Smooth Bezel (US Market)
Milgauss 6541 — Smooth Bezel (US Market)
Same honeycomb dial and lightning hand, but a fixed, smooth polished steel bezel in place of the rotating one. Believed to have been made for the American market; an example at Christie’s Hong Kong (May 2019) had a “ROW” US import stamp on the balance cock. Smooth-bezel 6541s were given to NASCAR and Daytona race winners into the mid-1960s.
Very small production: Phillips counts fewer than 200 examples of the 6543 and 6541 combined; Fratello estimates around 200. Phillips Geneva XVII (May 2023) sold case 412'399 for CHF 2,238,000.
Identifying details
- Lightning-bolt seconds hand
Central seconds hand shaped like a lightning bolt.
- Faraday cage
Soft-iron inner case around the movement that shields it from magnetic fields.
- Smooth bezel
Plain polished fixed bezel instead of a rotating or fluted one.
Variants of 6541
Reference overview →| Variant | Production |
|---|---|
| Honeycomb Dial, Rotating Bezel | 1956–1960 |
| Honeycomb Dial, Rotating Bezel · Non-Luminous Honeycomb Dial | Undated |
| Smooth Bezel (US Market)Current | Undated |
Case & movement
- Reference
- 6541
- Production
- Undated
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case diameter
- 38 mm
- Crown guards
- None
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Automatic
- Chronometer
- Yes
More specifications (1)
- Date
- No
Read more
- Fratello's Top 5 Rolex Milgauss ModelsRead more at Fratello (opens in a new tab)
- What's The Legacy Of The Rolex Milgauss?Read more at Phillips (opens in a new tab)
- Rolex Milgauss Review & Buying Guide - Is It Worth Buying?Read more at Bob's Watches (opens in a new tab)
- Highlights: Christie's Hong Kong Watch AuctionRead more at SJX Watches