A military issue Rolex wristwatch, originally purchased for under £1,000, was recently discovered by the BBC Antiques Roadshow to be worth several times the expected amount, now valued by Bonhams at £50,000-70,000. It is offered at Bonhams Fine Watch Sale, taking place 16 December. The vendor was first alerted to the potential value of his Rolex whilst watching an episode of BBC series, the Antiques Roadshow, when he saw a similar watch to his valued at a considerable amount more than he’d anticipated. When the Roadshow came to Lincolnshire in early 2015, the vendor took the watch along to have it valued. He was delighted to find that it was worth a great deal more than originally thought.
“After the Antiques Roadshow valuation, the vendor was very excited to bring the watch to Bonhams,” said Jonathan Darracott, Bonhams Head of Watches. “It is a rare double reference version of the Military Submariner, issued to the British Navy in the early 1970s.”
The Royal Navy ordered a series of watches from Rolex for use by their specialist personnel. These watches have fixed bar lugs and the hands are of sword shape so they are more legible under low light conditions. The dials are also marked with the “Circle T“, which is the international symbol for Tritium, a treatment the watch received to help the wearer see the hands in the dark.
The case backs are engraved on the interior with the serial number and also on the outside case back with the Ministry of Defence issue number. The wristwatch was shown on BBC Antiques Roadshow on Sunday 8 November at 8pm.
It will be sold at Bonhams Fine Watch Sale, taking place 16 December at 101 New Bond Street.
Per restare sempre in ambito di orologi militari, ecco un magnifico esemplare di Rolex ref. 5513 “T”. Verso il finire degli anni ‘60 la British Royal Navy ordinò alla Rolex una serie speciale da destinare alla divisione subacquea basata sulla referenza 5513 ma con delle specifiche particolari. Questi orologi sono immediatamente riconoscibili per le caratteristiche sfere a forma di spada corta romana (il gladio) in modo che siano più leggibili in condizioni di scarsa illuminazione ed per i quadranti contrassegnati con una “T” chiusa in un piccolo cerchio ad indicare il simbolo internazionale del Trizio, un isotopo radioattivo dell’idrogeno utilizzato in ambito militare per le sue proprietà luminescenti. 
Questi orologi militari subacquei sono estremamente rari per definizione in quanto non sono mai stati consegnati al pubblico, ma realizzati solo per l’uso militare. Alcuni esemplari sono sopravvissuti, altri sono scomparsi ed altri ancora sono in pessime condizioni.
meridianae 