Reference:6534 - Revision history

Klaudiusz: Deep anti-slop and correctness audit: remove wiki-meta language, qualify 1035 chronology, tighten auction prose, canonicalize headings

2026-09-29T08:17:49Z

Deep anti-slop and correctness audit: remove wiki-meta language, qualify 1035 chronology, tighten auction prose, canonicalize headings

Klaudiusz: Lint fix: flatten self-link in footer gallery

2026-09-29T06:10:34Z

Lint fix: flatten self-link in footer gallery

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:10, 29 September 2026
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	<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">		<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
	File:Ref 6534 hero.webp\|6534 overview\|~~[[Reference:~~6534~~\|6534]]~~ stainless-steel example		File:Ref 6534 hero.webp\|6534 overview\|6534 stainless-steel example
	File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|Case and dial\|Tonneau Oyster case and smooth bezel		File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|Case and dial\|Tonneau Oyster case and smooth bezel
	File:Ref 6534 dial-detail.webp\|Dial detail\|Silvered dart-marker dial		File:Ref 6534 dial-detail.webp\|Dial detail\|Silvered dart-marker dial

Klaudiusz: Deep audit: tighten prose and add required footer gallery

2026-09-29T06:10:05Z

Deep audit: tighten prose and add required footer gallery

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:10, 29 September 2026
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	By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the 6609 "Thunderbird" (not yet published on this wiki) is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. This wiki's own [[Reference:Movements\|caliber page]] documents Cal. 1035 powering the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two different dial identities depending on the case and bezel Rolex fitted it to.		By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the 6609 "Thunderbird" (not yet published on this wiki) is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. This wiki's own [[Reference:Movements\|caliber page]] documents Cal. 1035 powering the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two different dial identities depending on the case and bezel Rolex fitted it to.

	~~That makes the~~ 6534 ~~one of~~ a small ~~immediate~~ cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years — 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537 ~~— sharing~~ the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family ~~that~~ also ~~powers~~ the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). None of ~~that cluster~~ has its own article on this wiki yet.		The 6534 belongs to a small cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years: 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537. They share the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family also used in the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). None of those references has its own article on this wiki yet.

	==Production outline==		==Production outline==
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	\|}		\|}

	The record ~~spans three~~ currencies and ~~three continents' worth of sale rooms~~, with hammer and estimate figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. ~~That spread~~ is too ~~thin~~ and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend. The 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.		The record covers several currencies and auction houses, with hammer and estimate figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. The sample is too small and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend. The 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.

	[[File:Ref 6534 wrist-angle.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534, angled wrist shot, brown leather strap\|A later example on a brown leather strap, gold-toned hour markers]]		[[File:Ref 6534 wrist-angle.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534, angled wrist shot, brown leather strap\|A later example on a brown leather strap, gold-toned hour markers]]
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	See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].		See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual 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 6534 hero.webp\|6534 overview\|[[Reference:6534\|6534]] stainless-steel example
			File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|Case and dial\|Tonneau Oyster case and smooth bezel
			File:Ref 6534 dial-detail.webp\|Dial detail\|Silvered dart-marker dial
			File:Ref 6534 wrist-angle.webp\|Wrist angle\|Later example on associated leather strap
			</gallery>

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

Klaudiusz: Finish anti-slop pass: 6534 auction and dial prose

2026-09-28T21:47:39Z

Finish anti-slop pass: 6534 auction and dial prose

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:47, 28 September 2026
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	The 6534 pairs Rolex's flat 1950s Oyster case with a self-winding calendar movement, and its dial says exactly that: "Oyster Perpetual, Date." The fluted-bezel Datejust line ran alongside it on the same broad movement family. Auction-dated examples run from 1955 into at least 1958, in stainless steel and, less often, in 14ct and 18k gold.		The 6534 pairs Rolex's flat 1950s Oyster case with a self-winding calendar movement, and its dial says exactly that: "Oyster Perpetual, Date." The fluted-bezel Datejust line ran alongside it on the same broad movement family. Auction-dated examples run from 1955 into at least 1958, in stainless steel and, less often, in 14ct and 18k gold.

	A small early batch breaks that rule. Two 1955 examples carry dials reading "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust" in red lettering ~~— collectors~~ call the type the Red Datejust ~~— before~~ Rolex settled on the plain "Date" wording ~~that covers the bulk~~ of the run.		A small early batch breaks that rule. Two 1955 examples carry dials reading "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust" in red lettering. Collectors call the type the Red Datejust. Rolex later settled on the plain "Date" wording used on most of the run.

	==Core facts==		==Core facts==
Line 129:		Line 129:
	\| Antiquorum, New York		\| Antiquorum, New York
	\| 15 Sep 2010		\| 15 Sep 2010
	\| —		\| n/a
	\| Steel		\| Steel
	\| —		\| n/a
	\|-		\|-
	\| Bonhams, London (17940/157)		\| Bonhams, London (17940/157)
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	\| 227651		\| 227651
	\| Steel		\| Steel
	\| —		\| n/a
	\|-		\|-
	\| Antiquorum, Geneva		\| Antiquorum, Geneva
	\| 11 Nov 2018		\| 11 Nov 2018
	\| —		\| n/a
	\| Steel		\| Steel
	\| CHF 1,875		\| CHF 1,875
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	\| 246***		\| 246***
	\| Steel, bid-in (not sold)		\| Steel, bid-in (not sold)
	\| —		\| n/a
	\|-		\|-
	\| Antiquorum, Hong Kong		\| Antiquorum, Hong Kong
	\| 13 Jun 2023		\| 13 Jun 2023
	\| —		\| n/a
	\| Steel		\| Steel
	\| est. HKD 18,000+		\| est. HKD 18,000+
Line 183:		Line 183:
	\| Antiquorum, Geneva (online)		\| Antiquorum, Geneva (online)
	\| 8 Oct 2024		\| 8 Oct 2024
	\| —		\| n/a
	\| Steel		\| Steel
	\| CHF 1,260		\| CHF 1,260
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	\| Antiquorum, Milan (online)		\| Antiquorum, Milan (online)
	\| Apr 2025		\| Apr 2025
	\| —		\| n/a
	\| Steel		\| Steel
	\| est. EUR 3,400–4,500		\| est. EUR 3,400–4,500

