Vintage Watches UK

The Dial

This refinished, original Rolex dial is a pleasure to behold. In completely mint condition, it fits the case and bezel excellently, completing a very clean and sleek ensemble. The dial uses an ivory-cream base, with yellow gilt arrowhead and pencil hour indices with the early Rolex coronet at ‘12’. The yellow-gilt dial furnishings have aged tastefully and so have been left completely unrestored, I believe this allows the watch to ‘show it’s wrinkles’ in the charming way that vintage watches do. A yellow-gilt framed aperture at ‘3’ displays the watch’s date function which ticks over promptly every 24 hours.

The Case

This Rolex model reference 6694 34mm yellow gold-plated Rolex Oyster case is an excellent example of one of Rolex’s finest achievements in watch innovation across the 20^th century. The Rolex Oyster case was the first commercially successful waterproof watch case to house an automatic movement. The Oyster case became an immediately recognisable feature of all of Rolex’s most advanced models for most of the 20^th century, a period in which Rolex wristwatches pulled way ahead of the competition due to a symphony of marketing, patenting and technological innovations that left their competition in a strategic stalemate for decades. Perhaps the most effective move by Rolex was patenting the rotor automatic winding mechanism. The two most effective automatic winding mechanisms were the bumper automatic and the rotor automatic. The bumper mechanism used an oscillating hammer suspended between two springs, allowing roughly 180 degrees of motion, whereas the more efficient rotor automatic used a plate which was free to rotate a full 360 degrees. Although it created a much larger movement, the rotor winding mechanism eventually proved to be the much more effective design, so in 1931, Rolex patented the rotor automatic winding mechanism. For the following decade, the flagship Rolex Oyster Perpetual (first ever waterproof automatic wristwatch) and its superior automatic winding mechanism allowed Rolex to build the monopoly we see today and the Oyster case design became an instantly recognisable trait of Rolex’s best watches and synonymous with the brand as a whole. Although this is technically a Rolex Precision, this Oyster case is ‘Lady Liberty’ to Rolex patriots, and it legitimises this piece as a historically valued vintage watch as well as an attractive statement piece to those in the know. The milled ‘Thunderbird’ bezel is in excellent condition, which is rare with examples this old, as they are almost impossible to repair. Analysing the condition of a Thunderbird bezel usually gives a quick insight into the condition of the rest of the case, as it’s commonly the first thing to deteriorate. The crown, bezel and case-back all use a screw down design for better dust and water proofing, although these have not been tested so they are not guaranteed. The inside of the case-back is signed ‘Montres Rolex SA’, ‘Geneva, Switzerland’, ‘Patented’, ‘Stainless Steel’ with the model number ‘6694’ below. I have nothing more to report on the condition of the case. The surfaces are smooth and the edges are still sharp. Along with the condition of the bezel, I only see evidence of proper care and maintenance throughout this watch’s past.

The Movement

This Rolex Oysterdate Precision houses the Rolex calibre 1225 manual wind mechanical movement with date, sweep seconds, Breguet hairspring and a combined Kif-Duofix escapement wheel. The movement was the most advanced in Rolex’s Cal.1200 series, its only rival being the Cal.1215 with the same feature set but running at a less favourable 1800 A/h than the Cal.1225’s 21,600 A/h.

As can be seen the movement looks to have been well maintained throughout its life. Although the movement is a little dirtier than the other movements we display, I’ve found that the watch works entirely as expected so to service it unnecessarily would only force us to increase the price for the buyer at no real benefit to either party. The watch winds and sets smoothly with very little play between the crown and the hands, and the seconds hand consistently skips across the dial with confidence. Between the hours of 11 and 12 the date begins to change and does so every time without fail. The watch has kept proper time over the past week of testing it on my wrist and overall, performance-wise, I have nothing more to report.

The movement is signed as expected. ‘Montres Rolex SA Geneva Swiss’, ’17 Jewels’ along with the serial number N14697. Unfortunately, these serial numbers cannot be used to date the watch to the exact year, but I can tell you that these movements were first used in 1954 and the Ref. 6694 was released in the 1960s. Using this information as well as the dial design and other traits of the watch I date this watch 1960-1963.

Strap & Buckle

The watch is fitted with the genuine brown Alligator leather strap that I bought the watch with. I've applied strap oil to condition leather so despite its age it shouldn't crack or erode with use. The watch is fitted with a matching gold-plated Rolex buckle.

Conclusion

I'm a private seller, not a company so unfortunately returns aren't an option, unless of course the watch is broken when it arrives. Orders made after mid-day will be shipped on the next working day.

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