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Lot Essay
Consigned by a descendant of the family of the original owner, the present timepiece was worn on a daily basis by the original owner's nephew, both of whom were employed by Rolex, adding a unique dimension to its provenance.
A highly important and exciting discovery, the present prototype, one of only three examples known, is a white gold version of the Submariner reference 1680. Of these extraordinarily rare prototypes, two are fitted with blue dials, while the present timepiece is the only known example with a black dial. One of the blue-dial examples was offered at Christie’s Geneva on 15 May 2017. Together, these timepieces represent the only remaining proof of a white gold Submariner concept from the early 1970s that was never realized, their unusual and eye-catching appearance adding to their historical significance.
The Submariner reference 1680 was the first of its kind to have both a date function and execution in precious metal when it was first introduced in the late 1960s. Apart from these three prototypes, no white gold examples were ever commercialized, with production restricted to stainless steel and yellow gold. In fact, Rolex did not formally introduce a white gold Submariner until the release of reference 116619 in 2014.
As expected of a prototype, the present timepiece bears neither a serial number between the lugs at 6 o’clock nor a reference number at 12 o’clock, making precise dating impossible. Nevertheless, construction and design details strongly suggest a production date circa 1977, notably the presence of particular shock absorbers in the movement and the typography of the inner caseback, both consistent with Rolex manufacturing characteristics of the late 1970s.
The timepiece is fitted with a rich black 'nipple' dial with applied circular indexes and the 'feet first' depth designation, a feature added after about 1971. The white gold Oyster case, consistent with period gold Submariner production, was manufactured by Genex S.A., identified by the master casemaker key number 12 stamped inside the caseback. Particularly noteworthy is the unusual bezel: bidirectional and only partially angled at two opposing sections, with a finely machined insert reminiscent of the 'Thunderbird' bezels of the 1950s.
It is further fitted with a white gold President bracelet featuring bark-finished centre links and end links numbered 54, consistent with a production period around the late 70s. The present timepiece obviously deviates from the standard configuration, even though it is marked as reference 1680, indicating that any potential production model would have had a very different appearance. Though economic uncertainty in the 1970s may have contributed, the reasons why this white gold Submariner never went into production are still unknown.
A highly important and exciting discovery, the present prototype, one of only three examples known, is a white gold version of the Submariner reference 1680. Of these extraordinarily rare prototypes, two are fitted with blue dials, while the present timepiece is the only known example with a black dial. One of the blue-dial examples was offered at Christie’s Geneva on 15 May 2017. Together, these timepieces represent the only remaining proof of a white gold Submariner concept from the early 1970s that was never realized, their unusual and eye-catching appearance adding to their historical significance.
The Submariner reference 1680 was the first of its kind to have both a date function and execution in precious metal when it was first introduced in the late 1960s. Apart from these three prototypes, no white gold examples were ever commercialized, with production restricted to stainless steel and yellow gold. In fact, Rolex did not formally introduce a white gold Submariner until the release of reference 116619 in 2014.
As expected of a prototype, the present timepiece bears neither a serial number between the lugs at 6 o’clock nor a reference number at 12 o’clock, making precise dating impossible. Nevertheless, construction and design details strongly suggest a production date circa 1977, notably the presence of particular shock absorbers in the movement and the typography of the inner caseback, both consistent with Rolex manufacturing characteristics of the late 1970s.
The timepiece is fitted with a rich black 'nipple' dial with applied circular indexes and the 'feet first' depth designation, a feature added after about 1971. The white gold Oyster case, consistent with period gold Submariner production, was manufactured by Genex S.A., identified by the master casemaker key number 12 stamped inside the caseback. Particularly noteworthy is the unusual bezel: bidirectional and only partially angled at two opposing sections, with a finely machined insert reminiscent of the 'Thunderbird' bezels of the 1950s.
It is further fitted with a white gold President bracelet featuring bark-finished centre links and end links numbered 54, consistent with a production period around the late 70s. The present timepiece obviously deviates from the standard configuration, even though it is marked as reference 1680, indicating that any potential production model would have had a very different appearance. Though economic uncertainty in the 1970s may have contributed, the reasons why this white gold Submariner never went into production are still unknown.