Rolex Sea-Dweller
76Rolex Sea-Dweller
Let's make this clear: the Rolex Sea-Dweller watch is not for the fish. It is not for the sea turtles either, nor for any other creature lurking deep beneath the ocean's surface.
It is also not for the people whose idea of underwater adventure is waddling knee-high in the sea or building sand castles on the shore. They will probably be more comfortable wearing a classic model such as the DateJust or the Day-Date.
This sharp-looking timepiece Rolex launched in 1971 is the Submariner's bigger, heavier, and tougher brother. The difference? The Submariner is favoured by amateur and recreational divers, while the Sea-Dweller makes a big splash with commercial and professional ones. And, since it is impermeable up to 4,000 feet (1220 metres) - four times the depth of the Submariner - underwater treasure hunters love it too. Just check out the cool stainless steel model Nick Nolte wore in "The Deep."
Sea-Dweller vs Submariner
Although the two brothers look pretty much alike (after all, they were both fathered by Rolex), the Sea-Dweller is slightly chunkier. It has a thicker sapphire crystal than the Submariner - and other sports watches for that matter.
There is a very good reason why the Sea-Dweller is roughly 4 mm thicker than the Submariner. Deep-sea divers use a helium / oxygen mix in their air tanks that can permeate the watch's crystal, build up pressure during decompression, and possibly blow the crystal out of the watch. Not the sort of thing you'd like to happen when you are 4,000 feet under the surface.
That is also why the Sea-Dweller is the only Rolex watch with date display that doesn't have a magnifying lens - the thicker crystal can not accommodate the magnifying lens.
Auctions for the Rolex Sea-Dweller
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ROLEX Submariner DOUBLE RED SEA-DWELLER Collectible
Current Bid: $179980.00
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Rolex Submariner Sea Dweller Buehlmann Dive Table
Current Bid: $50.00
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Form follows function
Can a utilitarian, no-frills, amphibious wristwatch look spiffing? Undoubtedly. Luxury comes in different shapes and forms. If you are a purist at heart who likes to blend understated elegance with usefulness, then the Sea-Dweller's black rotatable bezel and dial, with a sturdy stainless steel oyster bracelet, is for you.
You can even go overboard and jazz up the look with top-of-the-line diving gear, and voilà - you are ready to take the plunge.
Rolex guides (unauthorised, naturally)
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The Rolex Report: An Unauthorized Reference Book For The Rolex Enthusiast
Price: $39.99
List Price: $39.99 |
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The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches: An Unauthorized History
Price: $159.99
List Price: $125.00 |
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With regards to helium and watches…both explanations above are incorrect. Trace elements of helium in atmospheric air are almost nil. And even if there was helium in the atmospheric air, that helium would become "pressurized" only if the watch case deformed in-ward under pressure during a dive…it does not, so no pressurization occurs of ANY gases in a good dive watch at any time during dive. Further, tank air (on your back) has nothing to do with what the watch sees…come on guys…use your heads.
The reasons for a HEV (Helium Escape Valve) on a watch is to bleed off helium that enters the watch under some pressure by which it molecularly by-passes the seals and gaskets….well how the hell does the helium do that…as detailed above; there is no helium in atmospheric air prior to the dive, further the helium is not under the pressure requirements to by-pass the gaskets, and guess what??? there is no helium in the water…so where does it come from?
It comes from Dive Bells, or dive enclosures, or hyperbaric chambers. When a Saturation diver goes on call at an oil rig, or salvage opportunity he may remain pressurized for days, taking "breaks" or down time in a dive enclosure at pressure. The air he breathes in the enclosure is the same mixture and pressure he breathes when working out-side, which may be either Helox, or some Trimix proportion. This "air" contains the helium. It is this "pressurized" helium in the enclosure which gets into the watch, and since he most likely (definitely) will decompress in the enclosure after his multi-day dive excursion; the pressurized helium which molecularly by-passed the watch gaskets will begin to expand under the mathematical constraints of the Ideal Gas Law. This is what causes the crystal, or gaskets to pop…no explosions occur…Jesus.
It nice that watches such as this have a HEV, but for practical purposes… not I, not you, not anyone you know will spend time saturated in an exotic gas environment for such a requirement. Simply it is superfluous with regards to everyday dive requirements; further, the last thing you want is another metal item which could possible spark in an oxygen/helium rich pressurerized environment…can anyone say blow torch?
Additionally; be aware that there is always more than one way to skin a cat…you could for example design a dive watch for saturation enclosures utilizing double viton seals in such a configuration which does not let the helium enter in the first place… oh yeah, I forgot…Seiko did that back in the mid-seventies…check out the 6159-7010…no HEV required.
Ken Kirby says:
11 months ago
The info on the sea dweller is not correct. The air in the divers tanks has nothing to do with the watch. The helium is inside the watch and excapes through the relief valve that only the dweller has. Other watches at these depths the helium would expand through the crystal and then implode.