Australian Surfer Finds Rare Rolex Watch At The Bottom Of The Ocean That Still Works
Regardless of whether you’re a watch enthusiast or not, the name Rolex is sure to be a familiar one to most of us.
As one of the most sought-after luxury timepiece brands around, it has made news for a wide variety of reasons — from being given out as a long service award to being the target of burglary.
For one Australian surfer and ocean explorer, his Rolex story is a much more unconventional one — he found one at the bottom of the ocean.
Source: Fratello
More amazing still, the watch was still working despite being encrusted in sea debris and having a severely scratched crystal.
Surfer finds rare Rolex Submariner while snorkelling in Australia
Earlier in June, Australian surfer Matt Cuddihy posted a few Instagram Stories to document what he had found while snorkelling.
According to Fratello, he was paddling and surfing off Noosa, a coastal town in Queensland, Australia.
In the first image, he showed himself holding a few snapped-off surfboard fins plus a Rolex watch.
Source: Instagram
The watch appeared to have been at the bottom of the ocean for quite a while now, judging from how it was encrusted in ocean debris.
Multiple scratches were also visible on the face of the watch, and it was partially frosted from sand moving around it.
Miraculously, the timepiece was seemingly still working, as Mr Cuddihy proved in a subsequent Story.
Source: Instagram
The unexpected find quickly got a lot of attention.
In a follow-up Story, the surfer said he had received 28 messages about the watch at that point.
Surfer initially thought Rolex watch was a knockoff
As one can imagine, the chances of finding a watch so valuable at the bottom of the ocean are slim to none.
As such, Mr Cuddihy had thought his rare find was a counterfeit at first.
In fact, the surfer said that he instantly laughed after taking a photo of the watch with his GoPro camera.
“(I) thought it must have been a Bali knockoff,” he said.
The watch has since been identified as a Submariner ref. 5513 with a later dial.
Source: Swiss Watch Expo
It is a dive watch and arguably one of Rolex’s most well-known designs which went out of production in 1989, according to Swiss Watch Expo.
Rolex watch is now with surfer’s friend for evaluation
Although the Rolex might be Mr Cuddihy’s most expensive find yet, it is not the first time the surfer has found a watch on his ocean adventures.
A few weeks prior, he claimed to have found and returned an Apple Watch to its owner.
As for his newest acquisition, Mr Cuddihy said it is currently with a friend who collects Rolex watches.
He added that his friend has enlisted the help of watch experts to evaluate it.
On a more eco-conscious note, Mr Cuddihy said that he hopes that documenting the things he finds underwater can bring more awareness to the importance of keeping the ocean as clean and unpolluted as possible.
He also shared a reminder that taking care of the outdoors is everyone’s responsibility, and that he is glad to play a part in helping future generations foster an appreciation for nature.
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Featured image adapted from Instagram and Fratello.
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