Reference:comex

Submariner › COMEX

5513 COMEX No. 58, Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: THREE, lot 121 (2016)

Rolex and the French marine-engineering company Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises (COMEX) began working together in 1971, according to Rolex. Auction catalogues document COMEX-marked or COMEX-issued Submariners and Sea-Dwellers from the 5513 through the five-digit references. The records vary by watch: some have COMEX dial text, some have a caseback issue number, and some early 5513s carry a helium escape valve.

The reference 5514 was made specifically for COMEX. Most other watches in the program use an existing Submariner or Sea-Dweller reference. “COMEX watch” therefore describes an issue and service history, not one uniform specification.

Core facts

detail	documented information
client	Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises (COMEX), based in Marseille
relationship	Rolex dates the partnership to 1971; the company’s founding date is reported as 1961 or 1962 in published sources
references	5513, 5514, 1665, 1680, 16660, 16800, 168000, 16600 and 16610 appear in auction and specialist records
reference made for COMEX	5514; the other entries use existing Submariner or Sea-Dweller references
identifying evidence in published lots	COMEX dial signatures, caseback markings, serial details, paperwork and owner history vary by watch. No one feature authenticates a watch by itself
documented supply tail	16600 and 16610 examples are catalogued in the 1990s. Christie’s also describes 16600 issue 3553 and 16610 issue 6650 watches as circa 2007; both numbers fall outside commonly cited ranges

Where COMEX sits in the line

COMEX used Rolex dive watches in its underwater engineering and saturation-diving work. Rolex’s own history dates the relationship to 1971 and says COMEX divers wore Sea-Dwellers. The company’s later auction and service records add Submariner references and individual watch histories. They do not support treating every COMEX watch as a standard saturation-diving configuration.

COMEX watches in a saturation-diving context; composite image credited to Robb Report’s 2024 feature

Issue timeline

The dates below come from Rolex’s partnership history and named auction catalogues. They are dates for the relationship or for catalogued examples, not a complete factory delivery ledger.

reference	documented example or range	source-specific note
5513	Prototype examples dated circa 1970–1971	Phillips and Sotheby’s catalogue early cases with helium escape valves; Antiquorum documents COMEX No. 24 dated autumn 1970
5514	Commonly dated circa 1972–1978	A dedicated COMEX reference; published production totals differ
1665	Phillips dates a group of examples to 1977–1981	Its 2018 lot essay describes an approximately 300-watch group numbered 2000–2300
1680	Christie’s lists COMEX examples circa 1978–1979	Those are catalogue dates for the cited examples
16660	COMEX lots include early-1980s examples	Christie’s describes issue numbers 3000–3099 with matte dials and 3100–3199 with gloss dials in its catalogue research
16800	Auction catalogues document individually numbered examples	A 2025 Antiquorum lot is marked issue 6087; the lot does not establish a complete production count
168000	Bonhams and Antiquorum attribute COMEX 6243 differently	Bonhams calls it 16800; Antiquorum calls it 168000/16800
16600	Sotheby’s dates a group to 1992–1997 and estimates about 200 watches	Christie’s catalogues issue 3553 circa 2007, outside the commonly cited 3200–3400 range
16610	Phillips describes a group supplied circa 1989–1997	Christie’s catalogues issue 6650 circa 2007, outside the range cited for the main group

The references in the program

5513 COMEX

Auction records place early 5513 COMEX watches around 1970–1971. Phillips lot 121 (2016) records case 2,837,865, issue 58, a Cal. 1520 movement, and a caseback date of III.70. Sotheby’s lot 3 (2022) describes another early example, issue 163, with a non-COMEX dial. Antiquorum’s No. 24 example is dated autumn 1970. The issued population and any division between test, prototype and diver watches are not established by these three lots. These lots show that a COMEX dial logo was not present on every early documented watch.

The later 5513 and the experimental-valve examples should not be treated as one fixed configuration. See the 5513 article for the broader reference history.

