Manufacturer: Rolex Year: 2019 Reference No: 116618LN Case No: M'911'004 Model Name: Submariner Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3135, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee dated January 2, 2019, leather wallet, product literature, additional links, hangtag, presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Hefty and luxurious, reference 116618LN is the glamorous version of the iconic Submariner model. Displaying all the original features of the iconic tool watch (such as the uni directional rotating bezel, depth rating on the dial and Oyster bracelet), it is most notably cased in yellow gold. Compared to its predecessors, reference 116618 was fitted with a Cerachrom bezel, making it scratch resistant.
Still in production, this model is incredibly difficult to obtain at any Rolex boutique, further enhancing its desirability. Offered without reserve, it is preserved in excellent and unpolished condition, and offered with all its original accessories.
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 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.