On occasion of Baselworld 2017 Rolex is introducing the latest generation of its Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller review, a legend among professional divers’ watches created 50 years ago in 1967.
The new Sea-Dweller features a larger, 43 mm stainless steel case and the new calibre 3235, employed for the first time in a Rolex Professional category watch.
To enhance the reading of the date, it is equipped, also for the first time, with a Cyclops lens on the crystal at 3 o’clock.
Finally, the dial bears the name Sea-Dweller in red, a detail that will be very much loved by Sea Dweller fans as it is a reference to the first model.
A technical divers’ watch, waterproof to a depth of 1,220 metres / 4,000 feet, the Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller was originally designed for the pioneers of professional deep-sea diving and it is equipped with a helium escape valve, patented by Rolex in 1967.
The 60-minute graduated, unidirectional rotatable bezel, enabling divers to monitor their dive and decompression times, is equipped with a patented black Cerachrom bezel insert. The graduation is coated via PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) with a thin layer of platinum.
The black dial features large Chromalight hour markers and hands, filled with luminescent material that emits a long-lasting blue glow for excellent legibility in dark conditions.
The winding crown is protected by a crown guard that is an integral part of the middle case. Fitted with the Triplock triple waterproofness system, the crown screws down securely against the case, providing watertight security akin to a submarine’s hatch.
The Calibre 3235 self-winding mechanical movement incorporates the new Chronergy escapement patented by Rolex, which combines high energy efficiency with great dependability. Made of nickel-phosphorus, it is also insensitive to magnetic interference.
An optimized blue Parachrom hairspring is fitted to the oscillator, the true heart of the watch. Patented and manufactured by Rolex in an exclusive paramagnetic alloy, it is up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks.
Calibre 3235 is equipped with a self-winding module via a Perpetual rotor. Thanks to its new barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of the movement extends to approximately 70 hours.
The new Sea-Dweller’s solid-link Oyster bracelet in 904L steel is fitted with an Oysterlock safety clasp that prevents accidental opening. A double extension system allows adjustments to be made without the use of tools, so that the watch can be worn comfortably over a diving suit up to 7 mm thick. The Fliplock extension link extends the bracelet by 26 mm, while the Rolex Glidelock system allows fine adjustment of the bracelet length in 2 mm increments for a total of approximately 20 mm.
Like all Rolex watches, the Sea-Dweller is covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015 and applied to the fully assembled watch, after casing the movement to guarantee precision, power reserve, waterproofness and self-winding. The precision of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer after casing is of the order of −2/+2 seconds per day.