A 5513 COMEX Submariner catalogued with a 660ft=200m dial

5514

The 5514 is the only reference in this group identified as made specifically for COMEX. Its case derives from the 5513 and includes a helium escape valve. Auction lots document both COMEX-logo and non-logo dials, different caseback engravings and individual issue numbers. The inner caseback of documented examples is stamped 5513; the 5514 designation appears elsewhere on the case. The dedicated 5514 article covers its variants and the ARA-marked example.

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  COMEX 377, Phillips New York Watch Auction SIX, lot 153 (2022)
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  COMEX 850, formerly owned by COMEX agent Maurice Bessard, Sotheby’s Hong Kong, lot 2140 (2021)
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  5514 designation between the lugs; the photographed inner back is stamped 5513

1665 COMEX

COMEX 1665 examples retain the Sea-Dweller’s helium escape valve and carry COMEX-specific dial or caseback details in some documented lots. A Phillips 2018 lot essay places an approximately 300-watch group in 1977–1981, with issue numbers 2000–2300. That is the auction house’s reported range, not a complete delivery register.

One auctioned example, issue 2129, has the white COMEX signature often called “Great White.” The nickname describes that dial layout. The 1665 article covers the main reference’s dial and case variants.

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  COMEX 1665 No. 2129, Antiquorum Monaco, lot 162 (2022)
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  Dial of the same No. 2129 example
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  Caseback of the same No. 2129 example

16660 COMEX

Auction catalogues document COMEX 16660 watches with both matte and glossy dials. Christie’s describes issues 3000–3099 as originally delivered with matte dials and issues 3100–3199 with gloss dials and applied markers. Sotheby’s 2026 catalogue repeats the matte-dial finding for the first group and notes later service replacements. The Sotheby’s and Christie’s catalogues both describe the matte dial across the 3001–3099 issue group.

The 16660 uses Cal. 3035; Christie’s lists 27 jewels on issue 3009. A photographed Antiquorum 2025 example has a glossy dial, but that example alone does not define the whole run. See the 16660 article.

COMEX 16660 example catalogued by Antiquorum in 2025

16800 COMEX

Auction catalogues document COMEX-marked 16800 Submariners, including Sotheby’s issue 6084 (2024), an Antiquorum 2025 example marked 6087, and a Bonhams circa-1987 listing for issue 6243. A separate Antiquorum 2010 listing describes issue 6243 as “168000/16800,” circa 1988. The overlap leaves the reference assignment of No. 6243 unclear. The 2025 lot records service history and documentation attributed to Jacques Bianchi in Marseille. None of these listings establishes a complete production count or a numbering system shared across references.

Caseback shown in Antiquorum Monaco, lot 149 (2025)

1680 COMEX

Christie’s dates COMEX-marked 1680 examples to circa 1978–1979. The 1680 has no helium escape valve in its standard Submariner case. Antiquorum’s 2020 catalogue describes an approximately 60-watch batch and says examples went to employees, customers and suppliers. That is the auction house’s account, not a complete delivery ledger. Christie’s and Sotheby’s also catalogue individual 1680 COMEX watches dated circa 1978. See the 1680 article.

16600 COMEX

Sotheby’s describes approximately 200 COMEX 16600 watches supplied between 1992 and 1997 in two groups, with straight and curved caseback layouts. Its examples include issues 3382 and 3379. Phillips catalogued a 1997 example associated with the Hydra-Ludion missions.

Christie’s later catalogued a circa-2007 16600, issue 3553, and described it as possibly among the last watches delivered to COMEX. Its issue number falls outside the commonly cited 3200–3400 group. That catalogue is a reported exception, not proof of a new batch or a settled final-delivery date. See the 16600 article.

168000 COMEX

The Antiquorum 2010 catalogue describes a circa-1988 COMEX watch as “168000/16800,” issue 6243; Bonhams catalogued the same issue number as a 16800 circa 1987. The available catalogue descriptions conflict over the reference, so No. 6243 is not counted as a second watch or treated as a settled 168000 attribution.

16610 COMEX

Phillips describes a group of approximately 250 16610 watches supplied around 1989–1997 and catalogues issue 6471 as likely a late example. Christie’s later listed a circa-2007 16610, issue 6650, outside the commonly cited range, and said it may have been one of the last shipped. The catalogue does not establish when or by whom its caseback engraving was made.

