ROLEX, A STAINLESS STEEL OYSTER PERPETUAL SEA-DWELLER (Mk 1 “Patent Pending”), Ref. 1665

Rolex produced the Ref. 1665 Sea-Dweller from 1967 to 1983, it was the first watch from the brand designed specifically for saturation diving. The experimental early 1665 models had “patent pending” engraved on the caseback. This is a Mk1 dial, the rarest of the lot – the words SUBMARINER and SEA-DWELLER are printed in the same font and the colour fades to white from red via pink and yellow. The S of the SEA-DWELLER is also aligned perfectly with the B of the SUBMARINER. The bracelet (stamped 9315) and end-links (285) are period-correct for this particular model. Though this watch is powered by the self-winding Cal. 1575, the rotor is stamped 1570, another quirk of the early 1665 models.