Klaudiusz: Deep anti-slop and navigation audit: 6534

2026-09-28T21:47:04Z

Deep anti-slop and navigation audit: 6534

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:47, 28 September 2026
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	</div>		</div>

	The 6534 pairs Rolex's flat 1950s Oyster case with a self-winding calendar movement, and its dial says exactly that: "Oyster Perpetual, Date." ~~Not Datejust, despite sharing a movement family with the~~ fluted-bezel Datejust ~~references Rolex was building in parallel~~. Auction-dated examples run from 1955 into at least 1958, in stainless steel and, less often, in 14ct and 18k gold.		The 6534 pairs Rolex's flat 1950s Oyster case with a self-winding calendar movement, and its dial says exactly that: "Oyster Perpetual, Date." The fluted-bezel Datejust line ran alongside it on the same broad movement family. Auction-dated examples run from 1955 into at least 1958, in stainless steel and, less often, in 14ct and 18k gold.

	A small early batch breaks that rule. Two 1955 examples carry dials reading "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust" in red lettering — collectors call the type the Red Datejust — before Rolex settled on the plain "Date" wording that covers the bulk of the run.		A small early batch breaks that rule. Two 1955 examples carry dials reading "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust" in red lettering — collectors call the type the Red Datejust — before Rolex settled on the plain "Date" wording that covers the bulk of the run.
Line 65:		Line 65:
	[[File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 case and dial, tonneau shape, screw-down crown\|Case No. 246***, Bonhams London 2019 — tonneau case, smooth bezel, screw-down crown]]		[[File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 case and dial, tonneau shape, screw-down crown\|Case No. 246***, Bonhams London 2019 — tonneau case, smooth bezel, screw-down crown]]

	By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the ~~[[Reference:6609\|~~6609 "Thunderbird"]] (not yet published on this wiki) is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. This wiki's own [[Reference:Movements\|caliber page]] documents Cal. 1035 powering the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two different dial identities depending on the case and bezel Rolex fitted it to.		By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the 6609 "Thunderbird" (not yet published on this wiki) is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. This wiki's own [[Reference:Movements\|caliber page]] documents Cal. 1035 powering the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two different dial identities depending on the case and bezel Rolex fitted it to.

	That makes the 6534 one of a small immediate cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years — 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537 — sharing the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family that also powers the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). None of that cluster has its own article on this wiki yet.		That makes the 6534 one of a small immediate cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years — 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537 — sharing the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family that also powers the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). None of that cluster has its own article on this wiki yet.
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	==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==		==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

	Steel examples are documented on brushed and polished Oyster rivet-link bracelets. One clasp is stamped "1 55," read under this wiki's own clasp-code convention as first-quarter 1955 — a code that dates the bracelet, not necessarily the watch head, though it sits comfortably inside the reference's known production window. Other documented examples, including the gold watch, wear associated (non-original) leather straps rather than a bracelet, and Bonhams flags those associations explicitly rather than presenting them as original delivery.		Steel examples are documented on brushed and polished Oyster rivet-link bracelets. One clasp is stamped "1 55," read under this wiki's own clasp-code convention as first-quarter 1955, a code that dates the bracelet, not necessarily the watch head, though it sits comfortably inside the reference's known production window. Other documented examples, including the gold watch, wear associated (non-original) leather straps rather than a bracelet, and Bonhams flags those associations explicitly rather than presenting them as original delivery.

	==Retailer signatures==		==Retailer signatures==
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	\|}		\|}

	The record spans three currencies and three continents' worth of sale rooms, with hammer and estimate figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. That spread is too thin and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend ~~— the~~ 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.		The record spans three currencies and three continents' worth of sale rooms, with hammer and estimate figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. That spread is too thin and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend. The 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.

	[[File:Ref 6534 wrist-angle.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534, angled wrist shot, brown leather strap\|A later example on a brown leather strap, gold-toned hour markers]]		[[File:Ref 6534 wrist-angle.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534, angled wrist shot, brown leather strap\|A later example on a brown leather strap, gold-toned hour markers]]
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	== Related references ==		== Related references ==

	* [[Reference:6098\|Oyster Perpetual 6098]] — contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, same 1030-family movement architecture ~~without the~~ date		* [[Reference:6098\|Oyster Perpetual 6098]]: contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, with the same 1030-family movement architecture and no date
	* Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird" — fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement, not yet published		* Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird": fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement, not yet published
	* Oyster Perpetual Date 6530 — smaller-cased running mate, not yet published		* Oyster Perpetual Date 6530: smaller-cased running mate, not yet published
	* Oyster Perpetual Date 6537 — 18k gold version, not yet published		* Oyster Perpetual Date 6537: 18k gold version, not yet published

	See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].		See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].

Admin: SEO fix: unlink references to not-yet-published pages (broken internal links)

2026-09-19T03:33:20Z

SEO fix: unlink references to not-yet-published pages (broken internal links)

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:33, 19 September 2026
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	* [[Reference:6098\|Oyster Perpetual 6098]] — contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, same 1030-family movement architecture without the date		* [[Reference:6098\|Oyster Perpetual 6098]] — contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, same 1030-family movement architecture without the date
	* ~~[[Reference:6609\|~~Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird"]] — fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement, not yet published		* Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird" — fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement, not yet published
	* ~~[[Reference:6530\|~~Oyster Perpetual Date 6530]] — smaller-cased running mate, not yet published		* Oyster Perpetual Date 6530 — smaller-cased running mate, not yet published
	* ~~[[Reference:6537\|~~Oyster Perpetual Date 6537]] — 18k gold version, not yet published		* Oyster Perpetual Date 6537 — 18k gold version, not yet published

	See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].		See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].

