.

==Print bibliography==

The principal print authorities on the Day-Date originals era:

* Mondani, Guido and Giorgia. ''Rolex Day-Date.'' Guido Mondani Editore, 2015. ISBN 9788894066951. 280 pages, 25.5 × 31.5 cm, multilingual (English / German / Italian). Limited edition 1000 copies. The first volume entirely dedicated to the Day-Date line.
* Gobbi, Paolo and Santinelli, Fabio. ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex.'' Spin Edizioni / Pucci Papaleo Editore, May 2015. 448 pages, 22 × 33 cm. 1000 original photographs, 160+ timepieces featured. Italian and English editions. Hardcover in slipcase.
* Goldberger, John. ''100 Superlative Rolex Watches.'' Damiani Editore, 2008. ISBN 9788862080194. Documents the sibling platinum 6612 to the Phillips Glamorous Day-Date Lot 43 example.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6511|Day-Date 6511]] — 1956–1957
* [[Reference:6611|Day-Date 6611]] — 1957–1959
* [[Reference:6612|Day-Date 6612]] — Early President (1957–1959)
* [[Reference:6612B|Day-Date 6612B]] — 1957–1959
* [[Reference:1803|Day-Date 1803]] — Fluted President (1960–1977)
* [[Reference:18028|Day-Date 18028]] — 1977–1988

See also the [[Reference:day-date|Day-Date family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://mondanibooks.com/rolex-day-date-history/ ''Rolex Day-Date Volume (Mondani Editore)'' — Mondani Family, Guido Mondani Editore]
* [https://www.puccipapaleo.com/bookstore/day-date/ ''Day-Date — The Presidential Rolex'' — Pucci Papaleo Editore, Spin Edizioni, 2015-05]
* [https://italianwatchspotter.com/the-history-of-the-rolex-day-date/?lang=en Italian Watch Spotter editorial, "The History of the Rolex Day-Date", Italian Watch Spotter]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/ Sotheby's editorial, "The Rolex Day-Date: A Complete Collector's Guide", Sotheby's]
* [https://acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/the-colourful-world-of-rolex-stella-dials A Collected Man editorial, "The Colourful World of Rolex Stella Dials", A Collected Man]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/the-stella-revolution/ Revolution Watches editorial, "The Stella Revolution", Revolution Watches]
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/caliber/1556 Watchbase editorial, "Rolex Caliber 1556 — Watchbase", Watchbase]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/quickset-vintage-day-date-models.html Bob's Watches editorial, "Quickset Vintage Day-Date Models", Bob's Watches]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/resources/history-rolex-tiffany-dials Bob's Watches editorial, "History of Rolex Tiffany Dials", Bob's Watches]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=11327271 Rolex Forums community, "Rolex Forums — 1803 Owners and Enablers Thread", Rolex Forums]
* [https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/vintagerolexforum/ Vintage Rolex Forum community, "Vintage Rolex Forum — 1803 Threads (Tapatalk index)", Vintage Rolex Forum (Tapatalk)]

[[Category:Day-Date]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6429

2026-09-05T01:22:12Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6429 Commando}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 6429 Commando — Abercrombie & Fitch's $100 Rolex, 1969 | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex 6429 Commando, 1967–1969 — a 34mm manual-wind steel Oyster on caliber 1225, sold through Abercrombie & Fitch as the least expensive Rolex Oyster of its day. A parallel "No Commando" dial went to U.S. military base exchanges on the ROW export stamp.
|keywords=Rolex, 6429, Commando, Abercrombie and Fitch, Explorer-adjacent, vintage Rolex, caliber 1225
|image=Ref 6429 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 6429 Commando black dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] -> '''6429'''</small>

[[File:Ref 6429 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 6429 Commando black dial|Rolex 6429 Commando, case 2'075'578, Christie's Geneva 2008 — 34mm manual-wind steel Oyster on the period Oyster bracelet]]

The 6429 Commando is a 34mm manual-wind steel Oyster that Rolex sold through Abercrombie & Fitch in the late 1960s, reportedly the least expensive Rolex Oyster watch of its day at retail. The gilt-print "COMMANDO" text sits below "ROLEX OYSTER" on a black dial with 3-6-9 Arabic numerals, applied stick markers and squared-off baton hands in place of the Mercedes hand the contemporary Explorer wore. Caliber 1225 runs inside, and documented examples cluster tightly between 1967 and 1969.

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6429
|-
| family
| Explorer-adjacent (vintage / historical bucket)
|-
| common name
| "the Commando," "the Abercrombie Rolex"
|-
| production
| 1967–1969 per case numbers on documented examples; one Christie's lot essay reads 1972, an outlier discussed below
|-
| case
| 34mm (recorded 34mm to 35mm across catalogued examples), stainless steel, tonneau-shaped water-resistant-type Oyster case, screw-down back and crown
|-
| movement
| manual-wind caliber 1225, nickel-finished lever movement, 17 jewels, mono-metallic balance, sweep centre seconds
|-
| dial
| black, gilt-print "ROLEX OYSTER" and "COMMANDO" text, 3-6-9 Arabic numerals, applied stick markers, "SWISS – T < 25" tritium designation
|-
| hands
| squared-off baton hour and minute hands, in place of the Mercedes hand used on the contemporary Explorer
|-
| retail channel
| Abercrombie & Fitch (civilian); U.S. military base exchanges worldwide (the "No Commando" dial variant)
|-
| export marking
| ROW (Rest of World) export stamp documented on the movement of a US-market example (Christie's)
|-
| price at retail
| not much more than USD 100 — reportedly the least expensive Rolex Oyster watch of its day, corroborated independently by Hodinkee and two separate Christie's lot essays
|}

== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6429 sits at the edge of the Explorer family rather than inside it. Hodinkee's Reference Points survey groups the 6429 with the Space-Dweller and the 1016 as Explorer-adjacent curiosities from the same period — watches built on Rolex's contemporary steel-sport case and dial vocabulary but sold under a different name, through a different channel, or into a different market than the mainline Explorer. Where the Space-Dweller keeps the 1016's case and movement and swaps only the dial text, the 6429 is a smaller, cheaper, manual-wind watch aimed at a retail partner rather than at the Explorer's expedition-tool positioning.

Abercrombie & Fitch's mid-century Swiss-watch retailing is better known for Heuer, whose A&F-branded chronographs are a recognized collecting category of their own. Rolex's participation in the same channel is the less-told half of that story, and the Commando is the watch that tells it.

== Production outline ==

Seven Commando-dial examples have surfaced at Christie's, with case numbers running 2'075'474 to 2'079'012 and catalogued dates of "circa 1967," "circa 1969," or "manufactured in 1969." A related plain-dial "No Commando" example, catalogued separately, carries a ROW (Rest of World) export stamp on its movement, consistent with a US-market watch supplied through military exchanges rather than Abercrombie & Fitch's civilian counter. Taken together, the documented run sits inside a narrow 1967–1969 window with no evidence of production before or after it.

One exception complicates that reading. A 2013 Christie's Hong Kong lot essay (case 2'078'961) describes the Commando as "released in 1972 only for the United States market," even though the same lot's own case number is dated "circa 1969" elsewhere on the same listing, and the essay does not itself explain the discrepancy. A separate mechanism for that kind of error is documented elsewhere in the record: a 2008 Christie's Geneva example (case 2'075'578) carries a Gay Frères bracelet clasp stamped "7-72" — a July 1972 bracelet date, not a case date — while a 2009 example (case 2'079'012) carries a clasp reading "2.69," which does match its case's 1969 dating. A clasp code dates the bracelet it is stamped on, not the watch it is fitted to, so a later service bracelet is enough to put a 1972 mark somewhere on an otherwise 1960s watch. Whether that is specifically what happened on the Hong Kong lot is not stated in its own essay; this article follows the case-number evidence across all seven documented examples and treats 1967–1969 as the production window, recording the 1972 reading as a documented outlier rather than silently dropping it.

No total production figure has been published by Rolex or estimated in the auction literature. Every source describing the 6429 calls it rare — Christie's cataloguing language runs from "extremely rare" to "an exceedingly small series" — consistent with a short run sold through a narrow retail channel rather than the general Oyster catalogue.

== Movement notes ==

Caliber 1225 is a manual-wind, nickel-finished lever movement: 17 jewels, a mono-metallic balance, and sweep centre seconds rather than the subsidiary register some contemporary Rolex manual calibers still carried. Christie's cataloguing is consistent across every documented example — no automatic-movement 6429 has been verified. One Hong Kong lot's headline text read "AUTOMATIC," but its own lot essay described the same watch's movement as "Cal. 1225 mechanical lever movement" — a templating inconsistency in Christie's own listing, not a second movement generation.

The [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]] page holds the wider caliber lineage; caliber 1225's specific placement within Rolex's 1960s manual-wind hierarchy has not been located in the sources used here.

== Dial map ==

=== "COMMANDO" gilt dial (Abercrombie & Fitch channel) ===

[[File:Ref 6429 commando-dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 6429 Commando dial detail|Dial detail: gilt COMMANDO text, 3-6-9 numerals, SWISS-T<25 tritium marking]]

Black dial, gilt-print "ROLEX" over "OYSTER" above the center, "COMMANDO" in gilt script beneath it, 3-6-9 Arabic numerals with applied stick markers at the remaining hours, and a "SWISS – T < 25" tritium designation at six. Squared-off baton hands rather than the Explorer's Mercedes hand. This is the civilian configuration sold through Abercrombie & Fitch, and the configuration documented on all seven Christie's Commando-dial lots.

=== "No Commando" plain dial (military-channel) ===

[[File:Ref 6429 no-commando.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 6429 No Commando variant|The "No Commando" variant — plain ROLEX OYSTER dial, sold through U.S. military base exchanges]]
[[File:Ref 6429 no-commando-dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 6429 No Commando dial detail|Dial detail showing the squared-off baton hands used in place of the Mercedes hand]]

The same dial layout with the "COMMANDO" line dropped — the dial reads simply "ROLEX OYSTER." Rolex sold this plainer version through U.S. military base exchanges concurrently with Abercrombie & Fitch's civilian Commando. Hodinkee's account frames the missing text as giving the watch "a bit more of a stealthy appearance"; Christie's cataloguing of a documented example independently confirms the military-exchange channel and adds the ROW export stamp as a physical marker of the US-market run.

== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The case is 34mm stainless steel — recorded at 34mm on some catalogued examples, 34.5mm and 35mm on others, a normal spread for period caliper measurement on a tonneau-shaped case rather than distinct case sizes — in Rolex's tonneau-shaped water-resistant-type construction: screw-down caseback, screw-down crown, no bezel insert or rotating element. The watch is a plain time-only Oyster case, not a tool-watch case in the Explorer or Submariner sense.

== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

Documented examples ship on the stainless steel Rolex Oyster link bracelet with a folding deployant clasp. One catalogued clasp carries the "GF" stamp for Gay Frères, Rolex's principal bracelet supplier through this period, alongside a "7-72" quarterly date code — a July 1972 bracelet, several years after that watch's own 1969 case dating. A second documented clasp reads "2.69," which does match its case's 1969 dating. As with any Rolex bracelet, the clasp code dates the bracelet, not the watch head; the two documented codes together show both a matching and a mismatched pairing on this reference. One documented example is recorded on a tan calf leather NATO strap rather than its original bracelet, a later fitment rather than a factory option.

== Authentication ==

Hodinkee flags the 6429 as commonly faked, specifically warning that reproduction "Commando" dials turn up inside both 6426 and 6429 cases. The 6426 is a separate, unrelated Oyster Precision reference — its appearance here is only as a documented host case for faked Commando dials, not as a second genuine Commando reference. A 6429 offered with a Commando dial needs the dial text, the case reference, and the movement checked against each other before the "Commando" premium is paid; a plain "No Commando" dial in a 6429 case is not, by itself, evidence of anything wrong.

The movement gives a second check. Caliber 1225 should be a manual-wind, nickel-finished lever movement with 17 jewels; anything else inside a 6429 case is a service replacement or a mismatch. A ROW export stamp on the movement is documented on at least one US-market example and is consistent with, though not required for, a watch sold through the military-exchange channel. One documented military-issued example carries a caseback engraved "U.S.M.C. KW-95 117," a Marine Corps property marking rather than a factory feature — a strong provenance signal on the specific watch it appears on, not a universal caseback pattern for the reference.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:1016|1016 Explorer]] — the mainline Explorer this generation of Rolex's steel-sport catalogue is built around.
* [[Reference:explorer|Explorer family index]]

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]]
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]]
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]]

== Auction record ==

Christie's is the only major house with a documented run of 6429 sales — seven Commando-dial lots and one plain "No Commando" lot across 2008–2016. No Sotheby's, Phillips, Bonhams, or Antiquorum lot for the reference was located.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! date
! house
! case / lot
! configuration
! estimate
! result
|-
| 12 May 2008
| Christie's Geneva, lot 215
| case 2'075'578
| Commando, manufactured 1969; Gay Frères clasp stamped 7-72 (bracelet date, not case date)
| CHF 4,000–6,000
| CHF 22,500
|-
| 11 May 2009
| Christie's (sale 1366), lot 281
| case 2'079'012
| Commando, manufactured 1969, 35mm diam.; clasp stamped 2.69, consistent with the case date
| CHF 4,000–6,000
| CHF 8,750
|-
| 15 Dec 2009
| Christie's (sale 2212), lot 322
| case 2'078'967
| Commando, circa 1969
| USD 4,000–6,000
| USD 10,625
|-
| 14 Dec 2010
| Christie's (sale 2366), lot 156
| case 2'075'474
| Commando, circa 1967
| USD 5,000–7,000
| USD 25,000
|-
| 14 Dec 2012
| Christie's (sale 2610), lot 292
| case 2'075'566
| Commando, circa 1967
| USD 5,000–7,000
| USD 21,250
|-
| 29 May 2013
| Christie's Hong Kong (sale 3219), lot 2977
| case 2'078'961
| Commando, circa 1969; caseback engraved U.S.M.C. KW-95 117
| HKD 74,000–80,000
| HKD 100,000
|-
| 7 Dec 2016
| Christie's Watches Online: Time for the Holidays, lot 136
| unstated, circa 1969
| "No Commando" plain dial, ROW export stamp, on later tan calf leather NATO strap
| USD 8,000–12,000
| USD 8,125
|}

Every Commando-dial lot sold well above its estimate — 3 to 4 times over at the high end — while the single "No Commando" lot cleared close to its estimate midpoint. The sample is small and Christie's-only, so it reads as a consistent signal rather than a statistically deep market: collectors chasing the "COMMANDO" dial text pay a real premium over estimate, and the plain military-channel dial has not shown the same pull.

== Sources ==

* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-explorer-reference-points Jon Bues, "A Comprehensive Collector's Guide To The Rolex Explorer I", Hodinkee, 2022]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5065386 Christie's, "Rolex. An extremely rare stainless steel water-resistant wristwatch with sweep centre seconds and bracelet, ref. 6429, case no. 2'075'578", Geneva, 12 May 2008, lot 215]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5196143 Christie's, "Rolex. An extremely rare stainless steel wristwatch with sweep centre seconds and bracelet, ref. 6429, case no. 2'079'012", sale 1366, 11 May 2009, lot 281]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5282060 Christie's, "Rolex. A rare stainless steel wristwatch with center seconds, ref. 6429, case no. 2078967", sale 2212, 15 December 2009, lot 322]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5395155 Christie's, "Rolex. A rare stainless steel wristwatch with center seconds and bracelet, ref. 6429, case no. 2075474", sale 2366, 14 December 2010, lot 156]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5644082 Christie's, "Rolex. A rare stainless steel wristwatch with center seconds and bracelet, ref. 6429, case no. 2'075'566", sale 2610, 14 December 2012, lot 292]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5690964 Christie's, "Rolex. A rare stainless steel automatic wristwatch with sweep centre seconds and bracelet, ref. 6429, case no. 2'078'961", Hong Kong, sale 3219, 29 May 2013, lot 2977]
* [https://onlineonly.christies.com/sso?ObjectID=14464.136&LotNumber=136 Christie's, "Rolex Commando-style ref. 6429", Watches Online: Time for the Holidays, 7 December 2016, lot 136]

[[Category:Explorer]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6350

2026-09-05T01:22:11Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6350 Explorer}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Explorer 6350 — First 'Explorer' Dial, 1953–1955 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6350 is the chronometer-rated Explorer of 1953-1955. Tight 955,xxx serial cluster, A296 fine-tuned for COSC, gilt chapter-ring and rare honeycomb dials. Douglas Prior 1956 IGY polar provenance.
|keywords=Rolex, 6350, Explorer, A296, honeycomb, OCC, Officially Certified Chronometer, Hillary, Everest
|image=Ref 6350 hero.webp
|image_alt=6350 honeycomb dial
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:11Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] › '''6350'''</small>

The 6350 is the chronometer-rated Explorer of 1953–1955 and the reference where the Explorer name lands on a consistent production dial. It runs the same caliber A296 used in the 6098 and 6150 but fine-tuned for chronometer rating, earning the "Officially Certified Chronometer" line on the dial. Hillary's Everest watch was a Smiths De Luxe A409, not a 6350; the Rolex on the 1953 expedition was a 6098 (Rescapement; The Watch Collectors' Club; Beyer Watch Museum). The 6350 launched in summer 1953, after the May 29 summit, and inherits the Everest mythology by marketing succession rather than direct provenance. The reference does carry one documented polar example — Douglas Prior's 1956 Royal Society Antarctic Expedition watch (Antiquorum 2018, case 955,761).

