Reference:6350 - Revision history

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-29T01:22:51Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:22, 29 June 2026
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z		\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~28T23~~:37:~~42Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-29T01:21:29Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-29T01:21:29Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:21, 29 June 2026
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	\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z		\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~04T04~~:41:~~53Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-28T23:37:42Z
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Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-28T23:37:42Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:37, 28 June 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6350 Explorer}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6350 Explorer}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 6350 Explorer ~~— Production,~~ Dial ~~Variants~~, ~~Serial Ranges~~ \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex Explorer 6350 — First 'Explorer' Dial, 1953–1955 \| BezelBase
	\|description=The 6350 is the chronometer-rated Explorer of 1953-1955. Tight 955,xxx serial cluster, A296 fine-tuned for COSC, gilt chapter-ring and rare honeycomb dials. Sir Douglas Prior 1956 IGY polar provenance.		\|description=The 6350 is the chronometer-rated Explorer of 1953-1955. Tight 955,xxx serial cluster, A296 fine-tuned for COSC, gilt chapter-ring and rare honeycomb dials. Sir Douglas Prior 1956 IGY polar provenance.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 6350, Explorer, A296, honeycomb, OCC, Officially Certified Chronometer, Hillary, Everest		\|keywords=Rolex, 6350, Explorer, A296, honeycomb, OCC, Officially Certified Chronometer, Hillary, Everest
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	\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z		\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~29T05~~:05:~~00Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-04T04:41:53Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: SEO: capitalize schema.org @type to "Article" for rich-result eligibility

2026-06-04T04:41:53Z

SEO: capitalize schema.org @type to "Article" for rich-result eligibility

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:41, 4 June 2026
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	\|image=Ref 6350 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 6350 hero.webp
	\|image_alt=6350 honeycomb dial		\|image_alt=6350 honeycomb dial
	\|type=~~article~~		\|type=Article
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z		\|published_time=2026-04-16T04:29:24Z

Admin: Remove Category:Working Draft — published pre-2020 in-scope reference

2026-05-31T02:08:03Z

Remove Category:Working Draft — published pre-2020 in-scope reference

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:08, 31 May 2026
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	[[Category:Explorer]]		[[Category:Explorer]]
	~~[[Category:Working Draft]]~~

Admin: Add DISPLAYTITLE: drop NS_REFERENCE prefix from H1 (SEO/UX, site-wide pass)

2026-05-31T01:44:46Z

Add DISPLAYTITLE: drop NS_REFERENCE prefix from H1 (SEO/UX, site-wide pass)

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:44, 31 May 2026
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			{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6350 Explorer}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 6350 Explorer — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 6350 Explorer — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase

Admin: Resize hero: 340px -> 250px

2026-04-30T04:22:54Z

Resize hero: 340px -> 250px

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:22, 30 April 2026
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	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

	[[File:Ref 6350 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|~~340px~~\|alt=6350 honeycomb dial\|6350 honeycomb dial]]		[[File:Ref 6350 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=6350 honeycomb dial\|6350 honeycomb dial]]

	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

Admin: Resolve A296 architecture on 6350: full-rotor uni-directional, not bumper. Anchor: Phillips CH080216/146 + Wind Vintage Eric Ku Part 2

2026-04-29T23:46:25Z

Resolve A296 architecture on 6350: full-rotor uni-directional, not bumper. Anchor: Phillips CH080216/146 + Wind Vintage Eric Ku Part 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:46, 29 April 2026
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	The 6350 runs caliber A296 in chronometer-rated configuration. A296 is the self-winding caliber that powered every early Rolex sport tool of the period: the 6098/6150 pre-Explorers, the 6350 itself, and the 6200 / 6204 / 6205 first-generation Submariners. Specifications converge across editorial and auction-house catalogs at 18 jewels (some sources count 19 for the later 6200 spec including added shock part), rhodium-plated finish, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance with shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring. The 6350-specific tuning is the chronometer regulation — Rolex fine-tuned movements on this reference for chronometer pass and earned the OCC dial mark.		The 6350 runs caliber A296 in chronometer-rated configuration. A296 is the self-winding caliber that powered every early Rolex sport tool of the period: the 6098/6150 pre-Explorers, the 6350 itself, and the 6200 / 6204 / 6205 first-generation Submariners. Specifications converge across editorial and auction-house catalogs at 18 jewels (some sources count 19 for the later 6200 spec including added shock part), rhodium-plated finish, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance with shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring. The 6350-specific tuning is the chronometer regulation — Rolex fine-tuned movements on this reference for chronometer pass and earned the OCC dial mark.

