Rolex Sea-Dweller 1665

Rolex 1665 Sea-Dweller Vintage Great White 1978 Steel Dive Watch

Excellent condition vintage watch Due to the all-white text on the dial, the reference 1665 earned the nickname “Great White” The serial number suggests this example was produced in 1978 The watch is accompanied by a display box, outer box, incomplete warranty papers (no serial and no date), booklets, green folder, swing tag, original purchase receipt dated 1980, service pouch, service guarantee papers from 2003, 2009, and 2013, as well as one spare link where the bracelet has been sized Also included in the lot are the original owner's diving association membership certificates from the 1980s The Sea-Dweller first appeared in the late 1960s and was created to extend the underwater utility of Rolex’s existing Submariner line The 1665 was the very first Sea-Dweller that Rolex ever produced, and it also represented the first time that a helium escape valve ever appeared on a Rolex watch One of the distinguishing features of these early models was the dial’s text The initial models, known as ‘Double Red Sea Dweller’, featured a unique dial with two lines of red text reading ‘SEA-DWELLER’ and ‘SUBMARINER 2000’. Post-1977, Rolex adopted an all-white text dial, eliminating the ‘SUBMARINER 2000’ line, resulting in the ‘Great White’ style, as we see in this example, which continued until the ref. 1665 was discontinued in 1983 With its historical significance within the world of Rolex dive watches, the ref. 1665 has become a highly sought-after and collectable model