Reference:6031: Difference between revisions

[checked revision]

Latest revision as of 08:07, 29 September 2026

Auction catalogues identify the 6031 as an automatic Oyster Perpetual with a date. The examples reviewed here include 18K yellow- and pink-gold cases, measure 35–36 mm, and carry dates from circa 1949 through the 1950s. Those records do not establish a factory production span or a single caliber.

Core facts

detail	value
Reference	6031
Model	Oyster Perpetual with date, as catalogued
Dating	Auction dates range from circa 1949 to the 1950s; not a confirmed production span
Case size	35–36 mm in the cited auction catalogues
Documented case metals	18K yellow gold and 18K pink gold
Bezel	Reeded or ridged on several examples
Movement	Automatic in auction descriptions; caliber unresolved
Movement details	Antiquorum gives 10½ lignes and 19 jewels on two left-hand examples; Phillips and Sotheby’s list movement numbers G3569 and G9307
Date	Date aperture documented; red/black roulette wheels appear in multiple catalogues
Left-hand configuration	Antiquorum describes watches with the crown at 9; one of its two listings uses the combined reference “6031-6074”
Nickname	“Ovettone” is a collector and auction-house term

Place in the line

Le Monde Edmond includes the 6031 in its narrow use of “true Ovettone,” alongside refs. 4467, 6074 and 6075. Other auction and dealer usage applies “Ovettone” more broadly to 36 mm Bubblebacks. It is a collector label, not a Rolex model name.

The 6031 appears in the same postwar group as the 6030 and is usually dated around 1949 or 1950. Auction houses also date individual watches to the 1950s. The catalogue records do not establish how long the reference remained in production or whether its runs overlapped with adjacent references.

Case and materials

The cited catalogues describe both yellow-gold and pink-gold 6031s. Phillips identifies case 683837 as 18K yellow gold and dates it to circa 1949. Sotheby’s describes case 693873 as 18K pink gold, circa 1950. Antiquorum’s 2001 catalogue records a 35 mm yellow-gold left-hand watch; its 2002 listing describes a pink-gold watch under the combined attribution 6031-6074. These are sale-house identifications. They do not prove a complete material range for every 6031.

Auction dimensions vary from 35 to 36 mm. Antiquorum’s two left-hand listings describe two-body cases with screw-down backs and crowns; one places the crown at 9. Other catalogues report screw-down backs but omit construction details. The evidence here does not support calling every case three-piece or specifying one crown size.

Several lots describe reeded or ridged bezels. Phillips notes a reeded bezel on the yellow-gold case 683837. Antiquorum calls the bezels ridged on its two left-hand watches. The International Art Sale catalogue records a yellow-gold watch with a roulette date and riveted bracelet. These features belong to the individual listings.

Movement and date

The cited sale catalogues call the 6031 automatic, but none of those lots names a caliber. Phillips lists movement number G3569; Sotheby’s lists G9307. Antiquorum gives 10½ lignes and 19 jewels for two left-hand watches, without a caliber name.

Colin A. White’s The Vintage Rolex Field Manual maps ref. 6031 to Cal. 710 in its reference table. The manual’s movement section describes Cal. 710 as hand-wound and without a date. That conflicts with the automatic, date-equipped watches in the auction catalogues. The caliber assignment remains unresolved; the movement numbers should not be treated as caliber numbers.

The date aperture appears in the cited descriptions, and Phillips and International Art Sale both mention a red/black roulette wheel. The catalogues do not describe how quickly the date changes. “Instantaneous” or “slow change” should not be inferred from the reference alone.

Dial and bracelet

The catalogues describe silver, black and gilt dials. Antiquorum’s 2001 yellow-gold example has a matte silver dial with applied dart indexes; its 2002 combined-reference watch has a black dial with pink-gold dart indexes. Sotheby’s describes a gilt dial on case 693873. Phillips records a roulette date on the yellow-gold case 683837. These are documented examples, not a complete dial map.

Bracelets and straps also vary. Antiquorum’s 2001 lot came with a yellow-gold Jubilee bracelet. International Art Sale describes a gold elastic riveted bracelet. Sotheby’s lists an associated alligator strap with a steel buckle; other lots include leather straps. Sale listings show what accompanied the watches at auction, not necessarily their original delivery fitments.

Auction record

This is a selected record. Auction descriptions and dates remain attached to each lot. Antiquorum’s 2002 lot uses a combined reference attribution, so it is not counted as a confirmed standalone 6031 example.