Admin: Fix reffuter-verified errors: half-wrong Red Datejust dial-color claim (only 1 of 2 lots genuinely red), 3 omitted sold prices, fabricated Bonhams hammer-price splits, inconsistent caliber dates, missing 6609 redlink disclosure, misleading SEO date range, negation-shape prose

2026-09-15T20:30:21Z

Fix reffuter-verified errors: half-wrong Red Datejust dial-color claim (only 1 of 2 lots genuinely red), 3 omitted sold prices, fabricated Bonhams hammer-price splits, inconsistent caliber dates, missing 6609 redlink disclosure, misleading SEO date range, negation-shape prose

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:30, 15 September 2026
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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6534 — Early Automatic Date & Auction Record \| Rolexopedia		\|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6534 — Early Automatic Date & Auction Record \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=Rolex reference 6534: the smooth-bezel Oyster Perpetual Date of the mid-1950s, its Cal. 1035 movement, the early "Red Datejust" dial branch, and ~~its~~ documented auction record ~~from 1955~~ to 2025.		\|description=Rolex reference 6534: the smooth-bezel Oyster Perpetual Date of the mid-1950s, its Cal. 1035 movement, the early "Red Datejust" dial branch, and a documented auction record running 2008 to 2025.
	\|image=Ref 6534 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 6534 hero.webp
	\|type=article		\|type=article
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	[[File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 case and dial, tonneau shape, screw-down crown\|Case No. 246***, Bonhams London 2019 — tonneau case, smooth bezel, screw-down crown]]		[[File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 case and dial, tonneau shape, screw-down crown\|Case No. 246***, Bonhams London 2019 — tonneau case, smooth bezel, screw-down crown]]

	By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the [[Reference:6609\|6609 "Thunderbird"]] is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. This wiki's own [[Reference:Movements\|caliber page]] documents Cal. 1035 powering the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two different dial identities depending on the case and bezel Rolex fitted it to.		By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the [[Reference:6609\|6609 "Thunderbird"]] (not yet published on this wiki) is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. This wiki's own [[Reference:Movements\|caliber page]] documents Cal. 1035 powering the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two different dial identities depending on the case and bezel Rolex fitted it to.

	That makes the 6534 one of a small immediate cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years — 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537 — sharing the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family that also powers the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). None of that cluster has its own article on this wiki yet.		That makes the 6534 one of a small immediate cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years — 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537 — sharing the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family that also powers the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). None of that cluster has its own article on this wiki yet.
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	Case-number dating carries the usual fuzziness. Case No. 137,772, which Bonhams read as circa 1956 from its date code, falls inside the 63,425–139,166 band this wiki's [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial-number guide]] dates to 1955 following Carlo Pergola's chart — a year earlier than Bonhams's own reading. Case No. 227,651, which Antiquorum dated 1957, falls inside Pergola's 147,691–261,715 band for 1956. Neither gap is large enough to treat as a real conflict; the serial-number guide's own caution against averaging conflicting dates into a precise year applies here as much as anywhere else.		Case-number dating carries the usual fuzziness. Case No. 137,772, which Bonhams read as circa 1956 from its date code, falls inside the 63,425–139,166 band this wiki's [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial-number guide]] dates to 1955 following Carlo Pergola's chart — a year earlier than Bonhams's own reading. Case No. 227,651, which Antiquorum dated 1957, falls inside Pergola's 147,691–261,715 band for 1956. Neither gap is large enough to treat as a real conflict; the serial-number guide's own caution against averaging conflicting dates into a precise year applies here as much as anywhere else.

	One further example muddies the picture more seriously. Bonhams catalogued a 14ct gold 6534, case No. 446,128, as circa 1946 — a date that does not survive scrutiny. Cal. 1030 and its Cal. 1035 date derivative ~~were not built before 1950~~, ~~and~~ case No. 446,128 sits inside the 437,255–530,168 band Pergola's chart dates to 1959. Bonhams's own lot description already flags the dial as a later replacement, so the watch was clearly serviced at some point; the more likely reading is a late-1950s case ~~with~~ a cataloguing-era date error~~, not a genuine mid-1940s 6534~~. Both datings are recorded here rather than silently resolved. Taken together, the documented record runs from 1955 to at least 1958, with the gold case number pointing toward continued production into 1959.		One further example muddies the picture more seriously. Bonhams catalogued a 14ct gold 6534, case No. 446,128, as circa 1946 — a date that does not survive scrutiny. Cal. 1030 was introduced in 1955 and its Cal. 1035 date derivative in 1957 (per this wiki's own caliber page), a decade after Bonhams's stated date; case No. 446,128 sits inside the 437,255–530,168 band Pergola's chart dates to 1959. Bonhams's own lot description already flags the dial as a later replacement, so the watch was clearly serviced at some point; the more likely reading is a late-1950s case carrying a cataloguing-era date error. Both datings are recorded here rather than silently resolved. Taken together, the documented record runs from 1955 to at least 1958, with the gold case number pointing toward continued production into 1959.

	==Movement notes==		==Movement notes==
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	The standard dial, seen on the majority of documented examples, is silvered with applied dart-shaped luminous hour markers, a black outer minute or fifths-of-a-second track, and "ROLEX / OYSTER PERPETUAL / DATE" printed above "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER." Two of the four Bonhams lots describe the date aperture at 3 as "magnified" — collector shorthand for a cyclops lens — though the lens is subtle enough in catalogue photography that it is not obviously present on every example, and a third lot's description omits the word entirely without indicating a genuinely flat-crystal variant. Hand shapes vary across the small documented sample: lance, leaf, and sword hands all appear, without an established chronological pattern tying a given shape to a particular production year.		The standard dial, seen on the majority of documented examples, is silvered with applied dart-shaped luminous hour markers, a black outer minute or fifths-of-a-second track, and "ROLEX / OYSTER PERPETUAL / DATE" printed above "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER." Two of the four Bonhams lots describe the date aperture at 3 as "magnified" — collector shorthand for a cyclops lens — though the lens is subtle enough in catalogue photography that it is not obviously present on every example, and a third lot's description omits the word entirely without indicating a genuinely flat-crystal variant. Hand shapes vary across the small documented sample: lance, leaf, and sword hands all appear, without an established chronological pattern tying a given shape to a particular production year.

