Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1955 Reference No: 6603, caseback stamped 6502 to the inside Movement No: 475'559 Case No: 36'701 Model Name: Oyster Perpetual Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1030, 25 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel gilt pin buckle Dimensions: 34.5mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
Catalogue Essay
A very elusive Oyster reference, an extremely scarce number of reference 6603 have surfaced over the years on the public market. The present example impresses with its overall excellent condition, most notably of the lovely honeycomb dial which presents no interventions whatsoever and retains unmarred graphics and original luminous material to the hands. Two extremely light “radium burns” at 9 o’clock indicate that the watch was left unused in a safety deposit box for a very long time.
Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.