25
Rolex
Ref. 1665
Sea-Dweller “Rail Dial”
A lovely and well-preserved stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with “rail dial”, helium escape valve, date, bracelet, guarantee, and presentation box
- Estimate
- $10,000 - 20,000
- Manufacturer
- Rolex
- Year
- 1979
- Reference No
- 1665
- Movement No
- D’868’882
- Case No
- 6’014’580; interior caseback further stamped 1665
- Model Name
- Sea-Dweller “Rail Dial”
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet, reference 93150, endlinks stamped 585, max overall length 210mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, reference 93150, stamped H
- Dimensions
- 40mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.
- Accessories
- Accompanied by Rolex guarantee dated 1979, service card dated 2017, decompression timetable card, serial number hang tag, service translation paper, product literature, card holder, fitted presentation box, and outer box.
Catalogue Essay
• By the mid-1970s, Rolex replaced the double red dials with the “Great White” dial, removing the two lines of red text. Without a doubt, early examples of the “Great White” Sea-Dweller are rare. In production for a mere two years, examples with a “Rail Dial” are certainly elusive and highly sought-after. Manufactured by the Stern company (now owned by Patek Philippe), these rail dials differ from traditional dials manufactured by Singer.
• Most notably, the last “E” of “Superlative” and the “Y” of “Officially” are perfectly aligned, as are the “C” of “Chronometer” and “Certified”. This creates a very pleasing and unusual vertical “corridor” (or rail) of space between the last two lines of the designation. Another detail unique to the “rail dial” is the Swiss designation reading “T Swiss T < 25”. No other Sea-Dweller dial presents this designation.
• This Rolex Sea-Dweller from 1979 is sure to please discerning collectors, boasting a well-preserved dial with luminous hour markers that aged to a warm beige hue.
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.