Lot Essay
With Deepsea Special Edition 86 Certificate of Origin dated 17 November 2009, Rolex Garantie Internationale et Attestation de Chronomètre Officiel, seal, Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA brochure, original fitted green presentation box, 86 Single Red Deepsea Jacques Piccard Edition cardboard outer packaging, original envelope U.S. Navy Bathyscaph Trieste - Navy Conquers Inner Space commemorating the 1st Dive, stamped Agana, Guam, 1 February 1960 and signed by Jacques Piccard, autographed colour picture of Jacques Piccard, original 1954 edition of Professor Auguste Piccard's "Au Fond des Mers en Bathyscape" with hand-written dedication "A Monsieur Pierre-André Jan avec on bon souvenir, Jacques Piccard VII 80", original 1961 edition of "Seven Miles Down - The Story of the Bathyscaph Trieste" by Jacques Piccard and Robert S. Dietz, customised black dry box marked Single Red Deepsea Jacques Piccard Edition No. 60/86, containing three spare textile straps and changing tool.
The edition number 60/86 is paying tribute to the year of Jacques Piccard's memorable dive, 1960, the 86 to the age he reached.
The original commemorative envelope had been taken by Jacques Piccard on board of the Trieste during his historical descend on board of the Trieste in 1960. It was met at our disposal by Bertrand Piccard who would like to comment it as follows:
"A long time ago, my father showed me a couple of philatelic covers he had taken with him in 1960 in the Bathyscaph Trieste to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Some of them had also made the first dive with the mesoscaphe Ben Franklin in 1969. After his death, last November, I found these covers and immediately thought that one of them should accompany the special Jacques Piccard watch for the auction, to make the event more special. To my knowledge, it is the first time ever that one of these covers has seen the light. The proceeds of the auction will allow my brother, sister and I to gather and maintain the archives of our father and grandfather." Bertrand Piccard.
The Rolex Jacques Piccard Edition
"As a passionate collector of Rolex vintage watches I always wanted to create a special customized Rolex series to honour the brand's enormous heritage. One of the most important developments in the evolution of the Submariner tool watch is doubtlessly the first Rolex "Deep Sea Special": fixed to the outside of the bathyscaph Trieste, the watch participated at the deepest dive in history when Jacques Piccard and Navy Lieutenant Donald Walsh descended to 10,908 meters or 35,789 feet at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Rolex has used this remarkable achievement for many years in their advertising campaign. The launch of the Rolex "Deepsea" in 2008 initiated me to do something special with it - it had to be pure and original, no extra name on the dial: the Rolex Jacques Piccard Edition, with the "Deepsea" printed in red on the dial, paying tribute to the history of the first red Submariner and Sea Dweller models. The engraving on the case back shows a depiction of the Bathyscaph Trieste and the individual and unique issue number of the watch. All stainless steel parts have a scratchproof DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating. We also designed a special dry box containing various amenities. A part of the revenue has been donated to the preservation of the "Jacques Piccard Archive" with official approval by the son of Jacques Piccard, also a well known adventurer, Bertrand Piccard. The Single Red Deepsea - Jacques Piccard edition is not affiliated with the Rolex organization, the international warranty will go through our watch ateliers." Philipp Stahl, September 2009.
For more information about the SingleRedDeepSea (SRDS) Concept see www.SingleRedDeepSea.com. The DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating is explained in the condition report of the watch.
Introduced at the 2008 Basel World, the Rolex Deepsea diver's watch, equipped with a revolutionary RINGLOCK SYSTEM - an innovative case architecture - is built to withstand the colossal pressure exerted by water at an extreme depth of 3,900 meters (12,800 feet).
Jacques Piccard (Brussels 1922 - La Tour-de-Peilz 2008)
Jacques Piccard initially studied economics, his business contacts helping to raise funds for his father's Auguste Piccard's second bathyscaph before working exclusively with him to build what was to become the bathyscaph Trieste. Diving with Auguste, he broke numerous records before himself capturing the World Record for the deepest ever dive, 7 miles down to the bottom of the Marianas Trench.