	The Red Datejust dial is the reference's one clear special branch. ~~Two Antiquorum lots, both with case numbers just above~~ 138,~~000 and both dated 1955~~, ~~carry dials reading~~ "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust, Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" in red print. It is an early transitional ~~wording, dropped in favor of~~ the plain "Date" script ~~that covers~~ every later ~~documented~~ example~~, and it is the reason this reference's Datejust-adjacent naming has to be addressed directly rather than assumed away~~.		The Red Datejust dial is the reference's one clear special branch, and it is narrower than it first looks. Case No. 138,008 (Antiquorum, 2008) is a genuine example: the dial reads "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust, Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" with "Datejust" printed in red. A second, similarly early example, case No. 138,538 (Antiquorum, 2011, catalogued as "Steel Datejust" rather than "Red Datejust"), carries the same "Datejust" wording in ordinary grey-black print; the only red on that dial is the date-wheel numeral, an unrelated roulette-date feature also seen on other 6534s. Only one confirmed Red Datejust dial is documented here, on an early transitional case that predates the plain "Date" script covering every later example.

	The 14ct gold example's dial is not original. Bonhams catalogues it as a later Rolex dial — champagne, with applied gold batons — fitted at some point after the watch left the factory, consistent with the service history implied by its cataloguing-era date discrepancy discussed above.		The 14ct gold example's dial is not original. Bonhams catalogues it as a later Rolex dial — champagne, with applied gold batons — fitted at some point after the watch left the factory, consistent with the service history implied by its cataloguing-era date discrepancy discussed above.
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	\| 275140		\| 275140
	\| Steel, retailed by Serpico Y Laino		\| Steel, retailed by Serpico Y Laino
	\| —		\| CHF 5,160
	\|-		\|-
	\| Antiquorum, Geneva		\| Antiquorum, Geneva
Line 125:		Line 125:
	\| 138008		\| 138008
	\| Steel, Red Datejust dial, sold without reserve		\| Steel, Red Datejust dial, sold without reserve
	\| —		\| CHF 2,880
	\|-		\|-
	\| Antiquorum, New York		\| Antiquorum, New York
Line 137:		Line 137:
	\| 446128		\| 446128
	\| 14ct gold, later replacement dial		\| 14ct gold, later replacement dial
	\| ~~GBP 950 hammer (~~GBP 1,140 ~~with~~ premium)		\| GBP 1,140, inc. premium
	\|-		\|-
	\| Antiquorum, Geneva		\| Antiquorum, Geneva
	\| 27 Mar 2011		\| 27 Mar 2011
	\| 138538		\| 138538
	\| Steel, ~~Red~~ Datejust dial		\| Steel, Datejust dial (grey-black print, not red)
	\| —		\| CHF 1,875
	\|-		\|-
	\| Antiquorum, New York		\| Antiquorum, New York
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	\| 245***		\| 245***
	\| Steel, on Oyster bracelet		\| Steel, on Oyster bracelet
	\| ~~GBP 1,800 hammer (~~GBP 2,250 ~~with~~ premium)		\| GBP 2,250, inc. premium
	\|-		\|-
	\| Bonhams, London (25395/86)		\| Bonhams, London (25395/86)
Line 179:		Line 179:
	\| 137772		\| 137772
	\| Steel, on associated leather strap		\| Steel, on associated leather strap
	\| ~~GBP 800 hammer (~~GBP 1,020 ~~with~~ premium)		\| GBP 1,020, inc. premium
	\|-		\|-
	\| Antiquorum, Geneva (online)		\| Antiquorum, Geneva (online)
Line 201:		Line 201:

	* [[Reference:6098\|Oyster Perpetual 6098]] — contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, same 1030-family movement architecture without the date		* [[Reference:6098\|Oyster Perpetual 6098]] — contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, same 1030-family movement architecture without the date
	* [[Reference:6609\|Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird"]] — fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement		* [[Reference:6609\|Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird"]] — fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement, not yet published
	* [[Reference:6530\|Oyster Perpetual Date 6530]] — smaller-cased running mate, not yet published		* [[Reference:6530\|Oyster Perpetual Date 6530]] — smaller-cased running mate, not yet published
	* [[Reference:6537\|Oyster Perpetual Date 6537]] — 18k gold version, not yet published		* [[Reference:6537\|Oyster Perpetual Date 6537]] — 18k gold version, not yet published

Admin: Place the orphaned dial-detail image and add a 4th distinct angle (wrist shot from an already-cited lot) — genuine multi-angle coverage per policy

2026-09-15T20:18:56Z

Place the orphaned dial-detail image and add a 4th distinct angle (wrist shot from an already-cited lot) — genuine multi-angle coverage per policy

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:18, 15 September 2026
Line 84:		Line 84:

	==Dial map==		==Dial map==

			[[File:Ref 6534 dial-detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 dial detail, dart-shaped hour markers\|Standard silvered dial, dart-shaped luminous hour markers]]

	The standard dial, seen on the majority of documented examples, is silvered with applied dart-shaped luminous hour markers, a black outer minute or fifths-of-a-second track, and "ROLEX / OYSTER PERPETUAL / DATE" printed above "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER." Two of the four Bonhams lots describe the date aperture at 3 as "magnified" — collector shorthand for a cyclops lens — though the lens is subtle enough in catalogue photography that it is not obviously present on every example, and a third lot's description omits the word entirely without indicating a genuinely flat-crystal variant. Hand shapes vary across the small documented sample: lance, leaf, and sword hands all appear, without an established chronological pattern tying a given shape to a particular production year.		The standard dial, seen on the majority of documented examples, is silvered with applied dart-shaped luminous hour markers, a black outer minute or fifths-of-a-second track, and "ROLEX / OYSTER PERPETUAL / DATE" printed above "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER." Two of the four Bonhams lots describe the date aperture at 3 as "magnified" — collector shorthand for a cyclops lens — though the lens is subtle enough in catalogue photography that it is not obviously present on every example, and a third lot's description omits the word entirely without indicating a genuinely flat-crystal variant. Hand shapes vary across the small documented sample: lance, leaf, and sword hands all appear, without an established chronological pattern tying a given shape to a particular production year.
Line 193:		Line 195:

	The record spans three currencies and three continents' worth of sale rooms, with hammer and estimate figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. That spread is too thin and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend — the 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.		The record spans three currencies and three continents' worth of sale rooms, with hammer and estimate figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. That spread is too thin and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend — the 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.

