The Mondani Collection of Rolex Wrist...

Geneva, May 14, 2006

LOT 41

Ref. 1665, "Sea-Dweller 2000" Rolex, ?Oyster Perpetual Date, Sea-Dweller, 2000 ft./610 m., Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified?, Ref. 1665. Case No. 5714535, Made in 1978. Fine, center-seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel gentleman's wristwatch with gas-escape valve, date and a stainless steel Oyster "Fliplock" bracelet.

CHF 6,000 - 8,000

EUR 4,000 - 5,000 / USD 4,700 - 6,300

Sold: CHF 11,092

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back and ?Trip-lock? crown, first generation helium escape valve at 9, graduated bi-directional revolving black bezel for the decompression times, winding-crown protected by the "crownguard". D. Black with luminous round, triangular and baton indexes, aperture for the date. Luminous steel ?skeleton? hands. M. Cal. 1570, rhodium plated, "oeil-deperdrix" decoration, 26 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperatures and five positions, shock-absorber, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws, hack mechanism. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 17 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

The ?Sea-Dweller 2000? was the first production watch to employ a gas-escape valve, to allow the interior of a watch to decompress and avoid injury caused when the crystal of the watch pops. Crystals ?popping? was not an uncommon problem during decompression after deep diving, this happens when the internal pressure of a watch is higher that the ambient pressure in a decompression chamber. It can be very hazardous for the divers in the chamber as the chamber cannot be opened until decompression is complete, or the divers could get the ?bends?. Examples of the ?Sea-Dweller? without gas escape valve are known. One was sold by Antiquorum New York on the 1st of December 2004, as lot 98. This watch is illustrated in ?Rolex, Collecting Wristwatches?, by Osvaldo Patrizzi, 2001 Edition, pp. 316, 317.