Rolex Ref 5513 Submariner COMEX, RARE early model, with helium escape valve, ghost bezel, 1971

Arguably Rolex best proved its capabilities as maker of indestructible tool watches when the company collaborated with specialist institutions such as the British Royal Navy or COMEX. In these applications watches capable of withstanding extreme environments were heavily relied upon by the divers who were subject to punishing work conditions. Acknowledged as the pioneers of commercial diving, COMEX (Compagnie Maritime d'Expertise) was established in 1961 by Henri Germain Delauze, who ran the company for over 50 years until his death in 2012. The partnership between Rolex and COMEX spanned twenty-seven years, from 1970 to 1997. Over this period, Rolex produced nine (9) COMEX models, exclusively from the Submariner or Sea-Dweller ranges. These models are always distinguished with the COMEX name and numbering to the case back, and after the first series COMEX also appears on the dial. A defining feature of these timepieces during the COMEX era was the helium escape valve (HEV). For dive p