<span id="core-facts"></span>

[[File:Ref 6350 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=6350 honeycomb dial|6350 honeycomb dial]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6350
|-
| family
| Explorer
|-
| production
| 1953 to 1954/55 (case production concentrated in 1953; assembly continued into 1954, with one Antiquorum lot annotated "purchased 1 November 1955" reading as residual stock rather than late production)
|-
| serial cluster
| 955,190 (low) → 955,948 (high) across documented lots — tight ~760-unit numerical span across a single batch run
|-
| total produced
| no published source gives a hard figure; auction frequency at the four big houses runs to 2–4 documented examples per year over the past decade
|-
| case
| 36mm stainless steel, smooth fixed bezel, slimmer than the 6098/6150 bubbleback profile
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| movement
| caliber A296 chronometer-rated — same architecture as the 6150 / 6098 / 6204 / 6205, fine-tuned and adjusted to chronometer standards
|-
| dial
| black gilt chapter-ring (standard) or pressed honeycomb / waffle (rare); "Explorer" + "Officially Certified Chronometer" text
|-
| crown
| Brevet with "+" Swiss-made sub-mark
|-
| hands
| gilt; Mercedes, pencil, and syringe configurations all documented within the run
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6350 succeeds the 6150 and precedes the 6610. The 6098 (1952), 6150 (1953), and 6350 (1953–55) form the early Explorer cluster on caliber A296; the 6610 (1955–59) introduces the full-rotor caliber 1030 that closes out the lineage's shaped-rotor era.

The dial-text distinction across the early cluster is the cleanest single anchor for identification. The 6098 reads "Officially Certified Chronometer" in its chronometer-rated configuration; the 6150 reads "Precision" (non-chronometer); the 6350 reads "Explorer" alongside "Officially Certified Chronometer" and is the first reference where every documented production example carries the Explorer wording on the dial. Earlier Explorer-marked dials exist on a small number of 6098 examples (the white-dial Hillary expedition gift watches predate the 6350 by months), so the strict-pedantic "first dial with Explorer" is the 6098 — but the standard editorial framing, which Rolex itself uses, treats the 6350 as the first reference where Explorer was the consistent production name. Both readings deserve mention; the 6098 white-dial Explorers are an outlier batch, the 6350 is the production rule.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Case production was concentrated in 1953, with assembly continuing into 1954. Caso Watches and explorer1016.com both date the launch to summer 1953. Monochrome (Geelen) reads the run as 1953–1954; Hodinkee Reference Points gives 1953–1955; the Field Manual confirms the 1953 start without specifying an end. The published spread is narrow, no large contradictions to capture.

Documented case numbers cluster tightly in the 955,xxx range. Phillips Geneva XIII lot 75 (case 955,327), Antiquorum HK May 2022 lot 218 (case 955,343), Phillips Geneva XV lot 157 (case 955,369), Antiquorum HK June 2024 lot 369-111 (case 955,472), Antiquorum Geneva Nov 2018 lot 317-570 (case 955,761), Phillips NY Racing Pulse lot 17 (case 955,837), Phillips Geneva FOUR lot 179 (case 955,855). Aggregated dealer listings put the documented low at 955,190 and the high at 955,948 — a ~760-unit numerical span. The numerical span does not equal the production count (Rolex case batches were not contiguous) but is consistent with a small, single-batch run.

Total production volume is unknown. Phillips, Sotheby's, Le Monde Edmond, Caso Watches, and Watchprosite collectively decline to publish a hard figure. Order-of-magnitude qualitative consensus reads "limited production, very few survive", short window 1953–55, surviving documented examples in the low hundreds.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

The 6350 runs caliber A296 in chronometer-rated configuration. A296 is the self-winding caliber that powered every early Rolex sport tool of the period: the 6098/6150 pre-Explorers, the 6350 itself, and the 6200 / 6204 / 6205 first-generation Submariners. Specifications converge across editorial and auction-house catalogs at 18 jewels (some sources count 19 for the later 6200 spec including added shock part), rhodium-plated finish, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance with shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring. The 6350-specific tuning is the chronometer regulation — Rolex fine-tuned movements on this reference for chronometer pass and earned the OCC dial mark.

A296 is a full-rotor uni-directional Perpetual at 29.5mm and 18 jewels — Rolex never produced a bumper caliber. The bumper attribution that briefly attached to A296 in earlier dealer copy traces to the bubble-back caseback geometry (the thicker autowind module) rather than to a different rotor system. The 1030 that succeeds A296 introduces bidirectional winding via the butterfly rotor and a thinner module — the thickness change is what eliminates the bubble-back profile (Phillips Geneva Watch Auction FOUR lot 146 frames the A296→1030 swap explicitly as a thickness change; Charlie Dunne, writing at Wind Vintage, ''How Rolex Became Rolex: The Automatic Perpetual Movement Part 2''). Some 6350s now wear caliber 775 — Antiquorum 2018 lot 317-570 (Douglas Prior) and Antiquorum 2009 NY lot 223-84 both list 775. This is service-replacement, not original delivery, and matches the standard Rolex period service-cal swap pattern.

Specialist registries claim the 6350 used "special temperature oils with an effective operating range of -20°C to 40°C." The claim is uncited in the editorial coverage and is plausible given the chronometer pass, but no Rolex-archive or period-press confirmation has surfaced.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

[[File:Ref 6350 dial-closeup.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=Gilt dial detail|Gilt dial detail]]

The 6350 carries two dial variants. The honeycomb appears across roughly half of documented examples (6 of 11 documented major-house lots) — not standard but more frequent than the 6610's red-depth gilt. The waffle and honeycomb labels collectors sometimes use describe the same pressed cross-hatch texture under two names. The article does not split them.

<span id="standard-gilt-chapter-ring"></span>
=== Standard gilt chapter ring ===

Black lacquered dial with gilt printing, a chapter ring at the perimeter, "Explorer" text, and the OCC line. All text is gilt. Antiquorum HK June 2024 lot 369-111 (case 955,472, HKD 150,000) is the cleanest standard configuration in the recent record. The standard configuration runs throughout the 1953–55 production window; survival rate is higher than for the honeycomb but the dial is still rare in original condition.

<span id="honeycomb-waffle"></span>
=== Honeycomb (waffle) ===

[[File:Ref 6350 dial-honeycomb.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=The rare honeycomb (waffle) textured dial|The rare honeycomb (waffle) textured dial]]

The pressed cross-hatch texture under the gilt printing replaces the smooth lacquer surface. Specialist documentation describes the production process: "galvanic coating process… plates first stamped with a clear coating to define the text and chapter ring… then a black substance applied using a chemical binding process," producing the deep tessellated texture under the gilt printing. Honeycomb dials make up roughly half of the major-house lot record on the reference. Phillips Geneva XIII 2021 lot 75 (case 955,327), Phillips Racing Pulse NY Dec 2020 lot 17 (case 955,837), Phillips Geneva XV May 2022 lot 157 (case 955,369), Phillips Geneva FOUR Nov 2016 lot 179 (case 955,855), Antiquorum HK May 2022 lot 218 (case 955,343, est HKD 380,000–480,000) anchor the variant.

<span id="numeral-format"></span>
=== Numeral format ===

The 6350 carries Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock — confirmed across the photographic record on every documented lot. Some older editorial sources describe Roman numerals at the same positions; that reading does not match the visual record and is treated as a transcription error rather than a documented variant.

<span id="hands"></span>
== Hands ==

[[File:Ref 6350 hands-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Mercedes hands with gilt finish|Mercedes hands with gilt finish]]
[[File:Ref 6350 caseback-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Caseback detail|Caseback detail]]
[[File:Ref 6350 crown-brevet.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Brevet-type crown with plus sign|Brevet-type crown with plus sign]]

Hands on the 6350 are gilt across the auction record. Three configurations surface within the run: a long-neck Mercedes hour hand (the most commonly associated style); pencil hands inherited from the earliest Submariner cluster; and syringe-style minute hand examples. The seconds hand is the lollipop tip used on the 6200 / 6205 Submariners of the same era. The variety across an 18-month run reads as ongoing iteration or multiple dial / hand combinations assembled from shared parts bins, rather than a clean serial-ranged sequence.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The 6350 carries a 36mm stainless steel case with a smooth fixed bezel and an acrylic crystal. The caseback is slimmer than the 6098 / 6150 bubbleback profile — the A296 plus chronometer parts still fit the slimmer caseback geometry that the caliber 1030 would later require for the 6610. The Brevet crown carries the "+" Swiss-made sub-mark. Case construction is standard period Rolex Oyster.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

Bracelet fitment records for the 6350 are thin. The Sotheby's Explorer archive piece and listing describe rivet Oyster bracelets on documented examples, but original-delivery anchor points are weaker than for the contemporary Submariners. Period-correct delivery would have been a Gay Frères stretch riveted Oyster following the same configuration used on the 6204 / 6205 Submariners and the 6098 / 6150 Explorers — specific end-link and clasp documentation on the surviving 6350 record is incomplete.

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

[[File:Ref 6350 papers.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Original chronometer certification papers|Original chronometer certification papers]]

<span id="douglas-prior-igy-1956"></span>
=== Douglas Prior — IGY 1956 polar provenance ===

The Douglas Prior 6350 is the strongest single provenance lot for the reference. Antiquorum Geneva November 2018 lot 317-570 (case 955,761) carries Royal Society Antarctic Expedition / IGY 1956 polar provenance — Prior took the watch to Halley Bay in 1956. The watch was returned to Rolex post-expedition and re-gifted with a letter referencing the serial. The lot now carries caliber 775 as a service-replacement. The Prior 6350 is the documented polar provenance the reference inherits — distinct from the contested Hillary / Tenzing claims that attach to the 6098 instead.

Douglas Roland Otway Prior was never knighted; the honour was the Polar Medal, announced in June 1957, and Antiquorum's own catalogue note styles him plainly while reserving "Sir" for Vivian Fuchs and Edmund Hillary. The "Sir Douglas Prior" that circulates in dealer and auction copy traces to the lot title on that same Antiquorum page, which its own note contradicts.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Variant !! Hammer
|-
| Phillips Geneva XIII || 75 || 2021 || 955,327 || honeycomb, pencil hands || CHF 88,200
|-
| Phillips Geneva FOUR || 179 || 2016 || 955,855 || honeycomb || CHF 35,000
|-
| Phillips Geneva XV || 157 || 2022 || 955,369 || honeycomb || CHF 75,600
|-
| Phillips Racing Pulse NY || 17 || 2020 || 955,837 || honeycomb || USD 126,000
|-
| Antiquorum NY || 223-84 || 2009 || — || honeycomb, cal. 775 (service replacement) || USD 12,600
|-
| Antiquorum HK || 351-218 || 2022 || 955,343 || honeycomb || est. HKD 380,000–480,000
|-
| Antiquorum HK || 369-111 || 2024 || 955,472 || black gilt chapter ring || HKD 150,000
|-
| Antiquorum Geneva || 317-570 || 2018 || 955,761 || Douglas Prior IGY 1956, cal. 775 || CHF 62,500
|-
| Sotheby's archive || — || 2023 || — || honeycomb, Mercedes/syringe hands, presentation box || USD 48,260
|-
| Dealer retail listing || — || — || — || honeycomb, pencil hands, rivet Oyster || USD 175,000 ask
|}

The 6350 trades as one of the rarer Explorers. Honeycomb examples in original condition cluster CHF 75,000–125,000 at the major houses, with the Phillips Racing Pulse 2020 result of USD 126,000 standing as the modern-era benchmark. Standard chapter-ring gilt examples sit at the lower end. Polar-provenance lots (Douglas Prior) sit in their own tier above the standard market. A retail ask of USD 175,000 marks the upper bound of the dealer market for a clean honeycomb.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6098|Explorer 6098]] — 1952–1953
* [[Reference:1016|Explorer 1016]] — Gilt to Matte (1963–1989)
* [[Reference:14270|Explorer 14270]] — First Sapphire (1989–2001)
* [[Reference:114270|Explorer 114270]] — 2001–2010
* [[Reference:214270|Explorer 214270]] — 2010–2021
* [[Reference:6150|Explorer 6150]] — Early Explorer-Dial Oyster

See also the [[Reference:explorer|Explorer family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-from-1953-36mm-1016-14270-114270-214270-124270-in-depth-review/ The History of the Rolex Explorer] — Frank Geelen (Monochrome Watches, 2024)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-explorer-reference-points A Comprehensive Collector's Guide To The Rolex Explorer I] — Jon Bues (Hodinkee, 2018)
* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/in-depth-review-rolex-6350-explorer/ Rolex 6350 Explorer In-Depth Review] (Le Monde Edmond)
* [https://www.thewatchcollectorsclub.com/blog/the-rolex-explorer-everest-controversy/ The Rolex Explorer Everest Controversy] (The Watch Collectors' Club)
* [https://thewatchbuyersgroup.com/stories/rolex-pre-explorer-reference-6350-sir-edmund-hillarys-rolex-everest-expedition/ Rolex Pre-Explorer Reference 6350 — Sir Edmund Hillary's Rolex Everest Expedition] (Watch Buyers Group)
* [https://www.rescapement.com/blog/rolex-explorer-history-to-everest-and-beyond Rolex Explorer History — To Everest and Beyond] (Rescapement)
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/honeycomb-dial-6350-rolex-explorer Honeycomb Dial 6350 Rolex Explorer] (Hairspring)
* [https://www.casowatches.com/rolex-explorer-a-journey-through-the-pioneering-refs-6350-6610-1016/ Rolex Explorer — A Journey Through Refs 6350, 6610, 1016] (Caso Watches)
* [https://explorer1016.com/history/ Rolex Explorer History] (explorer1016.com)
* [https://www.watchprozine.com/rolex/the-history-of-the-rolex-explorer-i/3438436/732/ The History of the Rolex Explorer I] (Watchprozine)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-explorer-standout-sales-from-the-sothebys-archive Standout Sales from the Sotheby's Archive — Rolex Explorer] (Sotheby's)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080121/75 Rolex Explorer 6350 — Phillips Geneva XIII lot 75] (Phillips, 2021)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080216/179 Rolex Explorer 6350 — Phillips Geneva FOUR lot 179] (Phillips, 2016)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080122/157 Rolex Explorer 6350 — Phillips Geneva XV lot 157] (Phillips, 2022)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/NY080120/17 Rolex Explorer 6350 — Phillips Racing Pulse NY lot 17] (Phillips, 2020)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6350-explorer-lot-317-570 Rolex Explorer 6350 — Antiquorum lot 317-570 (Douglas Prior)] (Antiquorum, 2018)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6350-explorer-lot-369-111 Rolex Explorer 6350 — Antiquorum lot 369-111] (Antiquorum, 2024)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6350-explorer-lot-351-218 Rolex Explorer 6350 — Antiquorum lot 351-218] (Antiquorum, 2022)
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-223-84 Rolex Explorer 6350 — Antiquorum NY 2009 lot 223-84] (Antiquorum, 2009)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Explorer]]

Reference:6298

2026-09-05T01:22:10Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Explorer 6298}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 6298 — Pre-Explorer, 1953 | Rolexopedia
|description=The Rolex 6298, 1953 — a 36mm steel pre-Explorer offered in two movement variants, cal 1030 and cal A296, closely related to the already-covered 6098, 6150 and 6350.
|keywords=Rolex, 6298, pre-Explorer, cal 1030, cal A296, vintage Rolex, 1953
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:explorer|Explorer]] -> '''6298'''</small>

The 6298 is a 1953 pre-Explorer, 36mm steel, offered in two movement configurations — caliber 1030 and caliber A296 — with dial text reading either "Perpetual, Precision" or "Perpetual Chronometer" depending on configuration. It belongs to the same 1953 cluster as the already-covered [[Reference:6098|6098]], [[Reference:6150|6150]] and [[Reference:6350|6350]], the year Rolex moved several related references toward the naming and specification that would settle into the Explorer line.

'''Source density note.''' This reference is documented from a single primary source — Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — corroborated only by a passing mention in Hodinkee's Explorer guide ("The reference 6150 is similar to the 6098 and 6298") and Monochrome's Explorer history. No auction lot or dealer listing specific to the 6298 was located. The article is written to that evidence level; claims are not padded beyond what the Field Manual and its two corroborating mentions support.

