Submariner 6538 "Big Crown"

The reference 6538 is the Submariner that Sean Connery wore in Dr. No. That single fact made it the most famous dive watch in cinema history, but the 6538 was significant before Bond ever touched it. Produced between 1956 and 1959, it was the first Submariner to receive chronometer certification and the first with the oversized 8mm winding crown that earned it the Big Crown nickname. The case was 38mm with no crown guards, a bidirectional bezel with a small red triangle at the zero marker, and 200 meters of water resistance. The Caliber 1030 inside had 25 jewels and beat at 18,000 vibrations per hour.

The British Ministry of Defence ordered 50 examples in 1956, designated A/6538, making it one of the earliest military-issued Submariners. A verified 6538 sold at Christie's in 2017 for $492,500. The value reflects the convergence of military provenance, Bond association, and the fact that very few survive in original condition. Most have been re-dialed, re-lumed, or fitted with replacement parts over six decades.

I reference the 6538 heavily in the 124060 article because the modern Submariner is a direct descendant of this watch. The design language, the rotating bezel, the Mercedes hands, the lume plots, all of it started here. The 6538 is where the Submariner became the Submariner. Everything after it is refinement.