
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Rolex Oyster Precision, Model 6426, No Lume, Quadrant Contrasting Motif Dial, circa 1959
- Maker / attribution
- Rolex (maker)
- Date
- c. 1959
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 34.5 mm
- Stock no.
- vws2338
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws2338)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Rolex Oyster Precision - Model 6426 - No Lume - Quadrant Contrasting Motif Dial - c.1959 ***SOLD*** (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws2338), this is a wristwatch by Rolex, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1959. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 34.5 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist
A Stunning Original Condition, 1950s Rolex Oyster Precision, with a Quadrant, Contrasting Motif Dial, with No Lume, Model Reference 6426, with Case Marked iv/59 We Are Sorry But This Watch Is Now Sold - If However You Are Looking To Buy Or Sell Something Similar Then Please Email Sales@Vintagewatchspecialist.Com Or Whatsapp/Call +44 7831 454658. Thanks The Rolex Precision was first released in the late 1940s as a gentleman's hand-wound dress watch and remained in production until the 1980s. The reference 6426 was one of the longest-running Rolex models remaining in production from the 1950s to the 1980s. Manual wind movements were a prevalent part of Rolex history and were named the "Precision" line, whereas automatic movements received the "Perpetual" moniker. The Precision timepieces were created as more affordable options that still retain in-house movements and quintessential Rolex detailing. What’s On Offer A seldom seen late 1950s Rolex reference 6426 Oyster “Precision” with a stunning original four-quadrant contrasting linen or chevron motif dial, this is a rare and very collectable vintage Rolex, with the rarer none lume dial, meaning there are no radium or tritium luminous plots on the dial, instead it has stunningly beautiful applied gilt arrowhead hour markers and gilt dagger hour and minute hands with a blued steel sweep seconds hand. Additionally, this beautiful Precision boasts the desirable “Explorer” layout, with applied gilt 3-6-9 Arabic numerals. The dial is in beautiful original condition, encapsulated under Plexiglas with a stainless steel case which is also in very nice condition with only light signs of wear, which is great for a watch as old as this! We have paired this rare find with a very stylish ZeeWolf tan strap and it looks beautiful on the wrist. You would struggle to find such a beautiful example of an original condition 1950s Rolex with this rare and unusual dial - we don't expect it to be around for long or it may end up in our personal collection as it has already had considerable time on the wrist in the office and loved by us all! Additional information Made from Case: Stainless Steel Dial: White Quadrant Motif Crystal: Plexiglas Bracelet: ZeeWolf Leather Strap Technical specifications Winding: Manual Movement Type: Mechanical Calibre: 1210 Jewels: 17j Waterproof: n/a Power reserve: 58 hrs Purchase details Condition: Excellent Model Reference: 6426 Date of issue: iv/59 Dimensions Width (without crown): 34.5mm Lug width: 19mm Lug height: (lug to lug) 41mm Wrist size: Adjustable Strap See more vintage dress watches
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
Atlas type guide
Dive and water-resistant watches
Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.
Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.
What to look for
- Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
- Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
- Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
- Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.
Dating clues
- Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
- Professional dive watches: from 1953.
- Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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