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1013

Rolex

Ref. 1665

Sea-Dweller, "Double Red MK II"

A rare and attractive stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with center seconds, gas escape valve, date, “Double Red MK II” dial, bracelet, guarantee and presentation box

Estimate
HK$250,000 - 450,000
€29,700 - 53,500
$32,100 - 57,700
HK$478,800
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Rolex
Year
Circa 1972
Reference No
1665
Movement No
D002’089
Case No
3’066’336, inside caseback stamped “1665” “I.72”
Model Name
Sea-Dweller, "Double Red MK II"
Material
Stainless steel
Calibre
Automatic, cal. 1570, 26 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
Stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelet stamped “9315”, endlinks stamped “280”, max length 195mm
Clasp/Buckle
Stainless steel Rolex Oyster deployant clasp stamped “1.70”
Dimensions
40mm diameter
Signed
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
Accessories
Accompanied by Rolex guarantee stamped Orologeria Svizzera-Firenze, Italy dated 31st October 1974, instruction manual, product literature, hang tag, green holder, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
The Double Red Sea Dweller is a classic, and there is good reason why almost every vintage Rolex collector winds up with an example in their stash eventually — these are eye-catching, enduring and professionally competent tool watches.

Of all the dial configurations seen on the reference 1665, Mark II in particular has captured the attention of vintage Rolex aficionados from around the world. There are several characteristics that make the “Mark II” so widely revered and coveted. Firstly, the most apparent characteristic of this dial is the crisp and well-defined print of the lines “Sea-Dweller, Submariner 2000” in bright red. The font is also smaller on the second line. As seen on the present example, the dial occasionally changed color from a matt black to a gorgeous tone of light brown or chocolate color, otherwise known as a "tropical" dial.

This Double Red Sea Dweller is in excellent condition for its age, and was obviously well cared for by its original owner. The dial has metamorphosed into an incredible color of dark brown, giving it the look that all vintage Rolex collectors are after. The watch is in great condition, with the original punched guarantee, box and hang tags still retained. Most intriguingly, the watch was originally sold at Orologeria Svizzera — a widely celebrated watch retailer owned by the Panerai family, of which the first shop was opened up by Giovanni Panerai in Florence, Italy in 1860. Throughout the years, Orologeria Svizzera has been offering some of the best Swiss watch brands, including timepieces from Rolex and other top-tier manufacturers.

Rolex

Swiss | 1905
Founded 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.
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