Importantes Montres de Collection

Geneva, May 15, 2011

LOT 163

Rolex Ref 5514, Comex No 314, Maxi Dial Rolex, ?Oyster Perpetual, COMEX, 660ft=200m, Submariner?, Ref. 5514/5513, case No 3804892. Made in 1972. Very fine and very rare, water-resistant, center seconds, self-winding, stainless steel diver's wristwatch with first generation helium escape valve, and a stainless steel Rolex Oyster fliplock bracelet.

CHF 53,000 - 65,000

USD 58,000 - 73,000 / EUR 40,000 - 50,000

Sold: CHF 68,500

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screw-down case back, screw-down triplock crown with Crown Guard, graduated bi-directional revolving black bezel for the decompression times, helium escape valve, case back engraved: Rolex Comex 314. D. Black with painted luminous round, triangular and baton indexes. Luminous steel skeleton hands. M. Cal. 1520, rhodium-plated, 26 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring, hack mechanism. Dial, case and movement signed. Reference between the lugs 5514, in the case back 5513, date code 1.72. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 14 mm. Approx. overall length 180 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 Ref. 5514 was a COMEX-specific watch, which was never available to the general public. Due to the extreme conditions in which the COMEX divers operated, every six months the watches were sent back to Rolex for an overhaul. These watches were not just meticulously overhauled but in many cases upgraded each time the watch went back to Rolex. It has been reported by former COMEX divers that some of the earlier Ref. 5514 watches did not have the COMEX logo on the dial and that when these watches were sent to Rolex for service, the dials were replaced by Rolex, on request, with the later gloss tritium or luminova dials, some bearing the COMEX logo.