White Gold Rolex Submariner Prototype (photo" Christie's)

The Rolex Afternoon portion of Christie’s latest watch auction took place in Geneva, Switzerland just hours ago and produced sales records for their collection of vintage Rolex timepieces. One of their record breaking watches was the White Gold Rolex Submariner Prototype from the 1970s. This unique dive watch stood out for its bezel, material and condition.

The rarity of this prototype certainly played a role in helping it earn the auction house over 631,500 Swiss francs, the second highest Rolex sale this afternoon behind the Green Khanjar Daytona Reference 6263 that brought in 727,500 Swiss francs. The biggest wristwatch sale of the auction was a Patek Philippe Haile Selassie Reference 2497, which went for 2,911,500 Swiss francs, more than triple its estimated value.

Hodinkee covered the auction results in their latest blog post, commenting on the strange circumstance of this and other rare Rolex models bringing in record amounts this weekend. This Prototype model certainly deviates from what watch enthusiasts would consider the most classic staples of the Submariner model. But it seems that collectors are beginning to favor these deviations over adherence to brand standards.

There are many examples of unique vintage Rolex watches that look nothing like contemporary Rolex model configurations. In a previous post, I presented five of the rarest Rolex models in the world, none of which look like their popular counterparts. Many of them, like the White Gold Prototype, never even went into production. However, the results of recent vintage watch auctions like Christie’s A Rolex Afternoon prove that scarcity and singularity are the ultimate luxury.

White Gold Submariner Prototype From the Early 1970s (photo: Christie's)

This reference was the first Submariner to be produced in a precious metal and the first to feature a date function. However, it was only offered in yellow gold and stainless steel, making this prototype even more rare. This lot features a blue dial that is known as a ‘nipple dial’ because of the shape of the hour markers. Its graduated bezel is unique in that it is only serrated in two places, with the rest of the bezel smooth.

White Gold Rolex Submariner Prototype Reference 1680 (photo: Christie's)

The white gold Oyster case of this Submariner measures 40mm in diameter and houses an automatic 1570 movement with 26 jewels. It is fitted with an 18k white gold President bracelet, adding to the sophistication of this vintage timepiece. An interesting element of this particular watch is that it has no serial number as it was not manufactured for sale. Its uniqueness comes at a price, with the estimate for this lot set between $250,000 to $500,000 US.

Visit christies.com to check out all of the vintage watches that will be available during the Rolex Afternoon portion of their Geneva auction. Check out the Rolex Models section for info on other vintage Rolex watches.