$84,000
Ref 5514 Submariner, Helium Escape Valve Rolex, “Submariner, Oyster Perpetual, 660ft=200m”, Ref. 5514/5513. Made in 1972. Fine and very rare, water-resistant, center seconds, self-winding, stainless steel wristwatch with helium escape valve. Accompanied by a Rolex service invoice. Three-body, polished and brushed, screw-down case back, screw-down crown with Crown Guard, graduated bi-directional revolving black bezel for the decompression times, helium escape valve. Black with luminous round, triangular and baton indexes. Luminous skeleton hands. Cal. 1520, rhodium-plated, 26 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring. Dial, case and movement signed. Dim. 40 mm. Thickness 13 mm. 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 ex-COMEX divers that some of the earlier ref. 5514 did not come with the COMEX logo on the dial [see lot 199] and that when these watches were sent to Rolex for service, on request they were replaced by Rolex with the later gloss tritium or luminova dials, some with COMEX logo. This seems to be the case with the present watch.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2008-04-17
