Reference:6204 - Revision history

Admin: Images: remove duplicate lead photo from case section

2026-10-13T23:49:51Z

Images: remove duplicate lead photo from case section

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:49, 13 October 2026
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	Period-style inserts are described without minute graduations between zero and 15 and with a luminous triangle at 60. Later replacement inserts are common in the auction record, so the bezel should be assessed separately from the case and dial.		Period-style inserts are described without minute graduations between zero and 15 and with a luminous triangle at 60. Later replacement inserts are common in the auction record, so the bezel should be assessed separately from the case and dial.

	~~<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">~~		[[File:Ref 6204 caseback-engraving.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Caseback engraving, BREVET+ and model markings\|Caseback engraving, BREVET+ and model markings]]
	~~File:Ref 6204 hero.webp\|alt=Submariner 6204, the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards\|Submariner 6204, the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards~~
	File:Ref 6204 caseback-engraving.webp\|alt=Caseback engraving, BREVET+ and model markings\|Caseback engraving, BREVET+ and model markings
	~~</gallery>~~

	<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>		<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>

Klaudiusz: Align 6204 SEO hero and add required footer gallery

2026-09-29T06:40:59Z

Align 6204 SEO hero and add required footer gallery

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:40, 29 September 2026
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	\|title=Rolex Submariner 6204 (1953–1954), Production & Dial Guide \| Rolexopedia		\|title=Rolex Submariner 6204 (1953–1954), Production & Dial Guide \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=The Rolex 6204 is the small-crown, no-guards Submariner reference documented from 1953–1954. It uses caliber A260, a 5.3mm Brevet crown, a 37mm steel case, and glossy black gilt dials.		\|description=The Rolex 6204 is the small-crown, no-guards Submariner reference documented from 1953–1954. It uses caliber A260, a 5.3mm Brevet crown, a 37mm steel case, and glossy black gilt dials.
	\|image=Ref 6204 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 6204 hero 2.webp
	\|image_alt=Submariner 6204, the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards		\|image_alt=Submariner 6204, the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards
	\|type=Article		\|type=Article
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	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]].		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]].

			<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
			File:Ref 6204 hero 2.webp\|alt=Submariner 6204, small crown and no crown guards\|Submariner 6204, small crown and no crown guards
			File:Ref 6204 caseback-engraving.webp\|alt=6204 caseback engraving and BREVET+ detail\|6204 caseback engraving and BREVET+ detail
			File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-top.webp\|alt=Gay Frères riveted Oyster bracelet, top view\|Gay Frères riveted Oyster bracelet, top view
			File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-detail.webp\|alt=Gay Frères riveted Oyster bracelet, detail\|Gay Frères riveted Oyster bracelet, detail
			File:Ref 6204 clasp-gay-freres.webp\|alt=Gay Frères clasp interior with Rolex coronet\|Gay Frères clasp interior with Rolex coronet
			File:Ref 6204 endlink-65-stamp.webp\|alt=End link stamped 65\|End link stamped 65
			File:Ref 6204 vintage-illustration.webp\|alt=Period illustration of the Submariner 6204\|Period illustration of the Submariner 6204
			</gallery>

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

Admin: Deep correctness and anti-slop audit: Reference 6204

2026-09-22T17:33:28Z

Deep correctness and anti-slop audit: Reference 6204

Show changes

Admin: Batch 30 anti-slop prose audit and heading cleanup

2026-09-22T04:31:04Z

Batch 30 anti-slop prose audit and heading cleanup

Show changes

Admin: Place orphaned bracelet-rivet-detail image in bracelet gallery

2026-09-14T04:45:50Z

Place orphaned bracelet-rivet-detail image in bracelet gallery

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:45, 14 September 2026
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	<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">		<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
	File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-top.webp\|alt=Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view\|Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view		File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-top.webp\|alt=Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view\|Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view
			File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-detail.webp\|alt=Gay Freres rivet bracelet — detail view\|Gay Freres rivet bracelet — detail view
	File:Ref 6204 clasp-gay-freres.webp\|alt=Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet\|Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet		File:Ref 6204 clasp-gay-freres.webp\|alt=Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet\|Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet
	File:Ref 6204 endlink-65-stamp.webp\|alt=End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker\|End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker		File:Ref 6204 endlink-65-stamp.webp\|alt=End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker\|End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker

