A beautiful example of the Rolex Sea-Dweller reference 1665 "Great White" from circa 1979. This exceptional mark IV example features an exquisitely aged dial with even, creamy lume and a sharp case to match!
The Rolex Sea-Dweller was born to face the extreme pressures faced by saturation divers during the 1960's. The story goes that during the SeaLab expeditions (underwater habitats developed by the US Navy to test the viability of saturation diving and living in isolation for extended periods) the glass on the diver's Submariners would pop out during decompression. Funny but far from ideal!
The cause? Helium particles (present in the gas mixture used by divers) would build up in the watch case during prolonged dives. During compression these particles would then be let out through the weakest point, the glass. Various solutions were trialed but in the end Rolex settled on a rather simple (but efficient) mechanism to deal with the issue; a helium escape valve on the side of the case which allowed the helium particles to escape in a controlled manner. And so the Sea-Dweller was born, so named due to the multi day stays its wearers would endure under the waves.
Launched in 1967 the reference 1665 was the first reference of the Rolex Sea-Dweller. The "Great White", was a reference 1665 with 4 lines of text printed in white and produced between circa 1977 and 1983. It was the last to feature a plexiglass crystal, a feature many collectors consider a key component of a vintage watch.
This particular example is a Mark IV and features an incredible dial in fantastic condition with matching dial and hand lume. Likewise the case is clean and retains good sharpness. The watch is fitted with a period correct Oyster bracelet reference 93150 and comes with an extra link. The calibre 1570 movement is in immaculate condition and has just undergone a full service.
So if you're looking for an exceptional example of the collectable Rolex Sea-Dweller "Great White", this example is well worth a look! Be quick though, as its sure to get snapped up quickly!!
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