Sale	Catalogue description	Result
Antiquorum Geneva, 13 October 2001, lot 555	Ref. 6031; 18K yellow gold; left-hand crown at 9; 35 mm; silver dial; 10½-ligne, 19-jewel movement; Jubilee bracelet	Sold CHF 10,350
Antiquorum New York, 13 March 2002, lot 143	Ref. 6031-6074; 18K pink gold; left-hand crown at 9; 35 mm; black dial; 10½-ligne, 19-jewel movement	Sold USD 9,775
International Art Sale, 3 December 2024, lot 86	Ref. 6031; 18K yellow gold; circa 1950; 35.5 mm; red/black roulette date; riveted bracelet	Marked sold; price not displayed
Phillips Geneva, lot 179, 2025	Case 683837; 18K yellow gold; circa 1949; movement G3569; 35.5 mm; red/black roulette date	Sold CHF 35,280
Sotheby’s, 1 October 2025, lot 396	Case 693873; 18K pink gold; circa 1950; movement G9307; 36 mm; gilt dial	Estimate EUR 7,000–12,000; result not displayed

Related references

4467 — included in Le Monde Edmond’s narrow Ovettone group
6030 — adjacent reference commonly paired with 6031
6074
6075
6105

Rolex ref. 6031
Caseback of a Rolex ref. 6031

Sources

The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
"Antiquorum Geneva, lot 555 — Rolex ref. 6031 left-hand watch", Antiquorum, 2001-10-13
"Antiquorum New York, lot 143 — ref. 6031-6074 left-hand watch", Antiquorum, 2002-03-13
"Phillips Geneva, lot 179 — Rolex ref. 6031, case 683837", Phillips, 2025
"Sotheby's, Fine Watches, lot 396 — Rolex ref. 6031, case 693873", Sotheby's, 2025-10-01
"International Art Sale, lot 86 — Rolex ref. 6031", International Art Sale, 2024-12-03

