The 6538 is the earliest widely-collected Submariner reference: 38mm Oyster case, 'Big Crown' (8mm winding crown for gloved operation), and no crown guards. Sean Connery wore one in Dr. No, cementing its 'James Bond' association. Early 6538s wore red-triangle depth ratings and 'Explorer' style 3-6-9 dials; later production standardized on the four-line 'Submariner' script. Original Big Crowns are worn to nubs on most surviving examples; correct replacements are one of the hardest parts to source in the entire Rolex universe.
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Reference
6538
Submariner
1956–1959
The 'James Bond' Big Crown Submariner.
- Case
- 38mm
- Caliber
- 1030
- Years
- 1956–1959
What to watch for
Refinished dials, replacement Big Crowns (originals are extraordinarily rare), and cases modified to add later crown guards.