The name's Red, Double Red. In this case a, highly desired, reference 1665 Rolex 'Double Red' Sea-Dweller.

By the 1960s, Rolex had earned its spurs as one of the premier makers of tough and trustworthy toolwatches. With the advent of deep-sea diving for commercial and research purposes, Rolex partnered with the French diving company COMEX to produce a waterproof watch to withstand the extreme pressures at such depths. The resulting watch, the ref. 1665 Sea-Dweller, was introduced in 1967. Unlike its older sibling, the Submariner, the Sea-Dweller could be taken much further underwater due to a thicker case and crystal as well as a critical invention: the helium escape valve.

The ref. 1665 was in production in various iterations until the early 1980s. These watches feature dials with two lines of text (“Sea-Dweller” and “Submariner 2000”) printed in red, earning them the nickname ‘Double Red Sea-Dweller’. This specific watch belongs to the very last batch of the red Sea-Dwellers, when already some white-text ones were in production. Regardless the 'Double Red's' were distinguished from the white ones by having the serial number not only engraved in the case but also on the inside of the case-back and as such confirming the double-red text.

The example we have right here is in a beautiful condition worth mentioning. In the Oyster case sits a 'Mark IV' dial with stunning creamy colored lume plots, perfectly matching with the hands. Even though we often say we do not care as much for box and papers rather than condition and authenticity, this one checks both boxes (pun intended). Completing the set with inner and outer box, all documents and even up to the hangtag.

As we've mentioned many times, in the world of vintage Rolexes, collectors tend to search out the fine red printing on dials. Such as Red Submariner's, Big Red Daytona's and in this case Double Red Sea-Dwellers. A piece from 1979 in remarkable condition combined with a dial that is as good as they come. A homerun in AVW-world.