Rolex Military Icons to be Auctioned at Bonhams’ February Sale

The upcoming London Watches sale at Bonhams this February provides a rare look at the evolution of Rolex from a provider of specialized instruments to a global powerhouse of precision.

With 143 lots curated at the Knightsbridge location, the auction serves as a direct showcase for the brand’s most significant mechanical milestones. From the mid-century complexity of the Dato-Compax to the rugged, mission-specific modifications of the Military Submariner, the sale highlights the specific grit that has defined the Rolex "tool watch" for nearly a century.

The Military Submariner: Engineering for the Special Boat Service

The undisputed heavyweight of the auction is the Rolex Military Submariner, specifically the double-reference 5513/5517 dating to approximately 1975. This is not merely a variation of a standard diver; it is a piece of equipment engineered to meet the stringent life-safety requirements of the British Ministry of Defence. Every aesthetic departure from the civilian model was born of tactical necessity. The standard spring bars were replaced with fixed, friction-welded lug bars to ensure the watch could not be ripped from the wrist during high-intensity operations.

The dial is equally purposeful, featuring the encircled "T" to denote the use of Tritium luminous material and oversized "sword" or "gladiator" hands for maximum legibility in the lightless environments of underwater demolition. Even the bezel was modified to feature continuous minute markings for the full 60-minute duration, allowing for precise tracking of bottom times. Estimated at £65,000–85,000, this "MilSub" bears the "broad arrow" engraving on the case back, marking it as official British government property and a definitive artifact of 20th-century combat horology.

The Jean-Claude Killy: A Masterclass in Mid-Century Complexity

Contrasting the utilitarian grit of the MilSub is the Rolex reference 6036, an 18K gold example of the "Dato-Compax" produced circa 1953. Known to the community as the "Jean-Claude Killy," this model represents a rare period when Rolex challenged the traditional high-complication houses. It packs a triple calendar and a column-wheel chronograph into the 36mm Oyster case, a feat achieved by utilizing the legendary Valjoux 72C movement.

The dial layout is a lesson in information density, displaying the day and month through apertures below 12 o'clock while a blued-steel hand indicates the date along the outer perimeter. With only an estimated 500 examples produced in steel and even fewer in 18K gold, the 6036 is often described as the "connoisseur’s Rolex." Its presence in the sale, with an estimate of £20,000–30,000, offers a glimpse into a time when the brand’s identity was as much about mechanical nuance as it was about durability.

Modern Rarity and the Sea King Legacy

The sale also bridges the gap to the 21st century with the inclusion of the Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Sea King.’ This stainless steel reference 116710LN is one of just 123 pieces ever produced, commissioned exclusively for Ministry of Defence personnel to commemorate the Sea King helicopter’s decades of service. While it maintains the technical specifications of a standard GMT, including the Calibre 3186 and the Parachrom hairspring, the case back engraving and unit-specific history transform it into a modern military "grail."

This piece represents the contemporary evolution of the MilSub philosophy: a specialized product created for a specific elite group. As Charles Dower, Bonhams Head of Watches, notes, the collection features timepieces that remain eminently wearable while carrying immense historical weight. Whether it is the Art Deco elegance of a 1930s Prince "Doctor’s Watch" or the high-frequency precision of the modern era, the February sale is a testament to the enduring mechanical soul of the Crown.