Rolex GMT 6542 left hand

[albaserver]

Hi to all,
did you notice that Rolex GMT Master ref. 6542 left hand has been sold at the hammer price of 271K USD (more or less)? :-O

https://www.phillips.com/detail/ROLEX/HK080118/952

[albaserver]

I post an image as well to get your eyes to shine :)

I love it...

[roh123]

Very nice watch! To me it is just a normal 6542 with the dial/movement turned.

[fmc000]

Originally Posted by roh123

Very nice watch! To me it is just a normal 6542 with the dial/movement turned.

It's not. The serial number and case reference are in the correct places, not inverted as it would be if only the movement was turned.

[uncleluck]

Originally Posted by roh123

Very nice watch! To me it is just a normal 6542 with the dial/movement turned.

I think the difference is the case is stamped for a left hand Watch, ie opposite to the right hand case.

But wether that means it’s legit a factory left hand watch or whether Rolex actually produced some cases stamped the other way (remember no crown guards to easily orientate the case incorrectly during stamping) by accident?

The thing is if they were accidentally produced this way (stamped) then it wouldn’t take much to swap the movement round and claim it was a rare reference.

The article does say Rolex did rarely produce lhd watches but I wonder if they just admitted to producing numbers stamped upsaide down.

At the end of the day I don’t believe anything I read from auction houses or magazines on vintage Rolex. I’d want to hear it from the horses mouth and no doubt nobody will know at this stage.

[MoosicPa]

Excellent left handed reference, OP thanks for sharing.

[petehk]

This is pic of the watch I took at a Phillips road show. As is, I checked the serial numbers and they are correctly positioned for the watch. The question is whether the case have been reworked with repositioned numbers? Phillips claimed that Rolex has verified the watch but without any official documentation, the buyer has to take Phillips word. Also, Auction Houses have made mistakes in the past. Still, someone bought it for a princely sum.

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[roh123]

Originally Posted by fmc000

It's not. The serial number and case reference are in the correct places, not inverted as it would be if only the movement was turned.

Originally Posted by uncleluck

I think the difference is the case is stamped for a left hand Watch, ie opposite to the right hand case.

But wether that means it’s legit a factory left hand watch or whether Rolex actually produced some cases stamped the other way (remember no crown guards to easily orientate the case incorrectly during stamping) by accident?

The thing is if they were accidentally produced this way (stamped) then it wouldn’t take much to swap the movement round and claim it was a rare reference.

The article does say Rolex did rarely produce lhd watches but I wonder if they just admitted to producing numbers stamped upsaide down.

At the end of the day I don’t believe anything I read from auction houses or magazines on vintage Rolex. I’d want to hear it from the horses mouth and no doubt nobody will know at this stage.

Ah. My bad then. As far as I heard serial was not at 6oc.

[albaserver]

I think it could be useful: serial number at 6 o'clock.. :)

[roh123]

Intentional or not. Rolex sometimes had mistakes in their production line.

https://instagram.com/p/BjM36t_H4rU/

[petehk]

Originally Posted by roh123

Intentional or not. Rolex sometimes had mistakes in their production line.

https://instagram.com/p/BjM36t_H4rU/

Agree. I've handled before a “normal” 6542 with the case numbers the wrong way around. Been told by an old collector friend that this did happen with the old assembly process.

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[Fredrik]

Originally Posted by roh123

Very nice watch! To me it is just a normal 6542 with the dial/movement turned.

How would that work? I believe the dial feet are not positioned symmetrically and a left hand watch is otherwise just a regular watch with the dial upside down. But that is not possible since the dial feet will not fit.

Do the known left-hand watches have special dials?

[Paulie 50]

The crown must be different surely? A long way to reach the date wheel, or is that too obvious?

[Swearengen]

Would have though so. Also would the date wheel need to be different too? 31 divisions doesn't make for symmetry.

Originally Posted by Fredrik

How would that work? I believe the dial feet are not positioned symmetrically and a left hand watch is otherwise just a regular watch with the dial upside down. But that is not possible since the dial feet will not fit.

Do the known left-hand watches have special dials?

[roh123]

The 6542 has no dial feet.

