Rolex Explorer 6299

The Rolex Explorer ref. 6299 is among the rarest and least-documented references in the Explorer family, believed to have been produced briefly around 1953–1954. It was part of the ‘Pre-Explorer’ generation and closely related to references like the 6098 and 6298. The watch featured a 36 mm stainless steel Oyster case with a smooth bezel and domed acrylic crystal, using the Rolex Caliber A296 automatic movement. The case thickness measured approximately 13 mm, with a lug-to-lug length of 44 mm and a lug width of 20 mm. Most known examples are extremely limited and were not uniformly dialed, with some displaying early 3-6-9 layouts or even standard dress dial configurations. Due to its extremely limited production, prototype status, and near-total absence from catalogs, the 6299 is regarded as a highly enigmatic reference. It sits at the intersection of Rolex’s post-Everest tool watch experimentation and its transition into the formal Explorer line, making it an object of fascination for advanced collectors and historians alike.