Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...

Hong Kong, Jun 08, 2008

LOT 272

Laurent Leynaud?s Comex Sea Dweller, Ref. 1665, Rail Dial Rolex, ?Oyster Perpetual, Comex, 2000ft./600 m, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified?, case No. 6221266, Ref. 1665. Made in 1980, sold on December 12th, 1980. Fine and extremely rare, center-seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel diver?s wristwatch with date and a stainless steel Fliplock Oyster bracelet, Ref. 93150. Accompanied by its original warranty, 1970?s Submariner and Oyster booklets, hang tag, a spare Rolex bezel and original fitted box. It is further accompanied by a Comex/Pro regulator, a Comex/Pro diver?s knife, a Comex/Pro timetable for decompression times and a Comex/Pro orange handbag. Property of the original owner.

HKD 1,300,000 - 1,600,000

USD 170,000 - 210,000 / EUR 100,000 - 130,000

Sold: HKD 958,000

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back engraved with ?Rolex Patent Oyster Gas Escape Valve?, inside the case back ?6221266, 1665? and crown, helium escape valve at 9, graduated bi-directional revolving black bezel for the decompression times, Triplock winding-crown protected by the crown-guard. D. Black with luminous round, triangular and baton indexes, outer minute division, aperture for the date. Luminous steel skeleton hands. M. Cal. 1570, rhodium plated, oeil-de-perdrix decoration, 26 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperatures and five positions, shock-absorber, self-compensating blued steel Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws, hack mechanism. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness: 17 mm. Approx. overall length 185 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-02

Good

HANDS Service hands

Notes

Sea Dwellers The ref. 1665 sea dwellers were delivered to COMEX from 1977 through 1982. Approximately 300 watches of model reference 1665 with Helium Gas Escape Valve were delivered to COMEX in 3 separate batches during this period. The first batch of 100 watches was delivered around 1977. These featured 600m COMEX logo dials (Often referred to by Collectors as the ?PISANI? dial) and case backs with the same type of engraving as the Double Red Sea Dweller. The second and third batches of 100 watches each were delivered to COMEX in 1980 and 1982 respectively. The majority of these watches still had the 600m COMEX logo dial (some of the later third batch with case backs 325x onwards may have had 610m dials), but the style of the case back engravings had changed from the first batch. There are several differences between the original COMEX Ref. 1665 dials and that of the retail version, on the COMEX dial: 1- the COMEX logo is present above the depth rating; 2- the depth rating is 2000ft- 600m; 3- the word ?DATE? is missing next to the ?OYSTER PERPETUAL?; 4- the hour markers are closer to the minute track line; 5- The bottom of the Rolex coronet is flat with the ?L? directly under it; 6- the ?C? from the word ?CHRONOMETER? lines up with the ?C? from the word ?CERTIFIED?. The present watch has retained its original COMEX dial. The 1665 are regarded as the true COMEX watches, as they do not feature the Rolex model name on the dial.
Laurent Leynaud He worked for COMEX in the 1980's as a purchaser and manager, dealing with coordination and logistics, and conducting surveys for the company.