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Lot Essay
The present lot is a lovely example of the rare and attractive Double Red Sea-Dweller (DRSD) dial. It is defined by the two first lines of text at 6 o’ clock being red rather than white.
These DRSD dials were available only during the early years of the Sea-Dweller, up until circa serial number 5 million. They were then dropped in favor of full white graphics.
The present dial features one of the most scarce – and at the same time most peculiar and recognizable – versions: the Mark II. Mark II dials are defined by at least three features: the second red line of text presents fonts smaller than the first; the red fonts are bright red and very crisp with neatly defined serifs (especially on the last “E” of “dweller”); and – and this is the most immediately recognizable feature – the Rolex coronet is not at all well-defined, with the spikes somewhat blurry and imprecise and the opening at the bottom nearly nonexistent.
Most possibly, this less-than-perfect quality is the reason why Rolex very soon dismissed this version of the Double Red dial. In fact, it is found only around serial numbers 1.7 Million.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that this piece comes with the Oyster bracelet model. 9315 with endlinks stamped 285 – absolutely correct for this model and period – and a cornucopia of additional parts – including additional bezel, bracelet, crown, mainspring and gears.
These DRSD dials were available only during the early years of the Sea-Dweller, up until circa serial number 5 million. They were then dropped in favor of full white graphics.
The present dial features one of the most scarce – and at the same time most peculiar and recognizable – versions: the Mark II. Mark II dials are defined by at least three features: the second red line of text presents fonts smaller than the first; the red fonts are bright red and very crisp with neatly defined serifs (especially on the last “E” of “dweller”); and – and this is the most immediately recognizable feature – the Rolex coronet is not at all well-defined, with the spikes somewhat blurry and imprecise and the opening at the bottom nearly nonexistent.
Most possibly, this less-than-perfect quality is the reason why Rolex very soon dismissed this version of the Double Red dial. In fact, it is found only around serial numbers 1.7 Million.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that this piece comes with the Oyster bracelet model. 9315 with endlinks stamped 285 – absolutely correct for this model and period – and a cornucopia of additional parts – including additional bezel, bracelet, crown, mainspring and gears.