Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref. 6090 - 'Bombe' Lug

If you boil Rolex down to its purest form, what do you get?

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual. This is truly the genesis for the entire Rolex brand. The very first Rolex models were called ‘Oysters’ which was owed to their innovative three part case that all screwed into each-other. This watch represents an evolution of that, when these were still semi-bubble back watches.

The piece that we have here, simply know as an Oyster Perpetual, is a descendant of those early watches, utilizing a water-resistant Oyster case, an automatic-winding movement, and nothing else. No frills — purely a functional timekeeping device.

Dating to circa 1952, this reference 6090 is one of the rarest Oyster Perpetuals ever produced. Coming in at approximately 34mm in diameter, these featured beautiful and elegant twisted ‘bombe’ lugs and lovely stylized-indices that, sadly, have not been seen on any Rolex models for decades. The case itself remains in fantastic, very lightly polished condition, retaining those beautiful lugs and no significant damage or blemishes to speak of. Inside, the dial is also a stunning, textured unit that has also been lost to time. White in color, these are known as 'honeycomb' dials for their cross-hatched patterns, and are highly desirable. The example here is in stunning condition, with clean, seemingly wear-free surface and crisp white color. The applied 'dart' indices exhibit minor surface oxidation and are matched by a correct 'dauphine' handset.

This piece even retains its correct Rolex + Brevet signed crown!

This then, is a brilliant example of Rolex displaying a more artistic side, all while very much being a Rolex at heart, with that water-resistant Oyster case and a robust automatic-winding movement within. Hard to beat.