Western Morning News (Saturday)
Two Rolex watches at auction
TWO rare Rolex Submariner wristwatches dating from the late 1950s are to be sold in Plymouth. They were both given to Stanley Sayer by Rolex and have been in the family since.
Stanley Sayer was a film cameraman working for Technicolour, he set up a special effects company, and also worked on several film sets including Superman and Star Wars. He was a keen diver and inventor of the minisub. The minisub enabled divers to move underwater effortlessly, steer a course and to light their way ahead.
Although he himself did not patent the > Left: Rolex watch shown worn in the diving image, used for Rolex advertising design, it attracted widespread interest.
Around 1959 Rolex were interested in using Stanley and his machine in their advertising portfolio and took a number of photos with him in action wearing one of their watches for publication. In payment for his services, he was invited to keep the watch that he wore in the press shoot (the one with the strap on) and also given a second Submariner, which he then gave to his son in 1961.
He wore the watch daily until he passed in April 2000 and now his son has now decided to sell both watches at Plymouth Auction Rooms.
They are both model 6536, and have serial numbers within eight digits of each other dating them to 1958/9, they have the highly prized ‘tropical’ dials, discoloured due to sustained exposure to the sun.
Valuer Richard Sheppard said: “These are two of the most exciting and rare watches that have seen in years. We are expecting high interest from serious UK and overseas collectors.” They will be auctioned on May 12 at Plymouth Auction Rooms and are expected to raise over £10,000. For more information visit www.plymouthauctions.co.uk.