Admin: Add researched Oyster Perpetual reference 6332 article

2026-10-24T17:28:31Z

Add researched Oyster Perpetual reference 6332 article

New page

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6332}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6332 — Case, Dials and Caliber Records | Rolexopedia
|description=Reference file for the mid-century Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6332, with dated case examples, documented dial configurations, movement attributions and source limits.
|keywords=Rolex 6332, Oyster Perpetual 6332, vintage Rolex, Caliber 645, Caliber A296
|image=Ref_6332_hero.webp
|image_alt=Steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 6332 with a blue enamel outer dial ring, catalogued by Antiquorum in 2024
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] → '''6332'''</small>

<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref_6332_hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 6332 with a blue enamel outer dial ring, catalogued by Antiquorum in 2024|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2024, lot 315.]]
</div>

The 6332 is a mid-century automatic Oyster Perpetual with centre seconds and a screw-down Oyster case. Catalogues describe steel and gold-plated steel examples, usually measuring 33–35 mm. Most dated examples in the available record fall between about 1953 and 1956. A circa-1947 attribution and a circa-1963 catalogue date sit outside that cluster; neither sets a production boundary.

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6332
|-
| family
| Oyster Perpetual
|-
| function
| hours, minutes and centre seconds; no date
|-
| dated examples
| catalogue attributions range from circa 1947 to circa 1963, with the strongest group around 1953–56
|-
| case materials
| stainless steel; steel and gold-plated examples also catalogued
|-
| case diameter
| 33–35 mm in exact-reference listings; individual measurements vary
|-
| case
| screw-back Oyster case; straight-sided or slab-sided flanks noted on individual examples
|-
| bezel
| smooth in the photographed examples
|-
| crystal
| not consistently specified; some listings call it plastic or acrylic
|-
| movement
| catalogues and collectors variously identify Cal. 645, A296 or A260; see movement notes
|-
| dial
| silver, cream, black and blue examples described; these records do not form a complete variant list
|}

==Where it sits in the line==

The 6332 belongs to the time-only Oyster Perpetual line. It has no date window or rotating bezel. The reference appears in catalogues as an Oyster Perpetual; the records reviewed here do not establish a separate model name. [https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/0b5fdf83/files/uploaded/1.0%20RolexBook-23Mar.pdf The Vintage Rolex Field Manual]

==Production outline==

The records date individual watches, not the full run. The circa-1953 to 1956 cluster is supported by several catalogues and, in one case, a clear date stamp inside the case. Two outlying dates need to stay attached to their own sale records.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! example
! source description
! limit
|-
| case 504967
| Waddington’s catalogued a steel and gold-plated 34 mm watch as circa 1947, with a black gilt dial and Cal. 645.
| The photographs do not show the case engravings or an inside-back date. The number is plausible in the pre-reset sequence, but the date remains the auction house’s attribution.
|-
| serial 0.979M; case number not given
| A dealer listing dates a 34.5 mm steel watch with serial 0.979M to 1953. Dorotheum separately dates case 981576 to circa 1953. [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-oyster-perpetual-reference-6332-on-wab-rivet-bracelet Dealer listing]
| These records describe individual watches and do not show a production start.
|-
| case 981817
| Antiquorum dates this 34 mm steel watch to circa 1954. Its photograph shows the inside back stamped “6332” and “III.54.”
| The image confirms this case’s reference and date stamp; the serial is not visible.
|-
| case 978073
| Heritage gives an inner-back mark of “II.54”; Kaplans dates serial 981043 to the third quarter of 1954.
| These are separate catalogue records; dates should not be inferred from serial alone.
|-
| watch 4486
| Olde Timers reports an inside-back date of November 1956.
| The dealer does not give a serial or movement number.
|-
| case 977978
| Sotheby’s catalogues case 977978 as circa 1963 with Cal. A296. [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-6332/lpi Sotheby’s, 2019 lot 8055, archived catalogue record]
| Rolex restarted its numeric sequence after 1954, and published charts differ on the exact year boundaries. The case number alone cannot settle the date; circa 1963 remains Sotheby’s catalogue attribution.
|}

==Movement notes==

Several exact-reference auction catalogues assign Cal. 645. Antiquorum gives it for its 2012 case 978455 and 2024 case 981817; Waddington’s and Olde Timers also list it. The 2024 Antiquorum lot shows the movement, but no caliber number is readable in the photograph; the attribution comes from its catalogue text. [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6332-oyster-perpetual-lot-373-315 Antiquorum, 2024, lot 315]; [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-261-97 Antiquorum, 2012, lot 97]

Other records use A296 or A260. The Vintage Rolex Field Manual lists A296 for the 6332; Mokum and collector Ross Povey also identify A296 in individual watches. Kaplans and Watchnet use A260. Rolexopedia’s [[Reference:Movements|movement guide]] treats A.260 as a size-family designation shared with Cal. 645. These names may overlap, but the surviving listings do not settle whether every 6332 used one caliber or whether fitment changed during the run. [https://mokumwatches.com/product/rolex-oyster-perpetual-6332-big-bubble-back/ Mokum Watches]; [https://www.kaplans.se/lib/images/kataloger/2013-11-09/klockkvaliten/HTML/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf Kaplans, 2013, lot 129]; [https://www.watchnet.co.jp/en/item/view/3338 Watchnet] [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=165094 RolexForums discussion]

[[File:Ref_6332_movement.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Antiquorum photograph of the automatic movement in ref. 6332 case 981817|Movement view, case 981817. Antiquorum lists Cal. 645; no caliber number is legible here.]]