Klaudiusz: Galleries: convert 1 in-section image cluster(s) to comparison galleries (same files, same captions)

2026-09-13T18:06:29Z

Galleries: convert 1 in-section image cluster(s) to comparison galleries (same files, same captions)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:06, 13 September 2026
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	== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==		== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

	[[File:Ref 6204 hero.webp~~\|thumb\|right\|250px~~\|alt=Submariner 6204 — the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards\|Submariner 6204 — the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards]]		<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
	[[File:Ref 6204 caseback-engraving.webp~~\|thumb\|right\|220px~~\|alt=Caseback engraving — BREVET+ and model markings\|Caseback engraving — BREVET+ and model markings]]		File:Ref 6204 hero.webp\|alt=Submariner 6204 — the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards\|Submariner 6204 — the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards
			File:Ref 6204 caseback-engraving.webp\|alt=Caseback engraving — BREVET+ and model markings\|Caseback engraving — BREVET+ and model markings
			</gallery>

	The 6204 case is a slim no-crown-guard Submariner with a 5.3mm Brevet crown (Hodinkee, Monochrome), an early friction bezel, and the simpler no-hash insert format — minute graduations between zero and 15 had not yet been added. The case still reads closer to the 6202 Turn-O-Graph than to the mature late-1950s Submariner. Hodinkee, Monochrome, and aBlogtoWatch all measure the case at 37mm without crown; WatchTime gives 36mm. The 37mm consensus dominates; the smaller measurements likely reflect dial-aperture rather than case-OD readings. Fratello dissents on crown size at 6mm — the 5.3mm figure draws on the stronger collector-research lineage.		The 6204 case is a slim no-crown-guard Submariner with a 5.3mm Brevet crown (Hodinkee, Monochrome), an early friction bezel, and the simpler no-hash insert format — minute graduations between zero and 15 had not yet been added. The case still reads closer to the 6202 Turn-O-Graph than to the mature late-1950s Submariner. Hodinkee, Monochrome, and aBlogtoWatch all measure the case at 37mm without crown; WatchTime gives 36mm. The 37mm consensus dominates; the smaller measurements likely reflect dial-aperture rather than case-OD readings. Fratello dissents on crown size at 6mm — the 5.3mm figure draws on the stronger collector-research lineage.

Admin: Layout: move duplicate hero-named image out of lead zone into its matching section

2026-09-07T01:21:37Z

Layout: move duplicate hero-named image out of lead zone into its matching section

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:21, 7 September 2026
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	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

	~~[[File:Ref 6204 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Submariner 6204 — the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards\|Submariner 6204 — the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards]]~~

	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==
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	== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==		== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

			[[File:Ref 6204 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Submariner 6204 — the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards\|Submariner 6204 — the first Submariner, small crown, no crown guards]]
	[[File:Ref 6204 caseback-engraving.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Caseback engraving — BREVET+ and model markings\|Caseback engraving — BREVET+ and model markings]]		[[File:Ref 6204 caseback-engraving.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Caseback engraving — BREVET+ and model markings\|Caseback engraving — BREVET+ and model markings]]

Admin: Layout: hero inserted

2026-09-06T22:24:44Z

Layout: hero inserted

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:24, 6 September 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:submariner\|Submariner]] › '''6204'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:submariner\|Submariner]] › '''6204'''</small>

			<div class="rp-lead">
			[[File:Ref 6204 hero 2.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=Rolex 6204 Submariner\|Rolex 6204 Submariner]]
			</div>

	The 6204 is the first Submariner. Rolex had built dive-capable Oyster cases before, but the 6204 is the first reference number to carry the Submariner name, and the starting point of a line that runs through every Submariner made since. Nicholas Foulkes's ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep'' (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024) records 2,881 examples produced across 1953 and 1954 — small enough that surviving examples are tracked individually by collectors, and the dial variants get parsed at single-digit confirmed-example resolution.		The 6204 is the first Submariner. Rolex had built dive-capable Oyster cases before, but the 6204 is the first reference number to carry the Submariner name, and the starting point of a line that runs through every Submariner made since. Nicholas Foulkes's ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep'' (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024) records 2,881 examples produced across 1953 and 1954 — small enough that surviving examples are tracked individually by collectors, and the dial variants get parsed at single-digit confirmed-example resolution.