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6031 Bubbleback}}
 {{#seo:
-|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual "Ovettone" 6031 (Big Bubbleback, Pink Gold — 1949) — BezelBase
+|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6031 — Rolexopedia
-|description=The 6031 is a one-year 1949 reference and the pink-gold twin of ref 6030. It is one of the four references Le Monde Edmond names under the narrow "true…
+|description=Automatic Oyster Perpetual with date. Auction catalogues document yellow- and pink-gold examples, 35–36 mm cases, and conflicting caliber attributions.
 |keywords=Rolex, 6031, Bubbleback, specifications, reference guide
-|type=article
+|image=Ref 6031 hero.webp
+|image_alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6031
+|type=Article
+|og_type=article
+|published_time=2026-04-17T22:36:53Z
+|modified_time=2026-09-23T02:25:00Z
+|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
 }}
-<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] → '''6031'''</small>
+<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] › '''6031'''</small>
-The 6031 is a one-year 1949 reference and the pink-gold twin of ref 6030. Under the narrow dealer reading of "true Ovettone" it sits alongside the [[Reference:4467|4467]], 6074, and [[Reference:6075|6075]] as the only pink-gold entry in that four-reference cluster. Architecturally it returns to the 4467 idiom after the experimental 5030/5031 pair. The curved case flanks are back, the fine milled bezel is back, and the movement is still Cal. A.295. What is new is the slightly larger crown and the settling of the Ovettone form into the shape it holds for the rest of the pre-Datejust-text era.
+<div class="rp-lead">
+[[File:Ref_6031_hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6031|Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6031]]
+</div>
-<span id="core-facts"></span>
+Auction catalogues identify the 6031 as an automatic Oyster Perpetual with a date. The examples reviewed here include 18K yellow- and pink-gold cases, measure 35–36 mm, and carry dates from circa 1949 through the 1950s. Those records do not establish a factory production span or a single caliber.
-== Core facts ==
-{| class="wikitable"
+==Core facts==
+{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
 |-
 ! detail
 ! value
 |-
-| reference
+| Reference
 | 6031
 |-
-| family
+| Model
-| Datejust / Big Bubbleback / Ovettone
+| Oyster Perpetual with date, as catalogued
-|-
-| production
-| approximately 1949
-|-
-| case diameter
-| 36mm (tonneau Oyster, Ovettone profile)
-|-
-| case construction
-| three-piece, screw-down caseback and crown
-|-
-| case materials
-| 18K pink/rose gold
 |-
-| bezel
+| Dating
-| fine milled/reeded pink gold (return to the 4467 idiom)
+| Auction dates range from circa 1949 to the 1950s; not a confirmed production span
 |-
-| crystal
+| Case size
-| acrylic, domed
+| 35–36 mm in the cited auction catalogues
 |-
-| crown
+| Documented case metals
-| screw-down Brevet (larger than the 50xx small crown)
+| 18K yellow gold and 18K pink gold
 |-
-| movement
+| Bezel
-| Cal. A.295 (listed as Cal. 740 / Cal. 745 in parts catalogues)
+| Reeded or ridged on several examples
 |-
-| date complication
+| Movement
-| yes — date at 3 o’clock, gradual creep at midnight
+| Automatic in auction descriptions; caliber unresolved
 |-
-| Cyclops
+| Movement details
-| no (introduced on ref 6305 in 1954)
+| Antiquorum gives 10½ lignes and 19 jewels on two left-hand examples; Phillips and Sotheby’s list movement numbers G3569 and G9307
 |-
-| “Datejust” text on dial
+| Date
-| no (first consistent appearance on ref 6105 in 1953)
+| Date aperture documented; red/black roulette wheels appear in multiple catalogues
 |-
-| yellow-gold twin
+| Left-hand configuration
-| ref 6030
+| Antiquorum describes watches with the crown at 9; one of its two listings uses the combined reference “6031-6074”
 |-
-| scholarly status
+| Nickname
-| “true Ovettone” under both narrow (Le Monde Edmond) and broad readings
+| “Ovettone” is a collector and auction-house term
 |}
-<span id="what-the-6031-is"></span>
+==Place in the line==
-== What the 6031 is ==
-The 6031 is a pink-gold 36mm Big Bubbleback Datejust made for approximately one year in 1949. It comes after the transitional 5030/5031 pair and before the 1950 platinum 6074 and the 1950–1953 yellow-gold 6075. Within the Ovettone line it occupies the position where the architecture settles. The 4467’s curvier case flanks return, the bezel is the fine milled gold the 4467 used, and the crown is the larger Brevet that carries through the rest of the pre-6105 era. Cal. A.295 is unchanged from the 5030/5031 and the 4467.
+Le Monde Edmond includes the 6031 in its narrow use of “true Ovettone,” alongside refs. 4467, 6074 and 6075. Other auction and dealer usage applies “Ovettone” more broadly to 36 mm Bubblebacks. It is a collector label, not a Rolex model name.
-What makes the 6031 notable in collector literature is that both readings of "Ovettone" include it. The narrow dealer convention reserves the term for four references, 4467, 6031, 6074, and 6075, on the grounds that these four share the fully-settled form and avoid the transitional 50xx experiments. The broader usage by Italian auction houses (Pandolfini, Aste Bolaffi) and [https://le-monde-edmond.com/datejust-a-closer-look-at-a-rolex-icon-2/ Le Monde Edmond] (Edmond Saran, 2022) extends the term across the full 5028–6075 range. Either way, the 6031 is the only pink-gold entry in the short list.