			[[File:Ref 6534 wrist-angle.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534, angled wrist shot, brown leather strap\|A later example on a brown leather strap, gold-toned hour markers]]

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

Admin: New reference article: 6534 Oyster Perpetual Date

2026-09-15T19:48:44Z

New reference article: 6534 Oyster Perpetual Date

New page

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6534 Oyster Perpetual Date}}

{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6534 — Early Automatic Date & Auction Record | Rolexopedia
|description=Rolex reference 6534: the smooth-bezel Oyster Perpetual Date of the mid-1950s, its Cal. 1035 movement, the early "Red Datejust" dial branch, and its documented auction record from 1955 to 2025.
|image=Ref 6534 hero.webp
|type=article
}}

<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] › '''6534'''</small>

<div class="rp-lead">
[[File:Ref 6534 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 in stainless steel on an Oyster bracelet, silvered dart-marker dial|Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 in stainless steel on an Oyster bracelet, Bonhams London 2019]]
</div>

The 6534 pairs Rolex's flat 1950s Oyster case with a self-winding calendar movement, and its dial says exactly that: "Oyster Perpetual, Date." Not Datejust, despite sharing a movement family with the fluted-bezel Datejust references Rolex was building in parallel. Auction-dated examples run from 1955 into at least 1958, in stainless steel and, less often, in 14ct and 18k gold.

A small early batch breaks that rule. Two 1955 examples carry dials reading "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust" in red lettering — collectors call the type the Red Datejust — before Rolex settled on the plain "Date" wording that covers the bulk of the run.

==Core facts==

{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 6534
|-
| model designations
| "Oyster Perpetual, Date" on the great majority of documented examples; a small early run reads "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust" in red — see Dial map
|-
| family
| Oyster Perpetual
|-
| production
| auction-dated examples run 1955–1958; a gold case number places the run into 1959 (see Production outline)
|-
| case diameter
| 34–35mm across catalogue descriptions
|-
| case materials
| stainless steel; 14ct and 18k gold documented
|-
| case construction
| tonneau-form Oyster, screw-down back and crown
|-
| bezel
| smooth, polished — no fluted example documented
|-
| movement
| Cal. 1035 (self-winding bridge stamped "1030")
|-
| jewels
| 25
|-
| dial
| silvered, dart luminous hour markers, date aperture at 3
|-
| bracelet
| Oyster rivet-link, folding clasp
|}

==Where it sits in the line==
[[File:Ref 6534 case.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 case and dial, tonneau shape, screw-down crown|Case No. 246***, Bonhams London 2019 — tonneau case, smooth bezel, screw-down crown]]

By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the [[Reference:6609|6609 "Thunderbird"]] is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. This wiki's own [[Reference:Movements|caliber page]] documents Cal. 1035 powering the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two different dial identities depending on the case and bezel Rolex fitted it to.

That makes the 6534 one of a small immediate cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years — 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537 — sharing the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family that also powers the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). None of that cluster has its own article on this wiki yet.

==Production outline==

The earliest firmly dated examples are a pair of Red Datejust-dial watches, case numbers 138,008 and 138,538, both catalogued by Antiquorum as made in 1955. Production runs through 1956 (Bonhams's three steel examples, case numbers in the 137,000s and 245,000–246,000 range, each carrying an inside-back date code reading "I56" or "I57") and 1957 (Antiquorum case numbers 227,651 and 275,140, the latter retailed by the South American dealer Serpico Y Laino), with a firmly dated 1958 example rounding out the confirmed record.

Case-number dating carries the usual fuzziness. Case No. 137,772, which Bonhams read as circa 1956 from its date code, falls inside the 63,425–139,166 band this wiki's [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number guide]] dates to 1955 following Carlo Pergola's chart — a year earlier than Bonhams's own reading. Case No. 227,651, which Antiquorum dated 1957, falls inside Pergola's 147,691–261,715 band for 1956. Neither gap is large enough to treat as a real conflict; the serial-number guide's own caution against averaging conflicting dates into a precise year applies here as much as anywhere else.

One further example muddies the picture more seriously. Bonhams catalogued a 14ct gold 6534, case No. 446,128, as circa 1946 — a date that does not survive scrutiny. Cal. 1030 and its Cal. 1035 date derivative were not built before 1950, and case No. 446,128 sits inside the 437,255–530,168 band Pergola's chart dates to 1959. Bonhams's own lot description already flags the dial as a later replacement, so the watch was clearly serviced at some point; the more likely reading is a late-1950s case with a cataloguing-era date error, not a genuine mid-1940s 6534. Both datings are recorded here rather than silently resolved. Taken together, the documented record runs from 1955 to at least 1958, with the gold case number pointing toward continued production into 1959.

==Movement notes==

The 6534 runs Cal. 1035, the date-equipped derivative of Cal. 1030 that this wiki's caliber page describes as adding a calendar function and arriving in 1957. Rolex stamped the 1035's self-winding bridge "1030," the same practice applied to the GMT caliber 1036, and three of the four Bonhams lots examined for this article read "Cal.1030" as a result; only one names the 1035 directly. A correct 6534 runs a 1035 regardless of which number is stamped on the bridge. That 1957 arrival date sits awkwardly against the earliest catalogued 6534 examples, the 1955 Red Datejust pair discussed above, which already carry a date function two years before the caliber page's own timeline has the date-equipped movement arriving — a gap in the established caliber chronology, not one this article resolves.

