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Lot Essay
To the best of our knowledge, this mouthwatering and exceedingly rare example of the gold Submariner reference 1680 made for the Sultan of Oman has not appeared at auction before. In wonderful overall condition, the dial is printed with the Khanjar emblem of the Sultanate of Oman in green at 9 o’clock. Indeed, the positioning of the Khanjar logo is highly unusual being in the 9 o’clock position. Only 2 other examples of reference 1680 are known publicly with this dial design, one other example with green Khanjar and one with red Khanjar, most other reference 1680s fitted with a 'Khanjar' dial feature the logo at 6 o’clock. The appeal of the present watch is the highly attractive so-called ‘nipple’ indexes, the case delights the observer by having retained its sharp outlines, crisp gold marks, and crisp milling to back and bezel.
The black dial and bezel combined with the gold is gorgeous, it is a watch with stunning looks and extreme rarity amongst Submariner variations. Only a small number of Submariners, all references, all materials but particularly in gold, made for the Sultan of Oman, have appeared on the market over the past decade. The present watch is both highly attractive and wearable, sure to impress even the most demanding of collectors.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said
A man of undeniably exquisite taste and also a watch enthusiast, His Late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, owned and offered as gifts innumerable timepieces. The collaboration between Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said and Rolex started in the early 1970s with the Sultan's wish to show his gratitude to the members of the British Special Forces, SAS, who had successfully assisted him in his fight against rebels from 1970 to 1976. In the years to come he regularly ordered various Rolex models which were presented as gifts in recognition of a service rendered. It can be assumed that the degree of personalisation indicated the level of appreciation that the Sultan wished to demonstrate to the recipient. A merit was recognized with a watch emblazoned with the Crest of Oman (Khanjar) on the dial or the back of the timepiece.
The black dial and bezel combined with the gold is gorgeous, it is a watch with stunning looks and extreme rarity amongst Submariner variations. Only a small number of Submariners, all references, all materials but particularly in gold, made for the Sultan of Oman, have appeared on the market over the past decade. The present watch is both highly attractive and wearable, sure to impress even the most demanding of collectors.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said
A man of undeniably exquisite taste and also a watch enthusiast, His Late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, owned and offered as gifts innumerable timepieces. The collaboration between Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said and Rolex started in the early 1970s with the Sultan's wish to show his gratitude to the members of the British Special Forces, SAS, who had successfully assisted him in his fight against rebels from 1970 to 1976. In the years to come he regularly ordered various Rolex models which were presented as gifts in recognition of a service rendered. It can be assumed that the degree of personalisation indicated the level of appreciation that the Sultan wished to demonstrate to the recipient. A merit was recognized with a watch emblazoned with the Crest of Oman (Khanjar) on the dial or the back of the timepiece.