THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: ROLEX
MODEL: 6611
YEAR: 1956
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 36MM
CASE MATERIAL: 18K ROSE GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: 18K ROSE GOLD
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC
There are nice vintage Day-Dates, and then there’s this.
Although ref. 1803s were the first long-run execution of the Day-Date line-up, and perhaps the earliest reference most watch enthusiasts are aware of, Day-Dates were released some 4–5 years earlier in the form of refs. 6511 and 6510. In the same year, 1956, Rolex released the second-generation Day-Date, the ref. 6611 as we see here, featuring the updated cal. 1055 movement and giving rise to its “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” (SCOC) signature. While neither the day nor date function is independently adjustable, the design of these early references set the foundation for the Day-Date line that has remained largely unchanged to the present day.
In vintage Rolex collecting, originality, rarity, and condition are paramount: this watch has all three. Putting it on the wrist, you would never believe that this watch turns exactly 70 years old this year. The case has only been lightly polished before and remains incredibly strong: look at those lugs. Impressively, the original full-link 18k gold Jubilee bracelet has practically no stretch, which Day-Date enthusiasts know is very important.
The star of the show, however, is the champagne dial, featuring dauphine hands and coffin markers, an Italian day wheel, and radium lume on the markers and hands that has aged to a beautiful pumpkin hue. What sets this example even further apart is the depth rating printed in red at the 6 o’clock position: very few examples like this have ever surfaced on the market.
The movement came to us in excellent health, running at +2 s/day, with an amplitude of 288° and a 0.2 ms beat error.
Vintage Day-Dates remain some of the most overlooked watches on the market. In 1956, this watch would have cost around 40% of the average house price in the UK, and more than the entire stainless steel catalogue combined. As a result, far fewer of these survived the test of time. Nevertheless, a "red-depth" submariner from the same era would cost 3-5 times more than this today. This is one of our favourite watches in recent weeks—absolutely beautiful.