1987 Rolex Submariner Date Comex Dial 168000 - $99,999
Accompanying the watch is a comprehensive and highly desirable full set of original and period-correct accessories, documents, and historical provenance materials. Included is the original Rolex box and inner box, the original guarantee papers with an open date, and two Jacques Bianchi guarantee certificates dated 1996 and 2001 (the famed watchmaker who repaired the Rolex watches of the Comex divers). Additionally, included is a service receipt from Bianchi dated in 1996. Also present are both a DOUX receipt dated 31/10/2009 and a Rolex service guarantee document that is dated November 2009 - that is stamped by DOUX (both documents feature the Rolex serial and the COMEX case number). This impressive collection also comes with the original Rolex anchor, red COSC chronometer hangtag, calendar card, translation papers, and the Rolex green vinyl card holder with the serialized sticker intact (that features both the Rolex serial and the COMEX case number). The package further includes a Your Rolex Oyster booklet, COMEX-PRO dive calculation cards, and an exceptional photographic history documenting the original COMEX diver and original owner, Gabriel Di Domenico. Rounding out this remarkable set is a rare COMEX diver’s safety flasher known as a “Luciole”, a large-format COMEX sticker, a COMEX lapel pin, and a copy of the book Le Têtard en Faux Troubles, authored by Di Domenico himself. This extensive documentation and memorabilia not only enhance the collectability of the watch but also provide a direct link to its professional diving history and COMEX legacy.
Offered here is an exceptionally rare and historically significant Rolex Submariner reference 168000, specially commissioned for the elite divers of the French underwater engineering company COMEX. The watch was originally owned by Comex Diver, Gabriel Di Domenico. Featuring the iconic COMEX logo on the dial, this watch represents one of the most sought-after partnerships in Rolex’s professional tool watch history. The 168000 is a transitional reference, produced for only about nine months around 1987, and marked the introduction of Rolex’s upgraded 904L stainless steel. This particular example carries an R-series serial, placing its production in approximately 1987. The caseback is engraved with the COMEX issue number “6214”, further confirming its provenance. The dial is a rare Swiss Made COMEX service dial, fitted during a Rolex service and it features Super Luminova luminescent markers. The handset is also a service replacement, filled with matching Super Luminova material. The watch is fitted with a Rolex 93150 Oyster bracelet with 13 links and a dive extension, secured by a clasp stamped with an S5 date code, indicating a production date of approximately May 1994. The overall condition of the watch is good but it was never a “safe-queen” - it shows typical “tool watch” wear. There are dings and scratches present throughout the case, caseback, bezel, and bracelet. The case was polished during one of it’s service visits but it still retains strong, well-defined edges, despite the dings and scratches.
