Lot 96

Rolex "Oyster Perpetual Tru-Beat Superlative Chronometer officially certified", Movement No. N823819, Case No. 138962, Ref. 6556, Cal. 1040, 35 mm, circa 1955
An extremely rare vintage automatic wristwatch with jumping centre seconds and Tru-Beat mechanism made of Beryllium! - with original box and Rolex service paper from 2001
Case: steel, screw back ref. 6556 I/56, screwed "Twinlock" winding crown, riveted steel "Oyster" bracelet ref. 7205 (later) with endlinks stamped 57, clasp dated 2/70, bracelet length 160 mm, total length 190 mm. Dial: silvered, wonderful aged Tru-Beat dial.
Reference 6556 was produced predominantly in stainless steel with a very few examples in gold. The 1960 catalogue stated that the system was be replaced by the new reference 1020 but this was never launched. The interesting extra mechanism for the independent jumping seconds is made of beryllium and composed of a lever that allows the seconds wheel to jump, therefore allowing the usual going seconds hand with a beat of 18,000 to beat once per second.
Illustrated and described in "Rolex, Collecting Wristwatches", by Osvaldo Patrizzi, 2001 Edition, p. 194-197.

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