92nd Auction
2015/11/14
Lot 120
Rolex "Oyster Perpetual Explorer officially certified Chronometer", Movement No. N702710, Case No. 168508, Ref. 6610, Cal. 1030, 36 mm, circa 1956
A gentleman's very rare automatic wristwatch - early "Explorer" model
Case: steel, screw back ref. 6610 (II/1956), screwed "Oyster Plus" winding crown. Dial: black, sunk luminous indexes/luminous Arabic numerals 3-6-9, centre seconds, signed, luminous Mercedes hands (ground). Movm.: rotorwind movement (old style butterlfly), rhodium-plated, ground, 6 adj., 25 jewels, Glucydur screw balance, incabloc shock protection for balance.
Ref. 6610
The Ref. 6610 was produced from the mid 1950s to the 1960s. The caliber 1030 was produced between 1950 and 1957 and continued to be found in watches some years later. The curiosity and the interest of collectors for watches with an Explorer dial has been constantly increasing since 1953. The Explorer was described as "The reinforced Rolex". It has been used in the Arctic, the Himalayas and the Tropics and was designed to give accuracy under the toughest out-of-door conditions. The first reference of the Explorer was 6350 and seems to have been replaced by the 6150 model being 2 mm larger, within a year or two. Produced until 1959, it was replaced by the reference 6610 which bears a flatter back and the 1030 caliber and signed "Chronometer" on the dial.
to be sold without reserve
A gentleman's very rare automatic wristwatch - early "Explorer" model
Case: steel, screw back ref. 6610 (II/1956), screwed "Oyster Plus" winding crown. Dial: black, sunk luminous indexes/luminous Arabic numerals 3-6-9, centre seconds, signed, luminous Mercedes hands (ground). Movm.: rotorwind movement (old style butterlfly), rhodium-plated, ground, 6 adj., 25 jewels, Glucydur screw balance, incabloc shock protection for balance.
Ref. 6610
The Ref. 6610 was produced from the mid 1950s to the 1960s. The caliber 1030 was produced between 1950 and 1957 and continued to be found in watches some years later. The curiosity and the interest of collectors for watches with an Explorer dial has been constantly increasing since 1953. The Explorer was described as "The reinforced Rolex". It has been used in the Arctic, the Himalayas and the Tropics and was designed to give accuracy under the toughest out-of-door conditions. The first reference of the Explorer was 6350 and seems to have been replaced by the 6150 model being 2 mm larger, within a year or two. Produced until 1959, it was replaced by the reference 6610 which bears a flatter back and the 1030 caliber and signed "Chronometer" on the dial.
to be sold without reserve
Sold
estimated
3.000—4.000 €
Price realized
8.200 €