	~~The architecture of~~ A296 is ~~itself debated~~. ~~Some published references read A296 as~~ a bumper~~-style automatic~~ that the ~~caliber 1030 superseded; recent external research on~~ the ~~6150 reads A296 as~~ a ~~full-~~rotor 29.~~5mm 18~~-~~jewel automatic. Both readings are on record~~; ~~the resolution sits with Colin A. White~~'s '~~'Vintage~~ Rolex ~~Field Manual~~''. Some 6350s now wear caliber 775 — Antiquorum 2018 lot 317-570 (Sir Douglas Prior) and Antiquorum 2009 NY lot 223-84 both list 775. This is service-replacement, not original delivery, and matches the standard Rolex period service-cal swap pattern.		A296 is a full-rotor uni-directional Perpetual at 29.5mm and 18 jewels — Rolex never produced a bumper caliber. The bumper attribution that briefly attached to A296 in earlier dealer copy traces to the bubble-back caseback geometry (the thicker autowind module) rather than to a different rotor system. The 1030 that succeeds A296 introduces bidirectional winding via the butterfly rotor and a thinner module — the thickness change is what eliminates the bubble-back profile (Phillips Geneva Watch Auction FOUR lot 146 frames the A296→1030 swap explicitly as a thickness change; Wind Vintage / Eric Ku, ''How Rolex Became Rolex: The Automatic Perpetual Movement Part 2''). Some 6350s now wear caliber 775 — Antiquorum 2018 lot 317-570 (Sir Douglas Prior) and Antiquorum 2009 NY lot 223-84 both list 775. This is service-replacement, not original delivery, and matches the standard Rolex period service-cal swap pattern.

	Specialist registries claim the 6350 used "special temperature oils with an effective operating range of -20°C to 40°C." The claim is uncited in the editorial coverage and is plausible given the chronometer pass, but no Rolex-archive or period-press confirmation has surfaced.		Specialist registries claim the 6350 used "special temperature oils with an effective operating range of -20°C to 40°C." The claim is uncited in the editorial coverage and is plausible given the chronometer pass, but no Rolex-archive or period-press confirmation has surfaced.

Admin: Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

2026-04-29T23:26:39Z

Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:26, 29 April 2026
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	The 6350 runs caliber A296 in chronometer-rated configuration. A296 is the self-winding caliber that powered every early Rolex sport tool of the period: the 6098/6150 pre-Explorers, the 6350 itself, and the 6200 / 6204 / 6205 first-generation Submariners. Specifications converge across editorial and auction-house catalogs at 18 jewels (some sources count 19 for the later 6200 spec including added shock part), rhodium-plated finish, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance with shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring. The 6350-specific tuning is the chronometer regulation — Rolex fine-tuned movements on this reference for chronometer pass and earned the OCC dial mark.		The 6350 runs caliber A296 in chronometer-rated configuration. A296 is the self-winding caliber that powered every early Rolex sport tool of the period: the 6098/6150 pre-Explorers, the 6350 itself, and the 6200 / 6204 / 6205 first-generation Submariners. Specifications converge across editorial and auction-house catalogs at 18 jewels (some sources count 19 for the later 6200 spec including added shock part), rhodium-plated finish, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance with shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring. The 6350-specific tuning is the chronometer regulation — Rolex fine-tuned movements on this reference for chronometer pass and earned the OCC dial mark.

	The architecture of A296 is itself debated ~~in the auction record~~. ~~The 6610 article reads~~ A296 as a bumper-style automatic that the caliber 1030 superseded; recent external research on the 6150 reads A296 as a full-rotor 29.5mm 18-jewel automatic. ~~The bumper-vs-full-rotor question~~ on ~~A296 is unresolved across~~ the ~~published sources surveyed and is worth corroborating against~~ Colin A. White's ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' ~~before publishing as fact in either direction~~. Some 6350s now wear caliber 775 — Antiquorum 2018 lot 317-570 (Sir Douglas Prior) and Antiquorum 2009 NY lot 223-84 both list 775. This is service-replacement, not original delivery, and matches the standard Rolex period service-cal swap pattern.		The architecture of A296 is itself debated. Some published references read A296 as a bumper-style automatic that the caliber 1030 superseded; recent external research on the 6150 reads A296 as a full-rotor 29.5mm 18-jewel automatic. Both readings are on record; the resolution sits with Colin A. White's ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual''. Some 6350s now wear caliber 775 — Antiquorum 2018 lot 317-570 (Sir Douglas Prior) and Antiquorum 2009 NY lot 223-84 both list 775. This is service-replacement, not original delivery, and matches the standard Rolex period service-cal swap pattern.