==Dial map==

Catalogued 6332 examples show several dial layouts. Antiquorum’s 2024 case 981817 has a blue outer ring, gilt Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9, dart markers, centre seconds and “Officially Certified Chronometer” text. The catalogue calls it a blue enamel dial. The photograph documents this watch; it does not establish how many such dials were made or whether every component is original.

Other photographed or catalogued examples have a matte silver dial with steel darts and a concentric seconds track; gilt Arabic numerals on silver; a stepped cream dial; a non-luminous cream dial; and black dials with gilt 3/6/9 and dart markers. Christie’s lot 811730 describes a 33 mm steel watch with a matt silver dial, batons, Arabic quarters and centre seconds. Watchnet calls one black honeycomb dial “Explorer” style; Reeman Dansie records a separate black dial with gilt 3/6/9 and darts. These descriptions belong to individual watches and do not establish a complete production sequence or dial originality. [https://www.watchnet.co.jp/en/item/view/3338 Watchnet]; [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=165094 RolexForums discussion]; [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-261-97 Antiquorum, 2012, lot 97]; [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-2077576 Christie’s, lot 2077576]; [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-811730 Christie’s, lot 811730]; [https://mokumwatches.com/product/rolex-oyster-perpetual-6332-big-bubble-back/ Mokum Watches]; [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-oyster-perpetual-reference-6332-on-wab-rivet-bracelet Dealer listing]; [https://www.reemandansie.com/auction/lot/lot-600---gentlemans-rolex-oyster-perpetual-stainless-steel-wristwatch-model-6332/?au=58&lot=50459 Reeman Dansie, 2019, lot 600]

[[File:Ref_6332_dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Close view of the blue and silver dial on Antiquorum's 2024 Rolex 6332|Dial detail, Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2024, lot 315.]]

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

Exact-reference listings give case diameters from 33 to 35 mm. The Antiquorum photographs show a smooth bezel, a screw-down crown and a broad, flat case flank. A collector who identifies his watch as a 6332 also describes brushed sides and a plus-marked Brevet crown; that is an owner’s report, not a reference-wide specification. [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=165094 RolexForums discussion]

Antiquorum’s caseback image is unusually useful for identification: the inside back carries both “6332” and the date stamp “III.54.” Kaplans calls its 1954 example’s crystal plastic; other listings use acrylic. The records do not document crystal changes through the run. [https://www.kaplans.se/lib/images/kataloger/2013-11-09/klockkvaliten/HTML/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf Kaplans, 2013, lot 129]

[[File:Ref_6332_caseback.webp|thumb|right|240px|alt=Antiquorum photograph of the 6332 inside caseback stamped III.54|Inside caseback of case 981817, stamped 6332 and III.54. Antiquorum, 2024, lot 315.]]

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

The photographed Antiquorum watch was sold on a leather strap. A dealer listing describes a steel 6332 on an Oyster bracelet dated to the fourth quarter of 1952; that date belongs to the bracelet, not the watch head. Other sale records show leather, riveted or expansion bracelets. These are sale configurations; the reviewed records do not establish standard factory fitment, a reference-specific end link, or original packaging. Reeman Dansie records a bracelet clasp stamped “1 66” on a watch whose consignor recalled buying it in 1954 or 1955. The stamped date applies to the bracelet. [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-oyster-perpetual-reference-6332-on-wab-rivet-bracelet Dealer listing]; [https://www.reemandansie.com/auction/lot/lot-600---gentlemans-rolex-oyster-perpetual-stainless-steel-wristwatch-model-6332/?au=58&lot=50459 Reeman Dansie, 2019, lot 600]

