Rolex Comex - 5514

The Rolex Submariner 5514 was developed specifically for the Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises (COMEX), a French company renowned for their deep diving systems. COMEX was founded by Henri Germain Delauze, famous diver and engineer, in the early 1960s. COMEX carried out pioneering work in offshore diving for well-known oil companies.

Rolex worked extensively with COMEX before the release of the 5514, producing several versions of the Submariner and the Sea-Dweller for the company. As COMEX divers started to venture to greater depths, a problem arose: helium was getting into the watch cases, escaping uncontrollably during decompression periods, and wreaking havoc inside the watches. The solution came in the form of a helium escape valve located on the outer flank of the case at 9 o'clock on all Rolex diving watches.

The ref. 5514 is a standard Submariner 5513, but with the addition of a helium escape valve. It was produced exclusively for COMEX divers and is instantly recognizable by the inscription of the company name on the lower half of the dial. Rolex has never given a clear indication of how many copies were produced, but experts estimate the number to be between 800 and 1,000.

Like the Submariner 5513, the 5514's Oyster case is made of stainless steel and has a 40-mm diameter. The unidirectional bezel hosts an aluminum inlay. As for the movement, you'll find the chronometer-certified in-house caliber 1520 ticking away inside the case.

On average, a pre-owned Rolex Submariner 5514 COMEX costs around 93,000 USD on Chrono24. Depending on the watch's condition and whether it comes with original accessories, prices range from 80,000 to 106,000 USD. Particularly rare examples that come with diving diaries or documents belonging to the original diver such as service cards, etc., can demand even higher sums.

The Rolex Submariner 5514 COMEX has recorded excellent financial performance in the past, although prices have dipped slightly since spring 2022. While you could have bought this model for around 63,000 USD in January 2021, you'll now need to invest roughly 93,000 USD as of January 2023 – an increase of 47% in just two years.

Rolex first started producing the caliber 1520 in 1963. The automatic movement has a bidirectional winding rotor, a Breguet overcoil, and a 42-hour power reserve. The balance wheel oscillates at 19,800 vph.