Rolex

When you own a Comex-diver’s watch, remember that it is not only a rare and collectible wristwatch. It is also an icon of a forgotten time and a tribute to the brave heroes that made possible the oil adventure off the Norwegian coastline. And that is not ...  

Thanks much for the write-up on this Kjell! I now have a deeper appreciation of the history behind the watches.

I have a friend that dived with Comex. The pay was very good but the risks were very high. I was with him when he received a call informing him that one of his friends was trapped in a diving bell due to a horrendous storm in the North Sea. The main probl... 

I like reading history. I once met a commercial diver who did underwater welding and he wore an Omega proplof. When I asked him what his scariest experience was, he froze a little and told me this story: One day, he was welding in the deep cold darkness, ... 

I always wondered about Comex but was too lazy to do a research

If you happen to visit the south of France one of the Comex diving bells is on display at the Lumio garden in Sanary: [photo credit Bernard Laire] It was donated to the city in 2003 by Henri Delauze himself, founding member of Comex, it always gave me the...  

I have some knowledge about Comex issue numbers and fonts that might help identify a fake.

Your brief history is a fascinating read, and one very much appreciated by all. It inspired me to do a little research of my own into the history of Rolex COMEX references, the 1665, the 16660 ("triple 6"), and finally the 16600. A succinct discussion of ... 

Yes. I have a repository of pictures of case backs, corresponding fonts and dials that might steer some of you away from at least some of the many fakes. For those of you who are familiar with Physalie and network 54 you will know what I’m talking about. ... 

Some of my close friends who recently acquired 3 very exciting examples have excited me a lot with these, and my personal background with a link to HG Delauze by chance when I was only a teenager have really excited my interest towards these very special ... 

when you know a little about the history of Comex, you realize it is the ultimate tool watch to own.

I understand that back in the day, a Comex was instrumental to develop Norwegian wealth, while today you almost need Statoil-size wealth to acquire a Comex 😂

for example this Sub which is not as highly coveted as other older models or Seadwellers but it still qualifies as being a COMEX 😁😉 ...  

Again, congrats on your amazing group of Rollies!!

but if you see some of my other posts I also have many JLCs (my favorite Swiss manufacturer), Omegas, VC, Patek, etc... I actually prefer modern watches to vintage 😉😁

My 5513 HEV from 1966 caseback ...  

It’s a 5514. Probably with no Comex logo - unless it has a service replacement dial. Some of them got replacement dials with logo. The case back could very well say 5513, but the reference with helium valve is 5514. I also have an idea in what range the i... 

Rolex worked closely with COMEX and the US NAVY SEA LAB trough their deep sea divers. This collaboration was fruitful to test the helium escape valve (HEV). The valve was developed and tested on few 5513 before being commercially available in the original... 

Make prior to Hydra I.

what is Hidra I?

Hydra I was the first in a series of test dives with helium/oxygen and nitrogen/oxygen mixed breathing gases, led and performed by Comex. That was the start of saturated diving. The reason for the helium escape valve is as follows: In this kind of diving,... 

you are a great expert.. thanks

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Thanks for the very interesting reading.