Rolex Sea-Dweller
Citizen of the deep
It was to meet the challenge of long-duration underwater missions that Rolex created the Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller. Specifically designed for saturation diving, the Sea-Dweller succeeds, thanks to its helium valve, in taming decompression, the final phase of explorations at great depths.
Guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 610 meters when it was launched in 1967, then to 1220 meters from 1978, the Sea-Dweller combines all the attributes of a modern diving watch.
Tested in real conditions as part of the Tektite program, initiated jointly by NASA, the US Navy and the American government in 1969, the Sea-Dweller accompanied the first major underwater habitat experiments.
The new face of diving
During the 1960s, so-called "saturation diving" allowed for extended stays at great depths. It involves having divers reside in a pressurized habitat, so as to reproduce the pressure that prevails in their underwater working environment. They thus only need to undergo a single decompression process, at the very end of the mission.
This process can damage the watch. Divers breathe a gas mixture composed primarily of helium, whose extremely fine atoms penetrate the case. Upon returning to the surface, the trapped helium can create an internal overpressure phenomenon that can compromise the integrity of diving watches.
Mastering decompression with the helium escape valve
To solve this problem, Rolex introduced the Sea-Dweller in 1967, a diving watch equipped with a helium escape valve. Screwed into the case and consisting of a hermetic cylinder, a piston, a gasket, and a spring, it acts as a safety valve. When the internal pressure in the case becomes too high, it opens automatically to allow the helium atoms to escape.
All-round legibility
Rolex's exclusive Chromalight display gives the Sea-Dweller optimal readability in all circumstances. The hour markers and hands, like the bezel setting, are hand-filled or coated with a luminescent material that emits an intense blue glow in the dark. The emission duration is up to twice that of conventional phosphorescent materials.
Reinforced waterproofness
The Sea-Dweller is equipped with a Triplock winding crown. Invented in 1970, this screw-down crown features three water-resistance zones. It enhances the watertightness of the Sea-Dweller's 43 mm Oyster case, whose caseband is cut from a solid block of Oystersteel, a particularly corrosion-resistant alloy.
The watch for citizens of the seas
Explorers and oceanographers like Sylvia Earle, or photographers and divers like David Doubilet, they are committed to protecting the ocean and know it is our most precious asset. They wear a Sea-Dweller as a reflection of their passion and commitment.
In 1971, Rolex also partnered with Comex (Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises). For several decades, the Sea-Dweller equipped the divers of this French company specializing in engineering, technology, and underwater intervention.
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