All four lines of gold were printed in gold ink atop the lacquer layer. A certificate similar to the one below would have accompanied the watch at the time of purchase. Due to the additional expense and time that it would have taken to get this certification, very few Submariners went through this process and have this dial variant, also known as an "OCC Dial."
Case No. 22x,xxx
This Submariner 6536-1 was part of a small batch that was produced early in 1957. It has a very rare dial with "Four Lines" above the 6:00 marker as opposed to the standard two. The additional lines, "Officially Certified Chronometer," also called "OCC," signify that the movement was officially tested and certified by the "Bureaux Suisses" (Swiss Institutes for Official Chronometre Adjustment Tests) for accuracy.
The black galvanic layer retains a nice black rich color but not without some oxidation due to the lacquer layer gassing out over the decades.
Rolex touted its Chronometer rated watches and adorned them with more accessories. In addition to the Chronometer certificate, there were document holders, chronometer cards and the famous Red Seal hang tag that accompanied watches at the time of purchase..
The hands are made from a metal alloy that was gold-plated. They are also flat on top, a design that came to be known by collectors as "Gilt Hands." When the hands move about the face of the dial, the "Big Bubble" sweep-seconds hand appears to lightly graze the "Chapter" ring of the minute track. When it briefly glides over the minute hand, they are perfectly aligned.
The luminous material on the dial and hands was manually applied Radium like most Small Crowns from the 1950s. Although it no longer glows in the dark, the Radium still has a distinct "speckled" glow when exposed to UV Light and has a relatively high Geiger reading as well. Please see the "Luminous" section for further information about characteristics of glow-in-the-dark materials used by Rolex.
The 6536-1 is powered by the Rolex 1030 Automatic Movement. The outer case back is flat
The brass bezel once had nickel plating that has oxidized or worn away with age. The 6536/8 has a slightly bigger knurling than previous Small Crowns. The early "no-hash" inlay has a small divot to accommodate a dollop of luminous material that would typically fall away. The Submariner 6536-1 uses the #16 crystal, the same reference that is used on all Small Crown Submariners except the Submariner 6536/8.
The reference number 6536/1 is stamped inside the case back with a date code. The other marks were made by watchmakers to help keep track of the job number and sometimes dates of service. It is also interesting to note Rolex New York has inscribed they job number in the upper left area of this case back. Rolex Service centers commonly marked their work order numbers inside the case back.
The Submariner 6536-1 was fitted with a spring loaded Swiss rivet bracelet was made for Rolex by world renowned Gay Frères. The 20mm fixed end links are typically marked "65" or "64" and the clasp has a stamped quality control date code.
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