A truly exceptional and rare Rolex model, the Tru-Beat reference 6556 was the only mechanical Rolex model to ever feature a “dead-beat” seconds complication which advances the seconds hand only once per second. This ingenious mechanism permits more accurate readings of patient’s heartrate. The present watch is fitted with the original caliber 1040, which was widely celebrated for its scarcity and the technical finesse of the dead-beat mechanism.

With a lifespan of approximately five years, the Tru-Beat reference 6556 has become increasingly coveted amongst collectors. Rarely seen in gold, amongst the small numbers of the Tru-Beat created, few have survived with the dead-beat mechanism of the Rolex caliber 1040 still intact. The present example functions exactly as Rolex originally designed it, with a center seconds hand that advances once every second. The silver dial, hour and minute hands, arrow-shaped seconds hand and Rolex alligator strap are perfectly well preserved, making this one of the best reference 6556 examples to appear in auction.