Here begins the auction of four rare “tropical dial” Rolex watches from the 1960s and 1970s that have just entered the market. The replica Rolex Sea-Dweller saturated dive watch debuted in 1967 with the “Double Red” model. 1665. The dial mounted on this example also began to change from matte black to tropical brown, especially around the edges and date window.
The Sea-Dweller features a helium drain valve, which allows it to meet the unique challenges of saturation diving and is more water resistant than Submariner watches produced in the same era.
Finally, we have a Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 that features the Tropical Mark I “Long E” dial. The stunning matte dial has gone from black to an even chocolate colour, and the tritium lume has aged to a beautiful beige hue that complements the rich tones of the dial face itself. Interestingly, the red part of the “Pepsi” bezel is fuchsia, something we see on some best replica watches from this era. With so much character between the brown dial and the beautifully aged fuchsia bezel, this watch is also very popular.
Avid antique collectors will also appreciate that this particular example has its original date wheel with hooked 7 and closed 6, as well as its original riveted Oyster strap.