+The 6031 appears in the same postwar group as the 6030 and is usually dated around 1949 or 1950. Auction houses also date individual watches to the 1950s. The catalogue records do not establish how long the reference remained in production or whether its runs overlapped with adjacent references.
-<span id="placing-the-6031-in-the-ovettone-sequence"></span>
+==Case and materials==
-== Placing the 6031 in the Ovettone sequence ==
-The full Ovettone arc runs: 4467 (1945) → 5028 / 5030 / 5031 (1947–48) → 6030 / 6031 (1949) → 6074 / 6075 (1950) → 6105 (1953, first “Datejust” text) → 6305 (1954, first Cyclops) → 6604 / 6605 (1956–57, first instantaneous date via Cal. 1065). The 6031 is the pink-gold entry in the 1949 pair, twin to the yellow-gold 6030.
+The cited catalogues describe both yellow-gold and pink-gold 6031s. Phillips identifies case 683837 as 18K yellow gold and dates it to circa 1949. Sotheby’s describes case 693873 as 18K pink gold, circa 1950. Antiquorum’s 2001 catalogue records a 35 mm yellow-gold left-hand watch; its 2002 listing describes a pink-gold watch under the combined attribution 6031-6074. These are sale-house identifications. They do not prove a complete material range for every 6031.
-The 6031 is the first pink-gold Ovettone made after Rolex treated the form as settled. The 5031 preceded it as the 1948 experimental pink-gold; the 6031 is where Rolex commits. After the 6031, pink-gold Ovettones continue through the 6075 era before the arrival of the 6105 and the dial-signed Datejust era. In that window the 6031 is the pink-gold reference a serious Ovettone collector wants.
+Auction dimensions vary from 35 to 36 mm. Antiquorum’s two left-hand listings describe two-body cases with screw-down backs and crowns; one places the crown at 9. Other catalogues report screw-down backs but omit construction details. The evidence here does not support calling every case three-piece or specifying one crown size.
-<span id="the-36mm-big-bubbleback-case-back-to-the-4467-form"></span>
+Several lots describe reeded or ridged bezels. Phillips notes a reeded bezel on the yellow-gold case 683837. Antiquorum calls the bezels ridged on its two left-hand watches. The International Art Sale catalogue records a yellow-gold watch with a roulette date and riveted bracelet. These features belong to the individual listings.
-== The 36mm Big Bubbleback case — back to the 4467 form ==
-Case architecture on the 6031 returns to the 4467’s form after the 5030/5031 straight-flank deviation. Three-piece Oyster construction, 36mm diameter, the domed caseback that houses the rotor, and the fine milled or reeded bezel in matching pink gold. The case flanks between the lugs are curved rather than straight — the signature that distinguishes the 6031 visually from the 5031 and indicates that Rolex has committed to the form that carries forward into the 6074, 6075, and 6105.
+[[File:Ref 6031 caseback.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Caseback of a Rolex ref. 6031|Caseback of a Rolex ref. 6031]]
-The crown on the 6031 is larger than the 50xx small Brevet. The newer crown sits more naturally on a 36mm case and is the standard across the 60xx Ovettone generation. Cross-center marking, “Rolex + Oyster” brevet designation.
+==Movement and date==
-<span id="pink-gold-and-configuration"></span>
+The cited sale catalogues call the 6031 automatic, but none of those lots names a caliber. Phillips lists movement number G3569; Sotheby’s lists G9307. Antiquorum gives 10½ lignes and 19 jewels for two left-hand watches, without a caliber name.
-== Pink gold and configuration ==
-The 6031 is pink-gold only; the yellow-gold twin carries ref 6030. Dial configurations follow the broader Ovettone conventions with pink-gold matching: silvered or eggshell dials with applied pink gold dagger markers, pink gold alpha hands with radium inserts on lumed configurations, plain polished pink gold hands on dress configurations. Bubbleback coronet variants, including the “cut-off” truncated form, are documented alongside the full coronet. Chronometer and Certified Chronometer text above six on chronometer-grade examples.
+Colin A. White’s ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' maps ref. 6031 to Cal. 710 in its reference table. The manual’s movement section describes Cal. 710 as hand-wound and without a date. That conflicts with the automatic, date-equipped watches in the auction catalogues. The caliber assignment remains unresolved; the movement numbers should not be treated as caliber numbers.
-Date wheels on 6031 examples are typically black on white. Roulette wheels (alternating red/black) appear sporadically in the broader Ovettone window and are documented on some 60xx peer examples. Period-correct bracelets are the 18K pink gold Jubilee or a leather strap with pink gold buckle.
+The date aperture appears in the cited descriptions, and Phillips and International Art Sale both mention a red/black roulette wheel. The catalogues do not describe how quickly the date changes. “Instantaneous” or “slow change” should not be inferred from the reference alone.
-No steel, two-tone, or yellow-gold 6031 configurations are documented.
+==Dial and bracelet==
-<span id="movement-cal.-a.295"></span>
+The catalogues describe silver, black and gilt dials. Antiquorum’s 2001 yellow-gold example has a matte silver dial with applied dart indexes; its 2002 combined-reference watch has a black dial with pink-gold dart indexes. Sotheby’s describes a gilt dial on case 693873. Phillips records a roulette date on the yellow-gold case 683837. These are documented examples, not a complete dial map.