After his father's death, he continued the family mission constructing four mesoscaphes - submersibles designed for medium depths, most notably the Auguste Piccard, the world's first passenger submarine. At the 1964 Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne, she took 33,000 tourists to the depths of Lake Geneva. Jacques Piccard passed away in 2008, leaving the continuation of the family's exploring tradition to his son Bertrand.
For more information on the Piccard family see www.bertrandpiccard.com.
The edition number 60/86 is paying tribute to the year of Jacques Piccard's memorable dive, 1960, the 86 to the age he reached.
The original commemorative envelope had been taken by Jacques Piccard on board of the Trieste during his historical descend on board of the Trieste in 1960. It was met at our disposal by Bertrand Piccard who would like to comment it as follows:
"A long time ago, my father showed me a couple of philatelic covers he had taken with him in 1960 in the Bathyscaph Trieste to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Some of them had also made the first dive with the mesoscaphe Ben Franklin in 1969. After his death, last November, I found these covers and immediately thought that one of them should accompany the special Jacques Piccard watch for the auction, to make the event more special. To my knowledge, it is the first time ever that one of these covers has seen the light. The proceeds of the auction will allow my brother, sister and I to gather and maintain the archives of our father and grandfather." Bertrand Piccard.
The Rolex Jacques Piccard Edition
"As a passionate collector of Rolex vintage watches I always wanted to create a special customized Rolex series to honour the brand's enormous heritage. One of the most important developments in the evolution of the Submariner tool watch is doubtlessly the first Rolex "Deep Sea Special": fixed to the outside of the bathyscaph Trieste, the watch participated at the deepest dive in history when Jacques Piccard and Navy Lieutenant Donald Walsh descended to 10,908 meters or 35,789 feet at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Rolex has used this remarkable achievement for many years in their advertising campaign. The launch of the Rolex "Deepsea" in 2008 initiated me to do something special with it - it had to be pure and original, no extra name on the dial: the Rolex Jacques Piccard Edition, with the "Deepsea" printed in red on the dial, paying tribute to the history of the first red Submariner and Sea Dweller models. The engraving on the case back shows a depiction of the Bathyscaph Trieste and the individual and unique issue number of the watch. All stainless steel parts have a scratchproof DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating. We also designed a special dry box containing various amenities. A part of the revenue has been donated to the preservation of the "Jacques Piccard Archive" with official approval by the son of Jacques Piccard, also a well known adventurer, Bertrand Piccard. The Single Red Deepsea - Jacques Piccard edition is not affiliated with the Rolex organization, the international warranty will go through our watch ateliers." Philipp Stahl, September 2009.
For more information about the SingleRedDeepSea (SRDS) Concept see www.SingleRedDeepSea.com. The DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating is explained in the condition report of the watch.
Introduced at the 2008 Basel World, the Rolex Deepsea diver's watch, equipped with a revolutionary RINGLOCK SYSTEM - an innovative case architecture - is built to withstand the colossal pressure exerted by water at an extreme depth of 3,900 meters (12,800 feet).
Jacques Piccard (Brussels 1922 - La Tour-de-Peilz 2008)
Jacques Piccard initially studied economics, his business contacts helping to raise funds for his father's Auguste Piccard's second bathyscaph before working exclusively with him to build what was to become the bathyscaph Trieste. Diving with Auguste, he broke numerous records before himself capturing the World Record for the deepest ever dive, 7 miles down to the bottom of the Marianas Trench.
After his father's death, he continued the family mission constructing four mesoscaphes - submersibles designed for medium depths, most notably the Auguste Piccard, the world's first passenger submarine. At the 1964 Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne, she took 33,000 tourists to the depths of Lake Geneva. Jacques Piccard passed away in 2008, leaving the continuation of the family's exploring tradition to his son Bertrand.
For more information on the Piccard family see www.bertrandpiccard.com.