44

Rolex

Ref. 16618

Submariner

A rare and attractive yellow gold diver’s wristwatch with sapphire and diamond-set indices, date, bracelet, guarantee, and presentation box

Estimate
$18,000 - 36,000
$25,400
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Rolex
Year
Circa 1992
Reference No
16618
Case No
E840’251
Model Name
Submariner
Material
18K yellow gold, sapphire and diamond
Calibre
Automatic, cal. 3155, 31 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, end links stamped 46B, max overall length 185mm
Clasp/Buckle
18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp stamped 92908
Dimensions
40mm Diameter
Signed
Case, dial, movement, and clasp signed.
Accessories
Accompanied by a Rolex guarantee dated October 1992, stamped Eckstein Juwelier Saarbrücken, Germany, green leather presentation box, hang tag, leather folio, product literature and outer packaging.
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Catalogue Essay

-- Rolex’s first Submariner wristwatch was released in 1953 with the reference 6204, and has become an iconic wristwatch with many iterations over the decades. Today it remains one of the most sought-after tool watches of all time. The reference 1680, introduced in 1967, was the first Submariner offered with a date indication, and presented the first Submariner offered in yellow gold. Updated in 1979 with the reference 16800, the Submariner featured an upgraded sapphire crystal and redesigned unidirectional bezel, quick-set date function, and improved depth rating from 200 meters to 300 meters.

--The reference 16618 was manufactured between 1988 and 2008 as an opulent version of this highly sought after model. The majority of examples were offered with a standard blue or black dial and matching bezel, while a rare number of examples were offered with a gem-set dials, like the present model. Rolex excels at the time-consuming job of selecting and hand-setting well-matched gemstones.

--The present reference 16618 is highlighted by a champagne dial with sapphire and diamond-set numerals. The watch is offered in very good condition, having in our opinion never been polished, with crisp hallmarks and accompanied by its original Rolex guarantee and presentation box.

Rolex

Swiss | 1905

Founded 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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