Rolex Sea Dweller

During the 1960s, the needs of professional divers working at great depths led to the development of the first 'ultra water resistant' tool watches designed for conducting safe diving operations at 300 m⁺ (1,000 ft⁺) depths.

The Rolex Sea-Dweller reference 1665 was developed in the second quarter of 1967 but became available to the public only in 1971. The delay was probably caused by issues with obtaining the patent for the helium escape valve. The first Sea-Dweller models made between April and June 1967 did not feature a helium release valve. In late 1967, an archeological diver named T. Walker Lloyd approached Rolex with the idea for the valve as watches used in saturation diving experienced problems during decompression. Helium atoms inside a pressure chamber can work their way inside a watch. During decompression, the pressure inside the chamber can decrease more rapidly than the pressure inside the watch case. This can, in some cases, cause the watch crystal to pop off. The helium-release valve allows helium to escape from the case during decompression preventing damage to the watch. The original idea for using a one-way valve came from Robert A. Barth, a US Navy diver who pioneered saturation diving during the US Navy Genesis and SEALAB missions led by Dr. George F. Bond. The very first valve prototype was given to Dr. Ralph Werner Brauer, a professor for physiology at Duke University and director of the Wrightsville Marine Biomedical Laboratory of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Brauer tested the watch during a series of Physalie dives at the Comex Hyperbaric Center in Marseille, France.[2] In the past, it was wrongly assumed the Sea-Dweller was developed in cooperation with Comex S.A. industrial deep-sea diving but the French company became a partner of Rolex only in late 1971.

The first version of the Sea-Dweller was the so-called "Single Red" with a depth rating of 500 metres (1,600 ft). Most of these non-valve watches were awarded to pioneers in underwater exploration like Robert Palmer Bradley,[3] who was a pilot of Deepstar 4000. Other examples were given to Tektite habitat Aquanauts such as Ian Koblick[4] or Richard Waller.[5] Later Sea-Dweller versions made in 1969 had an increased depth rating of 610 metres (2,000 ft) and so-called Double Red dials.

Most Sea-Dweller watches incorporate a helium escape valve for saturation diving. Early Sea-Dwellers, however, did not always have the valve. Until the 2017 introduction of the reference number 126600, Sea-Dweller's were also distinguished by the absence of the date magnifier ("cyclops") present on most other Rolex models as it was impossible to attach a cyclops with Ultraviolet (UV) light curing adhesive at the top of a watch crystal exposed to the pressure encountered at its test depth. The Sea-Dweller diving watch range has been standard issue for Comex divers since 1977.

The Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000 watches have two red text lines on the watch dial, which led to an unofficial "Double Red" designation by watch collectors.[6][7][8] The Rolex Sea-Dweller 2000 watch case has a diameter of 40.0 mm (1.57 in) mm and a thickness of 14.7 mm (0.58 in).

The Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000 models were succeeded by the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller 4000 (4000 ft = 1220 m) model, with an increased depth rating to 1,220 metres (4,000 ft). The last Comex Sea-Dweller 4000 Rolex reference number is 16600. This watch was issued to Comex divers since 1992. The Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 watch case has a diameter of 40.0 mm (1.57 in) mm and a thickness of 15.5 mm (0.61 in) ( crystal thickness 4 mm (0.16 in)), and the case and bracelet weigh 165 g (5.8 oz).[9][10] The watch was discontinued in 2008.

In 2014 Rolex re-introduced the Sea-Dweller with a new 116600 reference. This watch retained the historic 40mm case size but was updated with a cerachrom ceramic bezel and the new ‘Maxi dial’. The bracelet was updated with the new ‘glidelock extension’ system.

At the BaselWorld watch and jewellery show 2017, Rolex introduced an enlarged Sea-Dweller model featuring a date magnifier on a redesigned watch crystal and an updated automatic movement (Calibre 3235). Its reference number is 126600. The Rolex Sea-Dweller 126600 watch case has a diameter of 43.0 mm (1.69 in) mm, 3.0 mm larger than previous generations of the Sea-Dweller.[11]

Several semi-custom production runs of Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000 and 4000 models were produced with and without helium escape valves and differing watch dial patterns for the Comex S.A. company. These variants sometimes also had differing Rolex reference numbers. Some of these non-standard Sea-Dweller watches had the Comex S.A. logo depicted on the watch dial, which led to an unofficial "COMEX watches" designation by collectors. These watches were either issued to Comex staff members or were given as business gifts.[12][13]

In 2019, Rolex introduced the first two-tone Sea-Dweller with reference 126603. Like the previous release, it has a 43.0 mm (1.69 in) case and Caliber 3235 movement, but with the addition of gold accents.[14]

Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea variant

Black dial Rolex Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA, introduced in 2008. (ref. 116660)

Rolex Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA introduced in 2014. A blue dial variant honoring James Cameron's dive to the Challenger Deep in 2012.

