marcello pisani
513
goodd...
to see that someone besides me loves watches with valve and the 16660 is one of my favourites too ..
just one thing ; after speaking with some people in the French " milieu hyperbare " .. I have come to the conclusion that all 100 watches from the 1st batch of Comex 16660 ( delivery numbers from 3000 to 3099 ) were made with the matt " big logo " dial and delivered to Comex in 1982.
the question is that in 1984 the first watches " upgraded " to the new glossy dial with " small Comex logo " were the 16660 from the first batch in the hands of divers still working for Comex in France.
( this includes the 6 watches that made Hydra V in 1985 ).
so many matt dial were changed in 1984 and 1985 and some more in the following years when damaged.
the result is the same : according to my records I estimate that just around 40 watches still have the pristine matt dial on ( many of them in the 80s were in the hands of divers working for Comex UK or Comex Norway and have come to the market from these countries in the last years ).
please tolerate my insane fastidiousness !!
Rolex 16660 - the triple 6
The Sea-Dweller is, without doubt, my favourite Rolex. Although I can define that love down to the 1665 reference, it is also true that the transition Rolex of 16660 the Triple 6 - is also one of my very favourite watches to wear. Also true that on this...
Great reading !
another milestone in your coverage of the Sea Dweller history ! The Comex in particular is really a grail, especially in this condition.
There are grails and .....grails....
.....the irony was that in Paris I met someone who had a 666 Comex within 15 of mine .... so one of the rare 50. However, the Comex i saw was one of the 6 Hydra Project Comex....so super-rare. And then, I was chatting with a collector this morning who tol...
And even the biggest fish...
...ends up in a stomach ;-) of course, there are only Comex watches on the picture ! ...
goodd...
to see that someone besides me loves watches with valve and the 16660 is one of my favourites too .. just one thing ; after speaking with some people in the French " milieu hyperbare " .. I have come to the conclusion that all 100 watches from the 1st bat...
Question...
....on the basis of that analysis, have you ever seen a Matte dial that came with a serial over 3050? That would be strong evidence that the production run was indeed 100 rather than 50. I know that a lot of "wisdom" suggests that there was only a run of ...
yes of course .........
according to my records ( I roughly have 50 watches from this batch registered , so the size of the sample is 50 % and so enough big ) the 16660 survived with the matt logo dial are distributed at random in the whole range of delivery numbers.
in which case it seems most likely....
.....as you say the net result is the same, but how we get there is important.
Well, mister Baron! Very nice write up I must say......
although, the "f" overlapping the "t"?!! You are a very intriguing person mister Baron, with all due respects, of course:) Fascinatingly yours dear, Francois
That's says it all....Mr Baron....should I burst, or laugh?:)
With, again, all due respect Mr Baron...of course! Yours very ......sincerely Francois
mk1 and mk2 dials ..
not hard to spot the differences as mk1 has a much shorter coronet and a smaller " f " in the line of maximum depth. production ranges: 1) mk1 from the beginning of production up to 8.0 circa 2) mk2 from around 8.0 up to production end. 8.0 is the borderl...
here are two clear examples ...
of Comex 16660 with matt dial and delivery numbers above 3050 : ...
Gents, Please STOP!!!
You are driving me crazy with you your great photos. Joe, I remember you telling me how passionate you were about this particular model. And though I am happy with the Rolex 1680 that I have. I would be lying if I didn't admit a 1665 or triple 6 would be ...
The Triple 6 was worth such a post!
Here is mine, joining yours... Very interesting observations on the M K I and II dials. Thanks for this nice write up! Best, Nicolas ...
Although I love my 16600, when I see these tripple 6's with the lovely patina....
....it makes me want to hunt!!! (no, no - to many other targets to be found first!! LOL) Very nice set Nicolas, very nice!! cheers Tony
Step by step, my friend. But the Triple 6 is really something.
A pleasurable Beast. The good news is that it won't cost you an arm. Best, Nicolas
pleasant and informative reading...
...for all the hev-maniac here! more valve less pushers
bravo Chris !!
I obviously fully agree with you !! in Italy we have a sentence that sounds like : "who buys chronographs poisons you too : tell him to stop !!" LLOOLLLLLLL
the funny thing...
...is that I bought a Daytona 10 days ago. turncoat inside. (courtesy Vetroplastica) ...
ok I forgive you as....
it's not a manual winding chrono !!! as ......................... ( original sentence in Italian language ) ...
Hey Tony...
.....the thing is, I agree with completely. The 16660 patina is a killer, and at the end of the day, notwithstanding all the rarity and value arguments, if someone told me that I was to sell one of these 666s, it would be the Comex that went and the patin...
Thank you for another great post, Joe!
I feel the edge is closing in on me.... ;) Best, my pushing friend Blomman
Great post, thanks
As a fellow matte dial 666 owner I can echo all your sentiments. The watch is as tough as old boots but still appears vintage, not an easy combination of features to come across in the watch world I dont think. I also took some time to get the right patin...
i am by no means a photographer...
but hopefully you get the idea i dont have the photos on my work machine so posted the link enjoy, tim
Me neither...
...as a photographer, I was once told I could make Claudia Schiffer look ugly! Yes, i see what you mean on the patina.....they do have the ability to take on really lovely patina. My serial number is 8.0m....would be curious to know yours if/when you get ...
mine is
an 8.2m so a late '83 i think i never knew about the MK1/2 dials on these matt 666's so i will be checking mine later on! some great info in this thread, thanks all.
I think yours is a Mk1
Marcello says that the cutoff point for Mk1 is 8.0m or so....but i have now seen two watches in a 8.2-8.3m range that carry the Mk1....pretty sure yours is a Mk1.
my borderline at 8.0 ...
is not a " Chinese Wall " but simply a statement based on my experience .. so please keep it with a grain of salt !
absolutely....
......but also i am curious to see a few samples to see if that range can be modified.... My version is bang on 8.0m. I am curious to see if it extends to 8.3m.
Hello dear Joe! Bravo for a wonderful post on the triple 6!...
That SD of yours got a terrific patina indeed! Though I m not much a fan of the SD model myself, preferring the more light Sub for every day use ans sport diving, your post makes me look it with a different positive sight. Would be very happy if I can eve...
Great Review Joe..
It's a really enjoyable and educative read The 16660 is definitely the best of both world And I think one of the best one for daily wear Regards, Sam
Cheers Sam
And for your other comments too.....it is certainly one of the watches I enjoy wearing a great deal