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6298
|-
| family
| Explorer (pre-Explorer cluster)
|-
| production
| 1953
|-
| case
| 36mm, stainless steel
|-
| movement
| Two variants: caliber 1030 and caliber A296, both self-winding
|-
| dial text
| "Perpetual, Precision" (one variant) or "Perpetual Chronometer" (the other)
|}

== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6298 sits inside the cluster of 1953 references — alongside [[Reference:6098|6098]], [[Reference:6150|6150]] and [[Reference:6350|6350]] — that Rolex used to work out the case size, movement, and dial-text formula that became the Explorer. Colin A. White's Field Manual records that the 6150 "evolved into the 6298/6350 in 1953," placing the 6298 as a direct step in that progression rather than a separate, unrelated reference. Hodinkee's Explorer guide makes the same connection in passing: "The reference 6150 is similar to the 6098 and 6298."

The two-movement split (cal 1030 vs cal A296) mirrors a pattern seen elsewhere in this cluster, where Rolex ran parallel movement options on the same case and dial-text family rather than a single fixed specification — the same period that produced the chronometer-certified 6350 alongside the non-chronometer 6150.

== Production outline ==

Both configurations are dated to 1953 by the Field Manual. No production window beyond that single year has been documented, and no total production figure has been published or recovered.

== Movement notes ==

Two movement variants are documented: caliber 1030 (a self-winding movement shared with several contemporaneous Oyster Perpetual references, including [[Reference:6098|6098]] and its siblings) and caliber A296. No jewel count, beat rate, or chronometer certification detail was recovered for either variant.

== Dial map ==

The "Perpetual, Precision" dial text and the "Perpetual Chronometer" dial text are the only two configurations documented, tracking the two movement variants rather than representing independent dial choices. No further dial detail — colour, marker style, or hand type — was recovered from the located source.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6098|6098]], [[Reference:6150|6150]], [[Reference:6350|6350]] — the other members of the 1953 pre-Explorer cluster.
* [[Reference:explorer|Explorer family index]]

== Shared references ==

* [[Reference:Serial-numbers|Serial numbers by year]]
* [[Reference:Movements|Movement reference]]
* [[Reference:Bracelets|Bracelet & clasp guide]]

== Sources ==

* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/rolex-explorer-reference-points Jon Bues, "A Comprehensive Collector's Guide To The Rolex Explorer I", Hodinkee, 2022]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-explorer-from-1953-36mm-1016-14270-114270-214270-124270-in-depth-review/ Frank Geelen, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Explorer", Monochrome]

[[Category:Explorer]]
[[Category:References]]

Reference:6265

2026-09-05T01:22:09Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6265 Daytona}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Daytona 6265 — Screw-Pusher Oyster, 1971–1988 | Rolexopedia
|description=Sibling reference to the 6263, distinguished by an engraved metal tachymetre bezel rather than acrylic insert. Hosts the Unicorn 18k white gold (Phillips 2018, CHF 5.9M), Lemon dial in gold and platinum, and Sultan of Oman Khanjar.
|keywords=Rolex 6265, Daytona 6265, Unicorn 6265, Sultan of Oman, Lemon dial, engraved bezel, Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Perezcope, white gold Daytona
|image=Ref 6265 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-19T03:20:02Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:08Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] › '''6265'''</small>

The 6265 is the metal-tachymetre-bezel Oyster Daytona, longer-lived sibling of the 6263 across the 1971–1988 manual-wind window. The 6263 carries an acrylic black bezel insert; the 6265 carries an engraved metal bezel with the tachymetre scale cut directly into the steel or precious metal. Past that single decision the two references share movement, case, crystal, crown, pushers, dial chronology, and bracelet fitment. Seventeen years on price lists put the 6265 at the centre of every gold, platinum, and retailer-signed branch of the screw-pusher era.

<span id="core-facts"></span>
[[File:Ref 6265 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6265
|-
| family
| Daytona (Cosmograph, manual-wind, screw-pusher Oyster)
|-
| production
| 1971 to 1988
|-
| sibling
| 6263 (acrylic black bezel insert)
|-
| predecessors
| 6262 (steel bezel, pump pushers, 1970–1972)
|-
| successor
| 16520 (1988, automatic, cal 4030)
|-
| case
| 37mm, screw-down chronograph pushers, 19mm lugs
|-
| case materials
| stainless steel, 14k yellow gold, 18k yellow gold, 18k white gold (one), 950 platinum (very few)
|-
| crystal
| acrylic
|-
| crown
| Twinlock, screw-down
|-
| bezel
| engraved metal tachymetre
|-
| movement
| Rolex cal 727 (Valjoux 72 base, 21,600 vph)
|-
| chronometer
| non-COSC
|-
| bracelet
| 7835 (folded) early; 78350 (later folded) late; gold examples on 8385 Oyster or gold Jubilee
|-
| end links
| 271
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The screw-pusher Oyster Daytona arrives in the 1971 catalogue as a paired launch: 6263 on the acrylic bezel insert, 6265 on the engraved metal bezel. Both replace the brief 1970–1972 transitional pair (6262 on metal, 6264 on acrylic) which had run pump pushers off the carry-over 6239 / 6241 case while the new screw-pusher cases were being readied. After 1972 the manual-wind Daytona is two references for sixteen further years, and the choice between them is the bezel.

The shared spec sheet does the work the eye does not. Both run cal 727 at 21,600 vph in 37mm Oyster cases with 19mm lugs and Twinlock crowns. Both step through dial generations in lockstep — Mk1 standard Cosmograph, Sigma, Big Red, Small Red — and both end in 1988 when the cal 4030 16520 launches at Baselworld.

The metal-bezel position carries different commercial weight. Yellow gold, white gold, and platinum 6265s exist; the same materials in 6263 case form are far scarcer, and several have no documented example at all. The retailer-signed canon (Tiffany, Beyer, Cartier) and the documented military deliveries (Sultan of Oman Khanjar) cluster on the 6265 case more often than the 6263. The single most expensive vintage Daytona ever sold at auction, the Unicorn, is a 6265.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Production runs 1971 through 1988 per Erik Slaven's Monochrome family history (2024) and ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual''. The cal 727 is unchanged across the run, the case unchanged in basic geometry. What moves is the dial, the bezel font detail, and the bracelet generation.

The dial chronology breaks into four broad phases. Early production (1971 into roughly 1972) carries the Mk1 standard Cosmograph dial: black or silver-white, no Sigma marks, no red Daytona text. The Sigma era (~1972–1978) adds the small Greek sigma symbols flanking SWISS at 6 o'clock. Big Red production opens around 1976 and runs through the late period, with DAYTONA in red script above the 6 o'clock totaliser. Small Red is the late variant, the same red Daytona text rendered in a noticeably smaller font.

Per-reference 6265 production totals are not published by Rolex. ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' does not break out Daytona totals; Pucci Papaleo's ''Rolex Daytona — A Legend is Born'' works at dial-mark and lot level rather than volume. Any specific 6265 total is collector estimation.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

The cal 727 is Rolex's last manual-wind chronograph caliber, and the 6263 / 6265 pair runs it from launch to discontinuation. The base is Valjoux 72, the same base that powered the Daytona from the 6238 / 6239 forward, at the higher 21,600 vph (3 Hz) frequency that distinguishes the 727 from the 722 / 722-1 generation. The frequency lift from 18,000 to 21,600 vph happened at the 722 → 727 transition around 1969–1970 and carries unchanged through 1988. The movement is non-COSC, 17 jewels, 48-hour reserve, no hack, no quickset.

Caliber-stamping forensics matter. Jose Pereztroika's 2022 Perezcope dossier flags that the older "7-2-7" hyphenated stamp on the bridge appears on examples that should carry the cleaner "727" stamp introduced later. The Unicorn's movement carries the older "7-2-7" stamp on a serial range where neighbouring movements already use the newer style. A cal 727 with the wrong stamp for its case-number neighbourhood is a movement that has been swapped or assembled from older parts. Cross-link: [[Reference:Movements#cal-727]].

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

=== Serial / year / dial / lume / bracelet ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes
|-
| 2.5M-3.0M (~1971-1973) || 1971-1973 || Mk1 standard, Cosmograph || tritium || 7835 || 271 || Early production. Pump-pusher-era 6262 superseded by screw-pusher 6265 starting 1971.
|-
| 5.0M-6.5M (~1976-1978) || 1976-1978 || Sigma, Small Red transitional || tritium || 7835, 78350 (transitional) || 271 || Sigma dial era ~1972-1978. Bracelet upgrade 7835 → 78350 tracks the parallel 6263 bracelet upgrade.
|-
| 8.0M+ (post-1983) || 1983-1988 || Big Red, Small Red || tritium || 78350 || 271 || Late Big Red / Small Red era. Sotheby's 2020 lot documents an R-serial yellow gold 6265 in this batch with engraved gold bezel. Final manual-wind production before 1988 16520 succession.
|}

The 6265 carries the same dial families as the 6263 across the same windows, and the chronology is one of the densest in vintage Rolex. The standard variants in the table below cover the bulk of production; the Paul Newman branches and precious-metal exotics cover the auction tier.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Generation
! Period
! Dial
! Distinguishing feature
|-
| Mk1 standard
| 1971–~1972
| Black or silver-white
| "ROLEX OYSTER COSMOGRAPH" text; no DAYTONA above subdial; no Sigma
|-
| Sigma
| ~1972–1978
| Black or silver-white with σ σ flanking SWISS
| Gold-applied indices; sigma marks at 6 o'clock
|-
| Big Red
| ~1976–1986
| Black or silver-white
| "DAYTONA" in red above 6 o'clock subdial in the standard font
|-
| Small Red
| late 1980s
| Black
| Same red DAYTONA rendered in a noticeably smaller font
|}

Collector consensus places the Sigma window at roughly 1972–1978. Pereztroika's Perezcope forensic database places the introduction of the ROC Daytona Sigma dial around case-number 3.0 million (1972) and the Mk 2 Sigma variant around 3.5 million (1975). The edges are approximate and the Mk-mark sub-divisions are a working scaffold rather than a settled chronology.

Paul Newman dials sit on the 6265 case across the same Mk1 through Mk4 progression that defines the 6263 PN canon, tracking the same Singer dial modifications (block versus thinner indices, square versus circle minute markers, cross-hair detail at the chronograph subdial centre) documented in the Hodinkee Reference Points and Revolution surveys. PN 6265 examples are scarcer than PN 6263 examples; when collectors say "Paul Newman Daytona" in the screw-pusher era, the implicit case is the 6263.

The Rolex Cosmograph Oyster (RCO, also "Oyster Sotto") dial reads "ROLEX COSMOGRAPH OYSTER" at 12 with OYSTER printed below the Cosmograph line rather than above it. RCO is documented on both 6263 and 6265 and is rarer on the 6265. The Oyster Sotto 6263 took the headline at Phillips Daytona Lesson One in 2013 and again at Daytona Ultimatum in 2018; the RCO 6265 surfaces much less frequently.

The Lemon dial is yellow lacquer over the entire dial surface, fitted to the rare gold and platinum 6265 cases. Documentation is thin. Beyer-signed and Tiffany-signed examples surface in the published canon but no count has been formally enumerated. Bob Ridley's 2017 Revolution JPS piece records that Paul Newman dials were not fitted to gold screw-pusher Daytonas and that the rare gold 6263 PN is always the Lemon variant; the same logic carries to gold 6265 production.

Retailer-signed dials from Tiffany & Co., Beyer Zürich, and Cartier appear on the 6265 as a rare branch, with the signature line printed below ROLEX at 12 or above the 6 subdial depending on retailer practice. Tiffany examples are the most cited.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The 6265 case is 37mm with 19mm lugs, David Boettcher's (vintagewatchstraps.com) family-level lug measurement covering the 6238 / 6239 / 6240 / 6241 / 6262 / 6263 / 6264 / 6265 range. The case is the screw-pusher Oyster introduced at launch in 1971 and unchanged through 1988. Steel is the bulk of production. 14k yellow gold, 18k yellow gold, 18k white gold, and 950 platinum are the documented precious-metal branches. The 14k yellow gold variant was the North American market spec carried over from gold 6241 JPS practice (Ridley, Revolution); 18k yellow gold was the European spec.

The bezel is the defining feature. An engraved tachymetre scale is cut directly into the metal — steel for the steel cases, matching gold or platinum for the precious-metal cases. The 6263 by contrast carries an acrylic insert with the tachymetre printed on it; the 6265 has no insert at all. Karyn Orrico's 2024 Sotheby's piece "Vintage Rolex Daytona: The Gold Standard" documents the 14k yellow gold 6265 from 1978 with the engraved gold bezel: same gold as the case, scale cut directly.

The crystal is acrylic plexiglass throughout. The move to flat sapphire arrived only with the 16520 in 1988. The crown is Twinlock and screw-down, with the chronograph pushers on either side also screw-down and lockable — the feature that defines the Oyster designation on the Daytona case and distinguishes the 6263 / 6265 pair from the pump-pusher 6239 / 6241 ancestry.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

Two folded-link Oyster bracelets carry the 6265 across the steel production run. Early production wears reference 7835, the 19mm Daytona-specification folded-link Oyster (polished outer, brushed centre) paired with end-link 271, from 1971 through approximately 1976. Late production wears reference 78350, the heavier-gauge folded-link successor at the same 19mm and same end-link, from approximately 1976 through 1988. End-link reference is 271 throughout; the "771" reading that surfaces in some aggregator end-link tables is an OCR error of "271".

The 78360 solid-link Oyster generation that fits the 16520 from 1988 onward is not a 6265 bracelet — the Daytona case did not transition to solid-link until the cal 4030 generation. The 93150 / 580 combination is not a 6265 bracelet either; that combination dates the bracelet to the modern Submariner / GMT-Master generation. A 6265 presented on 93150/580 carries a later substituted bracelet.

Gold 6265 examples ship on the 18k gold Oyster bracelet (reference 8385 at 19mm) or on a gold Jubilee for the small share of buyers who specified that. Orrico's Sotheby's piece documents the 1978 14k yellow gold 6265 "with bracelet" without naming the reference; 8385 is the canonical Daytona-specification gold Oyster.

The clasp is Oyster folded throughout. Standard clasp-code-dates-the-bracelet caveats apply: a B-coded clasp on a late-production 6265 dates the clasp blade to manufacture, not the watch head. Cross-link: [[Reference:Bracelets#bracelet-7835]], [[Reference:Bracelets#bracelet-78350]], [[Reference:Bracelets#end-link-271]], [[Reference:Bracelets#bracelet-8385]].

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

[[File:Ref 6265 unicorn-white-gold-phillips.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=The Unicorn — only known white gold 6265, Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018|The Unicorn — only known white gold 6265, Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018]]

=== The Unicorn — white gold 6265 ===

The 6265 case in 18k white gold (case number 2877587) is the only known vintage white gold manual-wind Daytona. Manufactured 1970, delivered 1971 to a German retailer as a one-off special order (Phillips lot essay; SJX preview, 2018). John Goldberger (Auro Montanari) owned the watch; Phillips sold it at Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018) for CHF 5,937,500 — the headline lot of the auction and at the time the second most expensive Rolex sold at public auction.

The Unicorn dispute sits inside the 6265 story whether one likes it or not. Phillips and Goldberger treat it as the only authentic white-gold manual-wind Daytona with later period-correct service parts. Perezcope argues it is a Frankenstein built around a real case. Both readings remain on the record.

=== Lemon dial 6265 in gold and platinum ===

Any specific Lemon 6265 needs lot-level provenance to stand. The platinum case is rare enough on its own that an authenticated platinum 6265 with a Lemon dial moves the watch into Unicorn-adjacent territory at auction.

=== JPS yellow gold 6265 ===

The John Player Special framing — black-and-gold dial in the Lotus F1 livery — was the marketing nickname for the 14k yellow gold 6241 Paul Newman (Ridley, Revolution). Collectors carry the framing onto gold 6265 examples sharing the colour palette, though the canonical JPS Daytona is the 6241 case.

=== Sultan of Oman Khanjar 6265 ===

[[File:Ref 6265 government-oman-khanjar.webp|thumb|right|220px|alt=6265 retailed by Asprey London with red Khanjar / Oman dial|6265 retailed by Asprey London with red Khanjar dial above 6 o'clock]]

Some 6265 examples carry the Sultan of Oman's red Khanjar (curved dagger) emblem above the 6 o'clock subdial. The parallel UAE-emblem 6263 ("Quraysh Hawk") sold at Daytona Ultimatum 2018 on an estimate of CHF 200,000–400,000 on the strength of UAE armed-forces provenance; Khanjar 6265s have surfaced at Christie's and Phillips Geneva at a similar tier.

