Developed in partnership with the French commercial diving firm COMEX, the Sea-Dweller solved a problem the Submariner could not: helium buildup during saturation dive decompression. The 1665 introduced the patented helium escape valve at 3 o'clock and a thickened case rated to 610 meters. The earliest 1665s wore a 'Double Red' Sea-Dweller / Submariner 2000 script, followed by the 'Great White' (single line, white text). The 16660 (1978) doubled depth rating to 1220 meters and moved to sapphire; the 16600 (1988–2008) is the last of the truly wearable Sea-Dwellers before the model bulked up to 43mm. For collectors who want the technical seriousness of a professional dive watch without the ubiquity of the Submariner, this is the reference.
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Model
Rolex Sea-Dweller
A saturation diver's tool, born from a partnership with COMEX.
- Introduced
- 1967
- Case sizes
- 40mm · 43mm (current)
- Notable references
- 16651666016600116600126600
What to watch for
Repainted red text on 1665 dials, replaced helium valves, and 'MK' dial confusion on early Double Reds.