Rolex introduced the Submariner in 1953 and it has become one of the most famous and desirable watches in the World. In 2003 they created a 50th anniversary model with the maxi dial and green bezel insert. Whilst it’s strange to understand now, it wasn’t a great seller and only gained traction when they made a few subtle changes to the dial. This left a relatively limited number of Mark 1 dial watches and they became known as a ‘Flat 4’ and this relates the flatness of the ‘4’ in the ’40’ of the bezel insert (the ‘O’ in Rolex is also slightly flattened and the ‘Swiss Made’ goes over 5 minute markers as against 4). These have become highly sought after and, for what its worth, was my first Rolex sports watch.
Sold in Dubai in May 2005 (all Rolex are made in Switzerland), the solid steel case is in excellent condition and has been polished during a recent Rolex service but retains it’s ‘meatiness’ – the protective sticker from the service in on the outside case back. We sold this watch a year ago and the owner wore it once or twice and is in as near perfect condition; the chamfers on the lug edges are super crisp. The original Mark 1 dial is in excellent condition and the movement was serviced by Rolex in May 2023 giving it a 2 year Rolex guarantee through to May 2025. The lighter green (‘Bertoli’) and guaranteed genuine flat 4 bezel insert is in overall very good condition with only some minor signs of damage – I’ve highlighted the main areas and happy to send high resolution pictures if required – with the exception of unworn models this insert in as good a condition as we’ve seen). In terms of provenance we have:
- The original Rolex guarantee paperwork
- The Rolex Submariner brochure dated 2004 and the Rolex calendar
- Your Rolex Oyster brochure from 2004
- The red chronometer chip and Rolex anchor for the 300m depth rating
- The original Rolex swing-tag with the correct model and serial number.
- The outer box showing the 16610LV sticker and the inner boxes
- It was also serviced by Rolex in the UK in May 2022
Our watchmaker has also checked the movement and water proofing and it’s excellent. We will give a 2 year guarantee on it.
