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Rolex
Ref. 5514, stamped 5513 inside the case back
Submariner, "Comex"
A fine and rare stainless steel wristwatch with centre seconds, bracelet and gas escape valve, made for Comex
- Estimate
- CHF50,000 - 80,000
CHF87,500
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- 1977
- Reference No
- 5514, stamped 5513 inside the case back
- Case No
- 5'228'358
- Model Name
- Submariner, "Comex"
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, 1520
- Bracelet/Strap
- Rolex Oyster
- Clasp/Buckle
- Folding flip lock deployant clasp with extension links, end links stamped 580
- Dimensions
- 39mm. Diameter
- Signed
- <em>Movement, dial, case and bracelet signed, case back further stamped with Comex issue number 897</em>
- Accessories
- <em>Rolex</em> pouch
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The Submariner reference 5514 was specifically developed by Rolex for Compagnie Maritime d’Expertise or “COMEX”, a diving operation within the oil industry. A special gas escape value was fitted to the watch to release pressure from the case during the divers decompression.The “COMEX” offered here is part of the family of some of the rarest Submariner models. All “COMEX” watches were reserved exclusively for the firm and never available to the public for commercial production.The present watch stands out by its original overall condition. The luminous material applied to the numerals has taken on an attractive warm yellow tone from ageing which is consistent with the hands. The bracelet, reference 93150, fitted to the watch is also original and correct for the reference 5514.
Literature
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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