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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Wristwatch · Day-Date wristwatch

Rolex Day-Date "The Eastern Arabic" Reference 6613B

Partially verified

This platinum Rolex Day-Date wristwatch, referenced 6613B, dates to approximately 1958. It is distinguished by its 36 mm platinum case with a diamond-set bezel, screw-down crown, and screw-down case back. The watch features an automatic movement, calibre 1055, which includes a butterfly rotor. The silver-toned dial is signed and configured with applied diamond hour markers, a railway minute track, and luminous plots. It specifically incorporates an oriental Arabic Persian calendar for the day and date apertures. The watch is presented on a platinum bracelet with a "Big logo" deployant clasp, stamped 3.58. Provenance records indicate the watch was a gift from King Saud ben Abdelaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to Lebanese Prime Minister Rachid Karamé in 1959.

Rolex Day-Date ref. 6613B with Eastern Arabic calendar, circa 1958.
Rolex Day-Date ref. 6613B with Eastern Arabic calendar, circa 1958. — Artcurial (via Invaluable). Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.invaluable.com
Category
Wristwatch · Day-Date wristwatch
Maker / attribution
Rolex
Reference
6613B
Catalogue / lot identifier
45
Source-reported date
circa 1958
Source-reported place
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
403672

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Case and Dial Design

The watch features a 36 mm diameter platinum case designed with a diamond-set bezel. The screw-down case back is internally engraved with "66". The dial is finished in silver and includes applied diamond hour markers along with a railway-style minute track.

The timepiece is uniquely identified by its oriental Arabic Persian calendar display, which shows the day of the week and date in the corresponding script. Luminous plots are present at each hour marker, and the dial bears the "Swiss" signature. The seconds hand exhibits signs of oxidation.

Evidence for this section
  • “Boîtier : rond, lunette sertie de brillants, couronne et fond vissés gravé "66" à l'intérieur, signé”
  • “Cadran : argenté, index diamants appliqués, guichets pour l'indication de la date et des jours de la semaine (perse arabe oriental)”

Movement and Construction

The watch is powered by the automatic Rolex calibre 1055 movement, which is notable for its butterfly-style rotor. The construction utilizes platinum throughout the case and the associated bracelet. The bracelet is fitted with a deployant clasp known as the "Big logo" style, which is stamped with the date code 3.58.

The case is described as thick and appearing to have received little or no polishing, and the bracelet is stated to be in very good original condition.

Evidence for this section
  • “Mouvement : automatique cal. 1055, rotor papillon, signé”
  • “Très belle boîte épaisse peu ou pas polie”
  • “Bracelet en très bon état d'origine probablement jamais polie, logo Rolex de la boucle jamais polie”

Provenance and History

This specific timepiece was a formal gift provided by King Saud ben Abdelaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to the Lebanese Prime Minister, Rachid Karamé, in 1959. Following the Prime Minister's death on June 1, 1987, the watch was held by his descendants until being consigned for this auction. The watch has remained in the possession of the Prime Minister's heirs until the present sale, having been preserved intact since his death in 1987.

The watch is cited as a rare variant within the Rolex production catalogue. While standard reference 6613 models were introduced in 1957, the specific 6613B configuration is identified by the cataloguer as a significantly scarcer iteration compared to its counterparts found in literature such as John Goldberger's "100 Superlative Rolex Watches".

Evidence for this section
  • “cette montre fut offerte par Saoud ben Abdelaziz Al Saoud, Roi d'Arabie Saoudite, au Premier ministre libanais, M. Rachid Karamé en 1959.”
  • “Or, la montre présentée à la vente porte la référence 6613B, une déclinaison beaucoup plus rare.”

Open research questions

  • What is the specific technical distinction between the 6613 and 6613B references within the Rolex archives?
  • Could the 10 luminous dots on the dial be verified for consistency with 1950s Rolex production standards?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Rolex Day-Date "The Eastern Arabic" Reference 6613B
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerRolex“ROLEX Day Date "The Eastern Arabic", ref. 6613B, n° 403672”
Reference6613B“la montre présentée à la vente porte la référence 6613B”
Serial Number403672“n° 403672”
MaterialPlatinum“Montre bracelet en platine (950) et diamants”
MovementCalibre 1055“Mouvement : automatique cal. 1055, rotor papillon, signé”
ProvenanceGift from King Saud ben Abdelaziz Al Saud to Rachid Karamé“cette montre fut offerte par Saoud ben Abdelaziz Al Saoud, Roi d'Arabie Saoudite, au Premier ministre libanais, M. Rachid Karamé en 1959.”
BraceletPlatinum with 'Big logo' clasp“Montée sur un bracelet en platine avec boucle déployante dite "Big logo”

Visible details

  • Diamond-set bezel
  • Oriental Arabic Persian calendar day/date discs
  • Platinum bracelet with 'Big logo' clasp
  • Applied diamond hour markers on silver-toned dial

Research qualifications

  • The exact origin of the '6613B' variation vs '6613' is based on the seller's internal research
  • The seller suggests the watch may have never been polished

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

ROLEX Day Date "The Eastern Arabic", ref. 6613B, n° 403672

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record 8d4903da87

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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