The Rolex Sea Dweller (pre-2008)

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The Sea-Dweller came about from a perceived need to have a robust dive watch that could withstand depths encountered by submersible divers, and also automatically release pressure of helium molecules that build up inside the watch after deep saturation dives in helium rich breathing mixtures.

Developed in 1967, waterproof to a depth of 610 metres (2,000 feet) initially and then to 1,220 metres (4,000 feet) in 1978, the Sea-Dweller is the watch for the pioneers of the deep. Those who were once known as aquanauts, explorers of the hydrosphere – the waters which cover some 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface. Like them, the Sea-Dweller had to adapt to the artificial breathing mixes devised for great pressure environments and composed of light gases such as helium or hydrogen. The watch has to face the same long decompression process as the diver undertakes in order to safely eliminate those gases without injury and avoid potentially fatal decompression sickness, or ‘the bends’, before he returns to the surface. With this in mind, in 1967 an important innovation developed and patented by Rolex was introduced on the Sea‑Dweller: the helium escape valve. This ingenious safety valve, set in the watch case, played an all-important role in the development of deep‑sea diving, a field in which COMEX was the most renowned player. The company’s late founder and president, Henri-Germain Delauze, a pioneer of deep diving, said of his favorite watch: “A diver breathing hydrogen can’t live without his Rolex,” adding; “In diving, time is a crucial piece of information. Be it operations, changing gas mixes, timing decompression stops, entering and exiting the diving bell, it’s all a matter of seconds. Having a precise, robust, reliable watch was of vital importance.”

Original Sea-Dwellers were modified Submariners and command high premiums in todays vintage market.
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. The Rolex Sea-Dweller was the first model in the sport's line to get SEL's (Solid End Links).
. The HEV (Helium Valve) is made of Titanium.
. The SD was the only watch to have an engraving on the edge of the caseback ("Rolex Oyster - Original Gas Escape Valve"). Now, with the Milgauss, there exist two Rolex models with caseback engravings (the Milgauss stating "Milgauss" on the edge of the caseback).


Sea-Dweller Reference Numbers: 5514, 1665, 16660, 16600 (116600 SD4000c has it's own thread)

Date of production: prototypes in 1967 with regular production 1971 to present

Movement:

5514 - Initial release to COMEX, 1520 movement
1665 - 1575 movement; launched in ~1967 (also known as SD 2000), folded bracelet
16660 - introduced 1978, Introduced sapphire crystal, 3035 movement (also known as SD 4000) 93150 bracelet
16600 - 3135 movement which was introduced in ~1989, the SD followed a year or so later, also introduced SEL 93160 bracelet.

The SD ceased production in ~2008 to make way for the Deep Sea Sea Dweller and was
re-introduced in 2014 with new ceramics and 3135 movement -116600 Sub 4000 ceramic

Case size: 40mm

Weight: 147 grams

Power Reserve: ~44 hours

Photographs

(Photos courtesy of Mike)






Links:

http://doubleredseadweller.com/index.htm