A Rolex Sea Dweller Showdown

The Rolex Sea Dweller has — for the most part — lived in the shadow of its more popular brother, the Submariner. The Sea Dweller models are appealing for their inherent toughness and amazing engineering. For those looking for a cleaner and less conspicuous Rolex, the Sea Dweller’s lack of a date magnification, or “cyclops”, is also an attractive aspect. As a fan of the Sea Dweller, I would like to see it get more credit; but the upside of it not being as universally desired as the Submariner is that you can find great examples of many Sea Dweller references at very reasonable prices. I also appreciate that when you see someone with a Sea Dweller, that means they walked right past the Submariner because they wanted something different.

Now we come to the all important question, “which one should you get?” Well, it’s a good thing for you that we’re here to break it down and help with the decision. There are many references to choose from to include classics and rarities like the Double Red or the COMEX models, but the three we’re going to focus on for this article are the more easily attainable 16660, 16600, and the 116600.

16660

16660 matte dial (courtesy doubleredseadweller.com)

Introduced in 1978, the 16660, or “Triple 6”, was a leap forward in design for the Sea Dweller. It featured an increased 1220 meter depth rating, sapphire crystal, and larger helium escape valve. It also had the new caliber 3035 movement with increased bph from 19,800 to 28,800, as well as improved shock resistance. This is an ever sought after transitional Rolex that is inherently vintage yet has more modern technology and improvements than the 1655 it replaced. They are becoming more popular, with the matte dial version being the most desirable, and therefore commanding a premium.

16660 gloss dial (courtesy doubleredseadweller.com)

Even though the matte dials are in higher demand, the gloss dials are nothing to shy away from either. Many are now starting to turn matte which creates a very interesting look combined with the contrast of heavy tritium patina and white gold hour marker surrounds. The Triple 6 is a classic vintage piece that often gets overshadowed amongst the sea (pun intended) of 5513s, 5512s, 1680s and 1655s . When it comes to vintage Sea Dwellers, a 16660 is the perfect choice for someone that wants a vintage Rolex diver without having to treat it like one.

16600

16600 circa 1997

Following the transitional 16660, the 16600 was in production from 1988 to 2008. With a long run and high production numbers, it’s an easily found reference that can be had for a relatively low price. This Sea Dweller is a perfect piece for those that want a watch they can wear anywhere. It has a few modern features like the 3135 movement, solid end link bracelet, and gloss dial. Still, the 16600 keeps some key features that Rolex purists are sure to appreciate, such as: lug holes, beveled case edges, and tritium dials, all up until 1998. Although originating in the late 80’s, I wouldn’t go so far as to call it vintage. However, like the Submariner 14060, this is the Sea Dweller that walks the line perfectly between classic and contemporary. The proportions, dial, bracelet, and 904L steel are quintessential Rolex. The earlier tritium dialed versions are what I would recommend as they should be aging nicely and starting do develop patina.

116600

Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000

And now we have the newest member of the Sea Dweller family: the Sea Dweller 4000. Although the Deepsea Sea Dweller is a very impressive piece of engineering, at 44mm wide, 17.7mm thick, and 7.5 ounces, it is a massive piece that few people can realistically wear. Last year, Rolex released the 116600 Rolex 4000 much to the delight of traditionalists. This is also important, not just because of its significance to the SD line, but also for all the Rolex sport models. The sport models have grown disproportionate in recent years and Rolex actually slimmed the case and lugs down slightly with the Sea Dweller 4000. I, for one, hope this trend continues (with the Explorer II perhaps?); but I digress. The 116600 is the peak of the classic Sea Dweller line. 1220 meter/4000 ft depth rating, modern 904L steel, Parachrom hairspring, Chromalight markers, Cerachrom bezel insert, and the fantastic Glidelock bracelet. One feature I’m glad they pulled from the DSSD was the fully graduated bezel, bestowing that tool watch look reminiscent of a Milsub.

Conclusion

Now we come down to the decision. If you can only get one of these, which one should it be? If you want something that checks all the boxes, it’s hard to beat the matte dial 16660. You get a beautiful vintage watch that is still durable and reliable. It’s one of the best transitional Rolex models in my opinion. This of course comes at a hefty price with excellent examples surpassing $10,000. The gloss dial versions are a little lower, but still nothing to scoff at with prices around $8,000. If you have the money to spend on a vintage Rolex, you can’t do much better on a matte dial Triple 6.

Thirty year old watches aren’t appealing to everyone. Some people want a modern timepiece. I haven’t seriously considered any of Rolex’s modern sport watches until I saw the Sea Dweller 4000. If I was in the market for a new Rolex, this is unquestionably the watch I would buy. The retail price s $10,400, which is comparable to a matte dial 16660. Second-hand models are now hitting the market at a lower price point as well. The gloss dial 16660 bridges the gap between old and new in terms of price, however, the lack of a matte dial would prevent me from pulling the trigger on one. If you have the money for a Triple 6 or the new SD 4000, either one is an excellent choice. It’s either pure vintage or state-of-the-art engineering. But that’s your decision on what speaks to you, as these are two very different Sea Dwellers.

This all goes to show you just how varied and versatile the Sea Dweller truly is. Each reference on this list will serve you well and you absolutely can’t go wrong with any of them. However it wouldn’t be much of a Face Off if I didn’t pick a winner. Although I would love a matte dial Triple 6, the price is a deterrent for me. I like the gloss dial Triple 6 however I would probably pass up that choice in favor of an early tritium dial 16600. Visually these two are very similar, but the 16600 will show less patina. This fact is outweighed by the benefits of the more modern Sea Dweller. You get the venerable 3135 movement inside an extremely tough and reliable case. I would not hesitate to take a 16600 literally anywhere, which I can’t say for the 16660. For the money, I don’t think you can beat the 16600. It’s the perfect classic Rolex that will handle anything you can throw at it. The tritium dials of the early models are already starting to show nice patina and will create some of the character of a vintage watch. The 16600 is the jack-of-all-trades Sea Dweller, and by far the best value at under $6,000 in today’s market. For the price of a Triple 6 or Sea Dweller 4000, you could get the 16600 with plenty of money left over to put towards another classic piece. The shear “bang for your buck” makes this the winner in my book — just make sure you get one with lug holes.

Featured image courtesy of HQ Milton.

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