Reference:6564: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 10:19, 29 September 2026

Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 6564 in yellow gold, circa 1955.

Reference 6564 is a mid-1950s Oyster Perpetual built around caliber 1030. Published examples include stainless steel, 9k gold, and 18k gold cases, along with Oyster Perpetual Chronometer versions. A single yellow-gold example cannot stand for the whole reference. The available records describe individual watches and do not establish one universal dial, crown, or bracelet specification.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	6564
family	Oyster Perpetual
documented period	circa 1955–1960; individual lot dates vary
case	round Oyster case; catalogued examples measure about 33–34mm
crystal	Plexiglass (acrylic)
movement	caliber 1030 automatic; auction catalogues describe 25 jewels in several examples
materials and dials	steel, 9k gold, and 18k gold; published dials include textured, silvered, matte white, champagne, and black honeycomb examples

Where it sits in the line

The 6564 belongs to the postwar Oyster Perpetual group that used caliber 1030. It is recorded in both ordinary Oyster Perpetual and Oyster Perpetual Chronometer forms. The related 6567 is a separate reference and should not be used to fill gaps in a 6564 specification. Shared caliber history with the 6085, 6098, and 6580 does not make their cases or dials interchangeable.

Production outline

The sources reviewed place examples from about 1955 to about 1960. Bonhams catalogued an 18k-gold example as circa 1955 with case 109892 and movement 565888. Christie's catalogued a steel-and-gilt chronometer as circa 1956, a 9k-gold example as from the 1950s, and another gold example as circa 1960. These dates belong to individual watches; no Rolex production table separating 6564 by material or chronometer status was located.

Movement notes

Caliber 1030 is repeatedly identified in the available 6564 records. Christie's describes a 25-jewel movement in its circa-1956 steel-and-gilt chronometer and in its 9k-gold example. Bonhams identifies a 25-jewel caliber 1030 adjusted to five positions and temperature in its circa-1955 18k-gold watch. These details belong to those lots and do not prove that every 6564 had the same adjustment or jewel count.

Dial map

Published examples show textured dials with gilt Arabic and dagger markers, matte white and champagne dials, a silvered dial with gilt dart markers, and a black honeycomb dial carrying the word "Deepsea." The evidence supports a varied dial set, but not a complete chronological dial sequence. “Deepsea” is a lot-specific marking unless a case, movement, and provenance record supports more.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The catalogued cases are round Oyster cases with screw backs and screw-down crowns. Reported diameters range from 33mm to 34mm. Christie's gives 34mm for its circa-1956 steel-and-gilt chronometer and 33mm for a circa-1960 9k-gold example; Bonhams gives 33mm for its circa-1955 18k-gold example. The existing yellow-gold photograph represents one material and configuration, not a universal case specification. The reviewed records do not establish one bezel, crown marking, or crystal type for every 6564.

Bracelets, clasps, and packaging

Bracelet details vary by lot. Christie's describes a bracelet on its circa-1956 steel “Deepsea” example, while the Bonhams 18k-gold catalogue entry is shown on a strap. The Hodinkee 18k-gold example is presented with a gold bracelet, but that listing does not by itself prove original delivery. Bracelet and clasp stamps date those components; they do not date the watch head or prove that the components were sold with it.

Auction record

Source	Date described	Material and configuration	Reported result or estimate
Bonhams, London catalogue	circa 1955	18k gold, caliber 1030, silvered dial	estimate GBP 2,000–3,000
Christie's	circa 1956	steel and gilt Oyster Perpetual Chronometer, 25 jewels, 34mm	result not shown in the reviewed page
Christie's	circa 1956	steel, black honeycomb “Deepsea” dial, caliber 1030	result not shown in the reviewed page
Christie's	circa 1960	9k gold, champagne dial, 33mm	result not shown in the reviewed page

These entries are catalogue records for individual watches. They are not a price guide or a production census.

