Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

New York, Jun 08, 2011

LOT 161

Rolex - Ref. 1665 - Double Red Sea-Dweller - Mark I - Patent Pending Rolex, "Oyster Perpetual Date, Sea-Dweller, Submariner 2000, 2000 ft. = 610 m., Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified," case No. 2117483, Ref. 1665. Made in 1967. Fine and very rare, center seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel diver's chronometer wristwatch with double red Sea-Dweller logo, helium escape valve, date and a stainless steel Rolex Oyster Ref. 93150 Fliplock bracelet.

USD 40,000 - 60,000

CHF 35,000 - 52,000 / EUR 27,000 - 40,000

Sold: USD 69,700

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back engraved: "Rolex, Oyster, Gas Escape Valve, (Patent Pending)," helium escape valve at 9, graduated bi-directional revolving bezel for the decompression times, Triplock winding crown protected by the crown guard, inner case stamped IV.67 and numbered 483. D. Black with luminous round, triangular and baton indexes, aperture for the date, "Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000" in red letters. Luminous steel skeleton hands. M. Cal. 1570, rhodium-plated, oeil de perdrix decoration, 26 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to temperatures and 5 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, Microstella regulating screws. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 40 mm. Thickness 17 mm. Approx. overall length 195 mm. Property of the Original Owner


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-02

Good

HANDS Service hands

Notes

Rolex Ref. 1665 Double Red Sea Dweller The Rolex Sea-Dweller was developed in conjunction with the world-renowned French deep-sea diving company COMEX. Due to the depths they worked at, the divers experienced failure in the watches during decompression, as crystals broke due to an internal build-up of pressure from helium. Rolex modified regular 5513 Submariner watches to incorporate a helium escape valve and later issued examples with their own reference specifically for COMEX, the 5514. With this development Rolex launched a new reference fitted with helium escape valves for commercial production, and in 1967 the first batch of ref. 1665 Sea-Dwellers were released to authorized dealers and select divers for testing. These first watches, of unknown quantity but believed to be fewer than 100, were released prior to obtaining a helium-escape valve patent and feature the words ?Patent Pending? on the case reverse. The original Sea-Dwellers were offered with red printing on the dial until 1977. Research by collectors has enabled us to distinguish four versions of dial development
MK1: Only found on the ?Patent Pending? examples, the Sea-Dweller and Submariner print are of equal size. The red print was over white; many have faded to a pink or almost white text; the coronet has a characteristic, heavier style.
MK2: The Submariner 2000 text is smaller, the coronet remains the same. This version is found on both the ?Patent Pending? and early ?Patented? versions.
MK3:The red print remains similar to the MK2 although the depth rating text is heavier. The coronet, now more elongated, undergoes significant changes.
MK4 The final version of the original dials is again a slightly heavier print for both the red and white text; the loop of the 6 is now closed rather than open. The coronet has broader fingers and a more pronounced open ?foot?.
Due to their waterproof characteristics all Ref. 1665 ?Double Red Sea-Dwellers? featured the case serial number on the inside of the case back to prevent switching during service, with the early examples using the last 3 digits and the later ones the full serial number.