Reference:6610 - Revision history

Admin: Deep audit: correct chronology, qualify variants and fitment, remove unsupported claims

2026-09-25T07:59:12Z

Deep audit: correct chronology, qualify variants and fitment, remove unsupported claims

Admin: Add sourced photos: fill missing shot-list roles (dial-detail, bracelet, dial variants) from verified auction lots

2026-09-14T16:07:49Z

Add sourced photos: fill missing shot-list roles (dial-detail, bracelet, dial variants) from verified auction lots

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:07, 14 September 2026
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	<span id="red-depth-50m-gilt"></span>		<span id="red-depth-50m-gilt"></span>
	=== Red depth 50m gilt (early) ===		=== Red depth 50m gilt (early) ===

			[[File:Ref 6610 dial-detail.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 6610 red-depth dial macro, showing the 50m=165ft print under the Explorer signature\|Macro of the red "50m=165ft" depth print, the cleanest dating tell for an early 6610 dial.]]

	The earliest 6610 dials carry a red-printed "50m=165ft" depth rating beneath the OCC line. Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95 (case 113,xxx) and Phillips Watch Auction One lot 167 anchor the variant; Antiquorum lot 368-493 documents another red-depth example. Red-depth dials concentrate in the 113,xxx serial cluster — first-year 1955 production. The red-depth signature is the cleanest dating anchor for an unrestored 6610. Documented red-depth examples populate the upper tier of the 6610 collector market.		The earliest 6610 dials carry a red-printed "50m=165ft" depth rating beneath the OCC line. Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95 (case 113,xxx) and Phillips Watch Auction One lot 167 anchor the variant; Antiquorum lot 368-493 documents another red-depth example. Red-depth dials concentrate in the 113,xxx serial cluster — first-year 1955 production. The red-depth signature is the cleanest dating anchor for an unrestored 6610. Documented red-depth examples populate the upper tier of the 6610 collector market.
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	<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>		<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging"></span>
	== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==		== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

			[[File:Ref 6610 bracelet.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 6610 on the period-correct riveted Oyster bracelet, on the wrist\|The 6636 expandable rivet Oyster, the period-correct bracelet for the reference (Bonhams, 2024).]]

	Period-correct delivery is the 6636 expandable rivet or the 7206 fixed-link rivet, both with 57 or 58 end-links. Both bracelets share the late-1950s Explorer / Submariner end-link cluster. The 9315 folded-link Oyster turns up frequently on cataloged 6610 examples but the clasp date codes prove these are post-1968 service replacements — not period-correct for any 6610. The 78360 folded-link Oyster (introduced in the 1970s) is a known service swap on later survivors.		Period-correct delivery is the 6636 expandable rivet or the 7206 fixed-link rivet, both with 57 or 58 end-links. Both bracelets share the late-1950s Explorer / Submariner end-link cluster. The 9315 folded-link Oyster turns up frequently on cataloged 6610 examples but the clasp date codes prove these are post-1968 service replacements — not period-correct for any 6610. The 78360 folded-link Oyster (introduced in the 1970s) is a known service swap on later survivors.

Admin: Research pass: verified auction hammer prices (Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95 corrected CHF30k est->CHF65k sold; HK 1055 precise figure), added case numbers, added 5th documented red-depth example (Sothebys Important Watches Pt II lot 290, case 113,185); 15 new sources registered to sources.yaml/package.yaml

2026-09-14T14:05:37Z

Research pass: verified auction hammer prices (Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95 corrected CHF30k est->CHF65k sold; HK 1055 precise figure), added case numbers, added 5th documented red-depth example (Sothebys Important Watches Pt II lot 290, case 113,185); 15 new sources registered to sources.yaml/package.yaml

