59
Rolex
Ref. 216570
Explorer II "Who Dares Wins"
A new-old-stock stainless steel dual time wristwatch with center seconds, date, orange hand, "Who Dares Wins" engraving, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box, made for 22 Special Air Service
- Estimate
- CHF30,000 - 60,000€31,200 - 62,500$34,300 - 68,500
CHF60,960
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- 2012
- Reference No
- 216570
- Case No
- 40CM3923
- Model Name
- Explorer II "Who Dares Wins"
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 3187, 31 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 200mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp
- Dimensions
- 42mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
- Accessories
- Accompanied by Rolex guarantee dated December 2012 stamped Rolex London, product literature, numbered hang tag, presentation box and outer packaging.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The present watch is part of a special series of reference 216570s made for The British Special Air Service (SAS). Founded in 1941, the SAS is part of the Special Operations division of the British Army and has since remained one of the most elite special forces regiments in the world - the "elite of the elite". Shrouded in secrecy, the unit is rumoured to employ 500 active soldiers who undergone "selection".
The 22 SAS rose to fame during the storming of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980, giving them instant notoriety. Their motto, "Who Dares Wins", is instantly recognisable in English culture.
To honour their long-lasting relationship with the British army, Rolex created a series of Explorer IIs, the reference 216570, for members of the unit. These explorers were offered either with a black or white dial, and engraved with the motto "Who Dares Wins" - this reference is the only known SAS Rolex model to be engraved on the caseband. It is believed that the 22 Regiment Air Service has most recently commissioned a series of Submariners, making the present series the last of its kind.
Underscoring the rarity of the present watch is the fact that it is preserved in "New-Old-Stock" condition. All original factory stickers on the bezel and bracelet are present, and the watch has never seen active service since its sale to Rolex London in 2012 as seen on the guarantee card - an important detail for all original examples.
The 22 SAS rose to fame during the storming of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980, giving them instant notoriety. Their motto, "Who Dares Wins", is instantly recognisable in English culture.
To honour their long-lasting relationship with the British army, Rolex created a series of Explorer IIs, the reference 216570, for members of the unit. These explorers were offered either with a black or white dial, and engraved with the motto "Who Dares Wins" - this reference is the only known SAS Rolex model to be engraved on the caseband. It is believed that the 22 Regiment Air Service has most recently commissioned a series of Submariners, making the present series the last of its kind.
Underscoring the rarity of the present watch is the fact that it is preserved in "New-Old-Stock" condition. All original factory stickers on the bezel and bracelet are present, and the watch has never seen active service since its sale to Rolex London in 2012 as seen on the guarantee card - an important detail for all original examples.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded 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 complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
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