1013
Rolex
Ref. 116660
Deepsea Sea-Dweller “Royal Navy Clearance Diver”
A very rare and attractive limited edition stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with center seconds, date, gas escape valve, titanium caseback, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box, numbered 36 of a limited edition of 50 pieces, made to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Royal Navy Clearance Diving Branch
Full-Cataloguing
- Only available to the Royal Navy Clearence Diving Branch members, not commercially available
- Commemorative piece for the 60th anniversary of the Branch
- Numbered 36 of a limited edition of 50 pieces made
- Now discontinued model, offered in excellent condition
Rolex is known for making some of the most heavy-duty oriented tool watches in the horological world, such as the Submariner and Sea-Dweller. The Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller, originally released in 2008, takes diving watches to a whole new level, achieving an astonishing depth rating of 12,800 feet (3900 meters). Already impressive as a utility watch, the present Deepsea in 44mm is even more extraordinary as it is a special commissioned piece made to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Royal Navy Clearance Diving Branch.
Established in 1952, the Royal Navy Clearance Diving Branch is Britain’s elite specialized naval unit responsible for maritime counter-support, underwater mine clearance and explosive ordinance disposal (EOD).
The present watch is extremely rare as these specially commissioned Deepseas were designated for Royal Navy Clearance Divers only, and not commercially available. Rolex made it as a special limited edition of 50 pieces, and the watches were delivered from Rolex SA to Rolex UK. Each watch is engraved with the Fleet Diving Squadron crest on the caseback, an individual number, and per request, the initials of the diver. This present Deepsea was initially acquired by former serving Clearance Diver Vic Anderton, and his piece is numbered 36 out of the 50 made.
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.