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Rolex 6031 Bubbleback

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Bubbleback › 6031

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6031
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 6031

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.

Caseback of a Rolex ref. 6031
Caseback of a Rolex ref. 6031

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

See also the Bubbleback family guide, movement guide, and serial-number guide.

  • Rolex ref. 6031
    Rolex ref. 6031
  • Caseback of a Rolex ref. 6031
    Caseback of a Rolex ref. 6031

Sources

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