1054
Rolex
Ref. 16610
Submariner, “COMEX”
A very attractive and rare stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with sweep center seconds, date, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box, made for COMEX
- Estimate
- HK$470,000 - 785,000€53,500 - 89,400$60,300 - 101,000
HK$862,500
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1997
- Reference No
- 16610
- Movement No
- 7’680’580
- Case No
- U100’166, caseback stamped 6475
- Model Name
- Submariner, “COMEX”
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3135, 31 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped 93150, endlinks stamped 501B, max length 200mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp stamped “Z6”
- Dimensions
- 40mm Diameter
- Signed
- Dial, case, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
- Accessories
- Further accompanied by blank Rolex guarantee, Rolex London service invoice, COMEX certificate of authenticity, 1997-1998 calendar card, instruction manual, hang tags, anchor, green wallet, outer packaging and fitted presentation box
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The Rolex Submariner is one of the most coveted diver’s watch in the industry with its initial launch dating back to the 1950’s. Throughout the process of constant innovation and technical upgrades with a focus on robustness and enhanced depth ratio, Rolex turned to COMEX for their expertise. With success, the first patent was a helium gas escape valve that would be a permanent feature of the Rolex Sea-Dweller. Furthermore, all COMEX commissioned watches came with individual numbers printed on the caseback.
The Rolex Submariner ref. 16610 “COMEX” was issued from 1989 until 1997 with approximately 250 examples commissioned by COMEX. The present example bears the serial “U” indicating the production of the watch to be in 1997, hence one of the last examples ever produced. Preserved in excellent overall condition and complete with the full set of accessories, the present example is a beautiful specimen of a professional diver’s watch commissioned especially for professional divers of COMEX.
The Rolex Submariner ref. 16610 “COMEX” was issued from 1989 until 1997 with approximately 250 examples commissioned by COMEX. The present example bears the serial “U” indicating the production of the watch to be in 1997, hence one of the last examples ever produced. Preserved in excellent overall condition and complete with the full set of accessories, the present example is a beautiful specimen of a professional diver’s watch commissioned especially for professional divers of COMEX.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
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