By Roland Arkell
This Rolex Submariner, a Ref 6538 ‘Big Crown’ c.1956, is the same type of watch worn by James Bond in the film Goldfinger. This one-owner-from-new watch had been consigned for sale at Lockdales in Ipswich on June 13-14 by a retired businessman who had seen the £230,000 bid at the saleroom for an ‘orange numerals’ Submariner in October 2017. The watch has external damage to the glass, but has not been refurbished and is in working condition. Estimated at £10,000-20,000, it sold at £138,000.
In an era where perfect GMT is kept by mobile phones and laptop computers, the 21st century alpha male demands something different from his timekeeper. It is the branded mechanical wristwatch – technology seemingly made obsolete by the onset of the digital age – that has come to encapsulate the coveted masculine attributes of style, status and storytelling.