Related references

6098 and 6580, steel references from the same broad caliber 1030 period.
6085, another mid-century Oyster Perpetual reference.
Oyster Perpetual family index

Shared references

Sources

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer reference 6564, circa 1956 (Christie's)
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer reference 6564, 1956 (Christie's)
Rolex 6564, 9k gold, 1950s (Christie's)
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea reference 6564, circa 1956 (Christie's)
Bonhams London catalogue, 18k-gold reference 6564, circa 1955
1958 Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 6564 (Hodinkee Shop)
The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 }}
-<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -&gt; '''6564'''</small>
+<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] → '''6564'''</small>
-[[File:Ref 6564 hero.webp|thumb|right|300px|Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6564, circa 1955, 18k yellow gold, "Brevet" patent marking.|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6564, circa 1955, 18k yellow gold, "Brevet" patent marking.]]
+<div class="rp-lead">
+[[File:Ref 6564 hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 6564 in yellow gold|Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 6564 in yellow gold, circa 1955.]]
+</div>
-The 6564 is a mid-1950s Oyster Perpetual built in 18k yellow gold around the cal 1030 automatic, the same flat-caseback movement family that powers [[Reference:6098|6098]], [[Reference:6085|6085]] and [[Reference:6580|6580]]. A documented early example carries "Brevet" — French for patent — stamped on the case, crown and movement, along with a meters-first depth rating under the dial signature, both details specialists read as early-production tells for this reference.
+Reference 6564 is a mid-1950s Oyster Perpetual built around caliber 1030. Published examples include stainless steel, 9k gold, and 18k gold cases, along with Oyster Perpetual Chronometer versions. A single yellow-gold example cannot stand for the whole reference. The available records describe individual watches and do not establish one universal dial, crown, or bracelet specification.
 == Core facts ==
@@ Line 30: / Line 32: @@
 | Oyster Perpetual
 |-
-| production
+| documented period
-| 1955 launch (documented example dated to the same year)
+| circa 1955–1960; individual lot dates vary
 |-
 | case
-| 34mm x 12mm, 18k yellow gold
+| round Oyster case; catalogued examples measure about 33–34mm
 |-
 | crystal
@@ Line 40: / Line 42: @@
 |-
 | movement
-| Caliber 1030, self-winding — Rolex's first bidirectional automatic-winding movement, also used across contemporaneous Submariner references
+| caliber 1030 automatic; auction catalogues describe 25 jewels in several examples
 |-
-| dial
+| materials and dials
-| Gold-tone dial with even patina; early examples marked "Brevet" and depth rating meters-first under the signature
+| steel, 9k gold, and 18k gold; published dials include textured, silvered, matte white, champagne, and black honeycomb examples
 |}
 == Where it sits in the line ==
-The 6564 is the gold-case member of the same cal 1030 flat-caseback generation that produced the steel [[Reference:6098|6098]] and [[Reference:6580|6580]] and the gold-and-steel spread of [[Reference:6085|6085]]. A separately attested reference, 6567, is described in dealer listings as a gold Oyster Perpetual Chronometer of the same era with a fluted bezel — a plausible sibling on the same case and movement platform, though its own case dimensions and dial were not independently confirmed for this article and it is flagged here as a lead rather than asserted as fact.
+The 6564 belongs to the postwar Oyster Perpetual group that used caliber 1030. It is recorded in both ordinary Oyster Perpetual and Oyster Perpetual Chronometer forms. The related 6567 is a separate reference and should not be used to fill gaps in a 6564 specification. Shared caliber history with the 6085, 6098, and 6580 does not make their cases or dials interchangeable.
 == Production outline ==
-A documented example, case number 141XXX, dates to 1955 and carries "Brevet" (patent) markings on the case, crown and movement — a detail associated with the earliest run of the reference. No Rolex-published production window exists; the reference sits inside the broader mid-1950s window shared with its flat-caseback siblings.
+The sources reviewed place examples from about 1955 to about 1960. Bonhams catalogued an 18k-gold example as circa 1955 with case 109892 and movement 565888. Christie's catalogued a steel-and-gilt chronometer as circa 1956, a 9k-gold example as from the 1950s, and another gold example as circa 1960. These dates belong to individual watches; no Rolex production table separating 6564 by material or chronometer status was located.
 == Movement notes ==
-Caliber 1030 is Rolex's first bidirectional self-winding movement, introduced in this generation and carried forward into contemporaneous Submariner references. No jewel count or beat rate was recovered from the located source.
