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Lot Essay
Consigned by the family of the original owner, Lieutenant Colonel and Legion of Merit recipient of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fayette L. Worthington, this superb and highly rare 'Red Depth' Explorer timepiece was worn and cherished throughout Mr. Worthington's service and life. Accompanied by its original Guarantee, COSC paperwork, sales tag, receipts, and service invoices, this timepiece 'checks all of the boxes' for the astute collector of exceptional and rare vintage Rolex watches.
Lieutenant Colonel Fayette Loomis Worthington
Born in 1923 in Oklahoma, Mr. Worthington sought opportunity and lived an wonderful life through military service. He attended Officer school at America's prestigious West Point Academy in New York in the early 1940s, and remained stationed there for over a decade. During the later period in 1956 is when he purchased the present Rolex 'Red Depth' in New York City. In the following decades, he rose in the ranks to impressively become a decorated Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. Worthington would later receive the esteemed Legion of Merit Award for his service in Vietnam.
Reference 6610
Launched in 1955 and quickly discontinued in 1959, the Rolex Explorer reference 6610 was the third model from the Explorer family and features the iconic black gilt 3-6-9 dial. In this particular example, it is one of the rarest and most sought-after Explorer models of all time as it features a 'Red Depth' script reading '50 m = 100 ft' below the golden gilt 'Explorer' text. The luminous material has turned to an attractive orange custard color which wonderfully complements the gilt text, chapter ring, and hands. Interestingly and according to the sales receipt from 1956, this watch was originally sold on a leather strap in which the original owner purchased a Rolex Oyster 'expanding' rivet bracelet months later in 1957. Accompanied with a plethora of paperwork including original receipts, invoices, service paperwork, guarantees, and certificates, this timepiece is a supremely scarce opportunity to own a fresh to market and well-preserved example of Rolex history.
Lieutenant Colonel Fayette Loomis Worthington
Born in 1923 in Oklahoma, Mr. Worthington sought opportunity and lived an wonderful life through military service. He attended Officer school at America's prestigious West Point Academy in New York in the early 1940s, and remained stationed there for over a decade. During the later period in 1956 is when he purchased the present Rolex 'Red Depth' in New York City. In the following decades, he rose in the ranks to impressively become a decorated Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. Worthington would later receive the esteemed Legion of Merit Award for his service in Vietnam.
Reference 6610
Launched in 1955 and quickly discontinued in 1959, the Rolex Explorer reference 6610 was the third model from the Explorer family and features the iconic black gilt 3-6-9 dial. In this particular example, it is one of the rarest and most sought-after Explorer models of all time as it features a 'Red Depth' script reading '50 m = 100 ft' below the golden gilt 'Explorer' text. The luminous material has turned to an attractive orange custard color which wonderfully complements the gilt text, chapter ring, and hands. Interestingly and according to the sales receipt from 1956, this watch was originally sold on a leather strap in which the original owner purchased a Rolex Oyster 'expanding' rivet bracelet months later in 1957. Accompanied with a plethora of paperwork including original receipts, invoices, service paperwork, guarantees, and certificates, this timepiece is a supremely scarce opportunity to own a fresh to market and well-preserved example of Rolex history.