Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 Mk. IV “Double Red” (aka DRSD), 1977 Men's Vintage Watch

An exceedingly rare unpolished "drawer find" Rolex Sea-Dweller reference 1665 “Double Red” from 1977. A true grail find, this Mark IV Rolex DRSD (Double Red Sea-Dweller) came to us in an exceedingly rare unpolished and all original condition. Sat unworn for the last two decades and purchased from the original and only owner, this watch is sure to be an incredible addition to any serious collection as well as a superb investment in the coming years.

Purchased by the original and only owner from Rolex in Saudi Arabia whilst working on an exploration contract, this Double Red Sea-Dweller comes complete with original service papers from the early 1980’s, a collection of photos from the owner and kind permission for the new owner to be introduced to the original owner to answer any questions. The owner was kind enough to provide a short description of his time, an extract of which is included below.

"I started work at 16 at Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall and went underground working as an exploration diamond driller. I worked out under the sea in the old Levant Mine where you could hear the rocks moving above you! At 20 I was asked to join an ex colleague in Saudi Arabia as an exploration diamond driller on the edge of the empty quarter.  There were two of us supported by a team of Yemeni workers – it was quite an adventure! We were also developing new drilling equipment for our supplier at the same time. I worked in Saudi for about five years before returning home, however I continued working as an exploration diamond driller all over the world as well as in the last of the Cornish tin mines before they closed but I never went back to Saudi to work."

In recent years demand for unpolished examples such as this coming from the original, single owner with recorded providence have far exceeded that for polished “full set” examples that have passed through multiple owners. It’s no surprise really, with the number of fake box and paper sets and even reputable dealers putting watches together from parts, today more than ever “box and papers” is little guarantee to the original state of a watch, especially with something as collectable as the DRSD!

As is often the way when we get pieces like this, we share images with some of our close customers and dealer partners, many of which have tried to get us to sell it to them before listing it! However as much as we love our partners, we’d prefer to sell it to a collector instead of selling it to the trade only to see it reappear for £5-15k more than what we sell it for! Be quick though, as we won’t sit on it for long!

As always if you require any additional photos, videos or information please do not hesitate to contact us.

Condition:

• Case: Original. Excellent unpolished condition. Case back inscription still clearly visible.

• Dial: Original. Mint condition, almost flawless. Beautifully aged lume.
• Hands: Original. Excellent condition with minor spotting and a mark on the second hand lume plot.
• Glass: Original. Excellent condition. We gave it a light polish to remove the majority of scratches, some marks remain notably around the 10 o’clock position. These could be polished out should the new owner wish.
• Bracelet: Original ref. 91350 “flip-lock” bracelet in good, unpolished condition showing scratches and a small amount of stretch as expected for its age.
• Movement: Original caliber 1570, 26 jewels automatic movement. Just serviced and functioning perfectly. New mainspring and seal added during service. Original parts retained.
• Papers: Include original Rolex service papers. Unfortunately the owner’s mother-in-law threw out the original box (inside of which were the papers, receipt and hangtags!!) during a recent house move
• Provenance: Property of a trusted, known seller. Whilst we cannot reveal their details here they have kindly agreed to provide their contact details to the new owner should they wish to contact them about any aspects of the watch.

Shipping:

For orders placed before 2pm orders will be shipped the same day.

Your watch will be carefully packaged and shipped fully insured with leading global courier companies.

Delivery Prices:

Delivery within the UK is Free. Delivery within Europe is £30. Delivery for the Rest of the World is £50.

Returns:

Don't like it or change your mind? Return it for a full refund with our 14 day, no hassle returns on all sales. See the full conditions here.

The Watches

Are all watches authenticated?

All our watches pass through a double authentication process to insure their authenticity. We also provide detailed photos of the watch from all angles to allow you to undertake your own anlysis. Finally as with everything, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to our friendly team

What if something goes wrong with the watch

Whilst all our watches are fully serviced before sale, if something does go wrong, we'll repair it for free as part of our 1 year warranty

Do watches come with original box and papers?

It depends on the individual watch. You can see details under "The Basics" heading on this page. For the majority of vintage watches their original box and papers have been lost to time. Whilst they are nice to have, it’s important to note that “box and papers” DO NOT authenticate a watch despite what many in our trade say. It’s also important to realise alot of sellers (including some of the most well known in the UK) put together full sets of box, papers, hang tags etc by buying blank paperwork and boxes in the secondary market. This is a very regrettable, but unfortunately common occurrence in the trade but something we will never do!

How do I know it will fit?

For metal bracelets we provide the size it will currently fit in the description section of this page. If this measurement is too large or too small we are able to assist in either adding or removing links. We also offer this service, post service on a at-cost basis (i.e. we don't add a margin).

Can you change the strap?

Absolutely! If you don't like the current strap, let us know and we'll change it for free! We maintain a broad selection of styles and can also source straps to your specification free of charge.

Can you source something similar?

Absolutely! If its not quite what you’re looking for just get in touch and we can source one with our Free, No Obligation sourcing service. You can contact us on phone, live chat or simply submit the details of what you’re looking for on our “Find a Watch” page.

Payment

What payment options do you offer?

We accept payment by all leading credit and debit cards, ApplePay as well as bank transfer.

Do you offer financing?

Currently we don't offer financing but it’s something we're exploring.

Shipping & Returns

Can you ship an order to arrive on a certain day?

We can certainly try! We can request with our shipment partners for delivery on a certain day but ultimately the exact delivery date is subject to a number of factors outside our control.

How do I return a watch?

Simply let us know you want to send the watch back within the 14 return period and return it to us via Royal Mail Special Delivery. We’ll process your refund the same day we receive the watch back.

Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions

You can find our full terms and conditions here.