At the BaselWorld watch and jewellery show 2008, Rolex introduced an updated Sea-Dweller model named the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller Deepsea. Its reference number is 116660.

With an official depth rating of 3,900 metres (12,800 ft), the Sea-Dweller deepsea represented in its launch year the most water resistant mechanical watch in serial production. To obtain this official depth rating, the Sea-Dweller deepsea is tested to a depth of 4,875 metres (15,994 ft) to offer the 25% safety reserve required by the ISO 6425 divers' watches standard.[15] To test the water resistance of the Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA, Rolex uses testing equipment developed for them by Comex.[16] Normal surface air filled watch cases and crystals designed for extreme depths must be large to cope with the water pressure.
The Rolex Sea-Dweller deepsea watch case has a diameter of 44.0 mm (1.73 in) mm and a thickness of 17.7 mm (0.70 in) (domed crystal thickness 5.5 mm (0.22 in)), and the case and bracelet weigh 212 g (7.5 oz).[17]
Other features which came with the Deepsea at 2008 was the "Ringlock System" for sealing the sapphire crystal to the case, a caseback made of titanium/steel alloy, the "Glidelock-clasp" and diver extension link, "maxi-dial", engraved rehaut, ceramic bezel with platinum-filled numbers, calibre 3135 with antimagnetic Parachrome-Blue-hairspring and blue "Chromalight" loom.

The first variant of Sea-Dweller Deepsea reference 116660 has a classic black dial with white text on the dial.

A second "D-Blue"-variant was released in 2014 in honor of James Cameron and his journey to the deepest area of the ocean in the year 2012. It has a blue/black dial and green colored "DEEPSEA"-label.

In 2018, the new Deepsea model reference 126660 was introduced at Baselworld. It was updated with the Calibre 3235, a broader bracelet, a resized folding clasp, and a slightly redesigned case.[18]

The design and actual availability of diving watches certified for more than 1,000 m (3,281 ft) is not solely explicable by practical diving needs.

The diving depth record for actual offshore diving was achieved in 1988 by a team of professional divers of the Comex S.A. industrial deep-sea diving company performing pipeline connection exercises at a depth of 534 metres (1,752 ft) of seawater (msw) in the Mediterranean Sea. They wore Rolex Sea-Dwellers.

In 1992, Comex diver Theo Mavrostomos achieved a record of 701 metres (2,300 ft) of seawater (msw) in an onshore hyperbaric chamber. He took 43 days to complete the dive. The watch used during this scientific record dive, where a hydrogen-helium-oxygen (hydreliox) gas mixture was used as breathing gas, was a Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 with a 1,220 m (4,000 ft) depth rating. Rolex used this achievement in advertising campaigns.[19][20][21][22][23]

The complexity, medical problems and physiological limits, such as those imposed by high pressure nervous syndrome, the accompanying high costs of professional saturation diving to extreme depths and the development of deep water atmospheric diving suits and remotely operated underwater vehicles in offshore oilfield drilling and production effectively ended the need for ever deeper, non-atmospheric manned intervention in the ocean. These practical factors make watch depth ratings of more than 1,000 m (3,281 ft) marketing curiosities.

In late March 2012, Rolex announced that a new prototype diving watch was developed and is part of the Rolex supported attempt to dive the DSV Deepsea Challenger to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the deepest surveyed point in the oceans.[24][25][26] On 26 March 2012 the DSV Deepsea Challenger carried a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA CHALLENGE prototype diving watch strapped to its manipulator arm to a depth of 10,898.4 metres (35,756 ft) of seawater (msw).[27] The experimental Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA CHALLENGE watch is designed to be waterproof up to 12,000 metres (39,370 ft). According to the pilot of the DSV Deepsea Challenger, James Cameron, the "Rolex Deepsea Challenge was the reliable companion throughout the dive; it was visible on the sub's manipulator arm and working precisely at 10,898 meters down at the bottom of the Challenger Deep."[28] The normal surface air filled watch case has a diameter of 51.4 mm (2.02 in) and a thickness of 28.5 mm (1.12 in) (domed synthetic sapphire crystal 14.3 mm (0.56 in)) to cope with the water pressure at the deepest surveyed point in the oceans.[29]

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• Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA CHALLENGE pictures
• Perezcope – The History of the Rolex Sea-Dweller at a Glance
• Review of Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600