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:05, 14 September 2026
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:53Z		\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:53Z
	\|modified_time=2026-08-~~04T00~~:14:~~41Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-09-14T00:00:00Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}
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	! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Variant !! Hammer		! Sale !! Lot !! Year !! Serial !! Variant !! Hammer
	\|-		\|-
	\| Phillips Geneva 8 \|\| 95 \|\| 2018 \|\| 113,~~xxx~~ \|\| red-depth gilt \|\| CHF 30,000+		\| Phillips Geneva 8 \|\| 95 \|\| 2018 \|\| 113,174 \|\| red-depth gilt \|\| CHF 65,000
	\|-		\|-
	\| Phillips Watch Auction One \|\| 167 \|\| 2015 \|\| — \|\| red-depth gilt \|\| —		\| Phillips Watch Auction One \|\| 167 \|\| 2015 \|\| — \|\| red-depth gilt \|\| CHF 70,000
	\|-		\|-
	\| Phillips Hong Kong XV \|\| 1055 \|\| 2022 \|\| — \|\| red-depth gilt \|\| HK$ 302,~~000~~		\| Phillips Hong Kong XV \|\| 1055 \|\| 2022 \|\| 113,092 \|\| red-depth gilt \|\| HK$302,400
	\|-		\|-
	\| Antiquorum \|\| 368-493 \|\| — \|\| — \|\| red-depth \|\| —		\| Antiquorum \|\| 368-493 \|\| 2024 \|\| — \|\| red-depth \|\| CHF 31,250
	\|-		\|-
	\| Bonhams \|\| 29152/24 \|\| — \|\| — \|\| standard gilt OCC \|\| —		\| Bonhams \|\| 29152/24 \|\| 2024 \|\| 114,307 \|\| standard gilt OCC \|\| £7,680
	\|-		\|-
	\| Bonhams \|\| 30669/26 \|\| — \|\| — \|\| standard gilt ~~OCC~~ \|\| —		\| Bonhams \|\| 30669/26 \|\| 2025 \|\| 360,272 \|\| standard gilt, later 78360 bracelet \|\| £6,400
	\|-		\|-
	\| Sotheby's GE1904 \|\| 315 \|\| 2019 \|\| — \|\| unrestored gilt, full set \|\| —		\| Sotheby's GE1904 \|\| 315 \|\| 2019 \|\| — \|\| unrestored gilt, full set \|\| —
	\|-		\|-
	\| Sotheby's Fine Watches \|\| — \|\| 2022 \|\| — \|\| tropical 6610 \|\| —		\| Sotheby's Important Watches Pt II \|\| 290 \|\| 2023 \|\| 113,185 \|\| red-depth gilt \|\| —
			\|-
			\| Sotheby's Fine Watches \|\| — \|\| 2022 \|\| 6,197,309 \|\| tropical 6610 \|\| —
	\|}		\|}

	The 6610 trades in three tiers. Red-depth dials with original 113,xxx-cluster serials sit at the top of the standard market — Phillips Hong Kong's HK$ 302,~~000~~ result is the headline figure. Tropical and no-depth gilt examples populate the upper-middle. Service-dial and refit examples settle at the lower end. The Albino, when it surfaces, sits in its own tier above all of the above. The reference's narrow collector audience values the technical handoff from the uni-directional A296 6150 to the bidirectional 1030, and the dial-side handoff from the 6350 OCC layout to the 1016 standard that follows.		The 6610 trades in three tiers. Red-depth dials with original 113,xxx-cluster serials sit at the top of the standard market — Phillips Hong Kong's HK$302,400 result is the headline figure. Tropical and no-depth gilt examples populate the upper-middle. Service-dial and refit examples settle at the lower end. The Albino, when it surfaces, sits in its own tier above all of the above. The reference's narrow collector audience values the technical handoff from the uni-directional A296 6150 to the bidirectional 1030, and the dial-side handoff from the 6350 OCC layout to the 1016 standard that follows.

			A fifth documented red-depth example — Sotheby's Important Watches Part II, lot 290, case 113,185 — reinforces the 113,xxx red-depth cluster: it surfaces on its original rivet Oyster bracelet, unrestored and in need of repair, with no box or papers.

	== Related references ==		== Related references ==
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	* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6610-explorer-lot-368-493 Rolex Ref. 6610 Explorer — Antiquorum lot 368-493] (Antiquorum)		* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-ref-6610-explorer-lot-368-493 Rolex Ref. 6610 Explorer — Antiquorum lot 368-493] (Antiquorum)
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-ge1904/lot.315.html Sotheby's GE1904 lot 315] (Sotheby's, 2019)		* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/important-watches-ge1904/lot.315.html Sotheby's GE1904 lot 315] (Sotheby's, 2019)
			* [https://www.sothebys.com/buy/61253a88-2fd2-4e46-9101-c27f35b3f682/lots/a5485039-0337-4a40-984e-a6e9d0e4ca6a Sotheby's Important Watches Part II, lot 290, case 113,185] (Sotheby's, 2023)
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/fine-watches-2/reference-6610-explorer-a-stainless-steel Reference 6610 Explorer tropical — Sotheby's Fine Watches] (Sotheby's, 2022)		* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/fine-watches-2/reference-6610-explorer-a-stainless-steel Reference 6610 Explorer tropical — Sotheby's Fine Watches] (Sotheby's, 2022)
	* [https://www.41watch.com/en/journal/buyers-guides/the-origins-of-the-rived-rolex-oyster-bracelets The Origins of Riveted Rolex Oyster Bracelets] (41Watch)		* [https://www.41watch.com/en/journal/buyers-guides/the-origins-of-the-rived-rolex-oyster-bracelets The Origins of Riveted Rolex Oyster Bracelets] (41Watch)

