Admin: Create researched reference article for Rolex 5006

2026-10-17T05:49:31Z

Create researched reference article for Rolex 5006

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Oyster Perpetual 5006}}
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|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 5006 — Bubbleback reference guide | Rolexopedia
|description=Documented 5006 examples, date estimates, dial differences, case measurements, and the unresolved caliber attribution.
|keywords=Rolex 5006, Oyster Perpetual 5006, Bubbleback, vintage Rolex
|image=Ref 5006 hero.webp
|image_alt=Steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 5006 with a rose-gold bezel and Bonklip bracelet
|type=Article
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}}

<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] → '''5006'''</small>

<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 5006 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 5006 with a rose-gold bezel and Bonklip bracelet|Finarte, Milan, 15 June 2026, lot 33. Bracelet originality is not stated.]]
</div>

The 5006 is a mid-size automatic Oyster Perpetual that collectors group with the Bubblebacks. Auction records and the ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' describe steel, two-tone, and gold examples dated from 1948 through the 1950s. Those dates attach to individual watches; they do not establish the production span. The sources record several dial layouts. One EBTH listing shows a Precision-signed dial on a watch the seller says may have been modified. Numeric caliber attribution remains unresolved.

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable"
! detail !! value
|-
| reference || 5006
|-
| family || Oyster Perpetual; grouped with Bubblebacks by collectors
|-
| production || Examples dated 1948, 1949, 1950, early 1950s, and broadly to the 1950s; production span unverified
|-
| movement || Automatic; Field Manual lists Chronometer Perpetual variants; numeric caliber unresolved
|-
| case || Steel, steel with yellow- or rose-gold bezel, and yellow gold listed; 29–30 mm in cited records
|-
| dial || Chronometer and Precision signatures reported; several marker layouts documented, factory range unresolved
|-
| bracelet || No original bracelet or end-link fitment established
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

Collectors include ref. 5006 among the mid-size Bubblebacks. Antiquorum catalogues a 29 mm yellow-gold Oyster Perpetual; EBTH lists a 29 mm steel watch; TimeAnagram gives 29.3 mm for a steel example; and Finarte records a 30 mm steel case with a rose-gold bezel. The Field Manual lists 5006/3 in stainless steel and yellow gold, and 5006/7 in yellow gold. The measurements and finishes belong to those records; they are not a full factory specification. “Bubbleback” is a collector term for early automatic Oyster cases.

==Production outline==

The dated examples fall between 1948 and the 1950s. EBTH dates its serial-masked steel watch to 1948. TimeAnagram dates a steel example with a masked serial beginning “65” to 1949. A Japanese sponsored dealer feature lists a 1950 watch; Antiquorum dates case 671819 to the early 1950s; Finarte's lot title gives the broader date “50s.” Each date is an attributed estimate; the catalogues give no common dating method, production endpoint, or serial-year sequence.

==Movement notes==

The records identify the 5006 as automatic; numeric caliber attribution remains unresolved. The ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' lists 5006/3 and 5006/7 as Chronometer Perpetual variants without naming a caliber. Finarte's case 700389 has a dial reading “Certified Chronometer.” Antiquorum reports 17 jewels and a straight-line lever escapement, while its online text renders the caliber as “8???”. EBTH lists “4696” and 18 jewels for its 5006-attributed watch, and warns that the watch may have been modified. TimeAnagram puts “AR” in its caliber field while also using AR as a size label. The records document automatic chronometer examples; a numeric caliber remains unverified.

Antiquorum graded case 671819 as needing an overhaul and noted service hands and reapplied luminous material. Those condition notes describe that watch alone.

[[File:Ref 5006 movement.webp|thumb|right|220px|EBTH, item 14105766: automatic movement shown in the case. The auction lists caliber 4696, an attribution not independently confirmed here.]]

==Dial map==

Four records show distinct dial descriptions. Antiquorum's case 671819 has a matte silver dial, applied gold triangular indexes, luminous dots, an outer minute track, and luminous gold dauphine hands. Finarte's case 700389 has painted Roman numerals and mirrored-finish indexes; the dial reads “Certified Chronometer.” Anderson & Garland's indexed 2014 lot gives Arabic numerals at the halves, batons at the quarters, and square markers at the other hours. EBTH's photographs show a dial signed “Oyster Perpetual Precision”; its catalogue warns the watch may have been modified.

{| class="wikitable"
! record !! dial evidence !! limit
|-
| Antiquorum, case 671819 || Matte silver; applied gold triangles, luminous dots, outer minute track, luminous dauphine hands || One 14K yellow-gold watch
|-
| Finarte, case 700389 || Silver; painted Roman numerals and mirrored-finish indexes; “Certified Chronometer” || One steel and rose-gold-bezel watch
|-
| Anderson & Garland, lot 760 || Arabic numerals at halves, baton quarters, square markers at other hours || Indexed auction description; dial image not checked
|-
| EBTH, item 14105766 || “Oyster Perpetual Precision” signature || Auction warns watch may have been modified
|}

These descriptions document observed examples. A complete factory dial range remains unverified.