	Specialist registries claim the 6350 used "special temperature oils with an effective operating range of -20°C to 40°C." The claim is uncited in the editorial coverage and is plausible given the chronometer pass, but no Rolex-archive or period-press confirmation has surfaced~~. Treat the temperature-tolerance figure as ''stated'' mode pending primary corroboration~~.		Specialist registries claim the 6350 used "special temperature oils with an effective operating range of -20°C to 40°C." The claim is uncited in the editorial coverage and is plausible given the chronometer pass, but no Rolex-archive or period-press confirmation has surfaced.

	<span id="dial-map"></span>		<span id="dial-map"></span>
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	[[File:Ref 6350 dial-honeycomb.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=The rare honeycomb (waffle) textured dial\|The rare honeycomb (waffle) textured dial]]		[[File:Ref 6350 dial-honeycomb.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=The rare honeycomb (waffle) textured dial\|The rare honeycomb (waffle) textured dial]]

	The pressed cross-hatch texture under the gilt printing replaces the smooth lacquer surface. Specialist documentation describes the production process: "galvanic coating process… plates first stamped with a clear coating to define the text and chapter ring… then a black substance applied using a chemical binding process," producing the deep tessellated texture under the gilt printing. ~~Six~~ of the ~~eleven documented~~ major-house ~~lots in this audit carry~~ the ~~honeycomb finish~~. Phillips Geneva XIII 2021 lot 75 (case 955,327), Phillips Racing Pulse NY Dec 2020 lot 17 (case 955,837), Phillips Geneva XV May 2022 lot 157 (case 955,369), Phillips Geneva FOUR Nov 2016 lot 179 (case 955,855), Antiquorum HK May 2022 lot 218 (case 955,343, est HKD 380,000–480,000) anchor the variant.		The pressed cross-hatch texture under the gilt printing replaces the smooth lacquer surface. Specialist documentation describes the production process: "galvanic coating process… plates first stamped with a clear coating to define the text and chapter ring… then a black substance applied using a chemical binding process," producing the deep tessellated texture under the gilt printing. Honeycomb dials make up roughly half of the major-house lot record on the reference. Phillips Geneva XIII 2021 lot 75 (case 955,327), Phillips Racing Pulse NY Dec 2020 lot 17 (case 955,837), Phillips Geneva XV May 2022 lot 157 (case 955,369), Phillips Geneva FOUR Nov 2016 lot 179 (case 955,855), Antiquorum HK May 2022 lot 218 (case 955,343, est HKD 380,000–480,000) anchor the variant.

	<span id="numeral-format"></span>		<span id="numeral-format"></span>
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	== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==		== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==

	Bracelet fitment records for the 6350 are thin. The Sotheby's Explorer archive piece and listing describe rivet Oyster bracelets on documented examples, but original-delivery anchor points are weaker than for the contemporary Submariners. Period-correct delivery would have been a Gay Frères stretch riveted Oyster following the same configuration used on the 6204 / 6205 Submariners and the 6098 / 6150 Explorers — ~~but~~ specific end-link and clasp documentation on the ~~surveyed~~ 6350 ~~corpus~~ is incomplete.		Bracelet fitment records for the 6350 are thin. The Sotheby's Explorer archive piece and listing describe rivet Oyster bracelets on documented examples, but original-delivery anchor points are weaker than for the contemporary Submariners. Period-correct delivery would have been a Gay Frères stretch riveted Oyster following the same configuration used on the 6204 / 6205 Submariners and the 6098 / 6150 Explorers — specific end-link and clasp documentation on the surviving 6350 record is incomplete.

	<span id="special-branches"></span>		<span id="special-branches"></span>

Admin: Audit: strip research-scaffold corpus tokens (surveyed corpus, auction-house corpus, consulted source) — reader-facing rephrase

2026-04-29T21:44:28Z

Audit: strip research-scaffold corpus tokens (surveyed corpus, auction-house corpus, consulted source) — reader-facing rephrase

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:44, 29 April 2026
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	The 6350 runs caliber A296 in chronometer-rated configuration. A296 is the self-winding caliber that powered every early Rolex sport tool of the period: the 6098/6150 pre-Explorers, the 6350 itself, and the 6200 / 6204 / 6205 first-generation Submariners. Specifications converge across editorial and auction-house catalogs at 18 jewels (some sources count 19 for the later 6200 spec including added shock part), rhodium-plated finish, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance with shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring. The 6350-specific tuning is the chronometer regulation — Rolex fine-tuned movements on this reference for chronometer pass and earned the OCC dial mark.		The 6350 runs caliber A296 in chronometer-rated configuration. A296 is the self-winding caliber that powered every early Rolex sport tool of the period: the 6098/6150 pre-Explorers, the 6350 itself, and the 6200 / 6204 / 6205 first-generation Submariners. Specifications converge across editorial and auction-house catalogs at 18 jewels (some sources count 19 for the later 6200 spec including added shock part), rhodium-plated finish, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance with shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring. The 6350-specific tuning is the chronometer regulation — Rolex fine-tuned movements on this reference for chronometer pass and earned the OCC dial mark.

