Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 14, 2017

LOT 348

ROLEX REF 1665 SEA-DWELLER "GREAT WHITE", JACQUES COUSTEAU ENGRAVING, STEEL Rolex, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Sea-Dweller, 2000 ft./610 m., Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified", case No. 6109243, Ref. 1665. Made in 1979. Fine and rare, center seconds, self-winding, water resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with helium escape valve and date.

CHF 20,000 - 40,000

HKD 160,000 - 320,000 / USD 20,000 - 40,000

Sold: CHF 37,500

Three-body, polished and brushed, screw-down case back with engraving :"Jacques Yves Cousteau 1981" and crown, helium escape valve at 9, graduated bi-directional revolving black bezel for the decompression times, trip-lock winding crown protected by the crown guard, sapphire crystal. Black with luminous white round, triangular and baton indexes, aperture for the date, outer minutes/seconds divisions. Luminous steel skeleton hands. 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.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 2*

Very good

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

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 40 mm. THICKNESS 17 mm. Approx. overall length 165 mm. According to the current owner, the watch was found at a watch fair in Koln in 1992. He remembers paying the same amount like a regular Seadweller around 2000 euros. The consignor said that he had, at the time, spoken by phone with Rolex Koln, who told him that a small series of Seadwellers (he recalls between 20-25 watches) had been ordered as a gift to some members of the Calypso team to celebrate a dive. Unfortunately, we were not able to find more proofs of these facts.