The Oman commissions reached Rolex through Asprey London, which held its own Khanjar cliché and stamped many of the dials in-house from "clean" dials supplied by Rolex without the chronometer text. Asprey-stamped 6265 examples typically carry an "Asprey" engraving on the caseback alongside the Khanjar dial — Antiquorum has catalogued the configuration as "Rolex for Asprey, ref. 6265, black dial with 'Oman' or 'Khanjar Crest' emblem." Jose Pereztroika's May 2025 forensic post on a faked red Khanjar 6265 dial documents the most current authentication problem on this branch: an Asprey-cased 6265 that originally left the factory with a "Sigma" black dial later resurfaced with a freshly applied red Khanjar dial of poor printing quality. Treat any red Khanjar 6265 without continuous photographic provenance from a major auction with caution; the case-and-engraving combination is easier to assemble than a period-correct dial.

=== Libyan Army and Gaddafi-signature 6265 ===

A separate institutional branch carries Libyan dial markings — distinct from the Asprey/Oman commissions and reaching Rolex through a different channel after Muammar Gaddafi's 1969 coup. The most documented example is a 6265 with a Gaddafi-signature dial sold at Antiquorum's Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces sale (Geneva, Mandarin Oriental, 12 May 2013) for CHF 128,500 hammer; Norma Buchanan's WatchTime coverage of that sale records the result and the Libyan-state provenance. Plain Libyan Army crest dials (without the signature) appear on a handful of additional 6265s and on later Datejust references such as the 16250 — Antiquorum catalogued a 1979 16250 with a Libyan Army logo dial in its June 2008 Hong Kong sale. A red monochromatic Libyan Air Force crest is rarer still. Gaddafi himself was never photographed wearing the signed Daytona, and the prevailing reading is that the watch left state hands as a gift rather than being worn by the head of state. The Libyan branch should not be conflated with the Asprey/Oman Khanjar branch above: different commissioning state, different retailer chain, different dial layout, and — for the signature variant — a one-off rather than a small numbered run.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

Aurel Bacs's first-person memory of the screw-pusher Daytonas in the mid-to-late 1980s, recorded in the A Collected Man interview, is the baseline: dealers offered 6263s and 6265s at fifteen percent below list because the watches "couldn't give them away." That floor is the line against which the modern Daytona market has appreciated.

Phillips's Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018), curated by Pucci Papaleo with Bacs at the rostrum, is the modern reset for screw-pusher Daytona pricing. The Unicorn 6265 sold at CHF 5,937,500 as the headline lot, second most expensive Rolex at auction at that point. Other manual-wind Daytonas in the same sale set comparable benchmarks: the Neanderthal 6240 at CHF 3,012,500, the Oyster Sotto 6263 at CHF 1,662,500.

Gold 6265 pricing carries a meaningful premium over comparable steel examples but does not approach Unicorn-tier figures. Orrico's Sotheby's "Gold Standard" piece frames the 14k yellow gold 6265 from 1978 as the rarer of the gold Daytona pair and positions it as a six-figure auction watch in clean condition with documented provenance.

The Big Red and Small Red dial branches drive the steel-6265 market. Paul Newman's own 6263 Big Red sold at Phillips New York in December 2020 for USD 5.48M total, third most valuable Rolex at auction at that date; the result, while a 6263, anchors the Big Red typology the 6265 shares.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]] — Paul Newman, Big Red & RCO Dials (1969–1988)
* [[Reference:6262|Daytona 6262]] — Pump-Pusher Daytona (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6264|Daytona 6264]] — Paul Newman Dials (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6241|Daytona 6241]] — "John Player Special", 14k Gold (1966–1969)
* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] — First Screw-Down-Pusher Daytona (1965–1969)
* [[Reference:16518|Daytona 16518]] — Yellow Gold Zenith (1988–2000)

See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ Erik Slaven, "In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph", Monochrome, 2024-12-20]
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-rolex-daytona Marcus Siems, "A Beginner's Guide to the Early Rolex Daytona (1963-88)", Goldammer, 2022-12-20]
* [https://www.vintagedaytona.com/en/reference-guide "VintageDaytona reference guide", VintageDaytona.com]
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), "Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)", Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, 2018-05-12]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/30067876/only-known-white-gold-rolex-daytona-reference-6265 Logan Baker, "The Only Known Vintage White Gold Rolex Daytona Reference 6265", Phillips, 2018-05]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/150046101/manual-wind-rolex-daytonas-phillips-november-2024 Logan Baker, "A Round-Up of 14 Manual-Wind Rolex Daytonas in the Geneva Watch Auction XX", Phillips, 2024-11]
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/42015509/made-for-racing-rolex-and-the-daytona James Marks, "Made For Racing: Rolex and the Daytona", Phillips]
* [https://perezcope.com/2022/12/31/rolex-daytona-6265-the-unicorn-frankenstein-plot/ Jose Pereztroika, "Rolex Daytona 6265 — The "Unicorn" Frankenstein Plot", Perezcope, 2022-12-31]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/vintage-rolex-daytona-the-gold-standard Karyn Orrico, "Vintage Rolex Daytona: The Gold Standard", Sotheby's, 2024-12-17]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/05/penultimate-picks-from-daytona-ultimatum-at-phillips.html Richard Lee, "Penultimate Picks from Daytona Ultimatum at Phillips", SJX Watches, 2018-05-05]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2020/12/paul-newman-rolex-daytona-6263-big-red-auction.html Richard Lee, "Breaking News: Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona 6263 "Big Red" Sells for US$5.48m", SJX Watches, 2020-12-13]
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2013/11/spectacular-results-at-christies-rolex-daytona-lesson-one-auction-in-geneva-including-a-million-dollar-paul-newman.html Richard Lee, "Spectacular Results at Christie's Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" Auction in Geneva", SJX Watches, 2013-11-11]
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Benjamin Clymer, "Historical Perspectives: The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained (Or, What Is A Double-Swiss Underline Daytona?)", Hodinkee, 2013-06-19]
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ Bob Ridley (Watchmakers International), "The Rolex "John Player Special" Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241", Revolution Watch, 2017-10-18]
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/interview-aurel-bacs A Collected Man, "Interview: Aurel Bacs", A Collected Man, 2017-10-20]
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ David Boettcher, "Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference", vintagewatchstraps.com, 2026-04-18]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/important-watches-3/reference-6265-big-red-daytona-a-stainless-steel "Reference 6265 'Small Red' Daytona Circa 1979", Sotheby's, 2022]

[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
[[Category:Daytona]]

Reference:6264

2026-09-05T01:22:06Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

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|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6264
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|published_time=2026-04-19T13:52:05Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:05Z
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<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] › '''6264'''</small>

The 6264 is the brief 1970–1972 transitional Cosmograph that paired pump (unthreaded) chronograph pushers with a black acrylic tachymetric bezel insert. It sits as the acrylic-bezel sibling of the engraved-metal 6262 and as the pump-pusher predecessor to the screw-pusher 6263, which carried the same bezel geometry forward for almost two more decades. Production lasted about three years before the screw-pusher 6263 / 6265 pair took the line over.

[[File:Ref 6264 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6264|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6264]]

<span id="core-facts"></span>
== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! Field !! Value
|-
| '''Reference''' || 6264
|-
| '''Family''' || Daytona (manual-wind)
|-
| '''Production''' || 1970–1972
|-
| '''Case''' || 36mm steel; 14k and 18k yellow gold examples documented
|-
| '''Pushers''' || pump (unthreaded) — defining feature versus the screw-pusher 6263
|-
| '''Bezel''' || black acrylic insert with tachymetric scale (vs engraved-metal 6262)
|-
| '''Crystal''' || acrylic
|-
| '''Crown''' || Twinlock screw-down
|-
| '''Movement''' || Rolex caliber 727 (Valjoux 72 base)
|-
| '''Beat rate''' || 21,600 vph
|-
| '''Bracelet refs''' || 7205 (early) -> 7835 (transitional and standard)
|-
| '''End links''' || 271 (19mm)
|-
| '''Clasp''' || folded Oyster, quarterly date code (e.g. “II.71” reads second quarter 1971)
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6264 sits inside the four-way 1970–72 Daytona lineup, the densest crossover window of the manual-wind era. Two pusher styles ran in parallel with two bezel styles, and Rolex assigned a separate reference number to each combination. The pump-pusher pair carried the engraved metal tachymetric bezel on the 6262 and the black acrylic insert on the 6264. The screw-pusher pair, which replaced both by 1972, carried the same two bezel choices: metal on the 6265 and acrylic on the 6263. The 6264 is the pump-pusher analogue of the 6263, with the same case, same movement, and same bezel; only the pushers differ.

The 6264 also closes the pump-pusher chapter of the Daytona line. The pump style had run continuously from the 6239 in 1963, with only the 6240 (1965) carrying screw-down pushers in the intervening years. By the time 6263 / 6265 production stabilised in 1972, screw-pushers had become the standard, and the 6264 and 6262 are the last manual-wind Daytonas to leave the factory with the unthreaded pump style.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Production of the 6264 ran from 1970 to 1972, about three years at most. Erik Slaven’s [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ Monochrome Daytona history] and the [https://www.watchtime.com/brands/watches/tracking-the-rolex-daytona-a-53-year-history WatchTime tracking guide] both place the run at 1970–1972. No source attempts a precise factory-confirmed cutover; treat the closing year as soft, with very late production likely spilling into early 1972 before the screw-pusher 6263 took over.

Total production volume is not officially published. Across the four manual-wind references active in this window, the 6264 is the second-rarest after the single-year 6262, and meaningfully scarcer than the long-running 6263 that succeeded it. Pucci Papaleo’s ''Ultimate Rolex Daytona'' and ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' both note the brief production span; neither pins a serial-range total.

Serial-range placement follows the standard pre-letter Rolex chart for the period. Most documented 6264 examples fall between roughly 2.4M and 3.3M, with the bulk of production sitting in 1971. The reference uses the same case stamping conventions as the rest of the manual-wind Daytona run: reference number between the upper lugs, serial between the lower lugs, both visible only with the bracelet off.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

The 6264 carries Rolex caliber 727 throughout production. The 727 is the higher-frequency revision of the Valjoux 72 base used across all four 1970–72 references: 21,600 vph (3 Hz) versus the 18,000 vph cal 722 / 722-1 that ran in the earlier 6239 and 6241. Architecture is otherwise unchanged. Lateral-clutch chronograph coupling, column wheel, tri-compax sub-dial layout, 17 jewels, manual wind. No quickset, no hack, no chronometer certification. The same caliber 727 powered the 6262 from 1970, the 6263 from 1969 through 1988, and the 6265 alongside it. See [[Reference:Movements#cal-727]].

The frequency jump from 18,000 to 21,600 vph at the 722 → 727 transition is the most consequential Rolex change to the Valjoux 72 architecture inside the manual-wind chapter. It tightened timekeeping and shortened the seconds sweep on the 9 o’clock running sub-dial. US-bound examples carry an engraved “ROW” import code on the balance bridge.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

=== Serial / year / dial / lume / bracelet ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes
|-
| 2.4M-2.6M (~1970) || 1970 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7205 (early), 7835 (transitional) || 271 || Introduction year. Bracelet transition era — early 1970 examples likely on 7205; later 1970 may have shifted to 7835.
|-
| 2.6M-3.0M (~1971) || 1971 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7835 || 271 || Mid-production. 7835 folded bracelet established as standard fitment.
|-
| 3.0M-3.3M (~1972) || 1972 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7835 || 271 || Final year. Reference superseded by 6263/6265.
|}

The 6264 spans the same dial chronology as the 6262, 6263, and 6265 in their early phases: single-mark production, with both the standard Cosmograph dial and the Paul Newman exotic offered against the same case-and-bezel platform. The exotic took the Newman name from the actor’s own 6239 long after the 6264 left production. The reference’s short run means there is no Sigma era on 6264 — Sigma dials enter the manual-wind line around 1972, after 6264 production has effectively closed — and no Big Red, the red DAYTONA block that appears around 1976 on the long-running 6263. Variant count stays narrow as a result.

The standard dial runs in two colours: black or white panda. Layout is the manual-wind tri-compax familiar from 6263 and 6265 — three sub-dials, applied luminous tritium markers, Mercedes hour hand, “Rolex Oyster Cosmograph” at 12 above a “DAYTONA” block sitting above the 6 o’clock register. Black surfaces more often than white panda in the auction record for this short window.

The 6264 Paul Newman is documented, but the lot record is thin. The dial type is standard Paul Newman territory — square art-deco markers with cross-hairs, 15/30/45 sub-dial numerals, Singer back stamp — and the 6264 case-and-dial combination is one of the rarer manual-wind intersections precisely because the production run was so short. The configuration is real; the auction archive simply does not yet hold the depth of repeat lots that the 6263 PN field carries.

A small bezel-type contradiction sits in the literature. Some collector-tier sources have at points described the 6264 as carrying the engraved metal tachymetric bezel like the 6262 and 6265. The dominant taxonomy across [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 Paul Boutros’s 2012 Hodinkee dissection], the [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips Daytona Ultimatum lot essays (Geneva, 2018)], and the broader auction record places the acrylic black insert on the 6264, making it the pump-pusher counterpart to the acrylic-bezel 6263. This article follows the acrylic reading.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The 6264 case is 36mm steel, the standard manual-wind Daytona case across the 6262 / 6263 / 6264 / 6265 group. Yellow gold examples in 14k were made for the North American market and 18k for export; gold cases are scarce across the brief production run, and a gold 6264 with a Paul Newman dial is among the rarest dial-and-case combinations of the manual-wind era.

The pump pushers are the watch’s defining feature against the contemporary 6263, which carries the same case and bezel but adds threaded screw-down pusher tubes. Pump pushers are unthreaded, sit slightly proud of the case, and actuate without unscrewing. The trade-off shows up in water resistance: the screw-pusher 6263 is rated to 100m, the 6264 to the lower 50m rating common to the pump-pusher generation. The Twinlock screw-down crown is the same on both. Neither watch was meant for chronograph use underwater; the screw-pusher revision answered accidental actuation more than depth rating.

The bezel insert is black acrylic, marked with a tachymetric scale to 400 units per hour. The 6262 splits from the 6264 here and only here — engraved metal versus acrylic, with the rest of the case and movement identical. The same acrylic component runs on the 6263 through its full 1969–1988 production, so the 6264 effectively sets the bezel design that the screw-pusher reference then carried for another eighteen years.

Crystal is acrylic, a flat-domed Twinlock-compatible plexi consistent with the era and the rest of the manual-wind Daytona group. The crown is a Twinlock screw-down, period-standard for water-resistant Oyster sport watches before Triplock entered the line on the deeper-spec divers.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

The 6264 spans the late rivet-to-folded transition on the 19mm Daytona case. Two bracelet references appear on original fitment. The earliest 1970 examples can carry the rivet 7205, a hollow-construction Oyster with visible rivet heads on the link sides that had served the 6238, 6239, 6240, 6241, and 6262 through 1969. By 1970 the folded-link 7835 was standard, and most 6264 examples that have not been swapped carry it. The 7835 is a folded-steel Oyster with no visible rivet heads, which is the cleanest visual cue against the earlier 7205. Both bracelets share the 271 end link on the 19mm Daytona lug width.

A small note for fitment chartists: some online matrices show “771” in the Daytona end-link rows rather than “271.” This is a propagated typographic error; independent dealer photographs and the photos in the auction record only ever stamp 271. Treat 271 as the correct end link for the 19mm 7205 / 7835 fitment across the manual-wind Daytona line.

Clasps date the bracelet, not the watch head. The pre-1976 stamping convention used on 6264 clasps is the roman quarter / two-digit year format inside the clasp blade. “II.71” reads second quarter 1971; “IV.72” reads fourth quarter 1972. Any 6264 with a clasp date later than 1972 carries either a service replacement bracelet or has had a later bracelet fitted. For the date-code key and the broader Rolex bracelet timeline, see [[Reference:Bracelets]].

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

The 6264 has no military or royal-commission branch in the auction record comparable to the Quraysh Hawk or Sultan of Oman 6263s; the production window was too short. The two branches worth recording both sit on the dial side.

The Paul Newman 6264 is the rarest standard branch of the reference. The exotic dial appears on 6264 cases in both panda and tri-color configurations, but documented examples are thin on the ground; the configuration earns its scarcity premium more from low survival than from any factory-defined limited run. The 6264 Paul Newman sits in the same Mk1 / Mk2 framework that runs across the early-1970s Paul Newman Daytonas, with the early square-marker geometry and cross-haired sub-dials that define the type.

Retailer-signed examples (Tiffany, Beyer, Cartier, Asprey, Serpico y Laino) are theoretically possible on the 6264 but rare relative to the longer-running 6263 host. Retailer signatures were applied locally rather than at Rolex Switzerland. A clean Tiffany or Beyer signature on a documented 6264 is a notable lot when one surfaces, but the 6264 is not a meaningful market for retailer dials in the way the 6263 is.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

The 6264 has not produced the headline single-lot results that the 6263 has accumulated across Christie’s “Daytona Lesson One” (Geneva, 2013) and Phillips’ “Daytona Ultimatum” (Geneva, 2018). Phillips’ Daytona Ultimatum did include the 6264 within its catalogued field, and the broader Phillips manual-wind round-up at the Geneva Watch Auction XX in November 2024 covered 6264 examples in its fourteen-lot set, but no 6264-specific lot has reached the seven- or eight-figure tier of the named 6263 special branches.