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

2026-09-07T01:27:09Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:27, 7 September 2026
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	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

	~~[[File:Ref 6610 hero 2.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Explorer 6610 — black Officially Certified Chronometer dial\|Explorer 6610 — black Officially Certified Chronometer dial]]~~

	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==
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	<span id="gilt-no-depth-mid-late"></span>		<span id="gilt-no-depth-mid-late"></span>
	=== Gilt, no depth (mid to late) ===		=== Gilt, no depth (mid to late) ===

			[[File:Ref 6610 hero 2.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Explorer 6610 — black Officially Certified Chronometer dial\|Explorer 6610 — black Officially Certified Chronometer dial]]

	The mid- and late-run dial drops the depth-rating print, keeping the OCC line and the standard "Explorer" / 3-6-9 layout. Gilt printing on a glossy black lacquer ground; chapter ring on the perimeter; radium lume on the markers and Mercedes hands. Bonhams 29152 lot 24 and Bonhams 30669 lot 26 anchor the standard-gilt configuration; Sotheby's GE1904 lot 315 documents an unrestored gilt example with full-set provenance.		The mid- and late-run dial drops the depth-rating print, keeping the OCC line and the standard "Explorer" / 3-6-9 layout. Gilt printing on a glossy black lacquer ground; chapter ring on the perimeter; radium lume on the markers and Mercedes hands. Bonhams 29152 lot 24 and Bonhams 30669 lot 26 anchor the standard-gilt configuration; Sotheby's GE1904 lot 315 documents an unrestored gilt example with full-set provenance.

Admin: Layout: restore the original lead caption

2026-09-06T23:00:59Z

Layout: restore the original lead caption

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:00, 6 September 2026
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	<div class="rp-lead">		<div class="rp-lead">
	[[File:Ref 6610 hero.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=~~Rolex~~ 6610 ~~Explorer~~\|~~Rolex~~ 6610 ~~Explorer~~]]		[[File:Ref 6610 hero.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=6610 red depth rating dial\|6610 red depth rating dial]]
	</div>		</div>

Admin: Layout: hero refreshed

2026-09-06T22:55:54Z

Layout: hero refreshed

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:55, 6 September 2026
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	<div class="rp-lead">		<div class="rp-lead">
	[[File:Ref 6610 hero.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=6610 ~~red depth rating dial~~\|6610 ~~red depth rating dial~~]]		[[File:Ref 6610 hero.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=Rolex 6610 Explorer\|Rolex 6610 Explorer]]
	</div>		</div>

Admin: Layout: hero promoted to lead

2026-09-06T22:31:09Z

Layout: hero promoted to lead

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:31, 6 September 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:explorer\|Explorer]] › '''6610'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:explorer\|Explorer]] › '''6610'''</small>

			<div class="rp-lead">
			[[File:Ref 6610 hero.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=6610 red depth rating dial\|6610 red depth rating dial]]
			</div>

	The 6610 is the second-generation Explorer. Active production runs 1955 to 1959 across major-house lots, with leftover stock cased and dispatched to dealers as late as 1963 (specialist documentation; Monochrome 2024). The 6610 carries caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber, with the butterfly rotor that replaces the thicker uni-directional autowind module of the A296 used on the 6150 / 6350 / 6098 — and settles the Explorer dial into the layout that runs forward into the 1016. Among Explorer dials in any reference the 6610 holds the rarest of all sub-branches, the white-dial "Albino." Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' calls the 6150 and 6610 "the first real Oyster Perpetual Explorers."		The 6610 is the second-generation Explorer. Active production runs 1955 to 1959 across major-house lots, with leftover stock cased and dispatched to dealers as late as 1963 (specialist documentation; Monochrome 2024). The 6610 carries caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber, with the butterfly rotor that replaces the thicker uni-directional autowind module of the A296 used on the 6150 / 6350 / 6098 — and settles the Explorer dial into the layout that runs forward into the 1016. Among Explorer dials in any reference the 6610 holds the rarest of all sub-branches, the white-dial "Albino." Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' calls the 6150 and 6610 "the first real Oyster Perpetual Explorers."
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	== Dial map ==		== Dial map ==

	~~[[File:Ref 6610 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|260px\|alt=6610 red depth rating dial\|6610 red depth rating dial]]~~

	Three named dial generations on the 6610. The auction corpus does not document an underline 6610 — the underline convention belongs to 1963-onwards 1016 production, by which point active 6610 production had ended.		Three named dial generations on the 6610. The auction corpus does not document an underline 6610 — the underline convention belongs to 1963-onwards 1016 production, by which point active 6610 production had ended.

