Rolex Reference 5514 Submariner 'Comex' | A stainless steel automatic wristwatch with bracelet, Circa 1977 | 勞力士 型號 5514 Submariner 'Comex' 精鋼自動上鏈鍊帶腕錶，製作年份約 1977

Property of an American Gentleman
Rolex

Reference 5514 Submariner 'Comex'
A stainless steel automatic wristwatch with bracelet, Circa 1977

勞力士 型號 5514 Submariner 'Comex'
精鋼自動上鏈鍊帶腕錶，製作年份約 1977

Dial: black
Caliber: cal. 1520 automatic, 26 jewels
Case: stainless steel, screw down case back, inside case back stamped 5513
Case number: 5'228'424, Comex issue number 901
Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet with folding clasp
Size: 40 mm diameter, bracelet circumference is approximately 190 mm
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: no
Papers: no

Condition Report:
Case: The case is in overall very good condition with light signs of use and signs of previous polishing. The inside case back is stamped 5513. The numbers in between the lugs are clear and crisp. The later added bracelet is in overall very good condition. The bracelet is stamped '93150', end links stamped '593', and clasp stamped 'PJ1'.

Dial: The dial is in overall very good condition.

Movement: The movement is running at time of cataloging, however it was not tested for the accuracy of time or duration of the power reserve and may need service at the buyer's discretion. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement.

Catalogue Note:
Comex (Compagnie Maritime d'Expertise) was founded in 1961, in Marseille, at a time when industrial deep-sea diving did not yet exist. Very soon, however, Comex promoted new technology and became a pioneer in deep sea diving operations for the offshore oil industry. Today, Comex has over 2000 employees and 800 divers located all over the world. At the end of the 1960s, Comex asked Rolex to create a watch that could sustain high pressure in deep waters as the compressed and saturated air began causing a built-up of pressure in the standard Submariner cases destroying its mechanism. Rolex rapidly came up with a patented solution by installing a one-way pressure relief valve on the side of the watch case, beside the 9 o'clock position, that allowed the release of helium from the case. At first, the gas escape valve was featured on special Reference 5513 models, however, the model was re-named Reference 5514.

Despite the partnership spanning a lengthy 27 years from 1970 to 1997 and seeing the release of 9 watches—references 5513, 5514, 1665, 1680, 16660, 16800, 16610, 168000, 16600—in both Submariner and Sea-Dweller series, Rolex-COMEX watches were produced in an extremely limited quantity. Furthermore, these already-limited watches had such a narrow, specific focus for underwater exploration that they were never sold publicly. And, having undergone extensive testing in highly extreme conditions, the small handful of watches were damaged over time. Thus, to have one’s hands on a COMEX watch is an utmost rarity.