Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

New York, Dec 09, 2009

LOT 154

Rolex Ref. 1680 Comex Rolex, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Submariner, 660 ft. / 200 m., Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified", Ref. 1680. Sold to Comex in 1978. Fine and rare, center seconds, self-winding, water-resistant to 200 m, stainless steel wristwatch with "Comex" dial, date and a stainless steel Rolex Fliplock Oyster bracelet. Accompanied by a fitted box and booklet. To be sold without reserve

USD 90,000 - 120,000

CHF 90,000 - 120,000 / EUR 60,000 - 80,000

Sold: USD 130,800

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back and crown, graduated bi-directional revolving black bezel for the decompression times, Twinlock winding crown protected by the Crown Guard, crystal with cyclops lens. D. Black with "Submariner" in red letters, luminous round, triangular and baton indexes, outer minute/seconds divisions, 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 5 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws, hack mechanism. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 14 mm


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-9

Good

Scratched
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

In 1978, COMEX received the ?Submariner? ref. 1680 from Rolex, during which time its divers were already equipped with the ref. 5514 (with HEV) and had just started to receive the Sea Dweller ref. 1665 (with HEV). Since the ref. 1680 had no Helium Escapement Valve and was only rated to 200 meters (660 feet), COMEX used the batch for non-saturation dives and the majority was given to COMEX employees, customers and suppliers. The COMEX ref. 1680 is perhaps the rarest of all COMEX sport watches, since COMEX only received approximately 60 examples and the great majority of those were later serviced with a the COMEX dial being replaced with a regular Rolex dial, as many owners did not like the COMEX logo advertisement on the dial (a concept that would seem foreign to today's Rolex collectors).