Details
CIRCA: 1974
CASE MATERIAL: 18k yellow gold, caseback engraved ‘Asprey’, inside caseback engraved with serial number along with regular markings and reference number 1803
DIAMETER: 36 mm.
BRACELET: Rolex President 18k yellow gold bracelet
DIAL: Gilt with Khanjar logo in red print transfer
MOVEMENT: Cal. 1556, automatic
FUNCTIONS: Time, day, date
BUCKLE: Rolex 18k gold folding buckle stamped 8385
WITH: Rolex guarantee confirming the sale of the watch in 1974 at Asprey & Co, London; a printed gift card from Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, Rolex leather wallet, hang tag, presentation box with Khanjar logo
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Lot Essay

It was common practice among Gulf royalty and prominent Government establishments in the Middle East to commission watches with their names/ logos etc on the dial. These were given as State gifts or as commemorative tokens to people or diplomats or business partners. Within the esoteric world of watch collecting, these watches with “Arab Dials” were deemed more collectible than the regular production versions.

A man of undeniably exquisite taste and also a watch enthusiast, the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, owned and offered as gifts innumerable timepieces. Depending on the level and importance of the occasion, gifts of an "horological nature" vary from simple timepieces to fine Rolex watches. The present timepiece has the ‘Asprey’ engraving on the caseback, on the inside of the caseback, in addition to the usual casemaker indication, the serial number is engraved above the reference number. This is a characteristic that is typical of special orders and was executed by prestigious London retailer Asprey.

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