I like to show you today a rare all original Rolex Submariner Ref 6205. Up here you see exactly how I got it. It’s not only rare by how little have survived but also to see it with such a stunning patina! One of the earliest, and kind of experimental, Submariners that Rolex made. It’s the Small Crown 100 meter = 330ft version without any depth rate introduced by Rolex before the much thicker 200meter waterproof Big Crown ref 6200 is shown to the public. We see the long mercedes hour hand with a so far for me first time I see a lollipop white second hand. The typical greenish 6 o’clock radium marker on the dial was helping the diver to see quickly in the dark where up and down was.
After I cleaned the DNA that was left by the bezel…
Above you see the naked dial with the radium dust marks on the glossy dial surface. A typical phenomenon of patina we see on early aggressive mk1 high radium luminous. Later in 1958 the radiation declined and the lacquer got improved so we see much more glossy shinny dials survived. Finding a totally glossy 1953-1956 sports Rolex is not only super rare but also hardly possible. If not the case and movement is razor sharp, a fully glossy high radium dial started as a loose dial and got swapped later. Often the bezel insert is also crisp and unharmed, which is quite difficult to achieve when it had been worn, as a diving watch, the most robust one available on the market, being tested by the best divers, militaries and adventurist…
When you slightly change the angle and light, you see the craquele in the tropic…
Although this examples with 85.85x serial has been worn I doubt it has been polished. Why? because up close you see the sides are still kind of matte polished. An original feature which is really rare to see nowadays…
The backside, with its original 7206 bracelet with 65 end links and clasp signed 1-’55, is huge! You notice that around the case there’s an extra 1mm added to make the case bigger…
The movement, Cal. A260 – 9 3 /4 is still the old bubble back caliber. The inside of the case back shows you the old type rolex signing with 6205 stamp without a date stamp, which became common little later in 1955…
Maximum of patina what you can get, uniquely and nicely shining after I hand polished the crystal…
Little marvels are they to pop up out of storage by one of the many guys contacting me by email. Many thanks again for choosing to let me take care of it. I think I was like 2 hours busy cleaning up the DNA left under the bezel 😉
Patina at its best IMHO. Really great to see how this small crown has aged!…
Please follow this link to my article about the Small & Big Crown Rolex Submariners….
