In a world where anybody with a watch and an Instagram account can call themselves a watch expert, there remain a number of old school dealers who have been there to witness all the trends, hypes, highs and lows of watch collecting. One such connoisseur is the collector and long established dealer Daniel Bourn, who has been London-based since the mid-2000s and now, post-Brexit, will be primarily located in Monaco.

Bourn continues, “The watch collection which started with Patek Philippe in the late 1980s and early ‘90s evolved by the early 2000s to focus on Rolex, particularly vintage pieces with a military connection or so-called special deliveries.” For the last decade, the watch collection has been primarily curated by Bourn who believes that, in terms of diversity and quality, it should be considered as one of the most focused and exceptional collections of vintage Rolex that exists today.

The Oman watches from the collection, some of which are featured here, not only showcase some of the rarest examples of Rolex watches to incorporate the Oman Khanjar insignia, Qaboos signature and Asprey name, but the overall condition and provenance are without equal. Watches from original owners with paperwork and provenance, and original delivery information via Asprey and Khimji Ramdas (Rolex’s official retailer in Oman) are all included, as well watches were issued to the people that received them. Ruled by the Al Bu Sa’idi dynasty since 1744, Oman was once a regional power, with a sultanate that extended to Iran, what we now know as Pakistan, and south to Zanzibar on the east coast of Africa. Over time, its power declined, and it came under the increasing influence of the United Kingdom. It had been under the rule of Sultan Sa’id bin Taimur since 1932. But by the 1960s, whilst still maintaining strong links with the United Kingdom, it was becoming internationally acknowledged that the Sultan was not in control of his own country.

His son, Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id, born in 1940, attended Sandhurst Military Academy in England at the age of 20 and then joined the British Army. He was posted to the 1st Battalion, The Cameroonians (Scottish Rifles) and served in Germany. He returned to Oman in 1964 where he was placed under house arrest by his father. Six years later in 1970, with the support of the British Special Air Service (SAS), as some untouched and previously unknown examples with unquestionable provenance that demonstrate that they came directly from the Palace of Oman.

Rise of a New Sultan

Understanding these Omani Rolex watches is a complex field, and many of the sports watches such as Sea-Dwellers and Daytonas exist in known serial number batches with specific dial versions. However, it’s not always this simple, as Bourn has discovered over the many years he has been acquiring the watches for clients. “Collectors like to group things into cohorts of serial numbers and years of delivery but, in actual fact, the reality is that these watches were often ordered, manufactured, assembled and delivered at different times, conflicting with the standard assumed chronology based on date codes and serials.”

Understanding a little about Muscat and Oman, as it was known until 1970, is important to understand how some of the he overthrew his father to take control of the country (the British interest in this was the oil boom in which they wanted a share). On his ascension to the throne in 1970, Qaboos immediately instigated major social, educational and military reforms, with the intention of ending the country’s isolation and using its oil revenue for modernization and development. He also declared that the country would no longer be known as “Muscat and Oman,” but would change its name to “the Sultanate of Oman” in order to reflect its political unity.

This was complemented by a new flag which replaced the traditional white flag that had been used since 1865. The national flag of Oman featured three colors: red for battles against foreign invaders; white to symbolize peace and prosperity; and green for fertility and the Jabal al Akhdar or Green Mountains. The flag also incorporated the national emblem, a Khanjar dagger in a sheath with two crossed swords in the background. Qaboos added a new individual standard for the Sultanate of Oman, which exclusively featured the Khanjar in gold with the Sultan’s Crown above. These specific colors feature heavily on the Oman Khanjar dagger and Qaboos signature which we see are printed on the watch dials and accompanying boxes.

Rolex Red “Oman Khanjar and Qaboos” Sea-Dwellers

The Rolex 1665 Omani Sea-Dwellers with either red Khanjar or Qaboos dial script, were commissioned by Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id via Asprey of London in the early 1970s. Evidence exists that they were presented to the British military’s SAS troops who had served in Oman during the Dhofar Rebellion between 1970 and 1976. Key characteristics of the watches are that the so-called “Double Red” lines, depth rating and SCOC (Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified) found on the standard 1665s of the period are absent and, in their place, was the Omani Khanjar or Qaboos signature in bright red script. Research and experience indicate that the tritium on the hour markers was very heavily applied and often develops a strong and particularly attractive patina.

It is noteworthy that the serial numbers of known watches for Sea Dwellers are all with a small serial number run of 3.56 million and have the full serial engraved inside the caseback. The outer caseback has the expected straight “Rolex” style engravings of the period, but also carries the Asprey engravings in the lower center.

Says Bourn, “Following a comprehensive study of the known serial numbers, I believe that up to 100 examples were produced in a consecutively numbered batch starting with serial 3566,9xx and ending at 3567,0xx. Of these estimated 100 examples, approximately 30 percent are now known. The known watches feature a fairly equal mix of either red Khanjar or Qaboos dials and have been fitted in a random sequence. We see consecutive serials with either dial, and then small batches of three to four watches with one dial type or the other. Of the Sea-Dwellers within this batch that have surfaced to date, the red Khanjar insignia is found in slightly greater numbers.”

Rolex Gold “Oman Khanjar” Sea-Dwellers

There are four known examples of the Rolex 1665 Omani Sea-Dwellers with a gold Khanjar emblem on the dial. Much like their red Khanjar cousins, the lines and text found on the standard 1665s of the same eras are absent and in place there is an Omani Khanjar in gold script. Interestingly, the Rolex coronet on the dial is a unique style and different to the Rolex 1665 Oman red Khanjar or other coronets on the Double Reds of the period. Another big difference to the red Khanjar 1665s, is that the tritium application on the hour markers is absent or minimally applied. The gold Khanjar Sea-Dwellers were delivered later (circa 1978) with serial numbers all in the five million range and, according to Bourn, “all but one of the known examples also has the serial number in the caseback, which would normally indicate that either the caseback on that particular example was changed at some point during service, or the dial was fitted later.”