Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...

New York, Jun 18, 2008

LOT 112

Ref. 5513, Comex Submariner Rolex, Oyster Perpetual, "Submariner, 660 ft./200 m?, Ref. 5513. Made for COMEX in 1970. Very fine, center-seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with first generation helium escape valve and fixed bar lugs. Accompanied by a fitted box, extra strap, instruction booklets and recent Rolex Japan service invoice.

USD 90,000 - 130,000

EUR 60,000 - 85,000

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screw-down case back with COMEX inscription and case number stamped inside, screwed down crown protected by the Crown Guard, graduated bidirectional revolving black bezel for the decompression times, helium escape valve. D. Black with applied luminous round, triangular and baton steel indexes, Comex logo at six. Luminous skeleton hands. M. Cal. 1520, rhodium-plated, 26 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring. Dial, case and movement signed. Original Comex dial was replaced by Rolex UK in 1998 (see attached invoices). Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 14 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

COMEX COmpagnie Maritime d'EXpertise A French company, specialized in deep sea exploration, that made great advances in saturation diving in the 1960s and 70s. At the time COMEX divers wore Rolex Submariners, Ref. 5513. These were rated to 200 meters, sufficient for most dives. However, during the 10-day decompression period following saturation dives, the watch crystals would violently explode due to the pressure of the helium that had built up in the watch. To rectify the problem, Rolex invented the gas escape valve Swiss patent 492246. This simple spring-loaded one-way valve was first fitted to the standard Submariner 5513, which was then given the Ref. 5514. Further research led to the first ?Sea-Dweller, Submariner 2000?, ref. 1665, in 1971.