The market for standard 6264s sits between the single-year 6262 (rarer pump-pusher sibling) and the long-running 6263 (more common successor). The acrylic-bezel-plus-pump-pusher combination is uncommon, and the short production run keeps surfacing examples scarce against the 6263. Sigma-marked dials and Big Red configurations do not appear on 6264 because the reference closed before either dial trait entered production. The check that matters is whether case, dial, hands, and pushers are correct to the 1970–72 window. A 6264 that has had its pump pushers swapped for screw-down assemblies is no longer a 6264 in any meaningful sense.

The Paul Newman 6264 occupies the high end of the reference’s market. Documented 6264 PN sales sit comfortably into seven figures with provenance and original parts; without provenance they are difficult to authenticate cleanly given how many 6263 PN dials and case parts have circulated through service since the 1970s. The auction record carries enough 6264 PN traffic to confirm the configuration without making it a high-frequency lot category.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6262|Daytona 6262]] — Pump-Pusher Daytona (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6241|Daytona 6241]] — "John Player Special", 14k Gold (1966–1969)
* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] — First Screw-Down-Pusher Daytona (1965–1969)
* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]] — Paul Newman, Big Red & RCO Dials (1969–1988)
* [[Reference:6265|Daytona 6265]] — Screw-Pusher Oyster (1971–1988)
* [[Reference:6234|Daytona 6234]] — Pre-Daytona (1955–1961)

See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph] — Erik Slaven, Monochrome
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 In-Depth: A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present (Part 1/3)] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Historical Perspectives: The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained (Or, What Is A Double-Swiss Underline Daytona?)] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)] — Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/150046101/manual-wind-rolex-daytonas-phillips-november-2024 A Round-Up of 14 Manual-Wind Rolex Daytonas in the Geneva Watch Auction XX] — Phillips
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?] — Russell Sheldrake, A Collected Man
* [https://www.vintagedaytona.com/en/reference-guide VintageDaytona reference guide] — VintageDaytona.com
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-rolex-daytona A Beginner's Guide to the Early Rolex Daytona (1963-88)] — Marcus Siems, Goldammer
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference] — David Boettcher, vintagewatchstraps.com
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
[[Category:Daytona]]

Reference:6263

2026-09-05T01:22:05Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6263 Daytona}}
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|title=Rolex Daytona 6263 — Paul Newman, Big Red & RCO Dials, 1969–1988 | Rolexopedia
|description=The longest-running manual-wind Daytona, 1969 to 1988, on screw-down pushers and acrylic black bezel. Hosts every named dial branch: Paul Newman MK1-4, RCO Oyster Sotto, Big Red, Albino, Sigma, Sultan of Oman, Quraysh Hawk.
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|image=Ref 6263 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6263 — Big Red
|type=Article
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|published_time=2026-04-19T03:19:56Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:14:02Z
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<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] › '''6263'''</small>

The 6263 is the screw-down-pusher Oyster Cosmograph that ran from 1969 to 1988 and collected more named dial variants than any other Daytona reference. It is the canonical "Big Daytona" of the manual-wind era: 37mm Oyster case, black acrylic bezel insert, Valjoux-derived caliber 727. Nearly every collector nickname of the period was earned on this case — Paul Newman MK1 through MK4, RCO, Big Red, Sigma, JPS (John Player Special, from the Lotus F1 livery), Albino, the Sultan of Oman, the Quraysh Hawk, the Arabian Knight.

<span id="core-facts"></span>
[[File:Ref 6263 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6263 — Big Red|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6263 — Big Red]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
! detail !! value
|-
| reference || 6263
|-
| family || Daytona (manual-wind)
|-
| production || 1969–1988
|-
| case || 37mm steel (also 14k yellow gold)
|-
| pushers || screw-down (defining feature versus 6262 / 6264 pump pushers)
|-
| bezel || black acrylic insert with tachymetric scale (vs metal engraved bezel on 6265)
|-
| crystal || acrylic
|-
| crown || Twinlock screw-down
|-
| movement || Rolex caliber 727 (Valjoux 72 base)
|-
| beat rate || 21,600 vph
|-
| bracelet refs || 7835 → 78350 → 93150 across the run
|-
| end links || 271 (19mm) on 7835 / 78350; 580 family on 93150
|-
| clasp || folded Oyster, transitioning to flip-lock around 1983
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6263 sits at the end of the manual-wind Daytona line and runs in parallel with its sibling 6265, which carries the same case and movement but a metal engraved tachymetric bezel rather than a black acrylic insert. The pair replaced the short-lived 6262 (acrylic bezel, pump pushers) and 6264 (metal bezel, pump pushers) in 1969–70 and reintroduced the screw-down pushers first seen on the 6240 in 1965. The 6263 is the direct lineal heir of the 6240. Its run closes the manual-wind chapter: the Zenith-driven 16520 takes over in 1988 with a sapphire crystal, a 40mm case, and the new caliber 4030.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

The 6263 ran for roughly nineteen years, longer than any other manual-wind Daytona. Most sources frame production as 1969 to 1988, with the 6263/6265 pair replacing the 6262/6264 by 1971. Monochrome's long-form Daytona history puts the 6263 at 1971–1988; ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' and Pucci Papaleo's ''Ultimate Rolex Daytona'' both note pre-production 6263 examples appearing in 1969, which is the start year used here. Production totals were never officially published, and no independent source converges on a 6263-specific number. What is uncontested is that the 6263 was the dominant of the four 1970s Daytonas in production volume.

The run divides into three collector phases. Early standard dials cover the first half of the 1970s. Sigma dials carry the middle, roughly 1972 to 1978. Late production from the early 1980s onward is the Big Red era. That sequence holds before the rarer branch watches complicate it.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

The 6263 carries Rolex caliber 727 throughout its production run. The 727 is the higher-frequency revision of the Valjoux 72 base — 21,600 vph (3 Hz) versus the 18,000 vph cal 722 used in the earlier 6239 and 6241. Architecture is otherwise unchanged: lateral-clutch chronograph coupling, column wheel, tri-compax sub-dial layout, 17 jewels, manual wind, no quickset, no hack. The same 727 powered the 6262 and 6264 from 1970 and the 6265 alongside the 6263 through 1988. Cross-link [[Reference:Movements#cal-727]].

US-bound examples carry an engraved "ROW" import code on the balance bridge, useful for forensic dating and provenance since Swiss-market examples lack the engraving. The 727 stayed in production until the 6263 and 6265 closed out in 1988, after which cal 4030 (Zenith El Primero base) took over the chronograph line in the 16520. The 727 was the last manual-wind chronograph caliber Rolex used in serial production.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

=== Serial / year / dial / lume / bracelet ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes
|-
| 2.5M-3.0M (1971-1973) || 1971-1973 || Mk1 standard || — || 7835 || 271 || Early production.
|-
| 5.0M-6.5M (1976-1978) || 1976-1978 || Sigma, Big Red transitional || — || 78360 || 271 || Sigma dial era ~1972-1978 per multiple documented sources.
|-
| 8.0M+ (post-1983) || 1983-1988 || Big Red || — || 78360 || 271 || Late Big Red era. Newman's own 6263 (Joanne Woodward gift, 1983) sits in this batch.
|}

[[File:Ref 6263 dial-albino.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Albino 6263 — Eric Clapton's example, Phillips|Albino 6263 — Eric Clapton's example, Phillips]]

The 6263 dial story is the densest of any Rolex sport reference. The table covers both standard production dials and the named exotics the screw-pusher Oyster Daytona collected over its long run.

{| class="wikitable"
! Variant !! Years !! Distinguishing features !! Notable examples / auction record
|-
| Standard black Cosmograph || 1969–1988 || Black dial, silver sub-dials, "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" at 12, "Daytona" added above 6 o'clock from 1969 onward || Most common 6263 configuration; baseline market reference
|-
| Standard white "Panda" || 1969–1988 || White dial, black sub-dials, otherwise identical to the black layout || Less common than black; auction archives carry several across the run
|-
| RCO "Oyster Sotto" Paul Newman || ~1969–early 1970s || "Rolex Cosmograph Oyster" at 12 with "Oyster" below the line (''sotto'' — Italian for below). Earliest 6263 PN exotic dial. Found only on 6263 and 6265 || Lot 14 Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018; previous record at Christie's Lesson One 2013
|-
| RCO Mk2 / standard RCO || ~early 1970s || "Rolex Cosmograph Oyster" with the latter two words inverted from the Sotto layout || Multiple Phillips lots
|-
| Paul Newman MK1 || ~1969–early 1970s || Square-tipped art deco numerals 15/30/45 on sub-dials; sub-dial cross-hairs; tri-color or panda layout || Earliest of the 6263 PN dials; rare
|-
| Paul Newman MK2 || early–mid 1970s || Slightly heavier numerals; same square markers and cross-hairs || Standard PN configuration, multiple Phillips and Christie's lots
|-
| Paul Newman MK3 / Big Eyes || mid-1970s || Larger sub-dial outer rings — the "Big Eyes" nickname || Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 lot essays document the variant on 6263 / 6265
|-
| Paul Newman MK4 || late 1970s || Final PN dial generation, tighter print proportions || Rarest of the standard PN MKs on 6263
|-
| Big Red Daytona || ~1976 onward, becoming standard early 1980s || Block-letter "DAYTONA" in red on the standard dial || Paul Newman's own 6263 (1983, gifted to daughter Clea); Phillips NY Dec 2020, USD 5.48M incl. fees
|-
| Floating Big Red || mid-1970s transitional || "DAYTONA" in red set further from the sub-dial register than standard Big Red || Exceptionally rare; surfaces sporadically at Phillips and Sotheby's
|-
| Sigma dial || ~1972–1978 || Small σ symbols flanking SWISS at 6 o'clock; denotes white gold hour markers || Standard production marker for the gold-marker era; routine across auction archives of the period
|-
| Floating Big Red Sigma || mid-1970s || Floating Big Red text with sigma markings — two transitional traits on one dial || One of the rarest standard-dial 6263s
|-
| JPS (John Player Special) || mid-to-late 1970s || Black PN dial on 14k yellow gold case — black-and-gold livery from the Lotus F1 sponsorship || Six PN-dial Daytona references include 6263; gold 6263 PN examples typically surface as the Lemon Dial variant
|-
| Albino || ~late 1990s assembly from period parts || White-on-white monochromatic dial: silver sub-dials on a white dial, "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" only || Three known examples; original-issue status disputed (Pereztroika 2025)
|-
| Tropical || production-period dials, 1970s–80s || Heat- or sun-aged black dials oxidizing toward brown; silver sub-dials browning to amber || Iconeek archive snapshot documents one such 6263; auction examples surface periodically
|-
| Tiffany / Beyer / Cartier / Asprey / Serpico y Laino || across the run, retailer-dependent || Retailer signature added to the dial below the Rolex coronet, applied locally not at Rolex Switzerland || Christie's catalogued a 14k YG Tiffany-signed 6263; Asprey signature appears on the Sultan of Oman 6263
|}

The MK boundaries on Paul Newman dials sit on overlapping consensus across the canonical long-form sources: Benjamin Clymer's 2014 Hodinkee Reference Points, the Phillips Daytona Ultimatum lot essays, Pucci Papaleo's ''Ultimate Rolex Daytona'', and Bob Ridley's Revolution dissection of the 6241 PN. The four-mark framing for 6263 is stable; the exact transition years between marks are not, and no source attempts to fix them precisely. Treat MK1–MK4 as a sequence with overlapping production windows rather than clean cutovers.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The 6263 case is 37mm steel, the standard manual-wind Daytona case of its era. Yellow gold 6263 examples exist in 14k for the North American market and 18k for export; gold cases are rare across the run and rarer still with original Paul Newman dials, where the gold 6263 PN typically surfaces as the Lemon Dial variant rather than a standard tri-color or panda PN. The screw-down chronograph pushers are the watch's defining feature, distinguishing the 6263 from the pump-pusher 6262 / 6264 pair and aligning it with the earlier 6240 (1965) and contemporary 6265. The screw-down design raised water resistance to 100m and prevented accidental chronograph actuation underwater.

The bezel insert is black acrylic, marked with a tachymetric scale to 400 units per hour. This is the visual point of separation from the 6265, which carries the same case and movement but a steel engraved tachymetric bezel. Crystal is acrylic — a flat-domed Twinlock-compatible plexi consistent with the era. The crown is a Twinlock screw-down, period-standard for water-resistant Oyster sport watches before Triplock entered the line on the deeper-spec divers.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

The 6263 spans the late rivet through solid-link Oyster era. Three bracelet references appear across original-equipment fitment: 7835 (folded Oyster, 19mm) for early production from 1969 through the mid-1970s; 78350 (folded Oyster, slightly later geometry) for later 1970s; and the 93150-derived solid-link Oyster on late examples through the close of production. End links are the 271 family on 19mm fitment; the 580/580B family appears on solid-link cases. This is not a delivery chart — period-correct fitment is what survives on examples that have not been swapped.

Clasps date the bracelet, not the watch head. Pre-1976 clasps carry quarterly numeric stamps inside the clasp blade in roman quarter / two-digit year format (II.72 reads second quarter 1972). From 1976 onward the single-letter year code applies: A=1976, B=1977, C=1978, D=1979, E=1980, F=1981, G=1982, H=1983, I=1984, J=1985, K=1986, L=1987, M=1988. A short flip-lock was introduced on the folded Oyster around 1983 and carries through to the end of 6263 production. For the date-code key, see [[Reference:Bracelets]].

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

[[File:Ref 6263 newman-wrist-shot.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Paul Newman wearing his 6263 Big Red|Paul Newman wearing his 6263 Big Red]]

<span id="paul-newman-variants"></span>
=== Paul Newman variants ===

The Paul Newman dial — square art-deco markers with cross-hairs, sub-dial numerals 15/30/45 rather than 20/40/60, Singer dial-maker stamp on the back — appears on six Daytona references: 6239, 6241, 6262, 6263, 6264, and 6265. The 6263 is the most populous PN host because of the long production run. The five recognised PN color types are two tri-color variants, panda, Oyster Sotto, and Lemon (the gold-case variant). The MK1–MK4 progression on 6263 PN dials tracks square-marker geometry, sub-dial outer ring proportions (Big Eyes appears at MK3), and print weight; the boundaries are consensus rather than factory-documented.

Paul Newman's own 6263, a Big Red gifted by him to his daughter Clea in 2008, sits in the late-Big-Red production batch and carries case-back engraving from the gift.

<span id="big-red"></span>
=== Big Red ===

The Big Red is the standard 6263 dial with "DAYTONA" printed in red block letters above the 6 o'clock sub-dial register. The variant emerged around 1976 and had become the default 6263 dial configuration by the early 1980s, carrying through to the 1988 production close. The Floating Big Red is the transitional variant in which the DAYTONA text sits visibly further from the sub-dial than on standard Big Red — small spacing detail, large rarity premium. Floating Big Red and Floating Big Red Sigma examples surface periodically at Phillips and Sotheby's; both are exceptionally rare relative to standard Big Red.

<span id="jps"></span>
=== JPS ===

The John Player Special nickname connects to the 1970s Lotus Formula 1 team's black-and-gold livery sponsored by the John Player Special tobacco brand, made famous by Mario Andretti's 1978 Drivers' Championship in the Lotus 79. On the Daytona line, JPS denotes a black PN dial set into a yellow gold case. The 6241 is the most-cited JPS reference (fewer than 400 14k YG 6241s produced, North American market), but JPS configurations exist on 6263 as well. Bob Ridley's Revolution dissection of the 6241 records that gold-case 6263 PN examples which surface at auction are usually the Lemon Dial, so the "JPS 6263" framing is a narrower category than collector shorthand sometimes suggests.

<span id="albino"></span>
=== Albino ===

The Albino 6263 is a white-on-white monochromatic dial — silver sub-dials on a white dial — bearing only "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" without the standard "Daytona" wording or any other secondary text. Three examples are documented to date.

The Albino is still disputed. Hodinkee treated it as a possible as-issued Rolex variant. Perezcope's 2025 dossier, built around a Tom Bolt confession, argues that the known Albinos are late-1990s constructions using a silver 6238 dial transplanted into 6263 cases. Sotheby's sold a third example in 2025 without adopting that conclusion. The watches exist and the market treats them seriously. Original-issue status is not settled.

<span id="sigma-dial"></span>
=== Sigma dial ===

Sigma dials carry small σ symbols flanking the SWISS line at the 6 o'clock chapter, denoting gold hour markers. Swiss watchmaking adopted the convention in the 1970s under an industry agreement on identifying precious-metal components. On the 6263, Sigma dials appear roughly 1972 through 1978 across both standard and PN configurations.