Specification carries over from the 1030: 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, a 42-hour reserve, and a straight-line lever escapement on a monometallic balance. The 1035 is 6.66mm tall against the 1030's 5.85mm, the extra height needed for the calendar works, and its date change is progressive — the date advances gradually through the night rather than jumping instantly, unlike the later quickset mechanisms. Movement numbers recorded across the documented examples (N67****, DN76****, DN654103, and 858095 on the gold example) follow the alphanumeric prefixing typical of Rolex movement serials from this period.

==Dial map==

The standard dial, seen on the majority of documented examples, is silvered with applied dart-shaped luminous hour markers, a black outer minute or fifths-of-a-second track, and "ROLEX / OYSTER PERPETUAL / DATE" printed above "OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER." Two of the four Bonhams lots describe the date aperture at 3 as "magnified" — collector shorthand for a cyclops lens — though the lens is subtle enough in catalogue photography that it is not obviously present on every example, and a third lot's description omits the word entirely without indicating a genuinely flat-crystal variant. Hand shapes vary across the small documented sample: lance, leaf, and sword hands all appear, without an established chronological pattern tying a given shape to a particular production year.

The Red Datejust dial is the reference's one clear special branch. Two Antiquorum lots, both with case numbers just above 138,000 and both dated 1955, carry dials reading "Oyster Perpetual, Datejust, Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" in red print. It is an early transitional wording, dropped in favor of the plain "Date" script that covers every later documented example, and it is the reason this reference's Datejust-adjacent naming has to be addressed directly rather than assumed away.

The 14ct gold example's dial is not original. Bonhams catalogues it as a later Rolex dial — champagne, with applied gold batons — fitted at some point after the watch left the factory, consistent with the service history implied by its cataloguing-era date discrepancy discussed above.

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

The case is a tonneau-form Oyster, brushed and polished, with a screw-down back and crown on every documented steel example. The bezel is smooth and polished on every example examined for this article, steel or gold — no fluted 6534 has surfaced in the record used here. Catalogue descriptions give the case diameter as 34mm on one lot and 35mm on the others, a difference small enough to read as measurement rounding between cataloguers rather than a confirmed size split. The gold example carries the same tonneau shape and polished bezel in 14ct gold.

==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==

Steel examples are documented on brushed and polished Oyster rivet-link bracelets. One clasp is stamped "1 55," read under this wiki's own clasp-code convention as first-quarter 1955 — a code that dates the bracelet, not necessarily the watch head, though it sits comfortably inside the reference's known production window. Other documented examples, including the gold watch, wear associated (non-original) leather straps rather than a bracelet, and Bonhams flags those associations explicitly rather than presenting them as original delivery.

==Retailer signatures==

The only retailer-signed 6534 in the documented record is case No. 275,140, sold by Antiquorum in 2008 as retailed by Serpico Y Laino, a South American dealer. No other retailer branch has surfaced for this reference.

==Historical market and auction record==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sale
! Date
! Case
! Configuration
! Result
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva
| 16 Mar 2008
| 275140
| Steel, retailed by Serpico Y Laino
| —
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva
| 16 Nov 2008
| 138008
| Steel, Red Datejust dial, sold without reserve
| —
|-
| Antiquorum, New York
| 15 Sep 2010
| —
| Steel
| —
|-
| Bonhams, London (17940/157)
| 23 Nov 2010
| 446128
| 14ct gold, later replacement dial
| GBP 950 hammer (GBP 1,140 with premium)
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva
| 27 Mar 2011
| 138538
| Steel, Red Datejust dial
| —
|-
| Antiquorum, New York
| 14 Sep 2011
| 227651
| Steel
| —
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva
| 11 Nov 2018
| —
| Steel
| CHF 1,875
|-
| Bonhams, London (25394/88)
| 19 Feb 2019
| 245***
| Steel, on Oyster bracelet
| GBP 1,800 hammer (GBP 2,250 with premium)
|-
| Bonhams, London (25395/86)
| 21 May 2019
| 246***
| Steel, bid-in (not sold)
| —
|-
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong
| 13 Jun 2023
| —
| Steel
| est. HKD 18,000+
|-
| Bonhams, London (27664/70)
| 15 Nov 2022
| 137772
| Steel, on associated leather strap
| GBP 800 hammer (GBP 1,020 with premium)
|-
| Antiquorum, Geneva (online)
| 8 Oct 2024
| —
| Steel
| CHF 1,260
|-
| Antiquorum, Milan (online)
| Apr 2025
| —
| Steel
| est. EUR 3,400–4,500
|}

The record spans three currencies and three continents' worth of sale rooms, with hammer and estimate figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. That spread is too thin and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend — the 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:6098|Oyster Perpetual 6098]] — contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, same 1030-family movement architecture without the date
* [[Reference:6609|Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird"]] — fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement
* [[Reference:6530|Oyster Perpetual Date 6530]] — smaller-cased running mate, not yet published
* [[Reference:6537|Oyster Perpetual Date 6537]] — 18k gold version, not yet published

See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].

