Rolex Oyster Perpetual 6580
Oyster Perpetual → 6580
Reference 6580 is a mid-1950s Oyster Perpetual recorded in stainless steel with caliber 1030. The best-documented example has an off-white honeycomb dial with 3-6-9 numerals and a smooth bezel, but dealer and auction records also show other dial and bracelet configurations. The page treats those as individual examples rather than a complete factory specification.
Core facts
| detail | value |
|---|---|
| reference | 6580 |
| family | Oyster Perpetual |
| documented period | circa 1954; dates belong to individual examples |
| case | stainless-steel Oyster case; catalogued examples measure about 34mm |
| crystal | Plexiglass is reported on dealer examples; confirm on the individual watch |
| movement | caliber 1030 automatic; 25 jewels reported by dealer and auction records |
| dial | published examples include honeycomb or white dials, with 3-6-9, baton, and chronometer layouts |
| bezel | Smooth |
Where it sits in the line
The 6580 belongs to the same broad caliber 1030 Oyster Perpetual period as 6098, 6085, 6564, and 6584. The 6584 is also catalogued with Cal. 1030, though its steel attribution is less settled. That shared movement period does not establish identical cases or dials. The related references are useful comparisons, not substitutes for a 6580 caseback and movement check.
Production outline
A dealer example is dated circa 1954 and is identified with case number 39801. Other listings also use circa 1954, but no Rolex-published production window or total for 6580 was located. These dates should remain attached to the examples that carry them. Eguchi Vintage identifies a steel watch as 6580 and records 6584 inside its caseback; the listing does not explain the marking. Eguchi Vintage, item 299802.
Movement notes
Caliber 1030 is identified in the published 6580 records. Dealer and auction descriptions report 25 jewels, but the movement details should be checked against the individual watch rather than inferred from the reference number alone.
Dial map
The clearest documented configuration is an off-white honeycomb dial with printed 3-6-9 Arabic numerals. Other records describe a white OCC dial, silver or white dials, and examples with different marker layouts. Those records establish variation among surviving watches; they do not provide a complete period sequence or prove that every dial was factory-original.
Case, bezel, crystal, and crown
The documented cases are stainless steel and about 34mm across. Plexiglass, a smooth bezel, and an 11mm thickness are reported for the pictured example, but the reviewed auction records do not provide a full case, bezel, crown, and crystal specification for every 6580.
Bracelets, clasps, and packaging
Bracelet fitments vary in the available examples. Dealer records show leather and riveted Oyster bracelets, and one 2026 auction record identifies an Oyster bracelet with a clasp and end-link marking. Those component stamps date the bracelet or clasp, not the watch head, and do not prove original delivery.
Auction record
| Source | Date described | Configuration | Reported result or estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood | IV.54 case date, sold 2026 | stainless steel, OCC dial, 34mm, Oyster bracelet | hammer GBP 1,700 |
| EveryWatch archive example | circa 1954 | yellow-gold and steel, silver dial | reported result EUR 2,000 |
| Hodinkee Shop | 1954 | stainless steel, honeycomb dial, caliber 1030 | dealer listing; no auction result |
These records describe individual watches and should not be read as a reference-wide price range or production count.
Related references
- 6098 and 6085, Oyster Perpetual references from the same broad caliber 1030 period.
- 6564, a separate Oyster Perpetual reference with documented gold and steel examples.
- Oyster Perpetual family index
Sources
- 1954 Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 6580 (Hodinkee Shop)
- Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, Oyster Perpetual 6580, lot 464
- Rolex Oyster 6580 archive example (EveryWatch)
- The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra