Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Lot 42
Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel automatic calendar bracelet watch Comex Sea Dweller, Ref: 1665, Circa 1979
11 December 2020, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £150,250 inc. premium
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Penelope Andrews
Head of Department
Charles Dower
Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Watches (UK)
Rolex. A fine and rare stainless steel automatic calendar bracelet watch
Model: Comex Sea Dweller
Reference: 1665
Date: Circa 1979
Movement: 26-jewel Cal.1570 automatic, free-sprung Glucydur microstella balance, adjusted to 5 positions & temperature, hack seconds, No.D93****
Dial: Black, luminous dot hour markers, baton quarters, printed Comex 2000ft=600m Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified, date aperture at 3, polished Mercedes hands with luminous inserts, centre seconds
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back stamped 1665 inside, calibrated uni-directional bezel, screw down shouldered Oyster crown, helium escape valve to the band at 9, engraved '2186' No.619****
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted steel 93150 Oyster link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp, stamped N3 93150
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 40mm
Accompaniments: Rolex box, diver's knife with brass scabbard, tie, pens, ephemera related to the owner
Reference: 1665
Date: Circa 1979
Movement: 26-jewel Cal.1570 automatic, free-sprung Glucydur microstella balance, adjusted to 5 positions & temperature, hack seconds, No.D93****
Dial: Black, luminous dot hour markers, baton quarters, printed Comex 2000ft=600m Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified, date aperture at 3, polished Mercedes hands with luminous inserts, centre seconds
Case: Brushed and polished tonneau form, screw down back stamped 1665 inside, calibrated uni-directional bezel, screw down shouldered Oyster crown, helium escape valve to the band at 9, engraved '2186' No.619****
Strap/Bracelet: Fitted steel 93150 Oyster link
Buckle/Clasp: Signed folding clasp, stamped N3 93150
Signed: Case, dial & movement
Size: 40mm
Accompaniments: Rolex box, diver's knife with brass scabbard, tie, pens, ephemera related to the owner
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 current lot has been serviced by Rolex several times over the years.
This watch was owned by John Roberts an accomplished career diver and has come directly from the family. John Roberts joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16 becoming a Royal Navy diver in 1955, during this period he was part of the bomb and mine disposal unit and was attached to the SBS (Special Boat Service the Navy equivalent to the SAS). He completed 25 years of service ending as a Diving instructor.
John Roberts moved onto the renowned diving enterprise COMEX in Aberdeen as head of training aiding the trainee divers to survive saturation diving in the extremely hazardous environment of the North sea. After his time at Comex he moved onto British Petroleum as North West Europe Operations Manager.
As a diver he helped develop SCUBA and knew Jaques Cousteau, Hans and Lotte Hass and Lionel (Buster) Crabb.
Exhibited with this lot is an impressive Prototype Comex Diving helmet also for sale (refer to Department).
