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Auction archive: Lot number 19

Rolex

RACING PULSE
12 Dec 2020
Estimate
US$100,000 - US$200,000
Price realised:
US$567,000
Auction archive: Lot number 19

Rolex

RACING PULSE
12 Dec 2020
Estimate
US$100,000 - US$200,000
Price realised:
US$567,000
Beschreibung:

19RolexRef. 5517; inside caseback stamped 5513 and 5’339’610 An extremely rare and historically important stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with fixed lugs and military engravings, accompanied by Henry Hudson letterCirca 1977 39mm Diameter Case, dial, and movement signed; further stamped on caseback W10/6645-99-9237697 – 918/79 Estimate $100,000 - 200,000 CHF90,000-180,000 €84,200-168,000 HK$775,000-1,550,000 Place Advance BidContact Specialist Paul Boutros Head of Watches, Americas & International Strategy Advisor Senior Vice President +1 212 940 1293 pboutros@phillips.com
Condition ReportRequest Condition ReportThank youfor your request. The Condition Report will be sent shortly.Contact Us* RequiredSend me the Report ViaEmailFaxContact SpecialistCancelDescriptionOur Buyer's Premium has been updated. View our Conditions of Sale.Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1977 Reference No: 5517; inside caseback stamped 5513 and 5’339’610 Case No: 5’339’610 Model Name: Submariner “MilSub” Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1520, 26 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Nylon NATO Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, and movement signed; further stamped on caseback W10/6645-99-9237697 – 918/79 Accessories: Accompanied byletter from Rolex UK (Bexley) signed by Henry Hudson Rolex International Guarantee, Rolex service estimate and service invoice letter. Catalogue EssayThe MOD approached Rolex with specifications for a watch that met their requirements, which included fixed spring bars welded to the lugs which prevented the fitting of a reflective bracelet, a nylon strap (by contract from the Phoenix company), a 60-minute bezel insert, large sword-shaped hands, and a luminous dial. In addition, the MOD required that dials be marked with an encircled “T” indicating the use of luminescent tritium. Additionally, the casebacks for watches issued to the British Army were engraved with “W10”, the code for the British Royal Army, and “6645-99-9237697”, the NATO codes, followed by the issue number - in this instance, “918” and the year of issue “79”. The resulting watch is now known to collectors as the "MilSub". Following decommissioning, these military wristwatches often were either destroyed by the MOD, or purchased by civilians or dealers, with most being transformed by removing the military features and changing the watch to a more “civilian” timepiece. As a result, the present example is an incredible find. It is complete and in exceptional, unrestored and fully original condition. Fresh-to-the-market, the watch is further remarkable for its very rare, 5517 reference, uniquely made for the MOD and without doubt the most prized and sought after of all Rolex Milsubs. Unpolished with crisp reference numbers between the lugs and on the caseback, as well as its military engravings, this reference 5517 is a truly exceptional timepiece and among the finest examples to ever be offered publicly. The original dial displays a stunning rich patina of the luminous markers and sword hands, and is the original “maxi-dial”, a term coined by Rolex collectors to refer to the comparably larger lume plots and bolder graphics. It is the first 5517 ever to be offered by Phillips, and comes fitted with an original vintage NATO strap and a coveted “Henry Hudson letter” from Rolex Bexley in the UK, confirming its issue to the British Army Air Corps in 1979 and specifically to the Army Depot location at Castle Donnington location in England.Read MoreMaker BiographyRolexSwiss • 1905 Follow Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most comp

Auction archive: Lot number 19
Auction:
Datum:
12 Dec 2020
Auction house:
Phillips
null
Beschreibung:

19RolexRef. 5517; inside caseback stamped 5513 and 5’339’610 An extremely rare and historically important stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with fixed lugs and military engravings, accompanied by Henry Hudson letterCirca 1977 39mm Diameter Case, dial, and movement signed; further stamped on caseback W10/6645-99-9237697 – 918/79 Estimate $100,000 - 200,000 CHF90,000-180,000 €84,200-168,000 HK$775,000-1,550,000 Place Advance BidContact Specialist Paul Boutros Head of Watches, Americas & International Strategy Advisor Senior Vice President +1 212 940 1293 pboutros@phillips.com
Condition ReportRequest Condition ReportThank youfor your request. The Condition Report will be sent shortly.Contact Us* RequiredSend me the Report ViaEmailFaxContact SpecialistCancelDescriptionOur Buyer's Premium has been updated. View our Conditions of Sale.Manufacturer: Rolex Year: Circa 1977 Reference No: 5517; inside caseback stamped 5513 and 5’339’610 Case No: 5’339’610 Model Name: Submariner “MilSub” Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 1520, 26 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Nylon NATO Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, and movement signed; further stamped on caseback W10/6645-99-9237697 – 918/79 Accessories: Accompanied byletter from Rolex UK (Bexley) signed by Henry Hudson Rolex International Guarantee, Rolex service estimate and service invoice letter. Catalogue EssayThe MOD approached Rolex with specifications for a watch that met their requirements, which included fixed spring bars welded to the lugs which prevented the fitting of a reflective bracelet, a nylon strap (by contract from the Phoenix company), a 60-minute bezel insert, large sword-shaped hands, and a luminous dial. In addition, the MOD required that dials be marked with an encircled “T” indicating the use of luminescent tritium. Additionally, the casebacks for watches issued to the British Army were engraved with “W10”, the code for the British Royal Army, and “6645-99-9237697”, the NATO codes, followed by the issue number - in this instance, “918” and the year of issue “79”. The resulting watch is now known to collectors as the "MilSub". Following decommissioning, these military wristwatches often were either destroyed by the MOD, or purchased by civilians or dealers, with most being transformed by removing the military features and changing the watch to a more “civilian” timepiece. As a result, the present example is an incredible find. It is complete and in exceptional, unrestored and fully original condition. Fresh-to-the-market, the watch is further remarkable for its very rare, 5517 reference, uniquely made for the MOD and without doubt the most prized and sought after of all Rolex Milsubs. Unpolished with crisp reference numbers between the lugs and on the caseback, as well as its military engravings, this reference 5517 is a truly exceptional timepiece and among the finest examples to ever be offered publicly. The original dial displays a stunning rich patina of the luminous markers and sword hands, and is the original “maxi-dial”, a term coined by Rolex collectors to refer to the comparably larger lume plots and bolder graphics. It is the first 5517 ever to be offered by Phillips, and comes fitted with an original vintage NATO strap and a coveted “Henry Hudson letter” from Rolex Bexley in the UK, confirming its issue to the British Army Air Corps in 1979 and specifically to the Army Depot location at Castle Donnington location in England.Read MoreMaker BiographyRolexSwiss • 1905 Follow Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most comp

Auction archive: Lot number 19
Auction:
Datum:
12 Dec 2020
Auction house:
Phillips
null
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