<span id="tropical-and-oxidized"></span>
=== Tropical and oxidized ===

Tropical 6263 dials are production-period black dials that have oxidized to brown under UV exposure or heat over decades. The silver sub-dials on a tropical 6263 often brown to a copper or amber tone in parallel. The phenomenon is more often associated with 16520 Patrizzi dials of the late 1980s, but is attested earlier on 6263 — the Iconeek archive (snapshot 2015-12-12, site defunct) documents one such example, and auction lots surface periodically. Tropical dials are not a separate variant; they are aged production dials, valued for the patina rather than the print configuration.

<span id="retailer-signed"></span>
=== Retailer-signed ===

Retailer-signed 6263 examples carry the retailer's name printed below the Rolex coronet. The work was done locally — at Tiffany's New York, Asprey's London, Beyer's in Zurich, Cartier's various boutiques, Serpico y Laino's Caracas — not at Rolex Switzerland. Christie's has catalogued a Tiffany-signed 14k yellow gold 6263. The Sultan of Oman 6263 carries the Asprey signature alongside the Omani national crest, and one example sold for USD 864,521 at Christie's Daytona Lesson One, Geneva, on 10 November 2013.

[[File:Ref 6263 uae-quraysh-hawk.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=UAE Quraysh Hawk presentation 6263|UAE Quraysh Hawk presentation 6263]]

[[File:Ref 6263 arabian-knight.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Arabian Knight 6263 with Eastern Arabic numerals|Arabian Knight 6263 with Eastern Arabic numerals]]

<span id="sultan-of-oman-quraysh-hawk-arabian-knight"></span>
=== Sultan of Oman, Quraysh Hawk, Arabian Knight ===

The rarest 6263 branches are Middle Eastern commissions. The Sultan of Oman 6263 carries the Asprey signature alongside the Khanjar, the Omani national crest; one example sold at Christie's Daytona Lesson One in November 2013 for USD 864,521. The UAE Quraysh Hawk carries the Quraysh raptor at 6 o'clock and surfaced at Phillips Daytona Ultimatum in 2018 with a CHF 200,000 to 400,000 estimate. The Arabian Knight is a black-dial PN 6263 with Eastern Arabic numerals on the sub-dials in place of the standard 15/30/45; the Daytona Ultimatum example carried a CHF 1.5M to 3.0M estimate. Each commission stands on its own provenance rather than as a single grouped category.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

The modern 6263 market traces back to Christie's Daytona Lesson One in Geneva on 10 November 2013, curated by Aurel Bacs (then Christie's) and Pucci Papaleo. The 50-lot themed sale brought USD 13.2M total. Headline 6263 results: a 6263/6239 transitional Paul Newman with screw-down pushers c. 1969 sold for USD 1,089,186 — the million-dollar Daytona that announced the era's run-up — and the Sultan of Oman 6263 c. 1974 sold for USD 864,521.

Phillips's Daytona Ultimatum in Geneva on 12 May 2018 was the modern thematic peak: 32 lots curated by Pucci Papaleo, with multiple 6263 special branches achieving headline results. The Oyster Sotto 6263 (RCO Mk1, Lot 14) carried a CHF 1M–2M estimate. The Quraysh Hawk 6263 came in at CHF 200,000–400,000, the Arabian Knight 6263 at CHF 1.5M–3.0M. The same sale featured the JPS 6241 in gold and the Unicorn 6265 white gold at CHF 5,937,500, establishing both the price ceiling for the era and the curatorial framework that subsequent Daytona auctions worked within.

Paul Newman's own 6263 Big Red came to market at Phillips New York on 12 December 2020 and sold for USD 5.48M including fees (USD 4.5M hammer). Bidding opened just under USD 1M, jumped to USD 2M on a bid by Paul Boutros (Phillips NY), and was won by a client of Livia Russo (Phillips Geneva). The result placed the Big Red third on the all-time Rolex auction list at that point, behind Newman's first Daytona (USD 17,752,500, Phillips 2017) and the Bao Dai 6062 (CHF 5,066,000, Phillips 2017).

The Albino 6263 carries its own market arc. Eric Clapton's example traded three times before its disputed-status moment: USD 50,190 at Christie's NY in June 2003, about USD 505,000 at Sotheby's in 2008, and CHF 1,325,000 (USD 1.42M) at Phillips in May 2015. The third documented Albino, case 2648447, sold at Sotheby's Abu Dhabi on 5 December 2025 for USD 952,500 including premium (USD 750,000 hammer) — a result that came in below previous Albino transactions and reflected the Pereztroika dossier published two days before the sale. The previous owner of Lot 340 was reported to have paid nearly USD 3 million.

Standard production 6263s occupy the accessible end of the manual-wind Daytona market. Big Red examples in good condition trade in the mid-five to low-six figures. Sigma dials and standard panda configurations sit below that. Clean RCO and PN MK examples enter seven figures with provenance.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6265|Daytona 6265]] — the steel-bezel sibling on the same screw-pusher Oyster case (1971–1988)
* [[Reference:6264|Daytona 6264]] / [[Reference:6262|6262]] — the pump-pusher pair that preceded it (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] — the first screw-down-pusher Daytona (1965)
* [[Reference:6241|Daytona 6241]] — "John Player Special", the pump-pusher exotic-dial cousin (1966–1969)
* [[Reference:16520|Daytona 16520]] — "Zenith", the automatic successor that ended the manual era (1988)

See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:paul-newman-daytona|Paul Newman dials]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph] — Erik Slaven, Monochrome
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 In-Depth: A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present (Part 1/3)] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Historical Perspectives: The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained (Or, What Is A Double-Swiss Underline Daytona?)] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)] — Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/150046101/manual-wind-rolex-daytonas-phillips-november-2024 A Round-Up of 14 Manual-Wind Rolex Daytonas in the Geneva Watch Auction XX] — Phillips
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/05/penultimate-picks-from-daytona-ultimatum-at-phillips.html Penultimate Picks from Daytona Ultimatum at Phillips] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2013/11/spectacular-results-at-christies-rolex-daytona-lesson-one-auction-in-geneva-including-a-million-dollar-paul-newman.html Spectacular Results at Christie's Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" Auction in Geneva] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2020/12/paul-newman-rolex-daytona-6263-big-red-auction.html Breaking News: Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona 6263 "Big Red" Sells for US$5.48m] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/vintage-rolex-daytona-the-gold-standard Vintage Rolex Daytona: The Gold Standard] — Karyn Orrico, Sotheby's
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/interview-aurel-bacs Interview: Aurel Bacs] — A Collected Man
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ The Rolex "John Player Special" Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241] — Bob Ridley (Watchmakers International), Revolution Watch
* [https://perezcope.com/2025/12/03/not-quite-whiter-than-white-the-reality-of-the-rare-rolex-albino-daytona-ref-6263/ Not Quite Whiter Than White: The Reality of the Rare Rolex 'Albino' Daytona Ref. 6263] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151212125821/https://www.iconeek.com/rolexcosmographtropical6263.html Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Ref. 6263 Tropical Registers (archived)] — Iconeek (defunct)
* [https://www.vintagedaytona.com/en/reference-guide VintageDaytona reference guide] (VintageDaytona.com)
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-rolex-daytona A Beginner's Guide to the Early Rolex Daytona (1963-88)] — Marcus Siems, Goldammer
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference] — David Boettcher, vintagewatchstraps.com
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
[[Category:Daytona]]

Reference:6262

2026-09-05T01:22:04Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6262 Daytona}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Daytona 6262 — Pump-Pusher Daytona, 1970–1972 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6262 is the brief 1970–1972 transitional Daytona that pairs the older pump-pusher case of the 6239 with the new high-frequency caliber 727. It carries…
|keywords=Rolex, 6262, Daytona, specifications, reference guide
|image=Ref 6262 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6262 — pump-pusher metal-bezel transitional
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|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:13:59Z
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<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] › '''6262'''</small>

The 6262 is the brief 1970–1972 transitional Daytona that pairs the older pump-pusher case of the 6239 with the new high-frequency caliber 727. It carries the engraved metal tachymetric bezel of its 6239 ancestor, runs in parallel with its acrylic-bezel sibling 6264, and was overtaken within two years by the screw-pusher (screw-down chronograph pushers) 6263 / 6265 pair that closed the manual-wind era. Production was small and the reference is one of the rarer manual-wind Daytonas in the secondary market.

[[File:Ref 6262 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6262 — pump-pusher metal-bezel transitional|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6262 — pump-pusher metal-bezel transitional]]

<span id="core-facts"></span>
== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! Field !! Value
|-
| '''Reference''' || 6262
|-
| '''Family''' || Daytona (Cosmograph, manual-wind)
|-
| '''Production''' || 1970–1971 per Monochrome and two other editorial histories; the page's own Sigma-dial evidence (below) suggests a late batch ran into 1972
|-
| '''Movement''' || caliber 727 (Valjoux 72 base), 21,600 vph
|-
| '''Case''' || 36mm steel, 19mm lug width, pump pushers
|-
| '''Crystal''' || acrylic
|-
| '''Bezel''' || engraved steel tachymetric scale (vs acrylic insert on sibling 6264)
|-
| '''Crown''' || Twinlock screw-down
|-
| '''Water resistance''' || 50m / 165ft
|-
| '''Dial''' || “Cosmograph” — standard panda / reverse panda; Paul Newman exotic
|-
| '''Bracelet''' || 7205 rivet (early), 7835 folded (transitional), end-link 271
|-
| '''Sibling''' || 6264 (acrylic bezel, pump pushers, same caliber 727)
|-
| '''Predecessor''' || 6239 (caliber 722, metal bezel, pump pushers)
|-
| '''Successor''' || 6263 / 6265 (screw-down pushers, longest manual-wind run)
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The four manual-wind Daytona references in production around 1970–1972 sort cleanly along two axes: pusher type and bezel material. The 6262 carries pump pushers and the engraved metal bezel, the same case configuration as the 6239 it succeeded. The 6264 carries pump pushers and an acrylic bezel insert, the same case configuration as the 6241. The 6263 and 6265, both introduced in 1970–1971 and running through 1988, return to the screw-down pushers first seen on the 6240 in 1965 and split bezel material the same way the 6262 / 6264 pair does. The 6262 is the metal-bezel half of a pump-pusher transitional pair, and the 6263 is its screw-pusher long-run counterpart.

What changed across the four-way 1970 generation was the movement, not the case. Caliber 727 raised the beat rate from 18,000 to 21,600 vph across all four references; the case decisions were inherited from the prior pair. Within two years the screw-pusher 6263 / 6265 had won out commercially, and the pump-pusher 6262 / 6264 pair was discontinued. The pump-pusher Cosmograph chronology that started with the 6239 in 1963 ends here.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Production ran from 1970 through 1972, in parallel with the 6264 and overlapping the early 6263 and 6265 years. Total production is not pinned in any accepted Rolex source, and published date bands disagree at the edges. The 6262 is a short-run bridge reference from the last pump-pusher phase of the manual-wind Daytona line.

The reference sits in the pre-letter-serial era. Cases carry the older numeric-only serial format used by Rolex through 1986. There is no documented Mk1 / Mk2 split for the 6262, and the dial, bezel, and pusher configuration stayed stable across the run. The visible variation across surviving examples is dial-aging (tropical browning) and the optional Paul Newman exotic dial, neither of which marks a production progression.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

[[File:Ref 6262 movement-cal-727.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Cal 727 Valjoux 72 base in the 6262|Cal 727 Valjoux 72 base in the 6262]]

The 6262 carries Rolex caliber 727 throughout. The 727 is the higher-frequency revision of the Valjoux 72 base: 21,600 vph (3 Hz) versus the 18,000 vph cal 722 used in the earlier 6239 and the cal 722-1 used in the late 6239 / 6241. Architecture is otherwise unchanged. Lateral-clutch chronograph coupling, column wheel, tri-compax sub-dial layout, 17 jewels, 48-hour reserve, manual wind. No quickset, no hack. The frequency jump from 18,000 to 21,600 vph at the 722 → 727 transition is the single most consequential Rolex change to the Valjoux 72 architecture across the whole manual-wind chapter, and the 6262 / 6264 pair is the first generation to wear it.

The same caliber 727 continues into the 6263 and 6265. For forensic checking against a 6262 case, the ROW import code on US-bound movements and the bridge-stamp style are the practical reference points.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

=== Serial / year / dial / lume / bracelet ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes
|-
| 2.4M-2.6M (~1970) || 1970 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7205 (early), 7835 (transitional) || 271 || Introduction year. Bracelet transition era — early 1970 examples likely on 7205; later 1970 may have shifted to 7835.
|-
| 2.6M-3.0M (~1971) || 1971 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7835 || 271 || Mid-production. 7835 folded bracelet established as standard fitment.
|-
| 3.0M-3.3M (~1972) || 1972 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic, Sigma (transitional, late 1972) || tritium || 7835 || 271 || Final year. Sigma dials begin appearing on Daytona refs from ~1972 — late 6262 examples could carry the early Sigma marker. Reference superseded by 6263/6265.
|}

The 6262 dial group is small. Standard production wore the “Rolex Cosmograph” three-line dial: the older two-line text block of the pre-Oyster 6239 era, without the “Oyster” line that the screw-pusher Oyster 6240 / 6263 / 6265 references carry. The “Daytona” wording appears above the 6 o’clock sub-dial register, the position it had migrated to by 1967 across the manual-wind line. Both panda (black dial, white sub-dials) and reverse panda (white dial, black sub-dials) configurations appear on standard examples.

A smaller share carried Paul Newman exotic dials. The 6262 is a genuine Paul Newman host, much rarer here than on the 6263 or 6265. Late Sigma dials and tropical ageing on period black dials both turn up across the run, but they are overlays on the panda / reverse panda / Paul Newman split rather than separate dial families.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The case is the 36mm steel Oyster of the period, with pump pushers, an acrylic crystal, and 50m water resistance. The engraved steel tachymetric bezel is the quickest physical identifier of the 6262.

The scale runs 60–400 units per hour, engraved into a steel bezel insert in the same style as the 6239 and continuing on the metal-bezel screw-pusher 6265. The 6264 carries an acrylic bezel insert in the same configuration as the 6241 and 6263. The metal-versus-acrylic split runs through the entire manual-wind era: the 6239 and 6265 wear engraved metal, the 6240 and 6263 wear acrylic, and the 6262 / 6264 pair carries the choice forward in pump-pusher form.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

[[File:Ref 6262 bracelet.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=6262 on period-correct Oyster bracelet|6262 on period-correct Oyster bracelet]]

The 6262 sits across the 7205-to-7835 bracelet transition. Early watches can be on 7205, later ones on 7835, both with end-link 271. The often-repeated “771” reading is just an OCR error for 271.

Clasps date the bracelet, not the watch head. Pre-1976 clasps carry quarterly numeric stamps inside the clasp blade in roman quarter / two-digit year format (“II.71” reads second quarter 1971). The 6262’s three-year run sits entirely in this pre-letter-code era. Both 7205 and 7835 use the small-logo folding clasp generation that ran from 1958 to roughly 1976. For the date-code key and the bracelet generation table, see [[Reference:Bracelets]].

The US-market alternative bracelet was a Connecticut-made hollow-rivet 19mm with unmarked end-pieces, lighter gauge than the Swiss 7205 and sold by US Rolex agents from 1959 to 1979. These are not Rolex-stamped and are a known collector lead but not original-equipment.

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

<span id="paul-newman-6262"></span>
=== Paul Newman 6262 ===

The Paul Newman dial appears on the 6262 in much smaller numbers than on the 6263 or 6265. The dial itself is not unique to this reference, so the collector test is whether the exotic dial, the matching pump-pusher case, the cal 727 movement, and the period bracelet all line up as one delivered watch rather than a later marriage.

<span id="tropical-6262"></span>
=== Tropical 6262 ===

Tropical 6262 dials are production-period black dials that have aged to brown or chocolate under UV exposure. They exist but are scarcer than tropical 6263 / 6265 examples by virtue of the smaller population. Christie’s catalogued one such example, a 1970 6262 with tropical-register dial, as lot 2043 in ''Passion for Time: An Important Private Collection of Watches and Timepieces'' (Geneva, 6 November 2023). The browning comes from the same lacquer instability documented across the period; the black pigment in the dial lacquer was unstable to light and heat, and decades of wear drove the colour shift. Tropical examples carry a significant premium where the case, movement, and pushers all read period-correct.

