Rolex C.1954 34mm “OysterDate” Precision Ref.6294 tropicalized dial in Steel

Description

Vintage. No box/papers and a Passions box will be given.

The history of the Rolex Oysterdate Precision started around 1953 with Ref.6094 and was quickly replaced by the Ref.6294 which is what we have here dating to 1954. Subsequent models that replaced this was 6494 & finally 6694 with production ending in the early 1980s.

This a wonderful period correct Rolex with several details pointing to the correct year of manufacture in 1953~4. The date disc on this watch alternates between black for odd numbers & red for even numbers while the year code stamped II.54 (signifying 2nd quarter of 1954) can be found inside the back cover. In the 2nd half of 1954, production reached one million and Rolex reset it to start again so our watch here in 990K confirms this as well. The hands are lance style rather than later dauphine but what’s interesting here is the crown on the dial which has extended sphires as Rolex was still experimenting with various designs for their logo in the mid-century making it quite rare.

This is a single family’s watch and it was in a terrible condition with a lot of dirt & rust on the case when we acquired it. The crystal had scratches & yellowed; obscuring the dial beneath. We have carefully restored this watch back to it’s former glory & kept the original, period correct “+” signed crown from the 1950s as subsequent Rolex crowns are signed with the “-” sign till date. The dial has aged gracefully & shows an attractive patina. The movement shines after a good service and keeps good time. This is a testament of the famous Rolex Oyster case that kept the internals in wonderful condition even though the watch was heavily abused under adverse condition. This watch is almost 70yrs old now and most of them in the market have re-dials and mis-matched parts, our watch here is all correct except for a new crystal, gasket & strap.

This vintage Rolex will make a great conversation piece on your wrist & adds nostalgia to your collection for very little money. It will be difficult to find another matching piece in this condition.