THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: ROLEX
MODEL: 6610
YEAR: 1957
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 36mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL 
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

We see many pieces come through the doors at Falco, but some stand out as particularly special — and this watch is certainly one of them.

In historical context, the Explorer 6610 emerged around 1955 as the successor to the inaugural reference 6150. The 6150 itself was a tribute to the monumental achievement of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who scaled Mount Everest in 1953. The 6610, however, had only a short production run before being replaced by the 1016 in 1960. That brevity contributes to the 6610’s rarity — especially in examples as well-preserved as this one.

The watch is in tremendous overall condition, with a full, strong case. The dial is the true highlight: its radium markers have aged to a rich pumpkin tone and remain fully intact. The long gilt hands and white seconds hand are original to the period and retain their lume. The only two elements not period-correct to the reference are the crown and the bracelet — the latter being a Jubilee from the early 1970s.

The movement was overhauled last year with a new mainspring fitted, and it's currently running at +6 seconds per day, with 275 amplitude and a 0.4 ms beat error.