Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Lot 68Ω
Rolex. A fine and very rare stainless steel automatic calendar bracelet watch with dual time zone and the emblem of the Omani police GMT Master, Ref: 16750, Circa 1983
15 December 2021, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£70,000 - £100,000
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Charles Dower
Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Penelope Andrews
Head of Department
George Kidwell
Senior Cataloguer
Rolex. A fine and very rare stainless steel automatic calendar bracelet watch with dual time zone and the emblem of the Omani police
Model: GMT Master
Reference: 16750
Date: Circa 1983
Movement: 27-jewel Cal.3075 automatic, free-sprung Glucydor Microstella balance, adjusted to 5 positions & temperature, No.1040880
Dial: Black, emblem of the Omani Police at 6, luminous dot hour markers, baton quarters, outer minute divisions, magnified date aperture at 3, polished Mercedes hands with luminous inserts, centre seconds, arrow tipped dual time zone hand
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back and shouldered crown, black bezel insert, No.7625315
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted brushed and polished 62510 H Jubilee link, 555 end links
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp, stamped G4
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 39mm
Reference: 16750
Date: Circa 1983
Movement: 27-jewel Cal.3075 automatic, free-sprung Glucydor Microstella balance, adjusted to 5 positions & temperature, No.1040880
Dial: Black, emblem of the Omani Police at 6, luminous dot hour markers, baton quarters, outer minute divisions, magnified date aperture at 3, polished Mercedes hands with luminous inserts, centre seconds, arrow tipped dual time zone hand
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back and shouldered crown, black bezel insert, No.7625315
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted brushed and polished 62510 H Jubilee link, 555 end links
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp, stamped G4
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 39mm
Footnotes
In the 1970 and 80s Rolex produced a limited number of watches especially for the Sultan of Oman. These watches featured the Emblem of Oman known as the Khanjar and were given as gifts to people of importance by his Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. Of these select watches there was also a very rare commission of GMT Master Ref:16750 and Submariner Ref:16800s specifically for the Omani police force. These are distinguishable by the Khanjar curved daggers set beneath a crown and within a wreath and are some of the rarest Khanjar dialled Rolexs produced. The current example is a GMT Master Ref:16750 dating to circa 1983 and is presented in excellent condition.
Launched in 1979/80 to replace the well-loved 1675, the 16750 featured a new, more accurate calibre (3075), double the depth rating, a quick set sequence to the date function and a different layering of the hands. The reference was in production for around 8 years before being phased out. As with other Rolex references, examples with Khanjars often had their dials swapped out as the Khanjar symbol went through a period of not being particularly fashionable. Recently they have experienced a real revival in interest and their subsequent rarity makes them now very desirable for collectors.
Another example of a Ref:16750 with the emblem of the Omani police was offered at auction in 2020 with a serial number just 53 digits out from this one. The proximity in numbers indicates and supports the argument that these were likely produced and issued concurrently in a very short time period.
