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Lot 83

Rolex. An extremely rare stainless steel automatic calendar bracelet watch
Comex Submariner, Ref: 16800, Circa 1984

11 December 2019, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £40,062.50 inc. premium

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Rolex. An extremely rare stainless steel automatic calendar bracelet watch

Model: Comex Submariner
Reference: 16800
Date: Circa 1984
Movement: 27-jewel Cal.3035 automatic with hack seconds, No.0283***
Dial: Gloss black, luminous dot hour markers, baton quarters, printed Comex Submariner 1000ft=300m, magnified date aperture at 3, polished Mercedes hands with luminous inserts, centre seconds
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back stamped 16800 and engraved with serial number inside, calibrated uni-directional bezel, screw down shouldered Oyster crown, engraved 'J.D.NICHOLAS 6176, 30-11-84', No.865****
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted steel 93150 Oyster link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp date coded I9
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 40mm
Accompaniments: Rolex box, folder with photographs and diving certificates, diving supervisor's log book stamped Comex 1984, ombelicaux manual 1982, folder with photographs and plans for ships and oil rigs, diver's ID cards

Footnotes

The collaboration between the world famous French diving company Comex (Compagnie Maritime d'Expertise) and Rolex started in early 1971. Each watch was issued to their specialist divers marked Comex on the dial and numbered on the case back.

The two following Rolex Comex watches are offered by their original owner, who looks back to long and impressive career as a diver. He first trained in the Army with the Royal Engineers and one of his Army log books is included as an accompaniment with lot 84. When he left the Army in 1971 he was employed by the renowned Comex diving company that were instrumental in co-designing a diving watch that would survive the rigours of all professional deep sea diving. The Rolex Sea Dweller Ref.1665 (Lot 84) was his working watch and is accompanied by a selection of his diving log books.

During his career with Comex he advanced to the role of Diving Supervisor, working extensively in the North Sea in exceptionally difficult and dangerous situations with low visibility. During his long career he was gifted the Rolex Submariner 16800 (Lot 83) on the occasion of his 10th anniversary with Comex. It is a Comex issued watch and has the owners name engraved above the number on the caseback.

We are excited to offer two Comex examples which are steeped in such a rich history. This truly comes to live in the vast array of material that accompanies the watches, from photographs of Comex operations to plans, instructions for divers and other fascinating insights into the life of a working diver.

Additional information

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