THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: ROLEX
MODEL: 6609
YEAR: 1956
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 36mm
CASE MATERIAL: 18K YELLOW GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

The Rolex Datejust, introduced in 1945 as the world’s first automatic wristwatch with a date display, has been a cornerstone of the Rolex lineup for nearly 80 years. Despite its status as one of Rolex’s most iconic designs, the Datejust is often overlooked by collectors in favour of more prominent models like the GMT-Master, Submariner, and Daytona.

In the early 1950s, Rolex released the Turn-O-Graph,  its first serially produced watch with a rotating bezel, a genuinely innovative feature at the time. While the feature was later made famous by the Submariner and the GMT-Master, Rolex also implemented it on their Datejust models.

Following the reference 6202, the 6309 and 6609 references were introduced, produced only for a short period between 1954 and 1959. The present example dates to 1956 and features a full 18k yellow gold case and bezel, a rare configuration for a Datejust at the time. These full gold Turn-O-Graphs were later associated with the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbird aerobatic team, giving rise to the “Thunderbird” nickname.

The original 18k yellow gold case and bezel remain in fantastic condition, especially considering the watch is now nearly 70 years old. It has been polished in the past, but the lugs are still strong and the bezel remains sharp. The dial, hands, and movement are later service replacements from the 1960s. The sigma dial is flawless, all of the tritium lume on the hands and hour markers is intact and has aged to a creamy tone. It glows brightly under UV and fades quickly, as expected.

The movement was recently serviced and is running beautifully at +4 s/d, 265 amplitude, with a 0.3 ms beat error. An all-original 6609 in 18k yellow gold will easily cost £13–15k,  this example offers an excellent value proposition for an extremely rare reference and a damn gorgeous watch.