THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: ROLEX
MODEL: 1665
YEAR: 1978
BOX/PAPERS: YES/YES
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC
The Sea-Dweller remains, to this day, the only sports Rolex born purely out of necessity. Unlike the Milsub, which was essentially a modified 5513, the Sea-Dweller was created because the state-of-the-art dive watch Rolex offered at the time simply wasn’t up to the demands of the rapidly evolving subsea landscape.
Reference 1665 was produced from 1967 to 1983, though it was only sold to civilians from around 1971 onwards. Until 1977, these watches were affectionately known as “Double Red Sea-Dwellers” thanks to the two lines of red text on the dial. From 1977 to 1983, five further dial variations appeared (Mk0–Mk4), with the Sea-Dweller name and depth rating now printed in white, earning the nickname “Great White.”
The Mk2, more commonly known as the Rail Dial, was produced by Stern—the same company responsible for the COMEX dial, sharing the same SCOC text configuration. Produced only between 1977 and 1979, these have become increasingly uncommon, particularly in period-correct condition and accompanied by their original paperwork.
This example is in fantastic shape, with a case that has seen minimal polishing, a blemish-free dial, and a lovely Mk5 insert that has faded to a desirable petrol blue. The hands show some minor marks to the chrome, though these are invisible to the naked eye. The original F-stamped (1981) bracelet, matching the year of sale, is still present and, despite being one link short, will comfortably accommodate a 19.5 cm wrist.
The watch is accompanied by its inner and outer boxes, both booklets, tags, calendar, wallet, and translation papers. It was originally sold through one of the oldest Bucherer boutiques still in operation, in Lucerne, Switzerland—appropriately not far from where it was made.
The watch arrived to us in excellent mechanical health and is currently running at +4 s/day, with an amplitude of 270° and a beat error of 0.1 ms.