Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 16660 - 'Triple 6' Matte Black Transitional 'Pumpkin' Unpolished

Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 16660 - 'Triple 6' Matte Black Transitional 'Pumpkin' Unpolished

Name: Rolex Sea-Dweller Ref. 16660 - 'Triple 6' Matte Black Transitional 'Pumpkin' Unpolished
Brand: Oliver & Clarke
SKU: OC2398
Price: 18500.0 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

SOLD

The first Sea-Dweller, the Reference 1665, debuted in circa 1967 and was designed with saturation divers in mind. The key differentiator between a Sea-Dweller and its little sibling, the Submariner, is that the SD always has a helium escape valve (or 'HEV') on the left case profile and a higher domed crystal with no cyclops magnifier. The earliest prototypes were actually Submariners with the added HEV on the left case profile, but it was the 1665 that first bore the Sea-Dweller name on the dial.

Like virtually all Rolex sport models, the Sea-Dweller has seen a number of evolutions of the years, but not nearly as many as some of the other sports models in the family. That said, the Reference 16660 that we have here — also known as a 'Triple 6' — enjoyed just about a decade-long production run, but saw one major change within that time about half way through. The early pieces feature matte black dials with applied Tritium plots, just as its predecessor did, whereas the second half of production introduced glossy black dials with the first applied Tritium-filled white gold indices.

This particular example dates to circa 1984 and features the former of the two dials: matte black. It comes to us in absolutely fantastic overall condition with an unpolished case that retains clear factory chamfers and shows normal, honest signs of wear throughout with a few small impressions and scuffs present. Inside, the matte black dial is well preserved, with a clean matte surface and deeply patinated Tritium plots, which are complimented by a perfectly matching Tritium pip in the bezel insert. The handset has aged to a slightly darker, almost brown color and shows some oxidation from age. It comes fitted to its correct Oyster bracelet with solid links and endlinks and a signed fliplock clasp.

Sea-Dwellers are amongst first 'enhanced' dive watches made for saturation diving with a number of technical firsts, were produced in far smaller numbers than its Submariner and Submariner Date siblings, and feature a very similar wearing experience, yet, we think, remain bargains.

This superb example surely has multiple lifetimes left of wrist time, and is ready for its next owner.

Stainless Steel 1983 Unpolished Automatic 40mm

Condition Report & Details

Condition:

Case: Unpolished, with clearly visible factory chamfers and finishing with normal signs of wear throughout. There are a few small impressions present on the top edge of the upper left lug, a blemish on the bottom edge of the upper right lug, and a scuff on the lower right lug profile.

Bezel: Unpolished, showing normal signs of wear throughout with no significant damage or blemishes. The black insert shows normal wear with a small scratch visible to the left of the pip. The Tritium exhibits beautiful deep patina that matches the Tritium on the dial and hands very well.

Dial: Excellent, with a clean and uniform matte black surface and deeply patinated Tritium plots. The triangle and the 2:00 plot have ages slightly darker. The handset has also ages slightly darker than the dial and exhibits some oxidation from age. It matches under UV inspection. The crystal has a few small edge chips at roughly the 8:30 position.

Movement:

Automatic-winding chronometer certified caliber by Rolex.

Bracelet/Strap:

Rolex stainless steel Oyster Bracelet with 10 links and signed fliplock clasp with dive extension stamped 'H.' Unpolished, showing matching normal wear throughout with faint stretch. Sized for ≈7.3" wrist.

Shipping, Returns, & Warranty

Every Oliver & Clarke timepiece comes with a one-year mechanical warranty starting from the date of delivery. We ensure all watches are in wonderful working condition and are ready for daily wear. Many have been fully serviced by our team of watchmakers.

Please note:

Due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, they may not keep time as accurately as when new, nor as precisely as quartz or electronic devices.
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Warranty Exclusions:

Internal or external damage caused by accidents, mishandling, abuse, modifications, or services performed by anyone other than our authorized personnel.
Our warranty is non-transferable.

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At Oliver & Clarke, we meticulously vet each watch to ensure its authenticity and quality. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and our mission is to help you find the perfect timepiece. If you have any questions, we are here to assist you promptly.

Our Guarantee:

Each timepiece is thoroughly evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our expert team before it is offered for sale.
We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise stated.
The authenticity of each watch is guaranteed in perpetuity.

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