Need help identifying 6150 Explorer

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by DadsWatch72

Very interesting thread and very nice looking watch.

Its nice to think that it has been in my family since new and worn most of its life. It is just in the past eight years that it has not been a daily wearer.

Comparing this watch and my own daily wearer for the past twenty years, an Oyster Perpetual Date, to some of the vintage pieces posted here, I think the daily wearers can sometimes be in better shape. I don't know if it is they are better taken care of and some of the other vintages are just found in a drawer, or we just don't see many original owner watches posted here.

I am also surprised that in all the time this thread has been here only one other 6150 owner has posted and there have been no white dials posted other than from the Italian collectors site and his was similar but not the same.

Robert

[basmannen]

Originally Posted by robsteve

Any chance you have a link to a PDF copy of that article?

Robert

Sorry, no PDF. Gave the buyer of my 1953 Explorer the copy.

Perhaps worth mentioning:
The name Explorer had been used by Rolex at least 10 years before
the summit of Mount Everest although in smaller Oyster models.

Basmannen

[robsteve]

I reorganized the pictures on my web space to put all the watch pictures on one place. This messed up the links earlier in this thread.

Here are some of the pictures, now in their new location.













Here it is on the Oyster and USA Jubilee.








on a Hirsch Principal curved end Leonardo band. The dark area on the dial is a reflection of my house not a discolouration of the dial.

[tgoose1]

Very nice condition, congrats.

[Subfiend]

This is my "Dress Explorer" from 1957. Sorry for the poor photo.



This is a better photo, taken on a dressy evening with fellow explorers.

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by Subfiend

This is my "Dress Explorer" from 1957. Sorry for the poor photo.



This is a better photo, taken on a dressy evening with fellow explorers.

That is pretty cool. Is it a 6150? Is it gold or is that just the lighting?

BTW, my grandfather was a hard hat diver in the second world war diving on on the ships sunk by the U-Boats as they left Halifax on convoy. This diving experience is what brought him to buy a Rolex in 1953. I don't think he was diving then though.

Robert

[Subfiend]

Mine is a 5506 from either 1957 or 1958. It has been a long time since I have had the case back off.

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by Subfiend

Mine is a 5506 from either 1957 or 1958. It has been a long time since I have had the case back off.

Is that the 34mm case or 36mm like mine? Yours also looks like it is gold, but it could be a camera/lighting thing.

Robert

[Subfiend]

I think it's 36mm with a "Gold cap", but it could be 34mm.

[robsteve]

Originally Posted by Subfiend

I think it's 36mm with a "Gold cap", but it could be 34mm.

I did a quick Google on the model number. It looks to be a 34mm. I also have only seen shelled Rolexes in the 34mm size. A 34mm would take a 19mm strap, the 36mm a 20mm. Mine also takes the larger Submariner springbars, with the 1.2mm end pins and 2mm diameter.

Robert

[Subfiend]

Originally Posted by robsteve

I did a quick Google on the model number. It looks to be a 34mm. I also have only seen shelled Rolexes in the 34mm size. A 34mm would take a 19mm strap, the 36mm a 20mm. Mine also takes the larger Submariner springbars, with the 1.2mm end pins and 2mm diameter.

Robert

I won't argue with that. I acquired it for a very modest price about eight years ago, and I have probably worn it only five times to some dinners and black tie events.

[bb3188]

Originally Posted by Subfiend

This is my "Dress Explorer" from 1957. Sorry for the poor photo.



This is a better photo, taken on a dressy evening with fellow explorers.

Subfiend that is a beautiful dial, I love the way the texture on the dial has aged !!
nice...........

[Subfiend]

That's actually the dial's original color. It's called "Champagne." I found it in a Rolex brochure from this era.

I also have the same dial in silver on my '55 6565.

[robsteve]

In honor of Sean Connery's birthday today, I have fitted a bond Nato to my 6150 Explorer and will be wearing it today. A 1953 6150 Explorer may have been the Rolex Ian Flemming had in mind while writing his first Bond book, as Submariners were not yet available.

Here it is on a Bond Nato.

Robert

[robsteve]

I decided to polish and brush my Rolex Jubilee Oyster so it looked like it should. I bought the Rolex USA Jubilee used last winter and it came all polished except for the clasp. I used a bit of mylar tape to mask off the center links and then brushed the outer links with a series of scotch-brite pads. I then reversed the masking and polished the center links with Autosol. I also had to do the same with the end links. I think I like it better this way.

Here is a picture from today. Anybody else have any 6150 pictures to share?

Robert

[robsteve]

After reading the excellent article on Rolex watches and Mount Everest on Jakes watch blog and seeing the white dial Oyster Perpetual on a long leather strap used by Hillary, I decided to find a similar strap for my Explorer.

http://rolexblog.blogspot.com/1998/0...onquering.html

[bb3188]

nice....:)