Rolex Sea Dweller

Rolex may be the undisputed image leader as the timepiece for a refined lifestyle, it also graces the wrists of the super-beautiful and super-rich, has been and continues to be a style icon for generations of design and technology enthusiasts. But it is more than a stunning beauty. The Rolex is almost even more beloved as the epitome of a particularly functional watch. It has proven for decades that it is also suitable for special purposes under extreme conditions - in the air, in space, on gigantic mountain peaks, in racing, on and in the water. The Rolex Sea Dweller is the titanium, pardon - the Titanic of the deepest depths.

The stuff the Rolex Sea Dweller is made of

According to the company's dedicated philosophy, every single component or building material at Rolex must pass exceptional requirements and the highest testing criteria. The exceptional 904 L high-carbon steel used for the watch case is otherwise only found in medical technology (for implants) and petrochemistry. However, it too must prove that it is up to the task before any processing. The degree of hardness is measured with a laser, and the quality with an electron microscope. If only minimal deficiencies are found, the material is returned to the supplier. As with the other processing steps, absolute quality is the priority here. Rolex is also absolutely uncompromising in its standards for the Sea Dweller, the flagship of Rolex diving watches. Consequently, the producer of luxury watches has developed its own competence center for quality control and quality assurance. Rolex steel cases, which will one day house the Sea Dweller movement, have to prove their resistance to water masses in a simulated water depth of 100 meters under massive thermal shock and an extreme pressure of 4.5 tons.

Rolex Sea Dweller - an exceptional deep-sea diving watch

It was called a wonder weapon when it was introduced to the market. Organically evolved from the Rolex Submariner, it is regarded by experts and its wearers as unprecedented product perfection. In the first series to appear in the late 1960s, the words "Sea Dweller Submariner 2000" emphasized the kinship with its ancestor, with the number 2000 standing for the astonishing depth of 2,000 meters. From the mid-1970s, the Sea Dweller gained its own identity. It grew into the "Rolex Sea Dweller Deepsea" and the largest sports model in a Rolex series in temporal development steps from 1988 to 1998 to 2008. The numbers are impressive: 43 mm diameter without crown, 18 mm height, 390 bar resistance, diving depth of 3,900 meters, 5 mm thick sapphire crystal. The highly resistant titanium alloy of the building bottom has the property of closing more and more under pressure. A stainless steel ring, described as indestructible, strengthens the Sea Dweller's backbone. The helium pressure relief valve protects the watch from destruction when surfacing from the depths. The indices of the dial are readable in any darkness due to the coating with blue luminous material. Especially tailored to the needs of divers were the patented clasp, the extension elements of the stainless steel bracelet and the only unidirectional rotating bezel. There is no question that the accuracy of the automatic movement is also confirmed by a COSC certificate.