Property from the Original Japanese Owner
1037
Rolex
Ref. 1665
Sea-Dweller “Double Red, MK III”
A rare and attractive stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with center seconds, gas escape valve, date, “Double Red MK III” dial and bracelet
- Estimate
- HK$160,000 - 240,000€18,500 - 27,700$20,500 - 30,800
HK$304,800
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- Circa 1972
- Reference No
- 1665
- Movement No
- D’396’011
- Case No
- 3’546’237, inside caseback stamped, “237”, “I.72”
- Model Name
- Sea-Dweller “Double Red, MK III”
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped “7835”, endlink stamped “280”, max. length 190mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp
- Dimensions
- 40mm diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
With a depth rating of 610 meters, the Double Red Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 was the first commercially available Sea-Dweller, and the most coveted among collectors. Its official name is the Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000 and was given the nickname Double Red Sea-Dweller, or DRSD for short, due to the two rows of red text printed on the dial. The reference ran for an impressive ten years of production from 1967 – 1977 and featured five distinct dial variations.
The present example from circa 1972 features the MK III dial with case back engravings that read “Rolex Patent”. In contrast, the earliest dial variation MK I dial is engraved with “Patent Pending” on the case back, when Rolex was still in the process of patenting its helium escape valve technology. The MK III dial is characterized by a number of traits: the “SUBMARINER 2000” designation features smaller font than the “SEA-DWELLER” and the red writing is applied directly onto the black background without the underlying white plot seen on earlier versions.
The present Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 with MK III dial is a rare and collectible vintage Rolex offered in an attractive overall condition.
The present example from circa 1972 features the MK III dial with case back engravings that read “Rolex Patent”. In contrast, the earliest dial variation MK I dial is engraved with “Patent Pending” on the case back, when Rolex was still in the process of patenting its helium escape valve technology. The MK III dial is characterized by a number of traits: the “SUBMARINER 2000” designation features smaller font than the “SEA-DWELLER” and the red writing is applied directly onto the black background without the underlying white plot seen on earlier versions.
The present Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 with MK III dial is a rare and collectible vintage Rolex offered in an attractive overall condition.
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.
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