[albaserver]

Originally Posted by roh123

The 6542 has no dial feet.

Never had a 6542 in my life... really no dial feet? :-O

[roh123]

Originally Posted by albaserver

Never had a 6542 in my life... really no dial feet? :-O

[Fredrik]

Originally Posted by roh123

The 6542 has no dial feet.

Well, that certainly makes it easier.

How about the date disc? It is asymmetric and would you not see two half dates if you used a right hand date disc?

[albaserver]

Originally Posted by roh123

Wonderful... but in in this way it's easier to rotate the watch if you find one with reference and serial number inverted... but what about the engraving of a disc in the back of the dial? If you rotate the dial could generate problems?

[nsxnext]

But how do you address for the stem that comes out of the date side of the movement?

Simply turning the movement 180° doesn't account for that.
Maybe of it was a no date model but confused how this couldn't be anything but a purpose built LHD watch.

[Swearengen]

Just turn your watch 180 degrees so the winder is on the left.
Imagine you could now rotate the dial 180 degrees so Rolex and the Crown is now at 12 O'Clock. No problem with the stem or winder, they work as before.

The only problem with our imaginary configuration is the date window will show in between dates, due to lack of symmetry in the date wheel.

Originally Posted by nsxnext

But how do you address for the stem that comes out of the date side of the movement?

Simply turning the movement 180° doesn't account for that.
Maybe of it was a no date model but confused how this couldn't be anything but a purpose built LHD watch.

[Filipão]

Originally Posted by roh123

Intentional or not. Rolex sometimes had mistakes in their production line.

https://instagram.com/p/BjM36t_H4rU/

First for me. Thanks

[springer]

Originally Posted by roh123

Intentional or not. Rolex sometimes had mistakes in their production line.

https://instagram.com/p/BjM36t_H4rU/

First time I've seen that.

[saskmh]

Originally Posted by Swearengen

Just turn your watch 180 degrees so the winder is on the left.
Imagine you could now rotate the dial 180 degrees so Rolex and the Crown is now at 12 O'Clock. No problem with the stem or winder, they work as before.

The only problem with our imaginary configuration is the date window will show in between dates, due to lack of symmetry in the date wheel.

This doesn't work with a watch with a date...The date would be upside down.

I actually was reading an article the other day about Rolex making a handful of left hand watches back in the 50's/60's.

[Swearengen]

I am not convinced the date would be upside-down. Imagine the date window was at 9 o'clock rather than 3 o'clock the date would be upside-down. Now rotate the watch 180 degrees and the date is at approximately 3 o'clock and correctly orientated.

Originally Posted by saskmh

This doesn't work with a watch with a date...The date would be upside down.

I actually was reading an article the other day about Rolex making a handful of left hand watches back in the 50's/60's.

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[armypilot]

Originally Posted by Swearengen

I am not convinced the date would be upside-down. Imagine the date window was at 9 o'clock rather than 3 o'clock the date would be upside-down. Now rotate the watch 180 degrees and the date is at approximately 3 o'clock and correctly orientated.

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It doesn't work that way. Look at a right handed GMT. The crown and the date are both on the right side, meaning the stem enters the movement from the right side. In this left handed example, the crown is on the left side 180 degrees out from the date on the right side with the stem entering the left side of the movement. If the movement had just been rotated 180 degrees, the date would be upside down and on the left side.

[uncleluck]

Originally Posted by armypilot

It doesn't work that way. Look at a right handed GMT. The crown and the date are both on the right side, meaning the stem enters the movement from the right side. In this left handed example, the crown is on the left side 180 degrees out from the date on the right side with the stem entering the left side of the movement. If the movement had just been rotated 180 degrees, the date would be upside down and on the left side.

But the date window on the dial is still on the right side so assuming symmetry between sides it could be a rhd date wheel.

[armypilot]

Originally Posted by uncleluck

But the date window on the dial is still on the right side so assuming symmetry between sides it could be a rhd date wheel.

This is true. With the 6542 dial not having feet, it would be possible to place it anywhere on the movement. What is problematic is the placement of the serial number on the case. A mistake, or intentional, I guess we will never know.