Matt Cuddihy couldn’t believe it: while picking up trash on the ocean floor, the surfer discovered a salt-encrusted Rolex. He shared his find on social networks – and even found the man who had lost her years earlier.
Sometimes garbage collects at the bottom of the sea. In Noosa, Australia, where surfers usually go, you can find all sorts of stuff – for example, broken fins from surfboards. But this time it was different. Among the usual clutter, Matt spotted a watch—not just any watch, but a Rolex Submariner that lived up to its model name. After a short cleaning and beating off the thick salt crust, he found out: It’s still working! And not only that – because by sharing it on social networks, the accidental find became an exciting story, which he told the watch blog “”.
Cuddihy did not initially know how long the Rolex with the model number 5513, which was built from 1962, lay on the seabed. It must have been a long time, because by the time a thick crust had formed and the sand had ground the glass almost milky. But the work had apparently not been damaged, because it was still running after he had moved it. He described the find to “Fratello” as follows: “When I fished her out of the sea, I washed her in fresh water and most of the sand, salt and organisms came off. She smelled pretty bad and showed severe corrosion on the bezel but the seconds hand was still moving. The crown was stuck so technically it was still telling the time but not in my time zone.”
Cuddihy, who wears cheap watches himself, sent the Rolex to a friend in Melbourne to learn more about the model. He himself assumed it was a cheap fake, but the opposite was the case. After some sort of emergency service at a Rolex shop, the crown was loosened and basic function restored. And it was clear: This watch is actually real.
Many wanted the Rolex – but only one knew its secret
But instead of being happy about his find and wearing a watch carved by the ocean from now on, he rummaged through the endless messages he received in response to his post on Instagram. Because not only did countless interested parties come forward who wanted to buy the watch from him for a lot of money, but also people who claimed it was theirs. But since the watch was engraved, there was a way to find the real owner – because only he would know the serial number and engraving. Cuddihy deliberately withheld this important detail.
Indeed, a man named Ric contacted “Fratello” and Matt and stated that he had lost his Rolex on the Australian coast, that it was engraved and that there were documents from the time confirming his loss to the police. Ric knew that the back of the watch, the case back, said “presented in 1971” – he also sent Matt the serial number of the Rolex. Proof enough for the honest finder to return the watch to the original owner upon a visit.
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Cuddihy was rewarded with an exciting story: In 1971, Ric’s father gave him the watch for a series of sailing successes. From then on he wore it every day because the rotating bezel actually helped him. Along with the watch, Ric traveled to many countries, including Switzerland. He first lost the watch in 1980 when it fell out of his jacket pocket into the pit while cleaning a septic tank, for which Ric had taken the watch off. Three years later, when the pit was emptied again, the clock was found – and it was still running. Only the bracelet had fallen off, which is why the Rolex is still on a fabric strap today.
Many adventures later, during which Ric never took off the watch despite the previous loss, his father died. The Submariner was now his memory. In 2005, after countless years of service, she joined Rolex for service – and Ric was given a serial number document that he so desperately needed recently.
The near-final loss of the Rolex Submariner followed in 2019 when Ric went surfing off the coast of Noosa. “Fratello” is how he describes the moment: “I was surfing in the national park and the swell was low, only about two feet. It wasn’t the best day and my mind was elsewhere. I had a velcro strap on the watch, because my buddy still had the steel bracelet from when I lost it in the septic tank. I rode that wave and ran my hand past my leg rope around my knee. The leg rope must have ripped the watch off my wrist. That’s how it fell into the water – I didn’t even realize what happened.”
He only realized the loss at the car. He felt “hopeless” at the time, he says today. The memories of his father attached to the clock – gone. He even hired a diver to find the watch – unfortunately to no avail. Then Matt found the watch – and Ric texted him.
“I just cried”
“When I got the message from Matt (that the watch had the serial number mentioned, ed.), I completely broke down. This watch is something that has had so many adventures in my life. I couldn’t even sit with my daughter and my wife when we had dinner. I got up, went out, leaned against a post on the patio and just cried,” Ric told Fratello.
A few weeks ago, Ric and Matt met for dinner. It turned out that they lived only 50 kilometers apart. He handed over the watch and Ric then took it to the Australian Rolex office for a full refurbishment.
Apparently not a big deal for Matt. The surfer explains: “It was really lovely. The original owner is an absolute legend and I spoke to him on the phone a couple of times and then we had lunch in Noosa. He was very emotional, and the watch had a great sentimental value. I’m so glad to be able to give it back to him and hope it continues to tell the time and stays on his wrist.” On Instagram he finally writes: “Back to Casio”.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
