Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref.6085 18ct 1951

Rolex

Founded in 1905 in England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, the partnership became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, and moved to its new Geneva headquarters in 1919. The success of the wristwatch can be largely attributed to many of Rolex’s innovations which made the company one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These have included its famous “Oyster” case — the world’s first water-resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and its “Perpetual” — the world’s first reliable, self-winding movement for the wristwatch, launched in 1933. These would form the foundation for Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual collection which included the Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956. Also and equally importantly, Rolex is known for its sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.

Description

A very rare and highly attractive 18ct gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer in beautiful condition from 1951. This incredible example has been completely left alone, rather than fully restored as the watch, dial and case are all in completely good, honest and original condition. This Rolex model reference 6085 has the most wonderful  honey dial and original ‘Dauphine’ hands which pair beautifully with the ‘Arrow’ hour indices. As mentioned above, the dial is original, unrestored and untouched and has been left this way, due to its extraordinary good condition and because some collectors prefer the originality of an unrestored dial.

This watch case also carries the very sought after original Quadrant dial and ‘Thunderbird’ bezel which, along with the rest of the watch, are in superb condition

The original Rolex Calibre 645, 17 Jewel Chronometer grade movement is superbly accurate and reliable even by current day standards. The watch has just been fully inspected and overhauled by our team and as can be seen, the movement is sparkling clean, following its service by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker.

The Dial

This incredible 1950s Rolex Oyster Perpetual dial is totally captivating. The original, unrestored and untouched honey dial looks outstanding with an even tropicalised patina. This Quadrant dial has an unusual pattern of  diagonal lines which are intersecting and divided by a crosshair.

This is an early forerunner to the classic Rolex design which carries through to this day. The dial looks wonderful against the gold case and the original unrestored Rolex 1950s ‘Dauphine’ hands. The dial carries the perennial Rolex Coronet at the very top of the dial and is correctly signed ‘Rolex Oyster Perpetual’ and ‘Officially Certified Chronometer’ with ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom.

The dial is original and unrestored and has been left untouched by our restoration team due to its excellent condition, relative to its age. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we list, however in this instance, we have decided to retain its originality and charm for those who prefer this. The even tropicalised patine is very attractive and adds wonderful signs of ageing and uniqueness. This contrasts with most of the other watch dials on this website which have been restored.

Note – the images you see here were taken with a high-resolution professional camera and high power macro lens. Please also remember the photographs on your computer screen are many times larger than the watch is in real life.

The Movement

This watch has its original high grade “Officially Certified Chronometer” 17 Jewels, Calibre.645, Super Balance, automatic movement which is well regarded for being particularly accurate, reliable and strong. The movement has a 41-hour power reserve and following its overhaul, service and calibration, is performing strongly and extremely accurately at +3 seconds per day. This movement also remains in sparkling condition, which is truly outstanding for a watch movement of this age!

The movement is signed ‘Rolex Auto Rotor’ and ‘Swiss Made Patented Super Balance’ with the movement reference number F43180.

This watch movement is now ready for many more years of faithful service and is perfectly suited for daily use.  We are therefore very confident in offering this watch with a 12-month written warranty*.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Case

The 18ct yellow gold case is in tip-top condition and measures 34.5mm, excluding the original Rolex signed, Oyster screw-down crown. This would have been a quite a large watch by 1950s standards.

The case carries the rare Metropolitan bezel, sometimes often referred to as the ‘Thunderbird’ bezel. This carries a light radial engraving which here is in perfect condition. The bezel is always one of the most prone parts of a watch to damage, however here it is in excellent condition and shows very few signs of corrective polishing. This indicates this watch has only seen careful, occasional use.

The case has been professionally cleaned and carefully inspected, and required only light polishing. It is in superb condition with no scratches, dings or other damage, visible to the naked eye.

Inside the case-back, all the markings are as expected and correct with the Rolex signature, Swiss Geneva 18ct hallmarks and the model reference number 6085. The watch also carries a clear case serial number 769478 between the lugs at 6 o’clock, which confirms the date of manufacture of this watch as 1951.

Please note – even though this watch was specified as waterproof when new, and the rubber seals have been replaced on the case-back and crown, the water-resistance of this watch has not been tested and is not guaranteed.

As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

A new high quality brown alligator strap has been fitted, along with a matching gold-plated Rolex buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin. We can also obtain most types and colours from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of straps if you wish here.

The matching Rolex presentation box as shown in the photographs is included in the sale.

Conclusion

This is a truly first class example of a rare 18ct gold 1951 vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual with a Thunderbird bezel and an unrestored dial in incredible condition. This watch is ready to wear and completely practical for everyday use. If treated with care, it will also make an excellent investment and heirloom piece. Even though vintage Rolex prices have risen markedly of late, we still feel first class examples such as this remain undervalued. And as each year goes by and the world market for vintage Rolex watches continues to expand, prices will inevitably climb ever higher.

To summarise, this is a highly collectable vintage watch from horology’s most famous name, which is ready to wear, use, treasure and enjoy. It will provide excellent reliability and a sound financial investment as long lasting as the watch itself.

A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post-sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly successful charging between two to three times the price you see here. We, therefore, consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you would like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

If you have any questions please call 0207 727 7095. If calling from overseas: +44 207 727 7095.

Please note, we welcome part exchanges. If you have a watch or small collection to sell, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will also be pleased to service, repair or restore your vintage watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

Please take a look at our wide range of fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.