<span id="sigma-transition"></span>
=== Sigma transition ===

The 6262’s final-year production overlaps the start of the Sigma dial era on Daytona references. Sigma dials carry small σ symbols flanking the SWISS line at 6 o’clock, denoting white gold hour markers under the 1970s industry agreement on identifying precious-metal components. The published collector literature marks the start of Sigma on Daytona dials around 1972, which puts the late 6262 production batch in the early-Sigma window. Standard 6263 / 6265 Sigma production runs roughly 1972 through 1978, so a documented Sigma-marked 6262 is a transitional artefact that surfaces only sporadically.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

The 6262 sits on the scarcer side of the manual-wind Daytona market because the production run was short. Standard examples trade below the Paul Newman tier but above the broader 6239 field, and the big thematic Daytona auctions helped pull the whole category upward. Auction depth is thinner here than on the 6263 and 6265, so single-lot results matter more. The clearest recent datapoint is Christie’s Geneva, 6 November 2023, lot 2043 — a 1970 example with tropical registers, case 2'416'687 — which realised CHF 110,880 against an CHF 88,000–140,000 estimate.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6264|Daytona 6264]] — Paul Newman Dials (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6241|Daytona 6241]] — "John Player Special", 14k Gold (1966–1969)
* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] — First Screw-Down-Pusher Daytona (1965–1969)
* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]] — Paul Newman, Big Red & RCO Dials (1969–1988)
* [[Reference:6265|Daytona 6265]] — Screw-Pusher Oyster (1971–1988)
* [[Reference:6234|Daytona 6234]] — Pre-Daytona (1955–1961)

See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph] — Erik Slaven, Monochrome
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-vintage-watch-nerds-critical-dissection-of-the-rolex-daytona-past-to-present-part-1-3 In-Depth: A Vintage Watch Nerd's Critical Dissection of the Rolex Daytona, Past to Present (Part 1/3)] — Paul Boutros, Hodinkee
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-rolex-daytona A Beginner's Guide to the Early Rolex Daytona (1963-88)] — Marcus Siems, Goldammer
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference] — David Boettcher, vintagewatchstraps.com
* [https://www.watchtime.com/brands/watches/tracking-the-rolex-daytona-a-53-year-history Tracking the Rolex Daytona: A 55-Year History] — WatchTime Team, WatchTime
* [https://www.christies.com.cn/en/lot/rolex-a-very-rare-and-highly-attractive-6446722/ Rolex Daytona Ref. 6262, tropical registers, circa 1970 — lot 2043, Passion for Time, Geneva] (Christie’s, 6 November 2023)
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)] — Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://perezcope.com/2022/11/03/rolex-daytona-6240-paul-newman-neanderthal-a-myth-goes-extinct/ Rolex Daytona 6240 Paul Newman "Neanderthal" — A Myth Goes Extinct] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ The Rolex "John Player Special" Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241] — Bob Ridley (Watchmakers International), Revolution Watch
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?] — Russell Sheldrake, A Collected Man
* [https://www.vintagedaytona.com/en/reference-guide VintageDaytona reference guide] — VintageDaytona.com
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2013/11/spectacular-results-at-christies-rolex-daytona-lesson-one-auction-in-geneva-including-a-million-dollar-paul-newman.html Spectacular Results at Christie's Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" Auction in Geneva] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/05/penultimate-picks-from-daytona-ultimatum-at-phillips.html Penultimate Picks from Daytona Ultimatum at Phillips] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Historical Perspectives: The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained (Or, What Is A Double-Swiss Underline Daytona?)] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/42015509/made-for-racing-rolex-and-the-daytona Made For Racing: Rolex and the Daytona] — James Marks, Phillips

[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
[[Category:Daytona]]

Reference:6241

2026-09-05T01:22:03Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6241 Daytona}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Daytona 6241 'John Player Special' — 14k Gold, 1966–1969 | Rolexopedia
|description=Short-run Daytona with pump pushers and acrylic black bezel insert (1966 to 1969). The 14k yellow gold John Player Special variant — fewer than 400 produced, North American market — is the variant that defines the reference at auction.
|keywords=Rolex 6241, Daytona 6241, JPS, John Player Special, Lotus 79, Andretti, 14k yellow gold, acrylic bezel, vintage Daytona
|image=Ref 6241 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6241
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-19T03:19:46Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:13:56Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] › '''6241'''</small>

The 6241 is the short-run manual-wind Cosmograph that put a black acrylic bezel insert on the pump-pusher Daytona case. Production runs from 1966 to 1969, parallel to the late 6239 (metal tachymetre bezel, pump pushers) and the contemporaneous 6240 (acrylic bezel, screw-down pushers). Around 3,000 examples in steel and roughly 300 in 14k yellow gold reserved for the North American market. The yellow gold is the case material that hosts the John Player Special (JPS), the black-dial Paul Newman in a yellow gold case that has come to define the reference at auction.

<span id="core-facts"></span>
[[File:Ref 6241 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6241|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6241]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
! Field !! Value
|-
| Reference || 6241
|-
| Family || Daytona (Cosmograph)
|-
| Production || 1966 to 1969 per Monochrome 2024 and ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual''
|-
| Total production || ~3,000 across all materials; fewer than 400 in 14k yellow gold per Bob Ridley's Revolution dissection (2017)
|-
| Case || 36mm stainless steel or 14k yellow gold; pump (non-screw) pushers; no crown guards
|-
| Movement || cal 722, transitioning to cal 722-1 on late examples
|-
| Beat rate || 18,000 vph
|-
| Power reserve || ~48 hours
|-
| Bracelets || 7205 rivet (period of original delivery, in steel and 14k yellow gold); 7835 folded link on the very late tail
|-
| End links || 271
|-
| Crown || 7mm Twinlock, signed Rolex coronet (no Oyster designation)
|-
| Crystal || acrylic, flat
|-
| Bezel || black acrylic insert with tachymetric scale to 200 units per hour (the defining departure from the engraved-steel 6239 bezel)
|-
| Lume || tritium throughout
|-
| Significance || first manual-wind Daytona to pair the new black acrylic bezel insert with the original pump pushers; canonical host case for the JPS yellow-gold Paul Newman variant
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The 6241 is the pump-pusher black-bezel branch inside the late-1960s Daytona lineup. The 6239 keeps the metal bezel, the 6240 adds screw-down pushers, and the 6241 keeps pump pushers with the acrylic insert. It disappears once Rolex commits fully to the later screw-pusher direction.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Three years of production, then closed. Erik Slaven's 2024 Monochrome history and ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' both date the 6241 from 1966 to 1969. Volume estimates are looser than the dates. Roughly 3,000 examples across all materials is the working figure; Bob Ridley's 2017 Revolution bench dissection of a 14k yellow gold JPS 6241 puts the 14k yellow gold subset at fewer than 400, all bound for the North American market on the strength of US import-tax treatment that favoured 14k over 18k. No 18k 6241 production has been documented.

The 6241 sits mainly in the 1968–1969 production band and stays entirely in the pre-letter era. Dating depends on the serial chart and the movement generation, not on later clasp codes. Within that run it follows the same broad dial changes as the 6239: standard Cosmograph first, Paul Newman as the exotic option, and the yellow-gold JPS branch in mid-production.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

Inside is the Valjoux 72 family. The 6241 starts on [[Reference:Movements#cal-722|caliber 722]] and picks up [[Reference:Movements#cal-722-1|caliber 722-1]] late in the run, just as the 6239 does. The beat rate stays at 18,000 vph throughout; the jump to 21,600 waits for the 6262 and 6264. US-bound watches carry the usual ROW import code on the bridge, while a smaller Swiss-kept batch does not.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

=== Serial / year / dial / lume / bracelet ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes
|-
| 1.3M-1.6M (~1966-1967) || 1966-1967 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic (Mk1) || tritium || 7205 || 271 || Introduction. Per Hodinkee Reference Points the Paul Newman exotic dial appeared on 6241 from 1966 — consistent with the 6239 Paul Newman emergence period.
|-
| 1.6M-1.9M (~1968) || 1968 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7205 || 271 || Mid-production. Yellow-gold variant runs in parallel with steel — JPS dial sits in this batch per Revolution.
|-
| 1.9M-2.2M (~1969) || 1969 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7205, 7835 (transitional, late 1969) || 271 || Final year. The 7205 → 7835 folded bracelet transition starts at the very end of 1969; not all 6241s would have shipped on 7835 originally.
|}

The 6241 carries fewer dial variants than its longer-running siblings, but enough that a table earns its place. The Paul Newman exotic dial appears on 6241 from 1966 onward and is documented across the same Mark progression that the 6239 went through, although the per-mark forensics on 6241 PN dials are less developed in the literature than on 6239 PN. The JPS yellow-gold variant is the dial that makes this reference collectible above its sibling lineup.

{| class="wikitable"
! Variant !! Years !! Distinguishing features !! Notable examples
|-
| Standard Cosmograph black/silver "Panda" || 1966 to 1969 || Black dial with silver sub-dials; "Rolex Cosmograph" at 12; no "Oyster" designation; tritium throughout. "Daytona" added below "Cosmograph" in 1966 to 1967, migrating above the 6 o'clock sub-dial from ~1967 to 1968 || Most common 6241 configuration; baseline market reference
|-
| Standard Cosmograph silver/black "Reverse Panda" || 1966 to 1969 || Silver dial with black sub-dials; otherwise identical to the panda layout || Less common than black; documented across the captured auction archive
|-
| Paul Newman exotic Mk1 || ~1966 to 1968 || Tri-color or panda exotic dial; sub-dial cross-hairs; art-deco numerals 15/30/45 in the registers (vs the 20/40/60 of standard sub-dials); square minute markers; Singer dial-maker stamp on the back || Cross-mark consistency with 6239 PN Mk1; documented in Ridley's Revolution bench dissection
|-
| Paul Newman exotic Mk2 || ~1967 to 1969 || Refined typography on the same exotic layout; minute track sits lower in the sub-dial colour band; "T SWISS T" tritium marking || Standard PN configuration in the mid-to-late run
|-
| Paul Newman exotic Mk3 || ~1968 to 1969 || Latest PN dial generation; tightest print proportions; "T SWISS T" || Late commercial production
|-
| JPS (John Player Special), 14k yellow gold case || ~1968 to 1969 || Black Paul Newman exotic dial set into a 14k yellow gold case; gold sub-dial markers and gold-tone register typography echoing the Lotus F1 black-and-gold sponsorship livery || The signature 6241 variant; <400 14k YG 6241s produced (Revolution); Sotheby's offered a JPS 6241 in the Tom Brady GOAT Collection sale (2024)
|-
| Tropical 6241 || production-period dials, aged || Heat- or sun-aged black dials oxidizing toward brown; silver sub-dials browning to amber or copper in parallel || Auction examples surface periodically across the standard and PN configurations
|-
| Retailer-signed (Tiffany, Beyer, Serpico y Laino) || across the run || Standard Cosmograph dial with retailer name added below the Rolex coronet, applied locally rather than at Rolex Switzerland || One or two examples per signature is the working census
|}

The Paul Newman checklist is the same here as everywhere else: block markers, cross-hairs, 15/30/45 sub-dial numerals, and the right Singer stamp. On the 6241 the important point is that the palette is panda and tri-color, not Oyster Sotto or Lemon.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

[[File:Ref 6241 pushers-detail.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=6241 pump pushers|6241 pump pushers]]

The 6241 case is 36mm, stainless steel for the bulk of production, 14k yellow gold for the North American JPS variant. No crown guards, in the 3-6-9 chronograph idiom Rolex carried over from the 6238 / 6239, with pump pushers throughout. The crown is a 7mm Twinlock signed with the Rolex coronet, no "Oyster" designation, since the watch is not Oyster-rated. Water resistance stays at 50m, the same as the 6239. Crystal is flat acrylic. Lugs are 19mm, which sets the bracelet vocabulary that runs through all manual-wind Daytonas.

The bezel is the headline part. A black acrylic insert with a tachymetric scale graduated to 200 units per hour, framed in a steel or yellow gold bezel ring depending on case material. This is the visual point of separation from the 6239 (engraved steel tachymetre on the same case) and the common ground with the 6240 (same insert, screw-pusher case). The acrylic bezel insert is the design language that carries forward into the 6262, 6263, and 6265; the 6241 is its first appearance on a pump-pusher Daytona.

Case authentication on the 14k yellow gold examples follows the practice Revolution documented in 2017: the case interior bears a "14K" stamp plus a large squirrel hallmark; a second small squirrel hallmark sits on the case lug; the reference number 6241 is engraved between the lugs. The squirrel mark is the Swiss assay office hallmark for 14k gold consistent with the period.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

Two bracelets span the 6241 run: mainly 7205, then 7835 at the very end. A late 7835 can be right, but it needs the date logic to support it.

End links are the 271 family throughout, fitting both the 7205 rivet and the 7835 folded bracelet. A propagated "771" code in some aggregator end-link tables is an OCR error of "271"; period photographs only ever stamp 271. Yellow gold 6241 examples ship on the 14k yellow gold 7205, never on the 8385 President bracelet — the 8385 is a Day-Date / President fitment and does not appear on the 6241.

Clasps date the bracelet, not the watch head. A 6241 sits in the pre-letter-code era throughout: the single-letter year code (A=1976, B=1977, and so on) only starts in 1976. Inside-clasp quarterly stamps on the format <Roman quarter>.<two-digit year> ("II.68" reads second quarter 1968) appear on Gay Frères clasps from the late 1950s through 1975, and a 6241 clasp will sit inside that window. For the date-code key see [[Reference:Bracelets]].

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

[[File:Ref 6241 reference-engraving.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Between-lugs reference engraving|Between-lugs reference engraving]]

[[File:Ref 6241 jps-yellow-gold-dial.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=John Player Special yellow gold Paul Newman dial|John Player Special yellow gold Paul Newman dial]]

<span id="jps-john-player-special"></span>
=== JPS — John Player Special ===

The JPS is the variant that carries the 6241 in the modern auction market. A 14k yellow gold case, a black Paul Newman exotic dial, gold-tone sub-dial typography against the black field. The dial echoes the John Player & Sons sponsorship livery of Team Lotus's Formula 1 cars in the 1970s: black with gold trim, the colour palette JPS-liveried Lotuses wore through three Constructors' Championships, including Mario Andretti's 1978 Drivers' title in the Lotus 79. Whether Rolex set out to evoke it or whether the connection was made by collectors afterward is not documented.

The forensic detail comes from Ridley's 2017 Revolution bench dissection of a 14k yellow gold 6241 PN, the canonical photographic documentation of the JPS at the bench: case interior squirrel hallmarks, cal 722 with the labelled balance-bridge modifications and the no-ROW import-code variant, the four-marker Paul Newman dial authentication checklist, the Singer dial-maker stamp on the back. The example documented is one of the no-ROW Swiss-market batch, single-owner provenance, gifted in 1972 by a Swiss family friend who picked it up in Switzerland.

The JPS framing extends in collector shorthand to the gold 6263 PN, but the same dissection notes that gold 6263 examples surfacing at auction are usually the Lemon Dial variant rather than a black tri-color or panda PN. The JPS-as-named is therefore a 6241 designation first; gold-case PN configurations on 6263 occupy a related but narrower category.

<span id="paul-newman-dials-on-6241"></span>
=== Paul Newman dials on 6241 ===

Paul Newman dials are documented on 6241 in the panda and tri-color colour types, both in steel cases and (as the JPS) in 14k yellow gold. The 6241 PN is less commonly seen at auction than the 6239 PN or the 6263 PN, in line with the shorter production run and lower volume. Per-mark sub-categorisation on 6241 PN tracks the 6239 PN progression in principle but is less developed in the published literature; mark identification on a specific 6241 PN should reference the Phillips Daytona Ultimatum lot essays (2018) and Pucci Papaleo's ''Ultimate Rolex Daytona'' for forensic sub-typing.

