Recently, we reviewed several of the new watches introduced by Rolex at the annual Baselworld convention. The overall feeling in the watch community was that this year didn’t quite stack up to 2016 for Rolex, mostly because of the general consensus that they completely knocked it out of the park with the ceramic bezel Daytona reference 116500LN.
However, there was one major update in 2017 that got people talking: the 50th-anniversary edition of the Rolex Sea-Dweller.
Here’s what’s new with the Rolex Sea-Dweller Reference 126600:
Red “Sea-Dweller” Text
While this doesn’t seem a huge change, it’s one of the most important and what gives this watch the “Red Sea-Dweller” nickname that has become popular with watch buyers. The red does stand out nicely in place of what used to be white text on the 2014 Sea Dweller Reference 116400. It’s small but gives this watch a ton of character.
Cyclops Lens
The most controversial change to the 2017 Role Sea-Dweller is the addition of a cyclops lens on the crystal. If you’re a hard core Sea-Dweller fan, the cyclops lens is probably going to be a bit of a shock compared to past models.
One of the biggest reasons that a lot of people even choose the Sea-Dweller was the absence of the lens, so this is a surprising move for Rolex.
However, we are big believers that a great date function (that you can actually see) is one of the essentials for a legitimate daily wear watch!
Caliber 3225 Movement
Well, you won’t have to worry about winding this watch every day. The new Sea-Dweller features the in-house Caliber 3225 movement with a 70-hour power reserve.
According to Rolex, this is one of their most accurate movements ever made, and it features a technology that they are calling “Chronergy Escapement”. The 3225 movement has 14 patents currently protecting the technology inside of it, including an even more magnetic resistant parachrom hairspring.
43 mm Case Diameter
This isn’t too big of a surprise from Rolex – watches have been gradually trending to bigger sizes over the years and are actually popular with both men and women. At 43 mm, the 2017 Sea-Dweller has a solid, rugged feel.
And to be honest, that’s exactly what the Sea-Dweller is supposed to be at its core. This is a high-performance dive watch that needs to be able to take a beating and keep going in harsh conditions that tend to come along at 4,000 feet below sea level.
The 904l Steel case comes equipped with a helium release valve (as per usual with Sea-Dwellers) and features a hefty 120 click Cerachrom bezel.
Final thoughts on the Rolex Sea-Dweller Reference 126600
This new model for 2017 is a beefy watch that still looks surprisingly sleek. The biggest change from past models is the cyclops lens added over the date, as well as the black Cerachrom bezel. This watch is made to take a beating, but still would look and feel great as a daily wear.
Technical Specs
MODEL CASE
Oyster, 43 mm, steel
Monobloc middle case, screw-down case back and winding crown
43 mm
904L steel
Unidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated, scratch-resistant Cerachrom insert in ceramic, numerals and graduations coated in platinum
Screw-down, Triplock triple waterproofness system
Scratch-resistant sapphire, Cyclops lens over the date
Waterproof to 1,220 metres / 4,000 feet, helium escape valve
Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding
3235, Manufacture Rolex
-2/+2 sec/day, after casing
Centre hour, minute and seconds hands Instantaneous date in apertures, unrestricted rapid-setting. Stop-seconds for precise time setting
Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring
Chronergy with optimized energy efficiency
Bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor
Approximately 70 hours
Oyster, flat three-piece links
904L steel
Folding Oysterlock safety clasp with Rolex Glidelock extension system. Fliplock extension link
Black
Highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence
If you are interested in purchasing your own Rolex Sea-Dweller, give us a call or fill out our contact form. Check out our Facebook page for box openings and watch reviews by our in-house watch expert Sergio Nuncio!
