1073
Rolex
Ref. 1665
Sea-Dweller “COMEX, Pisani rail dial”
A very fine and rare stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with center seconds, date, gas escape valve, Mark I “Pisani rail dial” and bracelet, made for COMEX
Full-Cataloguing
- Early ref. 1665 COMEX Mark I “Pisani rail dial”
- Ultra rare 600-meter depth rating
- One of about 300 ref. 1665s supplied to COMEX
- Fresh to the auction market
- Serviced by Rolex in 2009 and 2019
The present example showcases a rare "rail dial" configuration produced by Stern Frères between 1977 and 1979. This dial layout is identified by the alignment of the "C" in "Chronometer" directly above the "C" in "Certified", alongside italicized depth rating fonts.
Crucially, this is not a standard reference 1665. Its dial bears the highly coveted "COMEX" signature. Between 1976 and 1981, about 300 examples of the reference 1665 were issued to COMEX, with issue numbers ranging from 2000 to 2300 inscribed on their casebacks. Timepieces from this specific delivery fall within a known serial range of 5.14 million to 6.76 million. Early pieces from this batch feature the distinctive "Pisani" dial configuration, named after the renowned COMEX scholar Marcello Pisani and it is distinguished by a 600-meter depth rating rather than the 610-meter rating found on commercial examples. The caseback is deeply milled with its assigned issue number and features a caseback with a COMEX logo, typical of 5.5 million series cases whereas in later examples, which feature an arched Rolex logo flanked by two coronets. The inside caseback also correctly repeats the watch's full serial number.
Serviced by Rolex in 2009 and 2019, and accompanied by its respective service guarantee and invoice, the watch retains its original proportions, a clean dial with the rare 600m depth rating, making it an extraordinary specimen for the serious vintage Rolex collector.
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.