Reference:6538 - Revision history

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

2026-06-29T01:23:08Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:23, 29 June 2026
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z		\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~28T23~~:36:~~36Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-29T01:21:46Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

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

2026-06-29T01:21:46Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:21, 29 June 2026
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z		\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z
	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~04T04~~:42:~~03Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-28T23:36:36Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

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

2026-06-28T23:36:36Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:36, 28 June 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6538 Submariner}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 6538 Submariner}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 6538 ~~Submariner~~ — ~~Production, Dial Variants~~, ~~Serial Ranges~~ \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex Submariner 6538 'Big Crown' — James Bond, 1956–1959 \| BezelBase
	\|description=The 6538 is the big-crown Goldfinger Submariner. 1956–1959 production, no crown guards at any point, two-line gilt and rare four-line OCC dials, Connery on-screen across four films, A/6538 SBS military sub-branch,		\|description=The 6538 is the big-crown Goldfinger Submariner. 1956–1959 production, no crown guards at any point, two-line gilt and rare four-line OCC dials, Connery on-screen across four films, A/6538 SBS military sub-branch,
	\|keywords=Rolex, 6538, Submariner, Goldfinger, Bond, big crown, four-line, A/6538, MilSub		\|keywords=Rolex, 6538, Submariner, Goldfinger, Bond, big crown, four-line, A/6538, MilSub
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z		\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~29T05~~:55:~~00Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-04T04:42:03Z
	\|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

2026-06-04T04:42:03Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:42, 4 June 2026
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	\|image=Ref 6538 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 6538 hero.webp
	\|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538		\|image_alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538
	\|type=~~article~~		\|type=Article
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z		\|published_time=2026-04-14T16:13:46Z

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

2026-05-31T02:08:06Z

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:Submariner]]		[[Category:Submariner]]
	~~[[Category:Working Draft]]~~

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

2026-05-31T01:44:50Z

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 6538 Submariner}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 6538 Submariner — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 6538 Submariner — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase

Admin: Resize hero: 340px -> 250px

2026-04-30T04:22:57Z

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 6538 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|~~340px~~\|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538\|Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538]]		[[File:Ref 6538 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538\|Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538]]

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

Admin: Resolve A296 bumper-vs-full-rotor contradiction: A296 is full-rotor uni-directional per Phillips CH080216/146 Explorer 6610 lot essay, Wind Vintage Eric Ku Perpetual Movement Part 2; 1030 introduces bidirectional butterfly rotor, not full-rotor itself

2026-04-29T23:31:21Z

Resolve A296 bumper-vs-full-rotor contradiction: A296 is full-rotor uni-directional per Phillips CH080216/146 Explorer 6610 lot essay, Wind Vintage Eric Ku Perpetual Movement Part 2; 1030 introduces bidirectional butterfly rotor, not full-rotor itself

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:31, 29 April 2026
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	The 6538 runs caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional automatic, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, ~42-hour reserve. The 1030 first appears on the 6098 in 1952 and runs across the no-crown-guard Submariner family (6536 / 6536-1 / 6538) into the early Explorer 6610 era. On the 6538, chronometer rating tracks the dial: only four-line "Officially Certified Chronometer" examples carried the chronometer regulation and Bureau Officiels Suisse de Contrôle (the Swiss official chronometer testing body, BO; later COSC) certification. The standard two-line dial is the same caliber without the chronometer pass. Wind Vintage notes the four-line examples underwent additional Rolex regulation and Swiss Government testing, earning a roughly 30% chronometer premium when new.		The 6538 runs caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional automatic, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, ~42-hour reserve. The 1030 first appears on the 6098 in 1952 and runs across the no-crown-guard Submariner family (6536 / 6536-1 / 6538) into the early Explorer 6610 era. On the 6538, chronometer rating tracks the dial: only four-line "Officially Certified Chronometer" examples carried the chronometer regulation and Bureau Officiels Suisse de Contrôle (the Swiss official chronometer testing body, BO; later COSC) certification. The standard two-line dial is the same caliber without the chronometer pass. Wind Vintage notes the four-line examples underwent additional Rolex regulation and Swiss Government testing, earning a roughly 30% chronometer premium when new.

