Lot 21
Rolex. An important stainless steel automatic wristwatch on bracelet
Oyster Perpetual Submariner Ref.5513, Case No.1770154, made circa 1968
Auction: 20 November 2025 from 14:00 GMT
Description
Cal.1520 self-winding movement, later (circa 1980) Rolex ‘Maxi Dial MK1’ with tritium dot, baton and triangle indexes, tritium Mercedes hands, stainless steel Oyster case with screw-down reverse stamped IV.67 to the inner, screw-down Oyster crown, bidirectional revolving bezel calibrated to 60 minutes, on fitted stainless steel Rolex Oyster Ref.93150 bracelet with 501B endlinks and E08 clasp code (1980). Case, dial and movement signed.
Dimensions
Diameter 39mm, approx. bracelet size 185mm.
Provenance
Offered for the first time at auction by the family of the original owner. By repute, this watch was gifted to, and worn by, world record diver Bernard Reuiller.
Footnote
In November 1970, Bernard Reuiller (1945-2023) and his fellow diver Patrice Chemin, reached a world-record depth of 520 meters within the Physalie V COMEX hyperbaric chamber in Marseille. The dive was organized in conjunction with C.N.E.X.O Partis and COMEX Marseille and sponsored by Omega. The ‘Physalie’ series were tests where divers were subject to record depths for a short periods to help research on the syndrome of
anaphylaxis. In 1971, Rolex began sponsorship of the event.
According to his family, Bernard Reuillier received this watch as a present from his mother and sister for his birthday in June 1969 and wore this watch during the record-breaking dive. Following the 1970 record-breaking dive, Reuiller continued to work with Comex ultimately entering management in Southeast Asia.