The history that unites Rolex with the conquest of the oceans goes back to 1927, when Mercedes Gleitze (1900-1981), a young British swimmer, swam across the English Channel (October 7), with a Rolex “Oyster Perpetual” on her wrist. It is the first water-resistant wristwatch in the history of horology, with a screw-down winding- and setting-crown and case-back.

The “Submariner” model appeared in 1953. At that time, the watch was water-resistant to 100 metres. The first models, without crown protection (or crown-guard), are today nicknamed “James Bond” after the watch Reference 6538 worn by “Agent 007”, played on the screen by Sean Connery (1930-2020), in the films “Dr. No” (1962), “From Russia with Love” (1963) and “Goldfinger” (1964). There are two types of “James Bond” Rolex, which can be distinguished according to the size of the crown: small or large. The Reference 6538 worn by 007 is a “Big Crown” such as the one we are presenting; this model is the most popular among collectors today. 

 

In addition, note the four lines on the dial  indicating the model name (Submariner), depth rate (200 meters / 660 feet) and also “Officially Certified Chronometer”. The last line demonstrates Rolex's determination to specify this new characteristic. Indeed, the ref. 6538 produced prior to 1956, albeit with the same calibre 1030, did not have the chronometer certification. 

 

Last but not least, according to the seller, as evidenced by the engravings on the caseback, what makes this lot a true pieces of history is the fact that it was issued to a US Federal Agent in 1958 who served at the Extramural Research Program Management (E.R.P.M) which is a joint venture among the US Army, US Navy and US Air Force. Their primary duty was to evaluate the consequences and effect on potential bio-chemical attack on the US soils during the Cold War. F.E.S.V stands for Federal Emergency Salvage Vessel, a special unit for rescuing in the state of disaster.