’25 Years Service’ Coca-Cola 6565 Rolex Oyster Perpetual

I don’t really understand flex culture, in watches or any other discipline. But surely, if you wanted to show Jake Paul that the sole thing worse than a fake Richard Mille is a real one (I jest), this is the ultimate flex: a watch which tells the world it’s owner knows how to be dedicated to one goal for over 25 years. Rolex don’t really do signatures like this anymore. But then this kind of dedication is extremely uncommon in the modern professional world too. This is an earned Oyster Perpetual, given as reward to an employee by a management and company who valued their efforts.

Coca-Cola became the first product to ever grace the cover of Time magazine in 1950; Coca-Cola wasn’t a drink, it was an institution of Americana. To give you an example, in the year this watch was made (1956) Coca-Cola made a special-order vending machine which could fit through the hatch of the USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine . . .because what’s needed on a state-of-the-art battleship is well-branded sugar water, one has to love that dedication. Flying high, Coca-Cola gave back to their upper management in the mid-’50s with a small batch of signed Oyster Perpetuals for those who had been with them for a quarter century.

This ref. 6565 is engraved to Ward G. Wells, who was presented his OP in 1958. The vast majority of these feature the same style of caseback engraving you see here, and I’d be very careful about the examples out there with clean backs. This generation of OP sported a 34mm 14k gold case, engine turned bezel, very unique arrowhead indices at 3-6-9, and radium pips. Most commonly, these signatures are on gold dials. This opaline white is one of the less common but more beautiful specs to bear Coca-Cola at 6. This isn’t a watch of the modern world anymore, but perhaps it best represents exactly what the modern world needs: restraint, discretion, hard work, and determination. My kind of flex watch.

This example has a moderate to good condition in my estimation. The dial is quite strong for its age, light spotting visible but no major damage or discoloration. Its case has seen a polish or two, and the lugs are a bit rounded. That said, the caseback engraving is deep and strong. Plus, that all-important dial signature is unmarred by time, totally clear. It comes from a well-regarded Mexican retailer with original 14k buckle.

Find this Coca-Cola 6565 here from Relojes Vintage Mexico for 8900 USD.