When the Double Red Sea-Dweller bowed out in the mid-1970s, a new chapter quietly began. Rolex retained the reference number 1665, but stripped away the red lettering and introduced new dial fonts, birthing what would come to be known by collectors as the ‘Great White.’
The shift was subtle but significant. The Great White was the first Sea-Dweller to feature only white text on the dial, and while the case, domed acrylic crystal, and 2000ft/610m depth rating remained unchanged, the watch took on a cleaner, more function-first appearance. It was the final iteration of the vintage Sea-Dweller, still powered by the caliber 1575, still born of the COMEX collaboration, and still made to withstand the rigors of saturation diving—but now fully devoid of ornament.
Produced until roughly 1983, the Great White marked the end of the matte dial era before the Sea-Dweller adopted sapphire crystals and deeper ratings. For many collectors, it’s the last of the true tool watches in the line: a diver’s instrument, not yet softened by luxury’s polish.
Tucked within the world of vintage Rolex collecting lies a lesser-known detail: the appearance of 4.39 to 4.5 million serial numbers on certain cases, often raising eyebrows for not fitting traditional production timelines. These are not anomalies—they are Rolex factory service cases, issued in the 1980s and 1990s as replacements for damaged or worn original cases during service. They weren’t part of a standard production batch, but rather Rolex’s way of preserving function and extending the life of older models. While technically correct and Swiss-made, these service cases—often found on references like the 1680, 1675 or 1665—typically bear later case back dates and feature slightly different finishes like thinner lug bevels.