==Historical market and auction record==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! sale record
! catalogue details
|-
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 25 April 2012, lot 97
| Steel case 978455; 34 mm; Cal. 645; matte silver dial with steel dart indexes and a concentric minute/seconds track.
|-
| Christie’s, lot 2077576
| Steel case 193860; dated 1954; 33 mm; silvered dial with gilt Arabic numerals and centre seconds.
|-
| Dorotheum, 19 March 2015, lot 2928893
| Steel case 981576; circa 1953; silver-colored dial; movement number 85403, with no caliber named.
|-
| Kaplans, 9 November 2013, lot 129
| Serial 981043; Cal. A260; movement 80063; steel, 34 mm; catalogued to Q3 1954.
|-
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 26 October 2024, lot 315
| Steel case 981817; movement 79673; Cal. 645; 34 mm; circa 1954; blue enamel dial; inside back visibly stamped III.54.
|-
| Waddington’s, 4 December 2025, lot 4
| Steel and gold-plated case 504967; 34 mm; Cal. 645; circa-1947 catalogue date. Case engravings are not shown.
|-
| Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 13 June 2019, lot 8055
| Steel case 977978; circa 1963; 34 mm; Cal. A296; silvered dial. The condition text says the crown had been replaced during servicing.
|}

==Gallery==

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Ref_6332_hero.webp|Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 2024, lot 315. Case 981817.
File:Ref_6332_dial-detail.webp|Blue-ring dial with applied Arabic numerals and dart markers, same watch.
File:Ref_6332_caseback.webp|Inside back stamped 6332 and III.54, same watch.
File:Ref_6332_movement.webp|Movement view from the same lot; caliber number not legible.
</gallery>

== Sources ==

* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6332-oyster-perpetual-lot-373-315 "Antiquorum, Hong Kong 2024 lot 315 — ref. 6332 case 981817", Antiquorum, 2024-10-26]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-6332/lpi "Collector Square, Antiquorum ref. 6332 auction-record excerpts", Collector Square / LuxPrice Index]
* [https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/0b5fdf83/files/uploaded/1.0%20RolexBook-23Mar.pdf ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra]
* [https://www.windvintage.com/rolex-oyster-perpetual-reference-6332-on-wab-rivet-bracelet "Wind Vintage, non-luminous Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 6332", Wind Vintage]
* [https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/2928893/ "Dorotheum, Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 6332, lot 2928893, 19 March 2015", Dorotheum, 2015-03-19]
* [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-2077576 "Christie's, automatic Oyster Perpetual ref. 6332, lot 2077576", Christie's]
* [https://mokumwatches.com/product/rolex-oyster-perpetual-6332-big-bubble-back/ "Mokum Watches, Oyster Perpetual ref. 6332, serial 980509", Mokum Watches]
* [https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/wristwatch/rolex-ref-6332-big-bubble-back-with-rare-stepped-dial-circa-1954/a/5309-54156.s "Heritage Auctions, 2017 lot 54156 — ref. 6332 case 978073", Heritage Auctions, 2017-10-24]
* [https://www.kaplans.se/lib/images/kataloger/2013-11-09/klockkvaliten/HTML/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf "Kaplans Auktioner, November 2013 lot 129 — ref. 6332 serial 981043", Kaplans Auktioner, 2013-11-09]
* [https://www.reemandansie.com/auction/lot/lot-600---gentlemans-rolex-oyster-perpetual-stainless-steel-wristwatch-model-6332/?au=58&lot=50459 "Reeman Dansie, September 2019 lot 600 — ref. 6332 serial 980348", Reeman Dansie, 2019-09-24]
* [https://www.waddingtons.ca/auction/wrist-pocket-watches-dec-04-2025/gallery/lot/4/ "Waddington's, December 2025 lot 4 — ref. 6332 case 504967", Waddington's, 2025-12-04]
* [https://www.vintage-wristwatches.co.uk/watches-catalogue/vintage-watches/rolex-wristwatches/1950s-stainless-steel-vintage-rolex-oyster-perpetual-watch-2/ "Olde Timers, watch 4486 — Oyster Perpetual ref. 6332 dated November 1956", Olde Timers / Vintage Wristwatches UK]
* [https://www.collectorsquare.com/en/watches/rolex/oyster-perpetual/ref-rolex-6332/lpi "Collector Square, Sotheby's ref. 6332 case 977978, 2019 lot 8055", Collector Square / LuxPrice Index]
* [https://www.watchnet.co.jp/en/item/view/3338 "Watchnet / Private Eyes, Rolex Oyster Explorer honeycomb dial, ref. 6332", Private Eyes, 1954]
* [https://www.goldfingersvintage.com/watches/p/1960s-rolex-oyster-perpetual-big-bubble-ref-6332 "Goldfinger's Vintage, ref. 6332 “Big Bubble” with 900,000 serial claim", Goldfinger's Vintage]
* [https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=165094 "RolexForums, “Oyster Perpetual Ref 6332 info please,” 24 February 2011", RolexForums, 2011-02-24]
* [https://rolexhaven.com/serial-numbers.html RolexHaven (anonymous specialist), "RolexHaven — Serial Numbers (Pergola + Dowling charts photographed)", rolexhaven.com]
* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-811730 "Christie's, lot 811730 — Oyster Perpetual ref. 6332", Christie's]

[[Category:Oyster-Perpetual]]

Reference:6332 - Revision history

Admin: Add researched Oyster Perpetual reference 6332 article