Top pick first: the replica Rolex 6694 worth buying is a 34mm Oyster-style case with a hand-wound movement, a date at 3 o'clock, and a domed acrylic crystal. Those four details define the original Oysterdate Precision, and they are the four that decide whether a replica reads as a 1960s tool watch or as a modern watch in a costume. The criteria below are ranked in the order they change how the watch looks and feels on the wrist.

What the Rolex 6694 Actually Is

The 6694 is the Oysterdate Precision, the entry-level hand-wound Rolex sold from the 1960s into the 1980s. It is a small steel watch with a date, and it does not carry the "Oyster Perpetual" or "Superlative Chronometer" wording that many buyers expect to see.

  • Case: roughly 34mm across, slim, with narrow lugs and a smooth polished bezel on most examples.
  • Movement: hand-wound, caliber 1215 on earlier production and 1225 later on.
  • Dial text: "Rolex," "Oysterdate," and "Precision" only.
  • Crystal: domed acrylic.
  • Date: at 3 o'clock, frequently without the Cyclops magnifier.

Case Size and Profile

Size is the first thing that gives a replica away. A 6694 is a small watch, so a listing that advertises a 39mm or 40mm "6694" is describing a different watch with the same name.

Accurate 34mm case

  • Pros: correct wrist presence, slim profile, sits under a shirt cuff, and the dial and hands keep their original proportions.
  • Cons: it looks and feels small if you normally wear 40mm or larger, and it can seem undersized on a wrist above about 7.5 inches.

Oversized or cushion-shaped cases

  • Pros: more modern presence and an easier read at a glance.
  • Cons: wrong lugs, a thick midcase, and a dial scaled up until the printing looks loose. Anyone who knows the reference spots it from across a table.

Measure before you commit. Ask for a photo of the case next to a ruler or caliper without the crown, plus a side profile shot so you can judge thickness.

Movement: Hand-Wound Versus Automatic

The original is hand-wound. A replica can be either, and that choice changes the wearing experience more than any other single part.

Hand-wound

  • Pros: correct thin caseback, correct crown feel when you wind it, and it matches how the watch was designed to be used.
  • Cons: you wind it every day, and the low-cost hand-wound movements used in replica builds can run fast or slow out of the box.

Automatic

  • Pros: no daily winding, and common automatic movements are cheap to replace.
  • Cons: the rotor and caseback add thickness, which flattens the vintage profile.

Either way, ask for a photo of the movement with the caseback off. If the seller will not show it, treat the listing as a guess.

Dial, Hands, and Date Window

The dial does the most work in this reference, because so little is printed on it.

  • Pros of a good dial: three lines of text set at the correct size, thin baton or stick hands, and a plain date window at 3 that matches the dial color.
  • Cons of a weak dial: "Oyster Perpetual" or "Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified" added where the original has none, a date wheel with the wrong font, or hands too thick for the case.

Compare the printing against photos of the real reference before you buy, and count the lines. Extra words at 12 o'clock are the most common error on replica 6694 dials.

Crystal, Bezel, and Caseback

Small parts, big tells.

  • Pros of a correct build: a domed acrylic crystal with soft edge distortion, a thin polished bezel, and a plain caseback with no engraving.
  • Cons: a flat sapphire crystal that adds height and clarity the original never had, a bezel that is too thick, or a caseback stamped with text that should not be there.

Acrylic also scratches, so keep a plastic polish on hand or budget for a spare crystal.

Bracelet and End Links

  • Pros of a matching bracelet: three-link Oyster-style links in the right width, end links that sit flush against the case, and a clasp that closes without rattle.
  • Cons: generic bracelets that overhang narrow lugs, hollow end links with gaps you can see, and clasps with modern branding that did not exist on this reference.

Ask for a straight-on photo of the watch with the bracelet attached. Air between the end link and the case is the fastest way to spot a parts-bin build.

How to Vet a Listing

  1. Request a caseback-off photo.
  2. Request measurements across the case and at the lugs.
  3. Request a side profile shot in daylight.
  4. Request a close-up of the date window and the printing at 12.
  5. Ask what movement is inside and whether spare parts are easy to source.

Red flags: stock photos only, no caseback shot, deep water resistance claims on a watch with an acrylic crystal and no pressure test, and any listing that calls a 39mm watch a 6694.

Who Should Buy It

This is a watch for someone who wants the look of a small vintage Rolex without vintage Rolex money, and who does not mind winding a watch each morning. It suits narrow to medium wrists, dress shirts, and anyone who already owns larger modern watches and wants something different. It does not suit buyers who want an investment, a serviceable heirloom, or a watch they can swim in. A replica holds almost no resale value, and many repair shops decline to work on one.

If you want the closest thing to the real reference, stay with the 34mm hand-wound build, check the dial text line by line, and insist on real photos before you pay.