It's just a standard Rolex Submariner 16800 from the 80s, right? You'd be forgiven for thinking so, but upon closer inspection it's an incredibly rare and sought after Rolex watch, and the history behind it is just as important. One of the telling signs is the bold 'COMEX' on the dial. I suppose the next thing to do is uncover what the heck COMEX is.
The Origins of COMEX
COMEX (Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises) was founded in 1962 in Marseille, France by engineer and diving pioneer Henri Germain Delauze. At the time, offshore oil and gas exploration was expanding rapidly, and there was an urgent need for advanced deep-sea diving technology and expertise.
Delauze envisioned a company dedicated to pushing the limits of human underwater exploration. COMEX quickly became a leader in industrial and scientific deep diving, developing new techniques, equipment, and procedures for working at extreme depths. The company played a crucial role in the development of saturation diving, allowing divers to work underwater for extended periods.
As COMEX expanded in the 1970s, it was organised into multiple divisions. COMEX INDUSTRIES focused on designing and manufacturing diving systems, manned submersibles, and hyperbaric facilities, while COMEX SERVICES carried out offshore diving operations worldwide. Together, they helped establish COMEX as the world’s leading deep-diving specialist.
How COMEX and Rolex Came Together
By the late 1960s and early 1970s, COMEX divers were operating at depths far beyond what standard commercial diving watches could reliably withstand. This led to a collaboration with Rolex (following a spell with Omega), which was already renowned for its professional tool watches.
COMEX divers needed watches that could endure extreme pressure, prolonged saturation diving, and harsh offshore conditions. Rolex saw this as an opportunity to test and refine its professional models in real-world environments. The partnership was mutually beneficial: COMEX received cutting-edge, robust dive watches, and Rolex gained invaluable data and credibility in the professional diving world.
Rolex supplied watches directly to COMEX for issue to divers. Many of these watches were engraved with “COMEX” on the dial and engraved casebacks indicating COMEX ownership, making them highly distinctive and today extremely collectible.
Hands-On today with a Rolex COMEX 16800
The particular Rolex COMEX we will be focusing on today is this 16800 from 1984. The original owner, John Nuttall, was a key member of the Senior Management Team of COMEX throughout the 80s, managing numerous major underwater projects, involving air and saturation diving, and we have it with us, along with all of its accessories, wonderfully preserved.
Some notable projects John was a part of included:
• The development of deepwater ROVs for drilling support, and for installation of flow lines and remote wellheads
• Subsea support to the innovative Conoco Tension Leg Platform for the template installation and drilling, and installation of the platform
• The innovative recovery of a 7km flowline bundle which was lost in deep water during tow out on the surface
• Operations from numerous DynamicallyPositioned diving vessels such as the Seabex One, Uncle John, Orelia and Stephamiturm
Amongst offshore platform visits, working from diving vessels and visits to Comex headquarters in Marseilles, John also had the privilege of meeting the legendary saturation diver Patrice Chemin, who featured for many years on the Rolex Submariner advertisements following his record breaking Physalie 610m deepdive in 1972.
As a key member of the Comex senior management team, John was given the rare opportunity to acquire a Comex Rolex Submariner watch in 1984.
It comes complete with full box & papers and the original bill of sale from COMEX Houlder Diving Ltd in 1986, listing two other employees who also purchased them at the time for £270 each. This is a very rare phenomenon, as most COMEX Subs were gifted to the Saturation Divers and did not include sale receipts and such a plethora of accessories. As this was purchased from COMEX, it could be a reason that the caseback only has the inscription "6159".
Full provenance, one owner and in remarkable condition for its age, this COMEX Submariner and all its contents have been wonderfully preserved.
Regarding the watch's design, the 40mm stainless steel case houses the COMEX four-liner dial with white gold markers and "SWISS-T<25", fitted to the 93150 oyster bracelet with 593 end links. It's powered by the 3035, Rolex's automatic calibre with a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.
This Rolex COMEX Submariner 16800 is available for sale, exclusively with Wiseman's Watches. Click here to view the full listing.
