Rolex’s Sea-Dweller has been a classic of the tool watch genre for more than half a century. Rolex introduced the reference 126600 Sea-Dweller in 2017 to commemorate the watch’s 50th anniversary. The Sea-Dweller has always been distinct from watches like the Submariner because of its ethos. The 12660 was a significant update that reinforced that ethos to an even greater extent. See more (ดูเพิ่มเติม, which is the term in Thai) to understand more about the sea dweller.  

If you’re a fan of Rolex’s iconic Submariner, the Sea-Dweller is the next best thing. Even though the Submariner is a proficient dive watch, most units sold will never be submerged. The Sea-Dweller, on the other hand, is a hardcore dive watch built to withstand the rigors of the ocean floor.

In 1967, the Sea-Dweller was part of the Submariner series. It had a helium escape valve designed for professional divers who spent extended time underwater or in pressurized conditions. One of the first watches, along with Doxa watches, was to offer this specialized feature.

Purpose:

Even though the Sea-Dweller had a broad badass appeal, it was built for specific technical purposes. Many organizations were testing saturation diving around the company’s founding, and timepieces were an essential piece of safety equipment. The Sea-Dweller was created to address the issue of helium entering the watch and popping the crystal off during decompression, which was a common occurrence for divers. With its excellent depth rating, the Sea-Dweller is distinct from its diving watch cousin, the Submariner, thanks to the innovative valve designed to evacuate the gas. See more about the excellent design of the watch.

Partnership With Comex

Since the early 1970s, Rolex has partnered with Comex, a French diving company, on various projects. Rolex was responsible for supplying watches to Comex divers. These divers then contributed their valuable professional experiences. This further helped refine Rolex’s timepieces. Cables are laid under the sea, oil rigs are repaired, and Comex raises lost ships. 

Some of Rolex’s commercials for the Sea-Dweller paid attention to these record-setting exploits. At a depth of 610 meters, two experienced divers spent at least 50 hours in a pressurized cylinder. Subsequently, Comex deep-sea divers submerged themselves to almost 500 meters. In 1992, a Comex diver fell to 701 meters depth within a pressurized chamber. Because the Submariner’s helium valve and pressure resistance were inadequate for Comex’s requirements, the Sea-Dweller was chosen. See more about Sea-Dweller.