== Sources ==

* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25394/lot/88/rolex-a-stainless-steel-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-with-roulette-date-wheel-oyster-perpetual-date-ref-6534-circa-1956/ Bonhams, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Ref. 6534, circa 1956", Bonhams London, sale 25394 lot 88, 2019-02-19]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25395/lot/86/rolex-a-stainless-steel-automatic-calendar-watch-with-roulette-date-wheel-oyster-perpetual-date-ref-6534-circa-1956/ Bonhams, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Ref. 6534, circa 1956", Bonhams London, sale 25395 lot 86, 2019-05-21]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27664/lot/70/rolex-a-stainless-steel-automatic-calendar-wristwatch-with-roulette-date-wheel-oyster-perpetual-date-ref-6534-circa-1956/ Bonhams, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Ref. 6534, circa 1956", Bonhams London, sale 27664 lot 70, 2022-11-15]
* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/17940/lot/157/rolex-a-14ct-gold-automatic-wristwatch-with-later-rolex-dialdate-reference-6534-case-number-446128-circa-1946/ Bonhams, "14ct gold automatic wristwatch with later Rolex dial, Date, reference 6534, case No. 446128, circa 1946", Bonhams London, sale 17940 lot 157, 2010-11-23]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-209-234 Antiquorum, "Ref. 6534, Red Datejust", Antiquorum Geneva, 2008-11-16]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-249-504 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 6534, Steel Datejust", Antiquorum Geneva, 2011-03-27]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-253-220 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 6534, Steel, Date", Antiquorum New York, 2011-09-14]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-203-697 Antiquorum, "Ref. 6534, Serpico Y Laino", Antiquorum Geneva, 2008-03-16]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-240-174 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 6534", Antiquorum New York, 2010-09-15]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6534-oyster-perpetual-date-lot-317-370 Antiquorum, "Rolex, Ref. 6534, Oyster Perpetual Date, steel", Antiquorum Geneva, 2018-11-11]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6534-lot-361-49 Antiquorum, "Rolex Ref. 6534, Oyster Perpetual, Date, steel", Antiquorum Hong Kong, 2023-06-13]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6534-oyster-perpetual-date-lot-371-148 Antiquorum, "Rolex, Swiss Made, Ref. 6534, Oyster Perpetual Date, stainless steel", Antiquorum Geneva (online), 2024-10-08]
* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6534-date-lot-375-116 Antiquorum, "Rolex, Switzerland, Ref. 6534, Date, stainless steel", Antiquorum Milan (online), 2025-04-17]

[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:17, 29 September 2026
Line 65:		Line 65:
	[[File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 case and dial, tonneau shape, screw-down crown\|Case No. 246***, Bonhams London 2019 — tonneau case, smooth bezel, screw-down crown]]		[[File:Ref 6534 case.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534 case and dial, tonneau shape, screw-down crown\|Case No. 246***, Bonhams London 2019 — tonneau case, smooth bezel, screw-down crown]]

	By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the 6609 "Thunderbird" ~~(not yet published on this wiki)~~ is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. ~~This wiki's own~~ [[Reference:Movements\|~~caliber page~~]] documents Cal. 1035 ~~powering~~ the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two ~~different~~ dial identities ~~depending on the~~ case and bezel ~~Rolex fitted it to~~.		By the mid-1950s Rolex was running two closely related automatic-date lines out of the same movement family. One kept the fluted bezel, typically a magnifying cyclops lens, and the Datejust name on the dial; the 6609 "Thunderbird" is a contemporary example. The other kept the smooth bezel and the plainer "Oyster Perpetual, Date" wording. The 6534 belongs to the second group. The [[Reference:Movements\|movement guide]] documents Cal. 1035 in the Oyster Perpetual Date references 6518, 6530 and 6534 alongside the Datejust-branded 6609 — the same movement family serving two dial identities in different case and bezel configurations.

	The 6534 belongs to a small cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years: 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537. They share the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family also used in the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). ~~None of those references has its own article on this wiki yet.~~		The 6534 belongs to a small cluster of steel and gold Oyster Perpetual Date references from the same years: 6518, 6530, and the 18k gold 6537. They share the smooth-bezel case architecture and the 1030/1035 movement family also used in the period's Air-King (6552) and Explorer (6610). ==Production outline==

	==Production outline==

	The earliest firmly dated examples are a pair of Red Datejust-dial watches, case numbers 138,008 and 138,538, both catalogued by Antiquorum as made in 1955. Production runs through 1956 (Bonhams's three steel examples, case numbers in the 137,000s and 245,000–246,000 range, each carrying an inside-back date code reading "I56" or "I57") and 1957 (Antiquorum case numbers 227,651 and 275,140, the latter retailed by the South American dealer Serpico Y Laino), with a firmly dated 1958 example rounding out the confirmed record.		The earliest firmly dated examples are a pair of Red Datejust-dial watches, case numbers 138,008 and 138,538, both catalogued by Antiquorum as made in 1955. Production runs through 1956 (Bonhams's three steel examples, case numbers in the 137,000s and 245,000–246,000 range, each carrying an inside-back date code reading "I56" or "I57") and 1957 (Antiquorum case numbers 227,651 and 275,140, the latter retailed by the South American dealer Serpico Y Laino), with a firmly dated 1958 example rounding out the confirmed record.

	Case-number dating ~~carries the usual fuzziness~~. Case No. 137,772, which Bonhams read as circa 1956 from its date code, falls inside the 63,425–139,166 band ~~this wiki's~~ [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial-number guide]] dates to 1955 following Carlo Pergola's chart — a year earlier than Bonhams's own reading. Case No. 227,651, which Antiquorum dated 1957, falls inside Pergola's 147,691–261,715 band for 1956. Neither gap is large enough to treat as a real conflict; the ~~serial-number~~ guide~~'s own caution~~ against averaging conflicting dates into a precise year ~~applies here as much as anywhere else~~.		Case-number dating is approximate. Case No. 137,772, which Bonhams read as circa 1956 from its date code, falls inside the 63,425–139,166 band the [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial-number guide]] dates to 1955 following Carlo Pergola's chart — a year earlier than Bonhams's own reading. Case No. 227,651, which Antiquorum dated 1957, falls inside Pergola's 147,691–261,715 band for 1956. Neither gap is large enough to treat as a real conflict; the guide cautions against averaging conflicting dates into a precise year.

