ROLEX | SEA-DWELLER 'DOUBLE RED', REFERENCE 1665STAINLESS STEEL WRISTWATCH WITH DATE AND BRACELETCIRCA 1970

Dial: blackCalibre: cal. 1570 automatic, 26 jewelsMovement number: D'052'537 Case: stainless steel Oyster, helium escape valve, screw-down crown and backCase number: 2'930'359Closure: stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet with integrated folding clasp Dimensions: 40mm diameter, bracelet circumference approximately 175mmSigned: case, dial and movementAccessories: none

DIAL: in good condition, with minor material missing from the baton indexes of the outer minute track at the 5, 10, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 minutes. With some scratches to the crystal, consistent with the age and wear of the timepiece. The hands have been replaced during a service. Slighly brownish patination forming over the right half of the dial. CASE: in good condition with some scratches throughout, consistent with age and wear of the timepiece. The lug bevels remain present. With some more noticeable scratches to the profile of the bottom left lug and the side of the upper right lug. Bracelet (SP111, 9315/380) MOVEMENT: running at time of cataloguing, date advances, seconds hack when crown is pulled. The watch has not been tested to determine the accuracy of its timekeeping. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement and that a service may be required at the buyer's discretion. Please note Condition 11 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The online condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance purposes only. The images of the lot also form part of the online condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Any reference to condition in the online condition report does not amount to a full description of condition. The online condition report may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the online condition report of the lot or shown in the online images of the lot (for example, the online condition report may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome). Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. The online condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the online condition report is a statement of subjective, qualified opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's (for example, information regarding colour, clarity and weight of gemstones are statements of opinion only and not statements of fact by Sotheby's). Please also note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and wrist bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. In addition, certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot (for example, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades). For these reasons, the online condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. Prospective buyers should also refer to the Buying at Auction guide which includes important notices concerning the type of property in this sale. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species. Please be advised that wristbands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS (ONLINE ONLY).

In the late 1960’s Rolex started development of a new watch after deep-sea divers bringing up a regular problem of popping-off crystals on their trusted Rolex Submariners. The issue was that during saturation diving helium could get trapped inside the watch and during decompression the helium would expand and push the crystal off of the watch. The results of these developments came to the market in 1967 under the name Sea-Dweller. Rolex had released the first ever watch including a patented helium escape valve which lets trapped helium inside the watch escape through a valve on the side of the case, but still keeping the watch waterproof for up to 610 meters. These first production model Sea-Dwellers feature two distinguishable lines of bright-red text, which gives it the nickname ‘Double-Red’ among watch collectors and aficionados.  

This particular Sea-Dweller is an early ‘Double-Red’ variation which features a Mark II dial in original preserved condition. This dial is distinguishable due to its smaller font of the red font ‘SUBMARINER 2000’ and through the particular shape and smaller size of the ‘O’ of the Rolex coronet.