Rolex Comex Submariner Ref: 5514/5513 Automatic Diver's Wristwatch

Technical characteristics

Type

Diver's watch

Bracelet

Stainless steel Oyster bracelet coded 93150 with 580 end pieces

Movement

26-jewel Cal. 1520 rhodium-plated movement

Case Diameter

40mm

Place recorded

Switzerland

Case Serial Number

4089874

Helium Escape Valve

Positioned at 9 o'clock

Maker / attribution

Rolex

Case Back Inscription

ROLEX COMEX and I.72

Design

Visible features

• Frontal view showing a black dial with circular, triangular, and baton luminous hour markers and Mercedes-style hands • Graduated black rotating diver's bezel with a luminous pip at 12 o'clock • Stainless steel case with crown guards flanking the screw-down winding crown, mounted on a three-link Oyster bracelet • Dial text reads 'ROLEX / OYSTER PERPETUAL / 660ft=200m / SUBMARINER' with 'SWISS - T < 25' below 6 o'clock

Dial and Case Configuration

In direct frontal observation, the watch exhibits a black dial set with painted luminous round, triangular, and baton hour indexes, paired with Mercedes-style luminous hands. The dial is printed with 'ROLEX / OYSTER PERPETUAL / 660ft=200m / SUBMARINER' and bears the 'SWISS - T < 25' marking below 6 o'clock. As noted in the catalog description, the dial does not feature a Comex logo. The stainless steel case is described as 40mm in diameter and is fitted with a screw-down Triplock winding crown protected by crown guards, alongside a graduated bidirectional revolving black bezel for decompression timing. The watch is mounted on a fitted stainless steel Oyster bracelet coded 93150 with 580 end pieces and a locking clasp.

Reported Provenance and Documentary Context

Footnotes in the catalogue state that the watch was consigned by its original owner, who began working for Comex Services Marseilles in 1976 as an Operations Supervisor and Air Diving Supervisor, where he assisted with Moana class submersibles and tethered manned systems to 1,000 meters. The text asserts that the watch was given to him in 1976 by Comex and worn as a daily timepiece for 34 years. The catalogue notes that early reference 5514 watches were essentially reference 5513 models fitted with a valve for saturation divers to resolve crystal failure during decompression, and this specific early batch lacked the Comex dial logo. However, internal case engravings, movement specifics, and the side helium valve are not visible in the provided frontal image and remain unverified beyond the auctioneer's narrative.

Source Reported Internal Features and Movement

According to the auction catalogue, the watch houses a rhodium-plated Calibre 1520 movement featuring 26 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, and a self-compensating flat balance spring. Because the case back remains closed in the available frontal photograph, mechanical details rely strictly on the cataloguer's text. The catalog describes a polished case with a screw-down case back bearing a 'ROLEX COMEX inscription straight across', the case serial number 4089874 engraved inside, and an additional stamping of 'I.72'. A helium escape valve is also reported at the 9 o'clock position on the case flank.

Identification

Reference

5514/5513

Serial number

4089874

Source note

Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.

Catalogue references

No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.