	~~A second movement~~-~~architecture question crosses~~ the ~~early Submariner / Explorer literature~~ and is ~~not yet resolved: published references on~~ the ~~6200 read its~~ A296 as a bumper-style ~~automatic~~, ~~while recent external research on~~ the ~~6150 reads A296~~ as a ~~full-rotor self-winding caliber. Both readings are on record; the resolution sits with Colin A. White's ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual''~~.		A296 — used on the 6098 / 6150 / 6350 line that runs alongside the small-crown Submariners — is a full-rotor uni-directional Perpetual, not a bumper. Rolex's 1931 Perpetual patent designed the rotor for 360° rotation from the start; the 1030 of 1950 introduced bidirectional winding via the butterfly rotor and a thinner autowind module, which is what dropped the bubble-back caseback profile. Earlier Rolex articles describing A296 as bumper-style mistook the autowind-module thickness for a bumper architecture (Phillips Geneva Watch Auction FOUR lot 146, November 2016, frames the A296→1030 swap explicitly as a thickness change rather than an architectural one).

	<span id="dial-map"></span>		<span id="dial-map"></span>

Admin: Audit: strip banned dealer names from prose lists per CLAUDE.md hard rule #5

2026-04-29T22:47:57Z

Audit: strip banned dealer names from prose lists per CLAUDE.md hard rule #5

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:47, 29 April 2026
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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 6538 Submariner — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 6538 Submariner — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase
	\|description=The 6538 is the big-crown Goldfinger Submariner. 1956–1959 production, no crown guards at any point, two-line gilt and rare four-line OCC dials, Connery on-screen across four films, A/6538 SBS military sub-branch,		\|description=The 6538 is the big-crown Goldfinger Submariner. 1956–1959 production, no crown guards at any point, two-line gilt and rare four-line OCC dials, Connery on-screen across four films, A/6538 SBS military sub-branch,
	\|keywords=Rolex, 6538, Submariner, Goldfinger, Bond, big crown, four-line, A/6538, MilSub		\|keywords=Rolex, 6538, Submariner, Goldfinger, Bond, big crown, four-line, A/6538, MilSub
	\|image=Ref 6538 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 6538 hero.webp
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	\|-		\|-
	\| production		\| production
	\| 1956–1959 auction-house consensus (Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, Antiquorum); ~~Bob's,~~ Wind Vintage, 41Watch push the launch year to 1955		\| 1956–1959 auction-house consensus (Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, Antiquorum); Wind Vintage, 41Watch push the launch year to 1955
	\|-		\|-
	\| total examples		\| total examples
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	* [https://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/news/rolex-submariner-6538-and-5513-bonhams-fine-watches-auction Rolex Submariner 6538 and 5513 — Bonhams Fine Watches Auction] (Bond Lifestyle / Bonhams, 2020)		* [https://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/news/rolex-submariner-6538-and-5513-bonhams-fine-watches-auction Rolex Submariner 6538 and 5513 — Bonhams Fine Watches Auction] (Bond Lifestyle / Bonhams, 2020)
	* [https://www.41watch.com/en/journal/buyers-guides/the-origins-of-the-rived-rolex-oyster-bracelets The Origins of Riveted Rolex Oyster Bracelets] (41Watch)		* [https://www.41watch.com/en/journal/buyers-guides/the-origins-of-the-rived-rolex-oyster-bracelets The Origins of Riveted Rolex Oyster Bracelets] (41Watch)
	* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/editorial/vintage-rolex-submariner-6538.html Vintage Rolex Submariner 6538] (~~Bob's Watches~~ editorial)		* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/editorial/vintage-rolex-submariner-6538.html Vintage Rolex Submariner 6538] (editorial)
	* [https://professionalwatches.com/the-quintessential-rolex-james-bond-submariner-ref-6538/ The Quintessential Rolex James Bond Submariner Ref. 6538] (Professional Watches)		* [https://professionalwatches.com/the-quintessential-rolex-james-bond-submariner-ref-6538/ The Quintessential Rolex James Bond Submariner Ref. 6538] (Professional Watches)
	* [https://iconicalternatives.com/2019/06/08/the-james-bond-rolex-submariner-6538/ The James Bond Rolex Submariner 6538] (Iconic Alternatives, 2019)		* [https://iconicalternatives.com/2019/06/08/the-james-bond-rolex-submariner-6538/ The James Bond Rolex Submariner 6538] (Iconic Alternatives, 2019)

