拍品专文
Accompanied by a Rolex punched Guarantee stamped by Singapore retailer Geneva Co. (PTE) Limited, Rolex presentation box and outer packaging
This watch is an example of the Mark II double red Sea-dweller. The presence of its original Guarantee and box, and a remarkably untouched case is a rare instance for a vintage watch in any case, but even more so for tool watches that were subject to intense use and wear.
Rolex, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, was a company with a strong drive to experiment. All the models (from the Sea-dweller, to the Submariner, to the Daytona) produced over these years are in continuous evolution. This is a result of the undeniable effort of the company to offer not only the most accurate, but also the most legible and eye pleasing tool watches of the time. For example, Mark II double red Sea-Dweller dials are distinguished by the bigger font of Sea-Dweller compared to Submariner 2000. An extremely small detail, but one that was obviously purposefully engineered, possibly as the result of the growing attention the public was reserving for this model, and thus the need of highlighting the Sea-dweller designation in order to make it more obvious and avoid confusion with the other diver’s watch made by Rolex in those years, eg. the Submariner. However, this is an era when production was not yet fully realized and thus small imperfections are to be expected. In the case of Mark II dials, this is reflected in the Rolex crown at 12, which is presents a characteristically small, nearly non-existent hole at the base and the spikes not yet well defined.
This watch is an example of the Mark II double red Sea-dweller. The presence of its original Guarantee and box, and a remarkably untouched case is a rare instance for a vintage watch in any case, but even more so for tool watches that were subject to intense use and wear.
Rolex, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, was a company with a strong drive to experiment. All the models (from the Sea-dweller, to the Submariner, to the Daytona) produced over these years are in continuous evolution. This is a result of the undeniable effort of the company to offer not only the most accurate, but also the most legible and eye pleasing tool watches of the time. For example, Mark II double red Sea-Dweller dials are distinguished by the bigger font of Sea-Dweller compared to Submariner 2000. An extremely small detail, but one that was obviously purposefully engineered, possibly as the result of the growing attention the public was reserving for this model, and thus the need of highlighting the Sea-dweller designation in order to make it more obvious and avoid confusion with the other diver’s watch made by Rolex in those years, eg. the Submariner. However, this is an era when production was not yet fully realized and thus small imperfections are to be expected. In the case of Mark II dials, this is reflected in the Rolex crown at 12, which is presents a characteristically small, nearly non-existent hole at the base and the spikes not yet well defined.