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895

Rolex

Ref. 116619LB

Submariner “Smurf”

An attractive and rare white gold diver’s wristwatch with center seconds, date, diamond-set indexes, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box

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Released in 2008, Rolex shocked the community with the release of the Submariner ref. 116619LB, as it was their first ever serially produced Submariner model in 18K white gold. While the Submariner has traditionally been produced in stainless steel due to its heritage of being the “go-to” professional diver’s wristwatch, yellow gold versions has been available for a few decades with the introduction of the ref. 1680/8 in the late 1960s.

Nicknamed the “Smurf” by collectors universally, the ref. 116619LB brings a refreshing appeal to the white gold case as it features a vibrant blue dial with a matching blue Cerachrom bezel insert. Immediately sought-after by collectors since its initial release, the reference was discontinued in 2018. In 2020, Rolex released the ref. 126619 with a newly incorporated 41mm diameter case and a black dial instead of the previous blue.

The present example Rolex Submariner ref. 116619LB from circa 2009 features a rarer dial with diamond-set indexes and a white gold frame for its date window as compared to its regular counterpart. Preserved in excellent overall condition, the present lot is complete with its original 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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