Rolex - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIII Hong Kong Thursday, November 25, 2021 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1987
    Reference No: 16808
    Movement No: 2’084’129
    Case No: 9’623’855
    Model Name: Submariner
    Material: 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3035, 27 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, max length 175mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 40mm diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped Maier & Berkele Inc., USA dated December 1988.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Gold Submariners are a class of its own, equipped with professional capabilities enhanced with a touch of flamboyance and elegance, early gold Submariners are in demand. Introduced in 1979, the Rolex Submariner ref. 16800 series replaced the iconic ref. 1680 series, the first to ever feature a date function. While its aesthetics remain largely unchanged, a few updates separated the old and the new. Replacing its former Plexiglas is the incorporation of a sapphire crystal, a major milestone for the watch industry. Furthermore, the ref. 16800 series was equipped with Rolex’s newly developed cal. 3035 presenting a practical quick-set date function adjusted via the crown. Another notable feature was the implementation of a unidirectional rotating bezel, which only rotates counter-clockwise providing extra security while in use. The ref. 16808 was launched in two different variants, blue dial with a blue bezel insert or black dial with a black bezel insert. The reference was discontinued in 1987 and its stainless steel counterpart the following year.

    The present Rolex Submariner ref. 16808 in blue with a 9.6 million serial belongs to an example from circa 1987, possibly one of the last to have ever left the factory before it was discontinued. An attractive transitional example with a mesmerizing deep ocean blue dial, the present lot is accompanied by its original guarantee.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    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.

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900

Ref. 16808
A fine and attractive yellow gold diver’s wristwatch with center seconds, date, bracelet and guarantee

Circa 1987
40mm diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed

Estimate
HK$150,000 - 250,000 
€16,600-27,700
$19,200-32,100

Sold for HK$378,000

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia
+852 2318 2001
WatchesHK@phillips.com

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIII

Hong Kong Auctions 25-26 November 2021