+Caliber 1030 is repeatedly identified in the available 6564 records. Christie's describes a 25-jewel movement in its circa-1956 steel-and-gilt chronometer and in its 9k-gold example. Bonhams identifies a 25-jewel caliber 1030 adjusted to five positions and temperature in its circa-1955 18k-gold watch. These details belong to those lots and do not prove that every 6564 had the same adjustment or jewel count.
 == Dial map ==
-The documented example shows a gold-tone dial with an even, consistent patina. Distinguishing early-production features include the "Brevet" case/crown/movement marking and a depth rating printed meters-first beneath the signature — later production is understood to have dropped these in favour of standard catalogue text, though the exact cutover has not been independently dated.
+Published examples show textured dials with gilt Arabic and dagger markers, matte white and champagne dials, a silvered dial with gilt dart markers, and a black honeycomb dial carrying the word "Deepsea." The evidence supports a varied dial set, but not a complete chronological dial sequence. “Deepsea” is a lot-specific marking unless a case, movement, and provenance record supports more.
 == Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
-The case is 18k yellow gold, 34mm across and 12mm thick, fitted with a Plexiglass crystal. The documented example's crown carries the same "Brevet" patent marking as the case and movement.
+The catalogued cases are round Oyster cases with screw backs and screw-down crowns. Reported diameters range from 33mm to 34mm. Christie's gives 34mm for its circa-1956 steel-and-gilt chronometer and 33mm for a circa-1960 9k-gold example; Bonhams gives 33mm for its circa-1955 18k-gold example. The existing yellow-gold photograph represents one material and configuration, not a universal case specification. The reviewed records do not establish one bezel, crown marking, or crystal type for every 6564.
+== Bracelets, clasps, and packaging ==
+Bracelet details vary by lot. Christie's describes a bracelet on its circa-1956 steel “Deepsea” example, while the Bonhams 18k-gold catalogue entry is shown on a strap. The Hodinkee 18k-gold example is presented with a gold bracelet, but that listing does not by itself prove original delivery. Bracelet and clasp stamps date those components; they do not date the watch head or prove that the components were sold with it.
+== Auction record ==
+{| class="wikitable sortable"
+|-
+! Source !! Date described !! Material and configuration !! Reported result or estimate
+|-
+| Bonhams, London catalogue || circa 1955 || 18k gold, caliber 1030, silvered dial || estimate GBP 2,000–3,000
+|-
+| Christie's || circa 1956 || steel and gilt Oyster Perpetual Chronometer, 25 jewels, 34mm || result not shown in the reviewed page
+|-
+| Christie's || circa 1956 || steel, black honeycomb “Deepsea” dial, caliber 1030 || result not shown in the reviewed page
+|-
+| Christie's || circa 1960 || 9k gold, champagne dial, 33mm || result not shown in the reviewed page
+|}
+These entries are catalogue records for individual watches. They are not a price guide or a production census.
 == Related references ==
-* [[Reference:6098|6098]] and [[Reference:6580|6580]] — steel siblings on the same cal 1030 platform.
+* [[Reference:6098|6098]] and [[Reference:6580|6580]], steel references from the same broad caliber 1030 period.
-* [[Reference:6085|6085]] — the precious-metal-capable honeycomb-dial sibling of the same generation.
+* [[Reference:6085|6085]], another mid-century Oyster Perpetual reference.
 * [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]]
@@ Line 80: / Line 103: @@
 == Sources ==
-* [https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/1955-rolex-oyster-perpetual-reference-6564 Hodinkee Shop — "1955 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Reference 6564"]
+* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-1445405 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer reference 6564, circa 1956] (Christie's)
+* [https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-306479 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer reference 6564, 1956] (Christie's)
+* [https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-874670 Rolex 6564, 9k gold, 1950s] (Christie's)
+* [https://www.christies.com.cn/en/lot/lot-5731547 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea reference 6564, circa 1956] (Christie's)
+* [https://www.onthedash.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Bonhams_2019May_London_Catalog.pdf Bonhams London catalogue, 18k-gold reference 6564, circa 1955]
+* [https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/1958-rolex-oyster-perpetual-in-18k-yellow-gold-with-14k-oyster-yellow-gold-bracelet 1958 Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 6564] (Hodinkee Shop)
 * ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra
 [[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]
 [[Category:References]]