- 9/7/12
- 25,098
- 23,826
- 113
The Rolex Submariner 6538 was the original “Bond Submariner” watch. Though several other Submariner versions, including references 5508 and 6205, have also received the nickname, the 6538 is the original Submariner to be featured in James Bond movies, including Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball.
The 6538 uses Rolex’s 25-jewel, non hacking, calibre 1030 movement, which beats at 18,000bph. It's 38 mm case, lack of crown guards, and its oversized winding crown makes it instantly identifiable. The 6538 was water resistant to a depth of 200 meters.
First introduced in 1954, and intended as a watch specifically for SCUBA divers, the majority of 6538s were thoroughly worn by their users, through all kinds of demanding conditions for most of their lives - as true 'tool watches' should be.
As a result, they can be found in varying states of wear. Cases may have been rarely or never polished, pearls were lost, inserts were scratched. Many dials turned 'tropical', the radium that was used as the luminous compound often attacked and degraded the surface of the dials, hands and crystals.
Unfortunately most surviving examples have had their dials, hands, and bezel inserts replaced by Rolex service centres when they were sent in for servicing and repairs.
I have to say, I don't actually like wearing Rolex Big Crown subs - I've tried them and there's something about the case shape that I don't like.
This one was put together for a forum member here, someone who likes quite heavy patina on his vintage watches - a watch with some history, something that tells a story. The problem, as always with heavy patina is getting it to look authentic. So the double challenge here was to come up with a 6538 that I'd like to wear, and with the character, patina, that the other guy likes on his watches.
The specs on this watch:
A 'Vietnam' true gilt dial, 'Vietnam' gen' spec' case, a genuine Rolex crown.
Clarks hands that have had the steel removed, then polished to a mirror finished then aged and relumed.
An aftermarket crystal was shaved to lower it a little, then lightly reshaped.
An aftermarket insert has been treated with several different 'ageing' techniques that I've been perfecting, which bring it very close to the appearance of a genuine Rolex vintage insert insert.
The movement is a 21000bph non hacking, Sandoz AS1916, initially purchased because the DW turns in the same direction as a Rolex 1570, with the added bonus of the crown moving the hands in the same direction as the Rolex movement - I'd hoped to use it on a 1680 build with a gen DW. In my enthusiasm I neglected to consider the stem height, which turned out to be huge - 2.85 mm.
The stem height meant it couldn't be used in the 6538 case either - unless I completely stripped down the date change mechanism, modified some of the bridges, plates and pinions - which I did - and got a perfect 1.8 mm stem height.
This build is a representation of a 65 year old dive watch. The overall look that I was going for was something that had been used intensively as a 'tool watch' for several years, then later on worn as a daily watch. Over the years, the case would be gently buffed, rubbed and polished, softening all the dings, dents and scratches on the case, but the character that the dial and hands acquired would be untouched.
Thanks for looking !
The 6538 uses Rolex’s 25-jewel, non hacking, calibre 1030 movement, which beats at 18,000bph. It's 38 mm case, lack of crown guards, and its oversized winding crown makes it instantly identifiable. The 6538 was water resistant to a depth of 200 meters.
First introduced in 1954, and intended as a watch specifically for SCUBA divers, the majority of 6538s were thoroughly worn by their users, through all kinds of demanding conditions for most of their lives - as true 'tool watches' should be.
As a result, they can be found in varying states of wear. Cases may have been rarely or never polished, pearls were lost, inserts were scratched. Many dials turned 'tropical', the radium that was used as the luminous compound often attacked and degraded the surface of the dials, hands and crystals.
Unfortunately most surviving examples have had their dials, hands, and bezel inserts replaced by Rolex service centres when they were sent in for servicing and repairs.
I have to say, I don't actually like wearing Rolex Big Crown subs - I've tried them and there's something about the case shape that I don't like.
This one was put together for a forum member here, someone who likes quite heavy patina on his vintage watches - a watch with some history, something that tells a story. The problem, as always with heavy patina is getting it to look authentic. So the double challenge here was to come up with a 6538 that I'd like to wear, and with the character, patina, that the other guy likes on his watches.
The specs on this watch:
A 'Vietnam' true gilt dial, 'Vietnam' gen' spec' case, a genuine Rolex crown.
Clarks hands that have had the steel removed, then polished to a mirror finished then aged and relumed.
An aftermarket crystal was shaved to lower it a little, then lightly reshaped.
An aftermarket insert has been treated with several different 'ageing' techniques that I've been perfecting, which bring it very close to the appearance of a genuine Rolex vintage insert insert.
The movement is a 21000bph non hacking, Sandoz AS1916, initially purchased because the DW turns in the same direction as a Rolex 1570, with the added bonus of the crown moving the hands in the same direction as the Rolex movement - I'd hoped to use it on a 1680 build with a gen DW. In my enthusiasm I neglected to consider the stem height, which turned out to be huge - 2.85 mm.
The stem height meant it couldn't be used in the 6538 case either - unless I completely stripped down the date change mechanism, modified some of the bridges, plates and pinions - which I did - and got a perfect 1.8 mm stem height.
This build is a representation of a 65 year old dive watch. The overall look that I was going for was something that had been used intensively as a 'tool watch' for several years, then later on worn as a daily watch. Over the years, the case would be gently buffed, rubbed and polished, softening all the dings, dents and scratches on the case, but the character that the dial and hands acquired would be untouched.
Thanks for looking !
Last edited:
