In the world of luxury timepieces, few watches come with a story as compelling as the late underwater diver and documentarian Philippe Cousteau’s Rolex Submariner. His father, legendary French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, co-designed the Submariner model with Rolex—this iconic watch is a symbol of precision and a piece of history, wrapped in the spirit of oceanic adventure.
Dallas Auction Gallery will offer collectors a chance to own a timepiece as bold as the Cousteau name itself, with Philippe Cousteau’s 1969 Rolex Submariner (pictured at top) among the lots in a Nov. 12 sale. The auction house has set an estimate of $50,000 to $75,000 for the watch.
“It is rare that we have a watch come into the auction house that is not just a beautiful timepiece, but also a watch that the owner not only wore but helped create the design,” Dallas Auction Gallery co-owner Reyne Hirsch tells JCK. “The Cousteau family is synonymous with deep-sea diving and incredible exploration of the ocean depths. Three generations of Cousteaus have been wearing the Rolex Submariner. This is no small endorsement.
“Captain Jacques Cousteau was the inventor of scuba diving and co-invented the Aqua-Lung, which allowed a diver to breathe compressed air underwater. It is only natural that he would want to create a watch that would be a tool for divers,” Hirsch continues. “The Rolex Submariner, which was the first of the brand’s Professional watches, has become the ultimate choice for professional divers, a beautiful watch that is also to keep them safe during underwater adventures.”
Philippe Cousteau’s Rolex Submariner has a pink hue, “because the early models were not printed with a white background to make the red pop and sustain,” said a Dallas Auction Gallery statement. Later on, the Submariner would be “double printed so the red was vibrant,” it explained. The Cousteau watch has a small helium release valve and inside caseback 4/67.
This extraordinary Submariner will be featured in a sale brimming with (non-watch) treasures that tell their own remarkable stories, including a collection of rare Beatles photos, captured by royal photographer Tom Murray in 1968, during recording of the White Album. These original images, along with the negatives and copyrights, have been valued at $1.3 million to $1.5 million by Christie’s.
Another notable item on the block is King Edward VII’s Broadwood grand piano, made in 1879 when Edward was Prince of Wales. This elegant relic from Buckingham Palace has an estimate of $30,000–$40,000.
The Nov. 12 sale will kick off at 6 p.m. local time at Dallas Auction Gallery, 2223 Monitor St. Online bidding will be available through various auction platforms.
(Photos courtesy of Dallas Auction Gallery)
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