COMEX 16610 catalogued by Antiquorum Monaco in 2025

Caseback engraving and dial logo

The cited lots show more than one caseback layout. Phillips describes an early 1665 with a straight-line Rolex/COMEX engraving; Sotheby’s documents a 5514 with a curved layout; Sotheby’s also notes straight and curved layouts on separate 16600 delivery groups. These observations are tied to the named references and watches. They do not support a single engraving chronology for every COMEX reference.

COMEX logos also vary. Auction records include non-logo 5513 and 5514 examples, red-signature dials, and later white-signature dials. Service history can change what is fitted to a watch. A dial or engraving that resembles a published example is not, by itself, proof of issue or authenticity.

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  Curved caseback engraving on COMEX 850, Sotheby’s Hong Kong, lot 2140 (2021)
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  Detail of the COMEX 850 caseback
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  Helium escape valve on the same 5514

Movements

COMEX watches use the movement from their underlying reference, subject to service history. Auction records identify Cal. 1520 in the cited 5513 and 5514 examples. Phillips lists Cal. 1520 for its 1665 issue 2012, while the 1665 is normally listed with Cal. 1575; that lot description is an outlier. Christie’s identifies Cal. 3035 in 16660 issue 3009 and the ambiguous 168000/16800 issue 6243. The 1680 lot 5008 has Cal. 1570. Sotheby’s and Phillips list Cal. 3135 in the 16600 and 16610 examples. See Movements for the broader caliber record.

Records and identification

A COMEX dial, caseback number, matching case details or an auction description can help identify what a particular watch is claimed to be. None is a stand-alone authentication test. Several cited lots have service parts, non-logo dials or unusual issue numbers, and the records disagree on date ranges and delivery counts. A buyer or researcher needs the watch’s own case, movement, service and ownership records assessed together by a qualified vintage Rolex specialist. This page records published evidence; it does not authenticate individual watches.

Auction record

These selected auction records document individual watches across the program. Definite sale results are included where the auction house publishes them; two later catalogue outliers are included to show the date and issue-number conflicts.

auction	lot and example	published result
Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: THREE (2016)	Lot 121; 5513, case 2,837,865, COMEX 58, date code III.70	CHF 56,250
Antiquorum Geneva (2006)	Lot 144-323; 5513, case 2,833,552, COMEX 24, dated autumn 1970	CHF 76,700
Phillips New York Watch Auction SIX (2022)	Lot 153; 5514, COMEX 377, case 4,089,919	USD 252,000
Phillips New York Watch Auction EIGHT (2023)	Lot 19; 1665, COMEX 2012, case 5,148,108	USD 78,740
Sotheby’s Hong Kong (2021)	Lot 2140; 5514, COMEX 850, associated with Maurice Bessard	Result not listed here
Sotheby’s Hong Kong (2015)	Lot 2052; 16600, COMEX 3382, U-serial example	Result not listed here
Christie’s	Lot 6584442; 16610, COMEX 6650, catalogued circa 2007	Estimate/result not used; catalogue describes the issue number as outside the commonly cited range
Christie’s	Lot 6584524; 16600, COMEX 3553, catalogued circa 2007	Estimate/result not used; catalogue describes the issue number as outside the commonly cited range

Auction descriptions and results are evidence about those lots. They are not a census or price guide.

COMEX 850 papers and service receipt catalogued with the Maurice Bessard watch

Henri-Germain Delauze and the Rolex relationship

Rolex dates its relationship with COMEX to 1971 and says the company’s divers wore Sea-Dwellers at depth. Its account also describes an ongoing collaboration in testing dive watches in hyperbaric chambers. Rolex’s public history does not give a final supply date.

Published sources give COMEX’s founding year as either 1961 or 1962. The company was founded by Henri-Germain Delauze, who died in February 2012. COMEX continues to describe its work in hyperbaric engineering and underwater operations. Auction records document COMEX-marked Rolex watches after 1997, including two lots catalogued circa 2007 with issue numbers outside the commonly cited ranges. Those records leave the final delivery date unresolved.

