ROLEX - a gentleman's Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller Deepsea bracelet watch. Issued to commemorate over sixty years since the formation of the Royal Navy Clearance Branch. Circa 2013. Reference 116660, serial G904790. Signed automatic calibre 3135. Black dial with luminous hour markers, date aperture to three. Calibrated Cerachrom bezel, stainless steel case with the Fleet Diving Squadron Crest engraved to the case back, fitted to a stainless steel Oyster bracelet with Glidelock clasp. 43mm. Box, papers and Royal Navy diving log.

A contender for 'Most dangerous underwater job' has to be that of the Royal Navy Clearance Diver. The British Navy is one of only three in the world to employ these 'Human Minesweepers', highly trained individuals whose initial role was to clear sea-lanes to allow landing craft to approach enemy beaches safely. If underwater bomb disposal isn't enough, these divers are used in military salvage operations, retrieving bodies, equipment and ordnance as well as a multitude of other hazardous operations.

In 2013 Rolex created a limited edition of 50 watches to celebrate 60 years of the unit. This is a rare 'In-house' custom version of the Rolex Deepsea with the Clearance Diver Branch crest and series number engraved into the titanium case back.

The owner of this watch had a distinguished career as a Royal Navy first class diver and bomb disposal officer, so much so that his dive log runs into two books, a bound copy of which forms part of this lot. Since leaving the Navy, his skills have been put to use clearing minefields in Libya and recovering munition-filled warships sunk off the Iraqi coast.