The material, a Rolex Sea Dweller is made of

According the determined corporate philosophy of Rolex, each single component or type of material has to meet extraordinary requirements and strict criteria. The exceptional high carbon steel 904L being used for the watch case, is commonly deployed in medical technology (for implants) and petrochemistry. But also this material has to verify in advance that it is suitable for the manufacturing process. The degree of hardness can be measured with laser technology while an electron microscope determines its quality. If only small deficits are identified, the material will be immediately sent back to the supplier. Just like in the other processing steps, quality assurance has top priority. Also with regard to the Sea Dweller, the flagship of Rolex diver watches, Rolex absolutely sticks to its aspirations. Consequently, the manufacturer of luxury watches has built up its own competence centre for quality control and quality assurance. The steel housing of the Sea Dweller movement and its resistance against water masses is tested in a simulated water depth of 100m in combination with a massive thermal shock and an extreme pressure of 4.5t.

Rolex Sea Dweller - an exceptional phenomenon among diver's watches

As it was introduced, the watch was labeled as a superweapon. Being further developed based on the Rolex Submariner, the watch is famous among experts and its wearers for its unprecedented perfection. In the first product lines, which were launched in the late 1960’s, the logo “Sea Dweller Submariner 2000” highlighted the relationship to the ancestor whereas the number 2000 stood for the outstanding diving depth of 2000m. From the mid-1970’s the Sea Dweller got its own identity. In the period of 1988 – 2008, the watch was developing to the “Rolex Sea Dweller Deepsea" and to the greatest sports model of a Rolex product line. The numbers are impressive: diameter of 43mm without crown, size of 18mm, resistant to a pressure of 390bar, diving depth: 3,900m, sapphire crystal with a thickness of 5mm. The highly resistant titanium alloy of the movement has the ability to seal itself in case of pressure. A stainless steel ring, that is told to be indestructible, supports and strengthens the Sea Dweller (e.g. reference 116660). The helium overpressure-valve protects the watch against damage while surfacing. The indexes on the clock face are covered with a blue luminous material, so they can be read in the darkness. The patented clasps, the stainless steel extension elements and the only one-sided turnable bezel are especially adjusted to the needs of divers. Naturally, a COSC- certificate confirms the accuracy of the automatic movement (e.g. reference 126600).