1953 Rolex Explorer 6298 Honeycomb Textured Tropic 3-6-9 Dial

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An extremely rare and beautiful 1953 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer model reference 6298 released the same year Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary first summited Mount Everest.  The watch we have here is a truly wonderful and important piece of that history, featuring a beautiful factory printed original dial with honeycomb texture and that famous Explorer 3-6-9 hour marker configuration we now universally associate with the Rolex Explorer series.  It has a wonderful tropic patina giving that lovely vintage feel, housed in a 36mm diameter stainless steel large bubbleback case which is in well loved condition with its original Brevet + signed crown and natural signs of age throughout.  The case back still bears rare factory stamps which read Rolex Oyster Case Modele Depose, Registered Design, with a personalized initial engraving in the center.  Inside we find the famous calibre A296 movement fully signed and freshly serviced, keeping excellent time. A truly rare and stunning, early Rolex Explorer in wonderful honest condition from one of the most important years in the companies history.

Circa: 1953

Style: Sport

Case:  Solid stainless steel case measuring 36mm in diameter excluding the original signed Rolex Brevet Plus crown which screws down nicely to the case.  Stamped between the lugs at 12 o'clock Brevet + 6298, then at 6 o'clock with the serial number 930XXX (1953) Modele Depose, both sides partially rubbed away from bracelet rubbing at some point.  The case has some light pitting between the lugs as well as overall surface wear from years of use but with no major imperfections, most likely polished at some point in its history.  Inside the case back is fully signed Geneva, Swiss, Montres Rolex SA, 6298, IV 53 (4th quarter of 1953), 18.  Comes on a beautifully matched, brand new light brown nubuck leather 20mm strap with generic stainless steel buckle.  

Dial: Rare and exquisite factory original honeycomb textured dial with beautiful light tropic patina with outer printed minute track and applied silver hour markers, signed Rolex, Oyster Perpetual, Explorer, Shock-Resisting, Swiss.  I just love those original alpha style hands with blue center seconds, also in matching condition to the dial and timepiece as a whole.

Movement: A Rolex in-house designed and manufactured calibre A296 automatic movement in excellent working condition, freshly serviced here at Meticulous and keeping great time.  Some light brassing is visible on the movement plates but it is in overall superb cosmetic and mechanical condition for its age.  It comes with our full 1-year mechanical warranty, ready to wear!