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

2026-09-05T01:22:21Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:22, 5 September 2026
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	}}		}}

	<small>[[Reference:explorer\|Explorer]] -> '''6610'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:explorer\|Explorer]] › '''6610'''</small>

	The 6610 is the second-generation Explorer. Active production runs 1955 to 1959 across major-house lots, with leftover stock cased and dispatched to dealers as late as 1963 (specialist documentation; Monochrome 2024). The 6610 carries caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber, with the butterfly rotor that replaces the thicker uni-directional autowind module of the A296 used on the 6150 / 6350 / 6098 — and settles the Explorer dial into the layout that runs forward into the 1016. Among Explorer dials in any reference the 6610 holds the rarest of all sub-branches, the white-dial "Albino." Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' calls the 6150 and 6610 "the first real Oyster Perpetual Explorers."		The 6610 is the second-generation Explorer. Active production runs 1955 to 1959 across major-house lots, with leftover stock cased and dispatched to dealers as late as 1963 (specialist documentation; Monochrome 2024). The 6610 carries caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding caliber, with the butterfly rotor that replaces the thicker uni-directional autowind module of the A296 used on the 6150 / 6350 / 6098 — and settles the Explorer dial into the layout that runs forward into the 1016. Among Explorer dials in any reference the 6610 holds the rarest of all sub-branches, the white-dial "Albino." Colin A. White's ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' calls the 6150 and 6610 "the first real Oyster Perpetual Explorers."
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	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

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

Admin: site-wide: domain move BezelBase → Rolexopedia (rolexopedia.net)

2026-09-05T00:38:31Z

site-wide: domain move BezelBase → Rolexopedia (rolexopedia.net)

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:38, 5 September 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6610 Explorer}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6610 Explorer}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex Explorer 6610 — Cal 1030, Gilt Dial \| ~~BezelBase~~		\|title=Rolex Explorer 6610 — Cal 1030, Gilt Dial \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=The 6610 is the second-generation Explorer, 1955–59 active production into 1963 leftover stock. Caliber 1030 chronometer, gilt chapter-ring dials with red-depth and no-depth variants, the "Albino" white-dial sub-branch.		\|description=The 6610 is the second-generation Explorer, 1955–59 active production into 1963 leftover stock. Caliber 1030 chronometer, gilt chapter-ring dials with red-depth and no-depth variants, the "Albino" white-dial sub-branch.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 6610, Explorer, caliber 1030, red depth, Albino, tropical, Officially Certified Chronometer		\|keywords=Rolex, 6610, Explorer, caliber 1030, red depth, Albino, tropical, Officially Certified Chronometer

Admin: Slop Cop: replace banned "stands as" with a concrete phrasing

2026-08-08T21:36:29Z

Slop Cop: replace banned "stands as" with a concrete phrasing

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:36, 8 August 2026
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	== Production outline ==		== Production outline ==

	Active production runs 1955 to 1959 across the Phillips, Sotheby's, Bonhams, and Antiquorum lot corpus surveyed. Hodinkee's Reference Points Explorer guide (Bues, 2018) gives the same window. Monochrome's Explorer family history (Geelen, 2024) extends the dispatch window to 1963, reading the late market presence as leftover stock dispatched after Rolex had moved to the 1016 in 1959. The Field Manual gives 1959 as the start year and does not specify an end — a minority view that the rest of the corpus does not corroborate. ~~This stands as a~~ date ~~contradiction~~: 1955–59 active per the auction record + Hodinkee + Monochrome; 1959–63 per VRFM in start-only form.		Active production runs 1955 to 1959 across the Phillips, Sotheby's, Bonhams, and Antiquorum lot corpus surveyed. Hodinkee's Reference Points Explorer guide (Bues, 2018) gives the same window. Monochrome's Explorer family history (Geelen, 2024) extends the dispatch window to 1963, reading the late market presence as leftover stock dispatched after Rolex had moved to the 1016 in 1959. The Field Manual gives 1959 as the start year and does not specify an end — a minority view that the rest of the corpus does not corroborate. That leaves two date bands in play: 1955–59 active per the auction record, Hodinkee, and Monochrome; 1959–63 per VRFM in start-only form.

	Documented serial numbers run from 113,092 to 360,272+. Red-depth-printed dials concentrate in the first-year 113,xxx batch (Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95; Phillips Watch Auction One lot 167). Standard no-depth gilt examples populate the late-1950s bands. The serial-band evidence supports the 1955-active-production reading.		Documented serial numbers run from 113,092 to 360,272+. Red-depth-printed dials concentrate in the first-year 113,xxx batch (Phillips Geneva 8 lot 95; Phillips Watch Auction One lot 167). Standard no-depth gilt examples populate the late-1950s bands. The serial-band evidence supports the 1955-active-production reading.