Lot 154

Rolex

Explorer BUND

A rare anti-magnetic vintage submersible wristwatch used by the German Air Force - BUND 6645-12-154-4531 – delivered in 1979. This is one of 99 timepieces of the Explorer 1016 model supplied to the German Air Force, all of them with military engraving by Rolex in Cologne

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The Rolex "Explorer" reference 1016 was part of the Rolex range for nearly 30 years after its launch in the early 1960s; the watch is also referred to as "The reinforced Rolex" because of its particularly sturdy design. It features the typical lustrous black dial with the bold 3-6-9 hours. While the Explorer was produced in large numbers, only very few of the models were designated for military purposes.
For many international task forces Rolex was the brand of choice when it came to watches – especially popular were the classic models such as the Submariner references 6538, 5513 and 5517. In the late 1970s, the German Air Force was looking for a simple timepiece that was easy to read at night for their long-range reconnaissance pilots. The German Air Force used Breguet "Atlantic" planes for these tasks; eventually the decision was made in favour of the Rolex Explorer and 99 of them were ordered. These particular models were delivered to the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, in 1979 and already retired in 1982.
This timepiece was one of the 99 watches of the model "Explorer Bundeswehr" reference 1016; it bears the military supply number 6645-12-154-4531. The numerals 6645 represent the NATO identifier, 12 is the country code for Germany. The other numerals are national identifiers. Konrad Knirim describes the "Bundeswehr Explorer" wristwatch on page 618 of his book "Militäruhren" (military timepieces), Bottrop 2002.