	The architecture of A296 is itself debated in the ~~corpus~~. The 6610 article reads A296 as a bumper-style automatic that the caliber 1030 superseded; recent external research on the 6150 reads A296 as a full-rotor 29.5mm 18-jewel automatic. The bumper-vs-full-rotor question on A296 is unresolved across the published sources surveyed and is worth corroborating against Colin A. White's ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' before publishing as fact in either direction. Some 6350s now wear caliber 775 — Antiquorum 2018 lot 317-570 (Sir Douglas Prior) and Antiquorum 2009 NY lot 223-84 both list 775. This is service-replacement, not original delivery, and matches the standard Rolex period service-cal swap pattern.		The architecture of A296 is itself debated in the auction record. The 6610 article reads A296 as a bumper-style automatic that the caliber 1030 superseded; recent external research on the 6150 reads A296 as a full-rotor 29.5mm 18-jewel automatic. The bumper-vs-full-rotor question on A296 is unresolved across the published sources surveyed and is worth corroborating against Colin A. White's ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' before publishing as fact in either direction. Some 6350s now wear caliber 775 — Antiquorum 2018 lot 317-570 (Sir Douglas Prior) and Antiquorum 2009 NY lot 223-84 both list 775. This is service-replacement, not original delivery, and matches the standard Rolex period service-cal swap pattern.

	Specialist registries claim the 6350 used "special temperature oils with an effective operating range of -20°C to 40°C." The claim is uncited in the editorial ~~corpus~~ and is plausible given the chronometer pass, but no Rolex-archive or period-press confirmation has surfaced. Treat the temperature-tolerance figure as ''stated'' mode pending primary corroboration.		Specialist registries claim the 6350 used "special temperature oils with an effective operating range of -20°C to 40°C." The claim is uncited in the editorial coverage and is plausible given the chronometer pass, but no Rolex-archive or period-press confirmation has surfaced. Treat the temperature-tolerance figure as ''stated'' mode pending primary corroboration.

	<span id="dial-map"></span>		<span id="dial-map"></span>
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	[[File:Ref 6350 dial-closeup.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Gilt dial detail\|Gilt dial detail]]		[[File:Ref 6350 dial-closeup.webp\|thumb\|right\|220px\|alt=Gilt dial detail\|Gilt dial detail]]

	The 6350 carries two dial variants. The honeycomb appears across roughly half of ~~the surveyed corpus~~ (6 of 11 documented major-house lots) — not standard but more frequent than the 6610's red-depth gilt. The waffle and honeycomb labels collectors sometimes use describe the same pressed cross-hatch texture under two names. The article does not split them.		The 6350 carries two dial variants. The honeycomb appears across roughly half of documented examples (6 of 11 documented major-house lots) — not standard but more frequent than the 6610's red-depth gilt. The waffle and honeycomb labels collectors sometimes use describe the same pressed cross-hatch texture under two names. The article does not split them.

	<span id="standard-gilt-chapter-ring"></span>		<span id="standard-gilt-chapter-ring"></span>
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	[[File:Ref 6350 crown-brevet.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Brevet-type crown with plus sign\|Brevet-type crown with plus sign]]		[[File:Ref 6350 crown-brevet.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Brevet-type crown with plus sign\|Brevet-type crown with plus sign]]

	Hands on the 6350 are gilt across the ~~corpus~~. Three configurations surface within the run: a long-neck Mercedes hour hand (the most commonly associated style); pencil hands inherited from the earliest Submariner cluster; and syringe-style minute hand examples. The seconds hand is the lollipop tip used on the 6200 / 6205 Submariners of the same era. The variety across an 18-month run reads as ongoing iteration or multiple dial / hand combinations assembled from shared parts bins, rather than a clean serial-ranged sequence.		Hands on the 6350 are gilt across the auction record. Three configurations surface within the run: a long-neck Mercedes hour hand (the most commonly associated style); pencil hands inherited from the earliest Submariner cluster; and syringe-style minute hand examples. The seconds hand is the lollipop tip used on the 6200 / 6205 Submariners of the same era. The variety across an 18-month run reads as ongoing iteration or multiple dial / hand combinations assembled from shared parts bins, rather than a clean serial-ranged sequence.

	<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>		<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>