Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...

Geneva, Mar 29, 2009

LOT 358

Ref. 1680, Tropical Red Submariner Meter First Mark I, Fuerza Aerea del Perù Rolex, ?Oyster, Perpetual Date, Submariner, 200m/660ft, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified?, case No. 3688725, Ref. 1680. Made in 1974. Very fine and extremely rare, center-seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel military wristwatch with date and a stainless steel special riveted Fliplock bracelet. Accompanied by a service invoice of Bucherer St. Moritz (Switzerland).

CHF 45,000 - 60,000

USD 40,000 - 50,000 / EUR 30,000 - 40,000

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back engraved ?Fuerza Aerea del Perù? and crown, graduated bi-directional revolving brown bezel for the decompression times, Triplock winding-crown protected by the crown guard, crystal with cyclops lens, inside case back engraved with the case number. D. Matte black with luminous round, triangular and baton indexes, aperture for the date, ?Submariner? written in red, minute/seconds division. Luminous steel skeleton hands. M. Cal. 1570, rhodiumplated, oeil-de-perdrix decoration, 26 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperatures and 5 positions, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance-spring, Microstella regulating screws, hack mechanism. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness: 14 mm. Approx. overall length 175 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

The Peruvian Air Force was reorganized under the presidency of Manuel Odria and was renamed in 1950 the Fuerza Aerea del Peru (sometimes abbreviated as FAP). Many Rolex watches were ordered for the Peruvian Airforce: for example DateJust, Gmt-Master and the famous Chronograph, from Ref. 6238 to Ref. 6263/6265. It is known that only a few examples of Ref. 1680 with the word Submariner written in red were delivered.
Common features of all Rolex FAP's: - Case back engraved "Fuerza Aerea del Perù" in a semi-circle .
- Case back pantograph-engraved with the chronological assignation number. Since the engraving was very light, after a few polishings, the number disappears. It is very rare to find a watch that still bears this number.
- The case number engraved inside the case back.
This exceptional model features also a unique stainless steel riveted Oyster Fliplock bracelet with a smaller clasp and the Rolex crown stamped in a different position.