Rolex Rolex Oyster Perpetual Veriflat 18k Reference 6512. Full Set ROL 733
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Veriflat 18k Reference 6512
Mint condition Rolex Oyster Veriflat in 18 karat gold. It is a rare watch made for a few years only from 1954 to 1962 and was intended to complete the Oyster range with a sports dress watch, so it was put into an oyster case which was waterproof and more sporty looking than the dress watches. To make it more dressy, they made it as slim as possible and to this date is the slimmest Oyster case made so it fits well on the wrist and looks good with a suit or shirt. The slimness was achieved by recessing the knurled section so the back was made completely flat. They also made it hand winding so they could do away with the winding rotor to make it slimmer. This was achieved by the calibre 1000 which was specifically made for this watch and not found in any other Rolex models. The Cal. 1000 is a very high-grade Precision movement, rhodium-plated with "oeil-de-perdrix" decoration, and adjusted to temperature and 5 positions. It has 18 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring and shock-absorbency, achieved through the monometallic balance It comes on an expanding Rolex bracelet, though this may not be original to the watch as the end links seem to awkwardly fitting, nevertheless it is still and original 18 karat gold Rolex bracelet and is detailed in all of the correspondence from Rolex. One of the letters from Rolex mention that an extra link was fitted. It comes with a mass of paperwork and correspondence from Rolex for servicing work, warranty work after a service, service card and it comes with an original guarantee booklet, but this is for a different watch that is dated later. It came with the bundle. The box is also original.
Model: Veriflat Oyster Precision Ref. 6512
Movement: In-house mechanical manual-winding Cal.1000
Functions: Time-only: hours, minutes, sub-seconds
Dial: Sunburst pearl silver
Case: 34 mm yellow gold excluding the crown, 36 including crown, 490 mm lug to lug and 9 mm thick
Crystal: Acrylic
Crown: Screw down twinlock
Bracelet: Rolex expanding link 18 karat gold with folding clasp 15 links
Year: Produced in 1961
Key Characteristics
Additional Product Details
Rolex SA was founded in 1905 by the German Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law, Alfred Davis. Contrary to popular belief, Hans Wilsdorf was neither Swiss, nor a watchmaker. Wilsdorf & Davis was the original name of what later became the Rolex Watch Company. They originally imported Hermann Aegler's Swiss movements to England and placed them in quality cases made by Dennison and others. These early wristwatches were then sold to jewellers, who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from the firm of Wilsdorf and Davis are usually marked "W&D" – inside the caseback only. Hans Wilsdorf registered the trademark name "Rolex" in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland during 1908. The word was made up, but its origin is obscure. One story, which was never confirmed by Wilsdorf, is that the word "Rolex" came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning exquisite watch industry. The Wilsdorf & Davis company moved out of Great Britain in 1912. Wilsdorf wanted his watches to be affordable, but taxes and export duties on the case metals (silver and gold) were driving costs up. From that time to the present, Rolex has been headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, though the company owns facilities in other cities (Bienne, etc) and continents (North America, Asia, Australia, etc). The company name Rolex was officially registered on 15 November 1915. It is thought this change was part of a drive to popularize wristwatches, which at the time were still considered a novelty largely for women (pocket watches were more common). Wilsdorf was said to desire his watch brand's name to be easily pronounceable in any language. The company name was officially changed to the Rolex Watch Company during 1919. It was later changed to Montres Rolex, SA and finally Rolex, SA. Rolex SA is a foundation initiated and originally funded by Hans Wilsdorf and the Aegler family. According to foundation documentation, the Rolex SA company can never be sold, nor traded on any stock market.