THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: ROLEX
MODEL: 1665
YEAR: 1975
BOX/PAPERS: YES/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC
The Sea-Dweller is to this day, the only sports Rolex that was born out of necessity. Unlike the Millsub which was effectively an altered 5513, the Sea-Dweller was created because the state-of-the-art dive model Rolex had to offer just wasn't up to the ever-changing sub-sea landscape.
In the 60s sub-sea exploration was developing at a rate of knots. Rolex found themselves in a horological race to the bottom, going head to head with Omega. They needed to produce the first 'professional' dive watch, capable of being used by saturation divers who were often diving beyond 300m. Omega won the battle with the Seamaster 600 or PloProf as it's known, with the help of Comex and their divers.
It's fair to say Rolex won the war though. With help from the SEALAB Divers known as Aquanauts in the US Navy, they initially modified a 5513 to include a valve that allowed Helium to escape from the case once decompression occurred. It wasn't entirely successful, so a completely new design with a new case was born. By 1971 Rolex had formed a partnership with Comex after Omega's rocky relationship with the French Diving company ended. Rolex agreed to supply all watches to Comex for free in return for detailed real-world reporting and testing of their products.
The 1665 reference was produced from 1967 to 1983, and the Red variants between 67 and 77. However, technically the watch didn't retail until 1971, and most of the watches made prior to 71 weren’t for civilian use.
Most double-red sea dwellers (DRSDs) you will see are Mk4s. The example we have for sale is the seldom-seen Mk3 (Mk3 and 2 are incredibly uncommon and Mk1's are unicorn-like). This dial is only seen between 2.6 and 4.1m serial, this watch being 4.0m serial.
As you can see the watch has enjoyed a full life on the wrist, the markers show heavy patina, and the bezel has a deep ghosting with some corrosion around the edge, typical of extended use underwater. The watch retains a T39 domed crystal. The case has been polished in the past but the case is still full, especially the crown guards. The 93150 bracelet is VD coded denoting it was made in 1979.
Based on the number of service engravings within the caseback, the watch has been cared for. The movement is still running perfectly at 0 secs per day, 245 amps with a 0.3 beat error.
As characterful tool watches go, this has to be up there, it tells a visual story of a full and kinetic life on the wrist.