Debuting in 1953 and released to the public the following year, the Rolex Submariner has undoubtedly become one of the most iconic timepieces of all time, thanks to its legendary status as Rolex's flagship dive watch. Used extensively by the British Royal Navy and professional diving operations like COMEX, the Submariner set the bar for all dive watches to follow. The Rolex has become the archetypal sports watch, featuring a genuinely timeless design that has remained relatively unchanged throughout its history. With very few large-scale aesthetic upgrades made to it over the years except for timely advancements like introducing a date function to the collection in the late '60s, and its modern cerachrom bezels, the Submariner is seen as the prototypical dive watch thanks to its consistency. As a result, the Submariner has earned its status as a legendary watch, with it today remaining as one of the most sought-after timepieces around.

Famed for its time on Sean Connery’s wrist as James Bond in the 1962 Bond movie Dr. No, the Rolex Submariner ref. 6538 is one of the most highly-coveted Submariner references around today. Released in 1955, the ref. 6538 introduced the upgraded cal. 1030 to the Submariner collection alongside a thinner case with increasingly beveled lugs and a noticeably larger 8mm winding crown, which is left uncovered thanks to the reference’s lack of crown guards – a feature only added with the ref. 5512. Iconic for its unique design and time on the silver screen, the ref. 6538 is available as either a two-line or four-line variant. Aside from the extra lines of text, the four-line variant features a COSC-certified movement, which was a first for the Submariner collection, with the two-line variants, as we have here, lacking that COSC certification, yet retaining the cleaner-looking dial, which collectors often prefer in lieu of the upgraded movement.