-== Movement: Cal. A.295 ==
-Cal. A.295, unchanged from the 5031 and the 4467. 29.5mm diameter. Parts-catalogue cross-listings are Cal. 740 (base) and Cal. 745 (Chronometer-grade). Self-winding Perpetual rotor, 18 jewels, Rolex Superbalance, Breguet overcoil hairspring, center seconds, date. No shock protection. No quickset. Slow creep at midnight rather than instantaneous snap-change. Dial feet positions are specific to the A.295 and differ from the A.296 that carries the 6105 and later references.
+Bracelets and straps also vary. Antiquorum’s 2001 lot came with a yellow-gold Jubilee bracelet. International Art Sale describes a gold elastic riveted bracelet. Sotheby’s lists an associated alligator strap with a steel buckle; other lots include leather straps. Sale listings show what accompanied the watches at auction, not necessarily their original delivery fitments.
-The A.295 → A.296 transition matters for authentication on adjacent references (a 6031 dial on a 6105 movement is not period-correct) but does not affect the 6031 itself, which sits firmly inside the A.295 generation.
+==Auction record==
-<span id="authentication-priorities"></span>
+This is a selected record. Auction descriptions and dates remain attached to each lot. Antiquorum’s 2002 lot uses a combined reference attribution, so it is not counted as a confirmed standalone 6031 example.
-== Authentication priorities ==
-Movement should be Cal. A.295 (Cal. 740 or Cal. 745 in parts-catalogue form); a later caliber in a 6031 case is a service swap. Case metal is 18K pink/rose gold throughout (case, crown, bezel, markers, hands, bracelet), and a yellow-gold example is ref 6030, not 6031. Case flanks are curved between the lugs, the 60xx signature; straight flanks on a claimed 6031 suggest a 5031 misidentification. The crown is the larger Brevet, matching pink gold, not the 50xx small crown. The bezel is fine milled or reeded pink gold. The dial reads "Oyster Perpetual" with Chronometer or Certified Chronometer above six on chronometer-grade examples, and no "Datejust" text. Dial feet position is specific to A.295.
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+! Sale
+! Catalogue description
+! Result
+|-
+| Antiquorum Geneva, 13 October 2001, lot 555
+| Ref. 6031; 18K yellow gold; left-hand crown at 9; 35 mm; silver dial; 10½-ligne, 19-jewel movement; Jubilee bracelet
+| Sold CHF 10,350
+|-
+| Antiquorum New York, 13 March 2002, lot 143
+| Ref. 6031-6074; 18K pink gold; left-hand crown at 9; 35 mm; black dial; 10½-ligne, 19-jewel movement
+| Sold USD 9,775
+|-
+| International Art Sale, 3 December 2024, lot 86
+| Ref. 6031; 18K yellow gold; circa 1950; 35.5 mm; red/black roulette date; riveted bracelet
+| Marked sold; price not displayed
+|-
+| Phillips Geneva, lot 179, 2025
+| Case 683837; 18K yellow gold; circa 1949; movement G3569; 35.5 mm; red/black roulette date
+| Sold CHF 35,280
+|-
+| Sotheby’s, 1 October 2025, lot 396
+| Case 693873; 18K pink gold; circa 1950; movement G9307; 36 mm; gilt dial
+| Estimate EUR 7,000–12,000; result not displayed
+|}
+==Related references==
+* [[Reference:4467|4467]] — included in Le Monde Edmond’s narrow Ovettone group
+* 6030 — adjacent reference commonly paired with 6031
+* [[Reference:6074|6074]]
+* [[Reference:6075|6075]]
+* [[Reference:6105|6105]]
+See also the [[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback family guide]], [[Reference:Movements|movement guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number guide]].
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
+File:Ref_6031_hero.webp|Rolex ref. 6031
+File:Ref 6031 caseback.webp|Caseback of a Rolex ref. 6031
+</gallery>
 == Sources ==
-* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition — unknown, Morning Tundra
-* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/datejust-a-closer-look-at-a-rolex-icon-2/ Le Monde Edmond — Datejust: A Closer Look at a Rolex Icon] — Le Monde Edmond
+* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
-* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-datejust-complete-history/ Monochrome Watches — The Evergreens: Complete History of the Rolex Datejust] — Monochrome
+* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-17-555 "Antiquorum Geneva, lot 555 — Rolex ref. 6031 left-hand watch", Antiquorum, 2001-10-13]
-* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-bubbleback-watches-collector-guide-1931-1950s-1235893131/ Robb Report — A Collector's Guide to Rolex Bubbleback Watches 1931-1950s] — Robb Report
+* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-25-143 "Antiquorum New York, lot 143 — ref. 6031-6074 left-hand watch", Antiquorum, 2002-03-13]
-* [https://www.pandolfini.it/ Pandolfini Casa d'Aste catalog usage — 'Ovetto' for 32mm Bubblebacks, 'Ovettone' for 36mm Big Bubblebacks] — Pandolfini Casa d'Aste, Pandolfini
+* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/160689 "Phillips Geneva, lot 179 — Rolex ref. 6031, case 683837", Phillips, 2025]
-* [https://www.astebolaffi.it/ Aste Bolaffi catalog usage of 'Ovetto' for standard 32mm Bubblebacks] — Aste Bolaffi
+* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/fine-watches-pf2570/oyster-perpetual-reference-6031-montre-bracelet-en?locale=en "Sotheby's, Fine Watches, lot 396 — Rolex ref. 6031, case 693873", Sotheby's, 2025-10-01]
+* [https://www.internationalartsale.it/uk/auction-0079/rolex-rolex-wristwatch-20677 "International Art Sale, lot 86 — Rolex ref. 6031", International Art Sale, 2024-12-03]
 [[Category:Bubbleback]]
-[[Category:Drafted]]