A Rolex Oyster Royal Precision, ref: 6694. Produced 1st quarter 1962.
- Manual wind Rolex cal. 1210, 17 jewel movement, 18,000vph
- Fitted with Rolex 7835 bracelet & no. 35 end links. The clasp code is ‘S T3’ signifying that this bracelet would have most likely been fitted during a service at a later date, potentially 1995.
A rare and stunning galvanic, gilt dial variant of this 34mm reference from 1962. For those of you who are unaware of how these dials were produced: The dial is created by coating a brass plate, apart from the text area itself, with a black lacquer. This chemical galvanization process resulted in a mirror-like, 3D effect where the ‘gilt’ text shines through. This was a popular technique used in the late 50’s/early 60’s until the process became too time-consuming and troublesome.
This classic minimalist design. Often overlooked by vintage collectors, yet it offers a restrained and timeless nature that you will be hard-pressed to find in any of the brand’s contemporary models.
This particular piece has a ‘SWISS’ lumed dial, with raised, gold faceted triangular markers and gold lumed hands. The luminous mix used around this period was when Rolex were starting to phase out radium and use more tritium. So it is very likely that this is a mixture of the two substances, as suggested by the Geiger Counter.
A Personal Note:-
An uncluttered and timeless design, but with that added richness from the gold dial furniture. And you probably won't see another with a glossier dial……
Condition:-
This particular piece is honest, used condition. The case components, although clearly showing signs of use over the years, are still nicely defined, with the lugs retaining their factory shape, and the reference number & serial still visible.
The gilt dial is very clean for its age, especially considering that the majority of these suffer with major damage and/or a loss of that glossy look which they are known for. There is a minimal amount of ‘hand drag’ around the centre pinion and a tiny loss of paint in between the 6' o’clock and 7 o’clock marker. Both only really visable under a loupe. Otherwise there is no loss of paint or lettering and the surface remains deep and glossy. The plexiglass is brand new and of the highest quality. The text ‘in relief’ is as it should be and the ‘Royal’ and ‘Precision’ text printed on the finished surface as it should be.
The crown is the Rolex original twinlock item and the screw-in caseback is also original Rolex and marked ‘6427’, ‘1.62’. It was quite common back then for the case back numbers to be mismatched with the case numbers, however, the dates for the serial number and case number dates match perfectly.
The bracelet is an era correct, folded link service item and in good condition. The Rolex coronet is nice and pronounced, with the clasp shutting reassuringly.
Movement:-
The watch when purchased was already running very well, but had a weak mainspring, so is currently being serviced. There is plenty of evidence of work done in the past too, in the form of service markings inside the caseback. So shortly, the hand-wound cal. 1210 movement will be running very nicely indeed.
I guarantee the authenticity and the working order of this piece at the time of sale, and will offer a 6 month extended warranty. Please don’t expect it to be waterproof.
A Rolex Oyster Royal Precision, ref: 6694. Produced 1st quarter 1962.
- Manual wind Rolex cal. 1210, 17 jewel movement, 18,000vph
- Fitted with Rolex 7835 bracelet & no. 35 end links. The clasp code is ‘S T3’ signifying that this bracelet would have most likely been fitted during a service at a later date, potentially 1995.
A rare and stunning galvanic, gilt dial variant of this 34mm reference from 1962. For those of you who are unaware of how these dials were produced: The dial is created by coating a brass plate, apart from the text area itself, with a black lacquer. This chemical galvanization process resulted in a mirror-like, 3D effect where the ‘gilt’ text shines through. This was a popular technique used in the late 50’s/early 60’s until the process became too time-consuming and troublesome.
This classic minimalist design. Often overlooked by vintage collectors, yet it offers a restrained and timeless nature that you will be hard-pressed to find in any of the brand’s contemporary models.
This particular piece has a ‘SWISS’ lumed dial, with raised, gold faceted triangular markers and gold lumed hands. The luminous mix used around this period was when Rolex were starting to phase out radium and use more tritium. So it is very likely that this is a mixture of the two substances, as suggested by the Geiger Counter.
A Personal Note:-
An uncluttered and timeless design, but with that added richness from the gold dial furniture. And you probably won't see another with a glossier dial……
Condition:-
This particular piece is honest, used condition. The case components, although clearly showing signs of use over the years, are still nicely defined, with the lugs retaining their factory shape, and the reference number & serial still visible.
The gilt dial is very clean for its age, especially considering that the majority of these suffer with major damage and/or a loss of that glossy look which they are known for. There is a minimal amount of ‘hand drag’ around the centre pinion and a tiny loss of paint in between the 6' o’clock and 7 o’clock marker. Both only really visable under a loupe. Otherwise there is no loss of paint or lettering and the surface remains deep and glossy. The plexiglass is brand new and of the highest quality. The text ‘in relief’ is as it should be and the ‘Royal’ and ‘Precision’ text printed on the finished surface as it should be.
The crown is the Rolex original twinlock item and the screw-in caseback is also original Rolex and marked ‘6427’, ‘1.62’. It was quite common back then for the case back numbers to be mismatched with the case numbers, however, the dates for the serial number and case number dates match perfectly.
The bracelet is an era correct, folded link service item and in good condition. The Rolex coronet is nice and pronounced, with the clasp shutting reassuringly.
Movement:-
The watch when purchased was already running very well, but had a weak mainspring, so is currently being serviced. There is plenty of evidence of work done in the past too, in the form of service markings inside the caseback. So shortly, the hand-wound cal. 1210 movement will be running very nicely indeed.
I guarantee the authenticity and the working order of this piece at the time of sale, and will offer a 6 month extended warranty. Please don’t expect it to be waterproof.
Brand: Rolex
Model: Oyster Royal
Serial: 78****
Reference: 6694
Year: 1962
Dial: Black/Gilt
Lug width: 19mm
Material: Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 34mm
Movement: Manual Wind Rolex cal. 1210. 17 jewels
Strap/Bracelet: Rolex 7835 with no. 357 endlinks
Box/Papers: N/A