[[File:Ref 5006 dial.webp|thumb|right|220px|EBTH, item 14105766: the pictured dial reads “Oyster Perpetual Precision.” The auction warns that the watch may have been modified.]]

==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes==

Antiquorum describes case 671819 as a 14K yellow-gold, two-body case with a screwed-down back, measuring 29 mm across and 14 mm thick. EBTH lists a 29 mm stainless-steel case and back; TimeAnagram gives 29.3 mm and 15 mm between the lugs; Finarte lists a 30 mm steel case with a rose-gold bezel. The Field Manual lists steel/yellow-gold and yellow-gold suffix variants. Antiquorum notes initials on its caseback and a crown. EBTH records an inscription dated 24 October 1951. These records give individual case details; the full bezel, crystal, crown, and case range remains undocumented.

[[File:Ref 5006 caseback.webp|thumb|right|220px|EBTH, item 14105766: exterior caseback with a personal inscription.]]

==Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes==

Finarte lists a steel Bonklip bracelet with case 700389; its catalogue leaves originality unstated. EBTH calls its steel bracelet aftermarket; TimeAnagram shows a calf-leather strap. Original bracelet and end-link fitment remain unverified. The cited descriptions record no boxes or papers.

==Special branches==

The ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' lists two suffix configurations:

{| class="wikitable"
! published suffix !! Field Manual description
|-
| 5006/3 || Chronometer Perpetual; smooth/polished bezel; mid-size; stainless steel and yellow gold
|-
| 5006/7 || Chronometer Perpetual; smooth/polished bezel; mid-size; yellow gold
|}

The book is a collector compilation rather than a Rolex factory record. The Finarte watch's rose-gold bezel does not match either material description exactly, so it remains an unsuffixed lot attribution here. EBTH's Precision-signed dial also remains an individual example because the auction warns that the watch may have been modified.

==Auction record==

{| class="wikitable"
! sale !! catalogue details !! result or estimate
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva, 12 May 2013, lot 142 || Case 671819; 14K yellow gold; matte silver dial; 29 mm; dated early 1950s || Estimate CHF 5,500–7,500; result not shown in the catalogue record
|-
| Finarte, Milan, 15 June 2026, lot 33 || Case 700389; steel with rose-gold bezel; Roman-numeral chronometer dial; Bonklip bracelet; 30 mm; described as 1950s || Estimate €1,500–3,000; result not shown in the listing
|-
| Anderson & Garland, Fine Art, 17 June 2014, lot 760 || Auction-house index identifies a steel ref. 5006 and describes Arabic halves, baton quarters, and square markers || Index reports £300; it gives no serial or condition detail
|-
| EBTH, item 14105766, closed 19 May 2025 || Steel watch listed as ref. 5006; serial masked; 29 mm; seller warns it may have been modified || Final result not recorded
|}

==Related references==

See the [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number guide]]. The cited 5006 serials are masked or attached to individual catalogue dates; they do not establish a serial-year chart.

==Gallery==

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref 5006 hero.webp|Finarte, Milan 2026, lot 33: steel 5006 with rose-gold bezel and Bonklip bracelet as catalogued
File:Ref 5006 dial.webp|EBTH, item 14105766: dial signed Oyster Perpetual Precision
File:Ref 5006 movement.webp|EBTH, item 14105766: movement in case; caliber attribution not independently confirmed
File:Ref 5006 caseback.webp|EBTH, item 14105766: exterior caseback and personal inscription
</gallery>

== Sources ==

* [https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/0b5fdf83/files/uploaded/1.0%20RolexBook-23Mar.pdf Colin R. Davis, "The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition, ref. 5006 variants, p. 107", Chevalier Edition, 2020]
* [https://www.arsvalue.com/en/lots/1423503/rolex-ovetto-5006-anni-50?nav=True "Rolex Ovetto ref. 5006, Milan, 15 June 2026, lot 33, case 700389", Finarte, 2026-06-15]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-5006-lot-272-142 "Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 5006, case 671819, Geneva, 12 May 2013, lot 142", Antiquorum, 2013-05-12]
* [https://www.ebth.com/items/14105766-1948-rolex-oyster-perpetual-bubble-back-watch "1948 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Bubble Back Watch, EBTH item 14105766", Everything But The House, 2025-05-19]
* [https://www.andersonandgarland.com/auction/search/?au=&ef=&et=&g=-1&ic=False&pn=29&pp=10&sd=1&so=2&st=rolex&sto=0 "Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 5006, Fine Art, 17 June 2014, lot 760", Anderson & Garland, 2014-06-17]
* [https://timeanagram.com/products/7593 "Rolex Bubble Back ref. 5006, product 7593", TimeAnagram]
* [https://www.watchonline.jp/contents/antique/hatsukindo_02/index_02.html "Sponsored Hatsukindou listing for Rolex ref. 5006", Watch Online Japan]
* [https://www.oysterinfo.de/de/rolex/referenznummern/ "Rolex reference-number index", OysterInfo]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=196651 "Bubbleback reference list credited to RolexForums user “w-v-m”", RolexForums]

[[Category:Bubbleback]]

Reference:5006 - Revision history

Admin: Create researched reference article for Rolex 5006