Related references

• Submariner family index and Sea-Dweller family index
• 5513, 5514, 1680, 16800 and 168000 Submariner examples
• 1665, 16660 and 16600 Sea-Dwellers
• 16610 Submariner Date
• Movement guide

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  5513 COMEX No. 58, Phillips 2016
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  5513 and 16610 COMEX watches in a diving context
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  5513 COMEX Submariner
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  16660 COMEX example
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  16800 COMEX No. 6087 caseback
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  16610 COMEX Submariner
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  COMEX 850 papers and Rolex France service receipt
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  5514 COMEX No. 377 dial
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  5514 COMEX No. 850
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  5514 designation between the lugs
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  1665 COMEX No. 2129
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  Dial of COMEX No. 2129
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  Caseback of COMEX No. 2129
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  5514 COMEX No. 850 caseback
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  Detail of COMEX No. 850 engraving
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  Helium valve on the COMEX 850 case

Sources

• Rolex, “History: 1971–1992” — dates the Rolex–COMEX relationship to 1971 and records Sea-Dweller use by COMEX divers.
• Rolex, “Mastering waterproofness” — explains Rolex’s account of the partnership, reporting, and hyperbaric testing.
• Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: THREE, lot 121 (2016) — 5513 COMEX 58, case and caseback details, date code, and result.
• Antiquorum Geneva, lot 323 (2006) — 5513 COMEX 24 example and result.
• Sotheby’s, 5513 COMEX 163 (2022) — early non-COMEX-dial example and individual case details.
• Phillips New York Watch Auction SIX, lot 153 (2022) — 5514 COMEX 377 and result.
• Sotheby’s Hong Kong, lot 2140 (2021) — 5514 COMEX 850 and the auction house’s Bessard provenance account.
• Phillips New York Watch Auction EIGHT, lot 19 (2023) — 1665 COMEX 2012 and 1977–1981 group estimate.
• Antiquorum Monaco, lot 162 (2022) — 1665 COMEX 2129, case, date and dial details.
• Sotheby’s Geneva, lot 92 (2026) — 16660 COMEX 3067; discussion of the 3001–3099 matte-dial group and later service dials.
• Christie’s, 16660 COMEX 3009 — lot details and its reported 3000–3099 / 3100–3199 dial groups.
• Antiquorum New York, lot 332 (2010) — describes issue 6243 as 168000/16800, circa 1988.
• Bonhams, COMEX issue 6243, circa 1987 — catalogue identifies it as a 16800, creating a reference-attribution conflict with Antiquorum’s listing.
• Antiquorum Geneva, lot 329-346 (2020) — 1680 COMEX, circa 1978, and the auction house’s account of its allocation.
• Christie’s, 1680 COMEX 5008 — case and issue details, circa 1978.
• Antiquorum Monaco, lot 383-149 (2025) — 16800 COMEX issue 6087 and accompanying documentation as described by the auction house.
• Sotheby’s Geneva (2024) — COMEX 16800 issue 6084.
• Sotheby’s Geneva, lot 53 (2019) — COMEX 16600 issue 3379 and Theo Mavrostomos provenance.
• Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: THREE, lot 119 (2016) — 16600 associated with Hydra-Ludion missions.
• Sotheby’s Hong Kong, lot 2052 (2015) — COMEX 16600 issue 3382, approximate supply group and caseback layouts.
• Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction: SEVEN, lot 1028 — 16610 issue 6471 and the auction house’s approximate 1989–1997 group.
• Christie’s, 16610 COMEX issue 6650 — circa-2007 catalogue description and out-of-range number.
• Christie’s, 16600 COMEX issue 3553 — circa-2007 catalogue description and out-of-range number.
• Sotheby’s Hong Kong, lot 2140 (2021) — watch and Bessard provenance as described in the lot.
• COMEX, company history and activities — company description and reported 1962 founding date.
• Le Monde obituary for Henri-Germain Delauze (2012) — biography and death date.
• Colin A. White, The Vintage Rolex Field Manual — specialist overview and its attributed 5514 production estimate.