The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady Date reference 6516 is the 1950s and 1960s ancestor of the modern Lady-Datejust, the watch that brought the Datejust complication into a 26mm Oyster case sized for smaller wrists and established the visual vocabulary that the Lady-Datejust line still draws on today. The 26mm Oystersteel case features the patented Oyster waterproof construction that Rolex first introduced in 1926, paired with a smooth fixed bezel and an acrylic crystal with the signature Cyclops magnifier over the date at three o'clock. The white dial carries applied hour markers and slim hands in the classic mid-century arrangement, with a small seconds register where the design language of the period demanded it. Powered by the Rolex Caliber 1130, a 26-jewel automatic movement adjusted to five positions and temperature, representing the technical platform that defined the Lady-Datejust through the 1950s and 1960s before successive generations brought sapphire crystal, quickset date functionality, and the modern Caliber 2135. Worn on the original Rolex Oyster bracelet with rivet-style center links and fold-over clasp, hardware finishes that are themselves now genuine vintage character. Pre-owned in vintage condition befitting its age and provenance.