Submariner 6536/1, never knew this existed...

[Micha]

https://robbreport.com/style/watch-c...on-1234612263/

the lume at 6 is somewhat disturbing and the bottom 2 lugs look somewhat overpolished, but I am certainly not an expert...

[964RS]

The first Submariners to have red depth were the 6538 from 1954 without metres/feet and had 200 / 660.

The whiter lume at 6 is typical of watches at this time. It was a stronger lume to indicate to divers where the bottom of the dial was....

[harry in montreal]

The bevels are quite remarkable. It may have been worked on or recut. The dial round plots look very genuine to me and the plot at 6 sometimes came with a different hue. Some had a white second hand, which this one doesn’t have.

[1675-David]

does the hour hand slip back a a little at 0:23 on the you tube clip or are my eyes playing tricks on me?? The second hand is kind of stuttery as well. Gorgeous watch but definitely needs a service! Thanks for sharing

[Dan S]

Nice example of an early 6536/1. The lume at six is typical, and the red depth rating and no-hash insert are desirable features. The dial appears to be better preserved than usual. It's rare to see the glossy surface.

[Styles Bitchley]

So interesting. Thanks for sharing. Makes me wonder why they abandoned red script on the dial after clearly really wanting it there in the early years. Does anyone not think it makes the dial more interesting than all white text?

[Eric88]

Wow. That's a beautiful watch and I loved the video details. They did a really nice job on it. My house was built in 1954 and I always marvel about these watches that are looking this great from a similar vintage.

I love the red text as well...kicking myself for selling a red Sub a number of years ago, though it was a very favorable deal for the time.

Is this going to fetch some huge amount like a Paul Newman Daytona?

[Dan S]

Originally Posted by Eric88

Wow. That's a beautiful watch and I loved the video details. They did a really nice job on it. My house was built in 1954 and I always marvel about these watches that are looking this great from a similar vintage.

I love the red text as well...kicking myself for selling a red Sub a number of years ago, though it was a very favorable deal for the time.

Is this going to fetch some huge amount like a Paul Newman Daytona?

It sold for 151k CHF including fees, which is quite a lot for a 6536/1.

[1watch]

That 6536/1 sold for equivalent of just over $166k USD incl. buyers premium. It's an excellent example of a rare dial variant. The dial is well preserved showing honest signs of lacquer degradation from the radium and shouldn't be too glossy on the surface since it's pre-'57. Love the gilt hands with correct long neck hour hand. The silver no-hash insert is correct and in excellent condition. The seconds hand is also correct, as it was white from approx. '56-'59. The case is very nice, but appears to have been polished at least near the lug tips. That's about the only nitpick I can see with it. While $166k is certainly strong compared to the estimate, I'm not surprised at the price and believe the small crown models in general are very undervalued compared to the big crown references.

[Mendota]

Originally Posted by 964RS

The first Submariners to have red depth were the 6538 from 1954 without metres/feet and had 200 / 660.

The whiter lume at 6 is typical of watches at this time. It was a stronger lume to indicate to divers where the bottom of the dial was....

The whiter lume plot at 6:00 also denoted that it was a radium dial. Rolex Passion Report and Hodinkee both have fascinating write-ups focusing on the early radium sub dials, specifically the white 6:00 marker and exclamation points used on the 6200, 6204, 6338, etc.

[1watch]

Originally Posted by Mendota

The whiter lume plot at 6:00 also denoted that it was a radium dial. Rolex Passion Report and Hodinkee both have fascinating write-ups focusing on the early radium sub dials, specifically the white 6:00 marker and exclamation points used on the 6200, 6204, 6338, etc.

The lighter lume plot at 6 was gone by later '59 SN's. Exclamation was seen from '61 - '62, depending on the reference (GMT, Sub, Explorer...). These mid-late '50's Sub references are really unique and on another level imho.

[Mendota]

I agree. My AD has a 6536 in their pre-owned case right now. It's amazing to handle it up close and compare that real life experience to all of the macro shots I have been drooling over for all of these years. I personally prefer the 5510, but that's dreaming.

[Mendota]

Here are two awesome in depth articles I bookmarked several years ago all about Rolex and their use of lume materials for the early subs. The macro shots of these watches and dials are just fantastic.

http://rolexpassionreport.com/15606/...olex-luminous/

https://rolexpassionreport.com/316/t...ing-radiation/