ROLEX

Brand: Rolex
Model: Sea Dweller
Year: 1978
Reference: 1665
Dial: Black
Case No.: 5298XXX
Movement: Automatic winding
Cal: Rolex 1570
Material: Steel
Bracelet-Strap: Steel
Size: 40mm
Accessories: Box, card, papers
Notes: Steel automatic winding diver's watch. Black 'double red lettering' dial, buckshot hour markers, mercedes spheres with luminescent material. Black bidirectional bezel. Date window at 3 o'clock. Rolex steel bracelet. Domed plexi crystal. Steel screw-down case back and crown.7

Launched in 1967, the Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 was
produced to meet the requirements of professional divers who needed a watch capable of resisting high pressures
underwater that exceeded the limits of the Submariner, which
for the ref. 1680 could reach a no-
minal depth of 220 metres. On the other hand, the Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 reached a depth of 610 metres (2000 feet), tripling the ref. 1680.
Production has engaged Rolex in a
collaborative relationship with divers and divers
in order to further improve the model and make it more resistant to depths and use. The pre-
heard timepiece belonged to Fabio Pajon-
cini Ottaviani, known as ‘Il Duca’, who in the waters
of Ponza and Palmarola in 2004 achieved the pre-
icy record of world depth champion
with the self-contained diving record.
The Sea-Dweller, unlike the other models of the Geneva maison's su-
bacquei, has the ingenious
addition of a helium escape valve.
In the depths there are indeed atmospheres rich of helium, whose molecules tend to be smaller than those of oxygen and thus found
space in the watch by passing through the crystal and the rubber seals, thus infiltrating its
interior. As the rising pressure
often caused the crystal to detach.
The development of the valve was intended to prevent this problem by letting the gas escape from the
watch case by decreasing the pressure. The
very name Sea-Dweller underlines the fact that it was developed to meet the needs of those living - or frequenting - the level below the sea

While the first examples of the Sea-Dweller ref. 1665
had two lines of red lettering above
the depth value, earning it the super-
nickname “Double Red”, later models offer a
dial with no red lettering. The present example ref. 1665 “Double Red” from around 1978, with a
serial number of 5.2 million, belongs to the va-
riant Mk IV.
Preserved in excellent condition, it is
one of the highlights of Padel & Paddle.