	One further example muddies the picture more seriously. Bonhams catalogued a 14ct gold 6534, case No. 446,128, as circa 1946 — a date that does not survive scrutiny. Cal. 1030 ~~was introduced in~~ 1955 and its Cal. 1035 date derivative in ~~1957 (per this wiki's own caliber page)~~, a decade after Bonhams's stated date; case No. 446,128 sits inside the 437,255–530,168 band Pergola's chart dates to 1959. Bonhams's own lot description already flags the dial as a later replacement, so the watch was clearly serviced at some point; the more likely reading is a late-1950s case carrying a cataloguing-era date error. Both datings are recorded here rather than silently resolved. Taken together, the documented record runs from 1955 to at least 1958, with the gold case number pointing toward continued production into 1959.		One further example muddies the picture more seriously. Bonhams catalogued a 14ct gold 6534, case No. 446,128, as circa 1946 — a date that does not survive scrutiny. Cal. 1030 is generally dated to 1955 and its Cal. 1035 date derivative to 1957 in the cited movement references, a decade after Bonhams's stated date; case No. 446,128 sits inside the 437,255–530,168 band Pergola's chart dates to 1959. Bonhams's own lot description already flags the dial as a later replacement, so the watch was clearly serviced at some point; the more likely reading is a late-1950s case carrying a cataloguing-era date error. Both datings are recorded here rather than silently resolved. Taken together, the documented record runs from 1955 to at least 1958, with the gold case number pointing toward continued production into 1959.

	==Movement notes==		==Movement notes==

	The 6534 ~~runs~~ Cal. 1035, the date-equipped derivative of Cal. 1030 that ~~this wiki's caliber page describes as adding a calendar function and arriving in~~ 1957. Rolex stamped the 1035's self-winding bridge "1030," the same practice applied to the GMT caliber 1036, and three of the four Bonhams lots examined for this article read "Cal.1030" as a result; only one names the 1035 directly. ~~A correct 6534 runs a 1035 regardless of which number~~ is ~~stamped on~~ the ~~bridge~~. ~~That~~ 1957 ~~arrival~~ date ~~sits awkwardly against the earliest catalogued 6534 examples,~~ the 1955 Red Datejust ~~pair discussed above~~, which already carry a date function ~~two years before the caliber page's own timeline has the date-equipped movement arriving —~~ a gap in the ~~established~~ caliber chronology~~, not one this article resolves~~.		The cited 6534 records are assigned Cal. 1035, the date-equipped derivative of Cal. 1030 that the movement references date to 1957. Rolex stamped the 1035's self-winding bridge "1030," the same practice applied to the GMT caliber 1036, and three of the four Bonhams lots examined for this article read "Cal.1030" as a result; only one names the 1035 directly. The bridge stamp alone is not enough to identify the caliber; the movement configuration and service history also matter. The 1957 movement date conflicts with the two 1955 Red Datejust examples, which already carry a date function. The public record therefore leaves a gap in the caliber chronology.

	Specification carries over from the 1030: 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, a 42-hour reserve, and a straight-line lever escapement on a monometallic balance. The 1035 is 6.66mm tall against the 1030's 5.85mm, the extra height needed for the calendar works, and its date change is progressive — the date advances gradually through the night rather than jumping instantly, unlike the later quickset mechanisms. Movement numbers recorded across the documented examples (N67**, DN76**, DN654103, and 858095 on the gold example) follow the alphanumeric prefixing typical of Rolex movement serials from this period.		Specification carries over from the 1030: 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, a 42-hour reserve, and a straight-line lever escapement on a monometallic balance. The 1035 is 6.66mm tall against the 1030's 5.85mm, the extra height needed for the calendar works, and its date change is progressive — the date advances gradually through the night rather than jumping instantly, unlike the later quickset mechanisms. Movement numbers recorded across the documented examples (N67**, DN76**, DN654103, and 858095 on the gold example) follow the alphanumeric prefixing typical of Rolex movement serials from this period.
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	\|}		\|}

	The ~~record covers~~ several currencies and ~~auction houses~~, with ~~hammer and estimate~~ figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. The sample is too small and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend. The 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.		The records span several currencies, houses and condition levels, with reported figures from GBP 800 to an EUR 4,500 upper estimate. The sample is too small and too mixed in currency and condition to support a firm pricing trend. The 2025 Milan estimate sits well above the 2019–2022 Bonhams results, but a single online-auction estimate is a data point, not a market direction.

	[[File:Ref 6534 wrist-angle.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534, angled wrist shot, brown leather strap\|A later example on a brown leather strap, gold-toned hour markers]]		[[File:Ref 6534 wrist-angle.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 6534, angled wrist shot, brown leather strap\|A later example on a brown leather strap, gold-toned hour markers]]

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

	* [[Reference:6098\|Oyster Perpetual 6098]]: contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, with the same 1030-family movement architecture and no date		* [[Reference:6098\|Oyster Perpetual 6098]]: contemporary flat-caseback Oyster Perpetual, with the same 1030-family movement architecture and no date
	* Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird": fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement, not yet published		* Datejust 6609 "Thunderbird": fluted-bezel, cyclops-lens sibling sharing the Cal. 1035 movement, not yet published
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	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

	* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25394/lot/88/rolex-a-stainless-steel-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-with-roulette-date-wheel-oyster-perpetual-date-ref-6534-circa-1956/ Bonhams, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Ref. 6534, circa 1956", Bonhams London, sale 25394 lot 88, 2019-02-19]		* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25394/lot/88/rolex-a-stainless-steel-automatic-calendar-bracelet-watch-with-roulette-date-wheel-oyster-perpetual-date-ref-6534-circa-1956/ Bonhams, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Ref. 6534, circa 1956", Bonhams London, sale 25394 lot 88, 2019-02-19]
	* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25395/lot/86/rolex-a-stainless-steel-automatic-calendar-watch-with-roulette-date-wheel-oyster-perpetual-date-ref-6534-circa-1956/ Bonhams, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Ref. 6534, circa 1956", Bonhams London, sale 25395 lot 86, 2019-05-21]		* [https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25395/lot/86/rolex-a-stainless-steel-automatic-calendar-watch-with-roulette-date-wheel-oyster-perpetual-date-ref-6534-circa-1956/ Bonhams, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Ref. 6534, circa 1956", Bonhams London, sale 25395 lot 86, 2019-05-21]