For the first ten years of the Rolex Sea-Dweller’s existence, its dial bore both the “Sea-Dweller” and “Submariner 2000” names in red text. However, in 1977, Rolex released a new Sea-Dweller – still with the reference number 1665 – that completely abandoned the red text lines and the Submariner name in favor of an entirely black and white dial.
Thanks to the monochrome all-white text on the dial of the new 1665 Sea-Dweller, the watch earned the nickname “Big White” among Rolex collectors as a way to help distinguish it from the earlier 1665 Sea-Dweller, which had red text on its dial face. Furthermore, the decision to change the Sea-Dweller to an entirely black and white dial will be a lasting one, lasting 40 years until the 126600 Sea-Dweller, which will be launched at Baselworld 2023.
To match the updated dial of the “Great White” Sea-Dweller, the case back of the new generation of Type 1665 best swiss replica watches features a slightly more elaborate engraving in which the Rolex name curves along the curve of the recesses rather than appearing in a straight line. Aside from the subtle updates to the dial and case back, the new generation of Model 1665 Sea-Dweller watches are very similar to those that came before them with red text; however, the updates on the “Great White” represent far more significant than the actual changes to the watch itself.
The Rolex Sea-Dweller started as a submariner, modified to be more water resistant to withstand the deeper depths below the ocean’s surface. For the first decade of its existence, the Sea-Dweller bore the Submariner name on its dial, so it is unclear whether the Sea-Dweller was a separate watch line or just a special version of the Submariner designed for more strictly specialized use.
To better understand the difference between the two watches, the Submariner had a depth rating of up to 200 meters/660 feet in this era, which in itself is still impressive. It wasn’t until the early 1980s that Rolex upgraded the Submariner to 300 meters/1,000 feet. On the other hand, the Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 was made more for deep saturation diving, with a helium escape valve and a depth rating of up to 610m/2,000ft, hence the original name “Submariner 2000”. This depth rating would eventually increase to an impressive 1,220 meters/4,000 feet, as is still the case with contemporary Sea-Dweller high quality replica watches produced by Rolex.
The Reference 1665 “Great White” Sea-Dweller was in production for approximately five years. During that time, minor changes occurred, and five different dial variations were produced (Mark 0 to Mark IV). In addition, production of the “Great White” Model 1665 continued into the early 1980s – a few years after Rolex announced the new 16660 Sea-Dweller with sapphire crystal in 1978. Unusually, both Sea-Dweller models seem to have had several years to co-exist.
Although it is not the rarest Sea-Dweller collection Rolex has ever produced, the 1665 “Great White” helped make the Rolex Sea-Dweller collection its unique, highly specialized, super-water-resistant tool watch – separate from the Submariner and designed specifically for saturation diving and professional use.