The Rolex Submariner reference 6204 went into production in 1953 and was shown to the trade at the Basel fair in 1954. Phillips describes it as the earliest Submariner reference Rolex introduced. It has a stainless steel Oyster case of 37mm, a rotating bezel graduated for 60 minutes, and a domed acrylic “Tropic 16” crystal. The gilt black dial carries luminous hour markers and straight “pencil” hands, with no depth rating printed on it. Inside is the automatic calibre A260 with 19 jewels, the same family of movement used in the era’s “bubbleback” watches, which explains its slightly bulging caseback. Early examples were rated waterproof to 100 metres, and by 1954 the catalogue certified the watch to 200 metres. It matters because it set the template of the modern dive watch: a sturdy screw-down case, a timing bezel and a highly legible luminous dial.

The 6204 was built almost in parallel with the reference 6205, and sources note it is unclear which of the two came first. Early cases fall in the 900’000 serial range, fitted with a “small crown” engraved with a coronet and no crown guards. Some 6204 dials bear the Submariner name, while on others it is absent, which has been linked to trademark issues at the time. The line evolved quickly: the 6200 of 1954 introduced the “Mercedes” hands, the 6536 and 6538 brought the calibre 1030, and the case grew to 40mm in 1959. Later references such as the 5512, 5513 and the date-equipped 1680 made the Submariner one of the most widely recognised watches in the world, helped by Sean Connery wearing a 6538 in the early James Bond films.

Collectors treat the 6204 as the seminal Submariner reference, and original examples are sought by Rolex scholars for their gilt dials, pencil hands and small crowns. Condition and originality drive value: Phillips sold an unpolished 6204 with original crystal, hands and luminous markers, which it called a “mid-century time capsule”, for $233,100 in New York against an estimate of $80,000 to $160,000. The modest 37mm size and the variations between dials make careful authentication essential. The 6204 was made only briefly and is no longer produced; Rolex‘s current Submariner, built around the reference 126610LN, continues the line.