Admin: Layout: 1 gallery plate(s)

2026-09-06T22:21:24Z

Layout: 1 gallery plate(s)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:21, 6 September 2026
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	== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==		== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==

	[[File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-top.webp~~\|thumb\|right\|220px~~\|alt=Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view\|Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view]]		<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
	[[File:Ref 6204 clasp-gay-freres.webp~~\|thumb\|right\|220px~~\|alt=Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet\|Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet]]		File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-top.webp\|alt=Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view\|Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view
	[[File:Ref 6204 endlink-65-stamp.webp~~\|thumb\|right\|220px~~\|alt=End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker\|End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker]]		File:Ref 6204 clasp-gay-freres.webp\|alt=Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet\|Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet
			File:Ref 6204 endlink-65-stamp.webp\|alt=End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker\|End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker
			</gallery>

	The original-delivery bracelet is a 20mm Gay Frères Swiss riveted Oyster with fixed end links stamped 64 or 65 (Mondani; consistent with Phillips lot 292 and the broader surviving population). The 6636 stretch-rivet family is period-correct. Clasp date codes on plausibly-original bracelets read 2.53 (Q1 1953), in line with the case-stamp era — Phillips 2021 lot 79 carries a clasp 2.53 against case 988'923, the cleanest period-correct configuration in the public record.		The original-delivery bracelet is a 20mm Gay Frères Swiss riveted Oyster with fixed end links stamped 64 or 65 (Mondani; consistent with Phillips lot 292 and the broader surviving population). The 6636 stretch-rivet family is period-correct. Clasp date codes on plausibly-original bracelets read 2.53 (Q1 1953), in line with the case-stamp era — Phillips 2021 lot 79 carries a clasp 2.53 against case 988'923, the cleanest period-correct configuration in the public record.
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	The 6204 trades at the top of the early Submariner market on historical position more than absolute rarity. The 6200 is rarer in production terms. The 6204 is where the name begins.		The 6204 trades at the top of the early Submariner market on historical position more than absolute rarity. The 6200 is rarer in production terms. The 6204 is where the name begins.


	== Related references ==		== Related references ==

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

2026-09-05T01:21:58Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:21, 5 September 2026
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	}}		}}

	<small>[[Reference:submariner\|Submariner]] -> '''6204'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:submariner\|Submariner]] › '''6204'''</small>

	The 6204 is the first Submariner. Rolex had built dive-capable Oyster cases before, but the 6204 is the first reference number to carry the Submariner name, and the starting point of a line that runs through every Submariner made since. Nicholas Foulkes's ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep'' (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024) records 2,881 examples produced across 1953 and 1954 — small enough that surviving examples are tracked individually by collectors, and the dial variants get parsed at single-digit confirmed-example resolution.		The 6204 is the first Submariner. Rolex had built dive-capable Oyster cases before, but the 6204 is the first reference number to carry the Submariner name, and the starting point of a line that runs through every Submariner made since. Nicholas Foulkes's ''Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep'' (Wallpaper / ACC Art Books, 2024) records 2,881 examples produced across 1953 and 1954 — small enough that surviving examples are tracked individually by collectors, and the dial variants get parsed at single-digit confirmed-example resolution.
Line 22:		Line 22:
	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable rp-facts"
	\|-		\|-
	! detail		! detail

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:45, 14 September 2026
Line 142:		Line 142:
	<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">		<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
	File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-top.webp\|alt=Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view\|Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view		File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-top.webp\|alt=Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view\|Gay Freres rivet bracelet — top view
			File:Ref 6204 bracelet-rivet-detail.webp\|alt=Gay Freres rivet bracelet — detail view\|Gay Freres rivet bracelet — detail view
	File:Ref 6204 clasp-gay-freres.webp\|alt=Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet\|Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet		File:Ref 6204 clasp-gay-freres.webp\|alt=Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet\|Gay Freres clasp interior with Rolex coronet
	File:Ref 6204 endlink-65-stamp.webp\|alt=End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker\|End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker		File:Ref 6204 endlink-65-stamp.webp\|alt=End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker\|End link with "65" stamp — original fitment marker