Admin: Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

2026-04-29T22:45:22Z

Text audit: voice, clarity, source links

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:45, 29 April 2026
Line 86:		Line 86:
	The 6538 runs caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional automatic, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, ~42-hour reserve. The 1030 first appears on the 6098 in 1952 and runs across the no-crown-guard Submariner family (6536 / 6536-1 / 6538) into the early Explorer 6610 era. On the 6538, chronometer rating tracks the dial: only four-line "Officially Certified Chronometer" examples carried the chronometer regulation and Bureau Officiels Suisse de Contrôle (the Swiss official chronometer testing body, BO; later COSC) certification. The standard two-line dial is the same caliber without the chronometer pass. Wind Vintage notes the four-line examples underwent additional Rolex regulation and Swiss Government testing, earning a roughly 30% chronometer premium when new.		The 6538 runs caliber 1030 — Rolex's first bidirectional automatic, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, ~42-hour reserve. The 1030 first appears on the 6098 in 1952 and runs across the no-crown-guard Submariner family (6536 / 6536-1 / 6538) into the early Explorer 6610 era. On the 6538, chronometer rating tracks the dial: only four-line "Officially Certified Chronometer" examples carried the chronometer regulation and Bureau Officiels Suisse de Contrôle (the Swiss official chronometer testing body, BO; later COSC) certification. The standard two-line dial is the same caliber without the chronometer pass. Wind Vintage notes the four-line examples underwent additional Rolex regulation and Swiss Government testing, earning a roughly 30% chronometer premium when new.

	A second movement-architecture question crosses the early Submariner / Explorer ~~corpus~~ and is not yet resolved: the 6200 ~~article reads~~ its A296 as a bumper-style automatic, ~~whereas~~ recent external research on the 6150 reads A296 as a full-rotor self-winding caliber. ~~Capture as a contradiction across the auction~~ record ~~rather than picking a truth in either direction~~; the resolution sits with Colin A. White's ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual''.		A second movement-architecture question crosses the early Submariner / Explorer literature and is not yet resolved: published references on the 6200 read its A296 as a bumper-style automatic, while recent external research on the 6150 reads A296 as a full-rotor self-winding caliber. Both readings are on record; the resolution sits with Colin A. White's ''Vintage Rolex Field Manual''.

	<span id="dial-map"></span>		<span id="dial-map"></span>
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	\| Phillips New York 080118 \|\| 77 \|\| 2018 \|\| four-line, Aug 1957 chronometer cert, transitional bezel, full set \|\| four-line OCC \|\| USD 567,000		\| Phillips New York 080118 \|\| 77 \|\| 2018 \|\| four-line, Aug 1957 chronometer cert, transitional bezel, full set \|\| four-line OCC \|\| USD 567,000
	\|-		\|-
	\| Sotheby's Online \|\| 4 \|\| 2019 \|\| four-line tropical, red triangle \|\| tropical four-line \|\| ~~login-gated~~		\| Sotheby's Online \|\| 4 \|\| 2019 \|\| four-line tropical, red triangle \|\| tropical four-line \|\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| Sotheby's Important Watches \|\| 44 \|\| 2020 \|\| Long 5 bezel, Big Logo bracelet \|\| two-line gilt \|\| ~~login-gated~~		\| Sotheby's Important Watches \|\| 44 \|\| 2020 \|\| Long 5 bezel, Big Logo bracelet \|\| two-line gilt \|\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| Bonhams London Fine Watches New Bond Street \|\| 43 \|\| Dec 2020 \|\| gilt dial, gilt hands, c.1956 \|\| two-line gilt \|\| est. GBP 50,000–90,000		\| Bonhams London Fine Watches New Bond Street \|\| 43 \|\| Dec 2020 \|\| gilt dial, gilt hands, c.1956 \|\| two-line gilt \|\| est. GBP 50,000–90,000
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	\| Sotheby's Important Watches / Olmsted Complications \|\| 170 \|\| Dec 2024 \|\| black gilt with chapter ring, serial 449,004, fourth series late 1958 / 1959 \|\| black gilt chapter ring \|\| est. USD 100,000–200,000		\| Sotheby's Important Watches / Olmsted Complications \|\| 170 \|\| Dec 2024 \|\| black gilt with chapter ring, serial 449,004, fourth series late 1958 / 1959 \|\| black gilt chapter ring \|\| est. USD 100,000–200,000
	\|-		\|-
	\| Phillips New York \|\| — \|\| Dec 2025 \|\| four-line, article-tied lot \|\| four-line OCC \|\| ~~login-gated~~		\| Phillips New York \|\| — \|\| Dec 2025 \|\| four-line, article-tied lot \|\| four-line OCC \|\|
	\|}		\|}