89
Rolex
Ref. 16600
Sea-Dweller “COMEX Theo Mavrostomos"
An historically important and extremely rare stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with date, bracelet, helium escape valve, made for COMEX and former property of Theo Mavrostomos
- Estimate
- $50,000 - 100,000
$152,400
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1997
- Reference No
- 16600
- Movement No
- 39'643'660
- Case No
- U’139’751 (repeated on inside caseback); COMEX No. 3379
- Model Name
- Sea-Dweller “COMEX Theo Mavrostomos"
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3135, 31 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, reference 93160, max overall length 230mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp, reference 93160, stamped “S” and “MA7”
- Dimensions
- 40mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.
- Accessories
- Accompanied by Rolex punched guarantee paper, product literature booklet, Rolex spring bar tool, calendar card, dive table, leather wallet, small leather folio, wax medallion, numbered hang tag, fitted presentation box, and outer box. Further accompanied by Rolex service invoice dated June 4th, 2008 and various related paraphernalia.
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
During the early days of deep sea exploration, Rolex worked with a number of experts in the field, including the Marseille-based maritime company, COMEX (Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises). Rolex exclusively supplied different Submariner and Sea-Dweller models to their specialist divers with most watches marked ‘COMEX’ on the dial and numbered on the case back. They were exclusively reserved for the firm and never available to the public for purchase.
Released in 1988, the reference 16600 enjoyed a long production run of 20 years and was discontinued in 2008. However, it was not until 1992 that the reference 16600 was utilized by COMEX. Based on research, the reference 16600 was made with 200 examples featuring the “COMEX” logo on the dial between 1992 – 1997, with its batch number starting from 3200 and ending at 3400 (The present example bearing number 3379).
This important and complete example of a COMEX reference 16600 belonged to Theo Mavrostomos, the holder of the diving depth record – reaching 701 meters / 2,299 feet in 1992 in a simulated dive. After this feat, he officially became an ambassador for Rolex. Dubbed “the deepest man in the world”, Mavrostomos first joined the French Navy in 1970, leaving in 1973 to pursue a career with COMEX where he became a saturation diver. Beginning with Hydra I in 1968, COMEX began experimenting with heliox and hydreliox for saturation diving, which culminated in Hydra X in 1992 and Theo’s achievement at 701 meters, which earned him the French Order of Merit in 1997.
Released in 1988, the reference 16600 enjoyed a long production run of 20 years and was discontinued in 2008. However, it was not until 1992 that the reference 16600 was utilized by COMEX. Based on research, the reference 16600 was made with 200 examples featuring the “COMEX” logo on the dial between 1992 – 1997, with its batch number starting from 3200 and ending at 3400 (The present example bearing number 3379).
This important and complete example of a COMEX reference 16600 belonged to Theo Mavrostomos, the holder of the diving depth record – reaching 701 meters / 2,299 feet in 1992 in a simulated dive. After this feat, he officially became an ambassador for Rolex. Dubbed “the deepest man in the world”, Mavrostomos first joined the French Navy in 1970, leaving in 1973 to pursue a career with COMEX where he became a saturation diver. Beginning with Hydra I in 1968, COMEX began experimenting with heliox and hydreliox for saturation diving, which culminated in Hydra X in 1992 and Theo’s achievement at 701 meters, which earned him the French Order of Merit in 1997.
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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