ROLEX | Submariner, Ref. 6538, A Stainless Steel Wristwatch with 4-Line “Tropical” Dial and Bracelet, Circa 1958

ROLEX

Submariner, Ref. 6538

A Stainless Steel Wristwatch with 4-Line “Tropical” Dial and Bracelet, Circa 1958

Dial: black

Caliber: Cal. 1030 automatic, 25 jewels

Case: stainless steel, screw-down back

Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet and folding clasp

Dimensions: 37 mm, bracelet circumference approx. 180 mm

Signed: case, dial and movement

Case numbers: ref. 6538 / serial: 383796

Introduced in 1955, the Submariner 6538 brought with it a new Caliber 1030 movement, a slightly thinner case, more beveled lugs, and a larger 8mm winding crown. Due to the oversized crown, the 6538 is known as a “Big Crown” Submariner. Another important nickname of the Submariner 6538 is the “James Bond Submariner” thanks to its appearance on Sean Connery’s wrist in the 1962 film, Dr. No. While all Submariner 6538 watches are highly sought-after by vintage watch collectors, this particular version is especially rare because of the four lines of text on its remarkably “Tropical” dial, which indicates that this version is COSC-certified (compared to the two-line Submariner 6538 models which are not). In fact, the 6538 was the first Submariner to feature the chronometer certification on the dial, making 4-line variants - particularly those like this example with different color printing - extremely sought-after among collectors. The dial on this ref. 6538 has faded to a bright warm brown color, and the watch still has its original “Red Triangle” bezel insert. Rolex ceased production of the 6538 in 1959, and this breathtaking example is an incredibly rare variation of an already highly collectable vintage Rolex Submariner reference.