<span id="tropical-and-retailer-signed"></span>
=== Tropical and retailer-signed ===

Tropical 6241 examples — production-period black dials oxidized to brown or chocolate under decades of UV and heat — surface periodically across both the standard Cosmograph and Paul Newman configurations. Tropical dials are aged production dials, valued for the patina rather than the print configuration. Retailer-signed 6241 examples (Tiffany & Co., Beyer, Serpico y Laino) carry the retailer's name printed below the Rolex coronet, applied locally rather than at Rolex Switzerland; none are common on 6241, with one or two examples per signature as the working census.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

The JPS variant carries the headline numbers in the 6241 world. Phillips Daytona Ultimatum and the later Sotheby's Tom Brady sale are the key market anchors, but the broad point is simple: when collectors think JPS, they usually mean the gold 6241. Standard steel watches trade lower, and Paul Newman examples sit in a separate premium tier.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6240|Daytona 6240]] — First Screw-Down-Pusher Daytona (1965–1969)
* [[Reference:6262|Daytona 6262]] — Pump-Pusher Daytona (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6264|Daytona 6264]] — Paul Newman Dials (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6234|Daytona 6234]] — Pre-Daytona (1955–1961)
* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]] — Paul Newman, Big Red & RCO Dials (1969–1988)
* [[Reference:6265|Daytona 6265]] — Screw-Pusher Oyster (1971–1988)

See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/rolex-john-player-special-paul-newman-daytona-ref-6241/ The Rolex "John Player Special" Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241] — Bob Ridley (Watchmakers International), Revolution Watch
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)] — Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://www.phillips.com/article/150046101/manual-wind-rolex-daytonas-phillips-november-2024 A Round-Up of 14 Manual-Wind Rolex Daytonas in the Geneva Watch Auction XX] — Phillips
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph] — Erik Slaven, Monochrome
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Historical Perspectives: The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained (Or, What Is A Double-Swiss Underline Daytona?)] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?] — Russell Sheldrake, A Collected Man
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/05/penultimate-picks-from-daytona-ultimatum-at-phillips.html Penultimate Picks from Daytona Ultimatum at Phillips] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://www.watchtime.com/brands/watches/tracking-the-rolex-daytona-a-53-year-history Tracking the Rolex Daytona: A 55-Year History] — WatchTime Team, WatchTime
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-rolex-daytona A Beginner's Guide to the Early Rolex Daytona (1963-88)] — Marcus Siems, Goldammer
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference] — David Boettcher, vintagewatchstraps.com
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
[[Category:Daytona]]

Reference:6240

2026-09-05T01:22:02Z

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6240 Daytona}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Daytona 6240 — First Screw-Down-Pusher Daytona, 1965–1969 | Rolexopedia
|description=The 6240 introduced the screw-down chronograph pushers and Oyster case to the Daytona line in 1965, raising water resistance to 100m. Includes the disputed Neanderthal prototype and Mk0 Millerighe pushers.
|keywords=Rolex 6240, Daytona 6240, Neanderthal, Millerighe, Oyster Cosmograph, screw-down pushers, Perezcope, Phillips Daytona Ultimatum, Mk0
|image=Ref 6240 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6240 — Neanderthal example
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-19T03:19:41Z
|modified_time=2026-08-04T00:13:53Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:daytona|Daytona]] › '''6240'''</small>

The 6240 is the first Oyster-cased Daytona and the first Rolex chronograph with screw-down pushers. It ran from 1965 to 1969, sitting between the pump-pusher 6239 and the long-running 6263, and it set the architecture every later Daytona inherited. An acrylic black bezel insert replaced the engraved metal tachymeter, the case earned 100m of water resistance, and the dial finally carried the word "Oyster" because the chronograph could now claim it.

<span id="core-facts"></span>
[[File:Ref 6240 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6240 — Neanderthal example|Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6240 — Neanderthal example]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
! Field !! Value
|-
| Reference || 6240
|-
| Family || Daytona (Cosmograph, manual-wind)
|-
| Production || 1965 to 1969
|-
| Movement || caliber 722-1 (Valjoux 72 base), 18,000 vph
|-
| Case || 36mm, 19mm lug width, screw-down chronograph pushers
|-
| Crystal || acrylic
|-
| Bezel || acrylic insert with engraved tachymeter, black
|-
| Crown || Twinlock screw-down
|-
| Water resistance || 100m / 330ft (up from 50m on 6239)
|-
| Dial || "Oyster Cosmograph" — Cosmograph + Paul Newman exotic; rare "Solo"
|-
| Bracelet || 7205 rivet (early), 7835 folded (late), end-link 271
|-
| Successor || 6263 (screw-down pushers, long run)
|-
| Sibling || 6241 (acrylic bezel, pump pushers)
|}

<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
== Where it sits in the line ==

The manual-wind Daytona references break cleanly into three groups by pusher type and bezel material. The 6239 (1963 to 1969) carries pump pushers and a metal bezel, the 6241 (1966 to 1969) carries pump pushers and an acrylic bezel, and the 6240 sits with the screw-down pushers that define the Oyster sub-family. The 6262 and 6264 (1970 to 1972) bridge into the higher-frequency 21,600 vph Valjoux 727 era, and the 6263 (1971 to 1988) carries the screw-down-pusher Oyster format for the long run.

Rolex patented the screw-down chronograph pusher in 1964 (CH423638), and the 6240 was the first reference to put that patent into production. The construction held up, and the rest of the manual-wind line followed — first after the brief 6262 / 6264 detour back to pump pushers and a metal bezel, then permanently from the 6263 onward.

<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==

Production ran from 1965 to 1969 across the 1.1-million to 2.0-million serial range, in parallel with the pump-pusher 6239 and (from 1966) the 6241. Rolex never published a total. The most often-cited working figure sits around 2,000 examples, which puts the 6240 at roughly one-tenth the volume of the 6239 across the same window. Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' and Pucci Papaleo's ''Ultimate Rolex Daytona'' are the two book-length references most likely to carry tighter numbers, and the 2,000-piece figure should be read as a working estimate rather than a settled count.

Two broad production phases run through the reference. The earliest is the Millerighe-pusher batch in the 1.1M to 1.3M serial band, followed by the standard cylindrical-pusher run that carries the watch through to the end of production.

Paul Newman exotic dials begin appearing on Daytona production around the 1.5-million serial range, fitted across the 6239, 6240, and 6241 cases at roughly one in twenty examples by the prevailing collector accounting. The Neanderthal (case 1439122), sold at the 2018 Phillips Daytona Ultimatum auction, sits inside this band and is the basis for the attribution dispute treated in Special branches.

<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==

The 6240 runs on caliber 722-1 throughout, the second Rolex-stamped derivative of the Valjoux 72 ebauche, with column-wheel chronograph control, lateral clutch, tri-compax sub-dial layout, and a 17-jewel 18,000 vph beat rate. The architecture is the same Valjoux 72 base used across the entire manual-wind Daytona run; the 722-1 designation marks Rolex's intermediate finishing and bridge revisions before the 727 brought the frequency jump to 21,600 vph at the start of the 6262 / 6264 run in 1970.

Every 6240 runs at 18,000 vph. The reference saw no late-run frequency change; the faster movement waited for the 6262 generation. US-bound 722-1 examples carry an engraved "ROW" import code on the balance bridge, the same import marking documented on the 6241 and 6239 of the period.

<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==

=== Serial / year / dial / lume / bracelet ===

{| class="wikitable"
! Serial range !! Year !! Dial !! Lume !! Bracelet !! End links !! Notes
|-
| 1.1M-1.3M (~1965) || 1965 || Mk0 Millerighe pusher (early), Cosmograph || tritium || 7205 || 271 || Introduction year. Mk0 Millerighe pushers are the early 6240 marker per Phillips Daytona Ultimatum.
|-
| 1.3M-1.6M (~1966-1967) || 1966-1967 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic (Mk1, intermittent) || tritium || 7205 || 271 || Paul Newman exotic dial fitted ~1 in 20 from 1966 onward per multiple sources. The Neanderthal 6240 sits in this batch (disputed — see known_disputes).
|-
| 1.6M-2.0M (~1968-1969) || 1968-1969 || Cosmograph, Paul Newman exotic || tritium || 7205 || 271 || Final two years before 6262 / 6264 succession with the faster Valjoux 727. The 7835 folded-link bracelet may have appeared on the very latest examples.
|}

The dial set is small. Standard Oyster Cosmograph dials dominate the run, Paul Newman exotics are much scarcer, and the Solo dial stays a very small Italian-channel oddity.

{| class="wikitable"
! Variant !! Distinguishing features !! Notes
|-
| Standard panda Cosmograph || Black dial, white sub-dials, "Rolex Oyster Cosmograph" three-line block at 12 || Most common configuration across the run
|-
| Standard reverse panda Cosmograph || Silver-white dial, black sub-dials, same text block || Less common than panda but not rare
|-
| Paul Newman exotic (Mk1) || Art-deco sub-dial numerals, square chrono hashes, contrasting outer minute track || Fitted intermittently from ~1966 across panda and reverse panda backgrounds, ~1 in 20 of period production
|-
| Solo dial || Only the Rolex coronet and "ROLEX" word printed at 12; no "Oyster Cosmograph" line || Italian collector terminology (''solo'' = "only"); small surviving population, attribution-sensitive
|-
| "Neanderthal" Paul Newman || Monochromatic black-and-white palette, larger-than-usual chrono registers, no dial lettering beyond Rolex coronet || Single attributed example (case 1439122) — disputed; see Special branches
|}

Jose Pereztroika's "Perezcope" typology runs Paul Newman dials out to Mk1.75 and beyond for the longer 6263 / 6265 chapter; the disputed Neanderthal attribution turns on whether its dial is an early prototype or a later Mk1.75 dial swapped onto an early case.

<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The case is the period-standard 36mm steel Oyster, 19mm between the lugs, and it carries the three changes that separate the 6240 from the 6239: screw-down chronograph pushers, an acrylic black bezel insert in place of the engraved metal tachymeter, and a depth rating jumped from 50m to 100m. All three changes track together. The screw-down pushers are what the depth-rating jump and the "Oyster" dial designation depend on, and the acrylic bezel insert was Rolex's chosen aesthetic for the Oyster-cased Daytona of the period.

The screw-down pushers themselves come in two generations on the 6240. The earliest, fitted only to the first-batch watches in the 1.1M to 1.3M serial band, carry the vertically grooved Millerighe knurling. From mid-1966 onward, the standard smooth cylindrical screw-down pusher takes over. Both lock into the case via a threaded tube with a rubber gasket; both unscrew counter-clockwise to operate the chronograph and screw back down to seal the case. A 6240 found with smooth pushers in the earliest serial band has either been serviced with later pushers or is misattributed.

The bezel insert is acrylic with an engraved tachymeter scale running 60 to 400 units per hour, painted white over a black background. This is the visual signature that separates the 6240 from the 6239 (engraved metal bezel, no insert) and aligns it with the 6241, the two acrylic-bezel branches of the period. The 6262 (1970 to 1971) returned briefly to the engraved metal bezel of the 6239 before the 6263 settled the line on the acrylic insert for good. The 6240's acrylic bezels are prone to cracking, fading, and edge-chipping, and a clean original bezel insert on a 6240 is a meaningful condition item.

Crystal is acrylic, period-standard. Crown is Twinlock screw-down with the period-correct Oyster signature, the same crown architecture as the contemporary Submariner and GMT-Master.

<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

The 6240 was delivered on the 7205 Oyster rivet bracelet through most of its production. The 7205 is the 19mm rivet bracelet specifically for the Daytona / Air-King / Precision case lugs of the period; it pairs with end-link 271, identifiable by the "271" stamp on the underside. The folded-link 7835 successor, also paired with end-link 271, took over from approximately 1969, at the very end of the 6240's run, and carried into the 6262 / 6263 / 6264 / 6265 generation that followed. Some late 6240 examples may have shipped on 7835 from new; documentation is too thin to call this a clean transition.

Both bracelets used the small-logo folding clasp generation that ran from 1958 to roughly 1969. The clasp is signed inside the blade with a quarterly date code in the pre-1976 format: Roman numeral quarter plus two-digit year, e.g. "II.66" for the second quarter of 1966. The clasp dates the bracelet, not the watch head; period-correct clasps carry codes within or close to the watch's serial-derived production year.

The US-market alternative bracelet was a Connecticut-made hollow-rivet 19mm with unmarked end-pieces, lighter gauge than the Swiss 7205, sold by US Rolex agents from 1959 to 1979. These are not Rolex-stamped and are a known collector lead but not original-equipment.

<span id="special-branches"></span>
== Special branches ==

[[File:Ref 6240 neanderthal-orologi-market-1998.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Orologi & Market April 1998 page documenting the Neanderthal|Orologi & Market April 1998 page documenting the Neanderthal]]

[[File:Ref 6240 neanderthal-singer-comparison.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Singer dial-stamp comparison|Singer dial-stamp comparison]]

[[File:Ref 6240 neanderthal-phillips-lot.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 Neanderthal lot|Phillips Daytona Ultimatum 2018 Neanderthal lot]]

<span id="the-neanderthal-6240"></span>
=== The "Neanderthal" 6240 ===

The most contested 6240 is case 1439122, the Neanderthal. Phillips sold it as the earliest Paul Newman prototype, and Jose Pereztroika at Perezcope later argued the dial was a much later construction. The dispute is now central to any serious 6240 discussion.

Perezcope's 2022 dossier is the strongest challenge to the old attribution. The dossier identifies the famous dial as a later construction rather than an early factory prototype, citing the same dial previously photographed in another watch and a set of typography, tritium-text, minute-track-color, and Singer-stamp details that align with later Paul Newman production rather than the earliest 6240 story. The watch retains its market position, but the early-prototype explanation is no longer the default reading.

Perezcope reached out to Aurel Bacs and Pucci Papaleo with the findings; no public correction or buyer notification has been issued by either party as of the dossier's publication. The dispute remains live: Phillips's lot essay and Pucci Papaleo's published taxonomy treat the Neanderthal as the earliest Paul Newman 6240, and Perezcope's documented analysis treats the dial as a later swap onto an early case. The case-and-movement period-correctness of 1439122 is not contested; the dispute is dial-only.

<span id="solo-dials"></span>
=== Solo dials ===

The Solo dial, with only the Rolex coronet and "ROLEX" word printed at 12 and no "Oyster Cosmograph" line, surfaces in small numbers across early manual-wind Daytona references. Perezcope's earlier work documented at least one Solo example with the "Cosmograph" line erased, and the Italian collector tradition (''solo'' = "only") treats Solo dials as a known small-population variant rather than a single nicknamed example. Documented 6240 Solo examples are scarce and almost always carry attribution caveats. The dial's removal of standard text makes it a high-risk variant for retroactive modification.

<span id="jps-style-configurations"></span>
=== JPS-style configurations ===

The John Player Special (JPS) black-and-gold dial colourway is most strongly associated with the 14k yellow gold 6241 (the pump-pusher Oyster-bezel sibling), where Revolution's bench-side examination documents fewer than 400 produced for the North American market. JPS-aligned configurations on the 6240 — a screw-down pusher Daytona with the JPS palette — are not part of the canonical Pucci Papaleo / Phillips taxonomy and surface only as one-off attributions; treat any 6240 marketed as JPS as requiring case, dial, and pusher provenance verification before relying on the attribution.

<span id="tropical-examples"></span>
=== Tropical examples ===

Tropical 6240 dials, black dials that have aged to brown or chocolate, exist but turn up less often than tropical 6263 / 6265 examples because the underlying production was smaller. The browning is the same lacquer-instability mechanism documented on other 1960s Rolex dials. The black pigment was unstable in the lacquer mix, and light, heat, and humidity drove the colour change over decades. Tropical examples carry significant premium when the case, movement, and pushers are all period-correct.

<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==

The 6240 sits in the highest tier of vintage Daytona prices. The screw-down-pusher and acrylic-bezel combination is rare on its own, and the 2018 Neanderthal sale at Phillips lifted the rest of the reference along with it.

Standard Cosmograph-dialled 6240s in good condition trade well below the Paul Newman tier but well above contemporary 6239s with comparable dials, reflecting the smaller production population and the Oyster-format premium. Mk0 Millerighe-pusher first-batch examples carry an additional premium where the pushers are documented as period-original. As with the rest of the manual-wind Daytona corpus, condition of the acrylic bezel insert, originality of the dial and pushers, and the presence of period-correct bracelet and clasp drive the spread between the high and low examples by an order of magnitude or more.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6241|Daytona 6241]] — "John Player Special", 14k Gold (1966–1969)
* [[Reference:6262|Daytona 6262]] — Pump-Pusher Daytona (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6264|Daytona 6264]] — Paul Newman Dials (1970–1972)
* [[Reference:6234|Daytona 6234]] — Pre-Daytona (1955–1961)
* [[Reference:6263|Daytona 6263]] — Paul Newman, Big Red & RCO Dials (1969–1988)
* [[Reference:6265|Daytona 6265]] — Screw-Pusher Oyster (1971–1988)

See also the [[Reference:daytona|Daytona family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-daytona-chronograph-1963-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex Daytona, The Emblematic Racing Chronograph] — Erik Slaven, Monochrome
* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080318 Phillips — Daytona Ultimatum (Geneva, 12 May 2018)] — Pucci Papaleo (curator); Aurel Bacs (auctioneer), Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
* [https://perezcope.com/2022/11/03/rolex-daytona-6240-paul-newman-neanderthal-a-myth-goes-extinct/ Rolex Daytona 6240 Paul Newman "Neanderthal" — A Myth Goes Extinct] — Jose Pereztroika, Perezcope
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-first-rolex-daytona-by-benjamin-clymer Historical Perspectives: The Very First Rolex Daytona, Explained (Or, What Is A Double-Swiss Underline Daytona?)] — Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee
* [https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/rolex-pre-daytona-forgotten-classic Is the Rolex Pre-Daytona a Forgotten Classic?] — Russell Sheldrake, A Collected Man
* [https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/05/penultimate-picks-from-daytona-ultimatum-at-phillips.html Penultimate Picks from Daytona Ultimatum at Phillips] — Richard Lee, SJX Watches
* [https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-rolex-daytona A Beginner's Guide to the Early Rolex Daytona (1963-88)] — Marcus Siems, Goldammer
* [https://www.watchtime.com/brands/watches/tracking-the-rolex-daytona-a-53-year-history Tracking the Rolex Daytona: A 55-Year History] — WatchTime Team, WatchTime
* [https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/ Vintage Watch Straps — Rolex bracelet and clasp reference] — David Boettcher, vintagewatchstraps.com

[[Category:Daytona Manual-Wind]]
[[Category:Daytona]]