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Lot Essay
Highly rare and attractive, the present Rolex 'Double Red' Sea-Dweller reference 1665 features a wonderful 'tropical' brown dial which nicely contrasts against the iconic red text and aged tritium plots. The present lot is identified as a MK2 dial which is distinguished by the smaller second line of red text, the 'smudge' crown, and as mentioned earlier, the 'tropical' brown dial which makes MK2 examples so coveted by collectors. Interestingly, the watch features a rare 'error' diver's extension which reads 'pateted'.
The 'Double Red' Sea-Dweller reference 1665
Launched in 1969, it is believed that the original Sea-Dweller watches designated as reference 1665 were given to deep-sea divers to test Rolex's newly developed helium escape valve technology. The primary issue with the at-the-time dive watches was that at extreme depths, helium gas would build up within the case and during decompression, it would get to the point of watch failure, making the crystal explode off of the watch. Rolex's new creation allowed the helium gas to escape the case through the valve on the side while not allowing water into the watch. After many successful tests thanks to these divers, the Sea-Dweller model became commercially available in 1970.
The 'Double Red' Sea-Dweller reference 1665
Launched in 1969, it is believed that the original Sea-Dweller watches designated as reference 1665 were given to deep-sea divers to test Rolex's newly developed helium escape valve technology. The primary issue with the at-the-time dive watches was that at extreme depths, helium gas would build up within the case and during decompression, it would get to the point of watch failure, making the crystal explode off of the watch. Rolex's new creation allowed the helium gas to escape the case through the valve on the side while not allowing water into the watch. After many successful tests thanks to these divers, the Sea-Dweller model became commercially available in 1970.