The Rolex Deepsea Sea Dweller, Royal Navy Clearance Diver issue, a front and rear view
The training to become part of the branch is famous for being extremely difficult, with some selections that had 100% failure rate. Produced in 2013, this confidential edition was never available to the public and celebrated the success of many highly perilous missions and the creation of the Branch about 60 years earlier.
While the front of the watch looks like a normal production 116660 Sea Dweller, the back of it reveals the Clearance Diver emblem with two dolphins on either side of a diving helmet and the crown.
The Rolex Sea-Dweller has always been a watch made for professional divers. It was based on the Rolex Submariner, but Rolex technically amplified it to endure much greater pressure.
In 1967 it was discovered that helium from divers hyperbaric chambers could infiltrate their watches and cause them to burst upon ascent. Rolex therefore endowed the Sea-Dweller with its ubiquitous gas-escape valve, allowing divers to safely wear their Rolex watches during long cycles of decompression. With its helium-release valve and virtually incompressible body, the Rolex Sea-Dweller is unique amongst technical Rolex watches, the perfect example of a pure instrument.
The Sea-Dweller has been a steady, virtually unchanged model within the Rolex range. The first model, 1665, was produced for 16 years until the later 16600, which was in the catalogues for nearly 20 years, and in that time, records imply that very few of these watches were actually produced. Low production numbers emphasise that Rolex has always treated the Sea-Dweller entirely as an instrument for professional divers and not as a mere commodity. All these factors heighten their rarity and desirability amongst collectors. The extremely rare, limited edition Deepsea Sea Dweller in our July sale carries an auction estimate of £40,000-50,000.
The Rolex Mil-Sub of a member of a Diving Team operating from the Royal Naval Dockyard, Rosyth, sold for $240,000 at Christies, in November 2024 (Photo Credit: Christie’s)
Rolex made the Mil-Sub as a direct order for the British Military through the Ministry of Defence. These were made with specific enhancements that set them apart from their civilian equivalent. The reference 5513 was the first of these to be customised for Military use by making the spring bars solid and friction welded into place, negating the possibility of the spring bar being pulled out. As such all Military Submariners have NATO straps as the more normal straps or bracelets cannot be fitted to the solid lugs. The dials had to be easily readable and so the hands were replaced with the larger, aptly named 'Sword' hands to enhance legibility. They had to show the international symbol for Tritium, with Tritium luminosity signified by the encircled ‘T’ on the dial. The hack feature allowing the precise setting of the time was another specific request. The models furthermore had a unique bezel with sixty minute marks rather than only the first fifteen minutes. The case backs are engraved on the interior with the serial number and also on the outside case back with the Ministry of Defence issue number.
It is almost unheard of for Rolex to accommodate a client’s wishes to this extent and it is this, combined with the low production numbers (approximately 1,200), plus the kudos of military issue, that gives this watch such mystique and collectability.
The military numbers on the back of this particular Mil-Sub refer to it being issued in 1975. As these watches were 'tool watches' in the truest sense of the word, they were often repaired with service parts and were in many cases heavily damaged during use, as being worn on the wrists of servicemen rather than watch collectors, these were tools to be used and abused. Combined with an MOD servicing regime that put expediency above originality, and the fact that decommissioned watches often had the fixed bars removed and the case backs polished, finding an all-original example in good condition is rare. This particular Mil-Sub comes with its original bezel, crown, glass and Mercedes hands, plus service warranty papers.
The British Military’s special version of the Rolex Submariner provides an almost perfect combination of enduring design, provenance, and utility. Understandably collectors hanker after such uber-cool tech. The few surviving Mil-Subs are among the most valuable military watches today, with at least one example from 1974 selling for $240,000 at Christie’s as recently as November 2024.
This particular, very fine example in our July sale carries an auction estimate of £70,000-90,000.
Click here to view these two very special timepieces in our July 31st Fine Jewellery & Watches Sale
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