Rolex

So, the 16660 was born. It is a beast of a watch. One of the big advantages that it has over the 1665 is that with the sapphire crystal and improved movement, the watch is essentially bomb-proof and very robust. It can be worn without any worries. I would argue that the 1665 is hardly a shrinking violet when it comes to toughness, but the transition to the 16660 made it a very practical watch for everyday wear. It has enough DNA to have that vintage look but at the same time it has many of the improvements that make it so easy to wear day-to-day. It is the best of both worlds.

My dilemma was deciding which 16660 to take. I will state right from the start that I have only ever bought two 16660s. And I still own both. But my entry into the 16660 world was with a rather special watch.

The collaboration with Comex resulted in a number of special order watches designed specifically for the French diving company. The 16660 was delivered to Comex between 1980-84. Watches were typically issued in batches. The 16660 came in two batches. The first 50 had a matte dial with the next 150 coming with a gilt dial. As such, one can say that the matte dial version is one of the very rarest varieties of Comex. Of the 50, some were damaged. Some were lost. In terms of how many have subsequently been back to Rolex for service, it is my understanding that around 30-35 are believed to be around. Maybe that number is high. Of all the various references that have been issued to Comex, the 16660 matte dial is truly one of the hardest to find. It is not impossible, but it is hard. What I liked about selecting this watch as my first 16660 was that it killed two birds with one stone. First, it covered the 16660 transition. But second, it also filled the place of a Comex watch for my collection. It was never my intention to accumulate Comex, so I wanted the version that I bought to have something special about it. The 16660 Matte Comex is certainly in that category.

Here is my 16660 Comex.

Yet, despite all this, I would have to say that I continued my hunt for another 16660. Reason? Well, these watches “can” take on astonishing patina. Every now and then one comes along with a truly breath-taking patina. I like all my watches to have full-kit original papers, so waiting for the right patina AND full-kit papers took some time. In fact, over three years before the right one came along. And then, I showed it to the resident vampire who concurred with me that it was just a must-buy. The watch literally growls. I had to have it. It is odd when a watch really hits the spot. This one really does it for me.