Rolex Comex built for adventure brings £37,000 at auction

Bidders took the plunge for this explorer's Diver Superlative Chronometer at Fellows & Sons' sale

Fellows and Sons concluded their sale of fine timepieces on Monday (July 5). Concentrating on the period from 1940 to 1970, the auction offered a range of the greatest names in the world of watches, with Rolex featuring particularly strongly.

The three decades beginning with the Second World War were a period of great innovation among watchmakers, who tried to keep track of the needs of an adventurous generation of explorers and pioneers.

They needed watches which performed in extreme conditions - high in the skies or deep under the sea.

Today, the intricacy and design of these marvellous timepieces places them among the most collectible and sought-after timepieces on the market.

Rolex Comex Diver Superlative Chronometer

An excellent example is the 1977 rare Rolex Comex (Compagnie Maritime d'Expertise) Diver Superlative Chronometer.

This special version of the 1665 Rolex Sea-Dweller model was created for a French commercial diving company after they experienced a technical problem with a previous model.

This special line of watch is suitable for some of the greatest sea beds with a depth rating of 2000 feet, and was also unique for its Triplock crown which protects the movement. This 1977 stainless-steel example displays the iconic 'COMEX' logo.

Listed at £20,000-30,000, the watch excited bidders sufficiently to be taken home for £37,000 - a great example of the growing strength of rare timepieces as both a collectible and an investment.