97th Auction

2018/5/12

Lot 375

Rolex "Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000, 2000ft=610m Superlative Chronometer officially certified", Case No. 3577050, Ref. 1665, Cal. 1570, 40 mm, circa 1972
A diver's highly attractive vintage automatic wristwatch with date and double red writing on the dial, so called "Double Red Sea Dweller", first series
Case: steel, screw back ref. 1665, stamped I/72 and engraving "Rolex Patent Gas Escape Valve Oyster", helium valve, reeded black turnable bezel, screwed "Triplock" winding crown, steel "Oyster" bracelet ref. 93150 with endlinks stamped 501B. Dial: black, creamy coloured luminous indexes and luminous hands.
The Sea-Dweller reference 1665 was introduced in the late 1960s; Rolex developed this model in collaboration with the French deep sea exploration company COMEX (Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises). The standard Submariner 5513 was the first watch to be fitted with Rolex's new invention, the gas escape valve. Later came the first Sea-Dweller, ref. 1665. Its first generation was inscribed "Sea-Dweller, Submariner 2000" in red. The second Sea-Dweller generation of ref. 1665 from 1973/4-1980 was simply signed "Sea-Dweller" in white; all were rated to 2000ft/610m. Ref. 1665 was replaced in 1980 by the ref. 16660 with quick-set date, sapphire crystal and improved "double gas-escape valve", which was rated to 4000ft/1220m. This reference was finally superseded in the mid 1990s by the ref.16600 with calibre 3135 "fast-beat" move.

Sold

estimated
30.00040.000 €
Price realized
33.500 €