Rolex Oysterdate Precision

The Rolex Oysterdate Precision 6694 is a quiet classic, an unsung hero, and an affordable entry point into what often seems like the most exclusive club in watchmaking. Better still, there are a great many variations on this old, manually-wound model, so there is something for almost everyone.

As far as Rolex is concerned, the Oysterdate is just about as simple as it gets. The Oysterdate Precision reference 6694 began in the early 1960s and ran on with great success until it was finally discontinued at the end of the 1980s, earning it the distinction of being Rolex's last manual-wind watch.

Reference 6694 introduced the collection to the Breguet overcoil hairspring and a higher-beat movement, which upped the frequency from 18,000 oph to 21,600 bph. The Oysterdate remained essentially unchanged over the next three decades before gracefully bowing out of the Rolex portfolio in 1989.