Rolex

Special order watches for the Middle Eastern region such as the Omani Khanjar Rolexes are very sought-after trophies for any serious watch collector. These watches bear a khanjar, the national symbol of Oman on the dial and were initially commissioned by Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said through the watch retailer Asprey in London in the early 1970s.

The first of these watches came about after the Sultan’s education at the Sandhurst military academy, when the young Qaboos had, through a mutual friend, met John Asprey, heir to the jeweler, watch dealer and silversmith. It was with Asprey’s help that he was able to negotiate these commissions with Rolex. These watches were special orders and gifted to dignitaries and close friends of the state.

The present Rolex Sea-Dweller Reference 1665 bears a red Khanjar at 6 on the dial, Asprey’s logo engraving on the outside case back and the full serial number on the inside case back. Both engravings are very clear and easily legible. The inside case back is further stamped '1665' and I.72 , which perfectly correspond to the period of serial number 3’566’975.

According to our research, the present watch was among the first batch of 'Khanjar’ Sea-Dwellers commissioned by Sultan Qaboos bin Said and gifted to selected members of the British Special Air Service (SAS), the special forces unit of the British Army, for helping keep him in power.

The overall condition of the watch is very impressive. The Khanjar print on the dial is clear and intact. Moreover, the luminous markers and hands remain integral and retain a warm and soft patina throughout. The dial was made by Lemrich, the manufacturer that supplied the majority of double red and Khanjar dials to Rolex.

As one can imagine it was an honor to be gifted a Rolex watch with the Khanjar insignia, the official state symbol. Hence, these historically important watches appear on the market only on very rare occasions. In such excellent overall condition, this watch can truly be appreciated by any astute Rolex collector.