- 21/2/09
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I just added what is commonly referred to as the "Puretime" Double Red Sea-Dweller to my collection. Puretime was one of the first replica dealers to showcase this beauty, so the nickname stuck. This watch is available from just about all of the dealers at the time of this review. I picked mine up from Lay at ReplicaMake.
The watch is a replica of the famous Rolex 1665 Sea-Dweller. The Double Red nickname comes from the red Submariner and Sea-Dweller text on the dial. Before we get too far into the review, here's a bit of history on the DRSD from DoublerRedSeaDweller.com:
The Rolex Sea-Dweller was developed in close collaboration with the French deep sea diving company COMEX. Their divers required a timing instrument that could withstand their working depths, plus be able to remain intact in ascent and decompression. Most of the watches manufactured at that time could not tolerate the extreme depths. Helium gas would build up inside the case and at decompression the gas pressure would increase. The rising inner pressure would eventually be released by breaking the crystal, the weakest point in the case design.
Rolex first developed the helium release valve in the 1960s and incorporated it into some of their Submariner watches delivered to the French diving company, COMEX. The testing of these specially adapted Submariner 5513 models was so successful that Rolex specifically made a batch of watches for COMEX and the watch was given an official model number, 5514. This was such a success that Rolex decided to market the watch as model number 1665 by 1967.
The 1665 was initially rushed to production and some early watches were sent to dealers for promotion or early sales. Some authorities state that the number is less, about 150, while others argue that the number is much larger and that several hundred may have been made.
The helium valve had been developed and the patent had been applied, but Rolex had not received final approval. Therefore, the engraving on the caseback of these early sea dwellers stated in parenthesis “Patent Pending.”
Regular production of the double red sea dwellers started in 1971 and ended in approximately 1977.
Enough of the history lesson, on to the pictures. You probably skipped to this part anyway.
Note: The replica is always first, followed by the gen for all comparison shots.
The Dial:
This particular replica is available in several dial variations much like the gen 1665. This watch has the Mark III dial, noted by the non-italic "ft" and "m" and the larger crown opening in the Rolex coronet.
The dial printing is nice and crisp. Everything lines up pretty much as it should. Not perfect, but not too bad. The hour markers have a bit of a shine to them at most angles as opposed to the flat lume of the gen. The lume itself is nothing to speak of really, but as this is a replica of a 30 year old watch, it shouldn't glow like a torch anyway.
The date window is beveled, although it may be hard to tell from the photos. The date wheel is nicely centered on this particular example. Note the silver date wheel. Very nice touch.
The Case:
Crown Side
The lug holes are well done, perhaps a slightly too far to the edges. We'll get to the crown and crown guards in better detail shortly.
HEV Side
HEV valve is replicated nicely. This would need to be sealed from inside the case for water resistance.
The Pearl, Insert, and Bezel
The pearl is one of the biggest improvements in this line of vintage replicas. The lume material is covered in an acrylic dome and matches the color of the hands and markers very well. The bezel shape is correct, although the insert is not seated uniformly around the bezel. It is slightly recessed toward the 6 o'clock position and raised slightly at the 11 o'clock position. The construction of the bezel is a little suspect. It is held in place with a plastic ring and some of these have had a tendency to work loose and have been a problem getting back together. This one is nice and tight, at least for now.
The Crystal
The beautiful domed Plexiglas crystal is one of the main parts of this watch that really drew me. The crystal sits very evenly, though the shape and height is not exactly like the gen.
The Crown and Crown Guards
The crown is probably the most disappointing piece of this replica for me. It is too fat and not the proper shape at all. It really detracts from the overall look, in my opinion. The good news is this can be replaced with a gen crown/tube or one of the better vintage parts houses like Yuki or ND Trading. Replacing the crown is the top priority for me.
Like all classic Submariner cases, the crown guards need some reshaping. They are too fat toward the base of the crown.
The Caseback
The caseback engravings are nice and deep with the correct wording. They are actually bordering on too crisp, but will surely soften with wear over time. At least there are no OY STER mistakes like some of the other Rolex replicas.
The Bracelet and Clasp
The bracelet is light, noisy, and feels rather cheap. In other words, they've done a decent job of replicating the real thing. The bracelet has hollow midlinks and the outside edges of the links are nicely rounded for a very smooth feel. The inside edges are a little sharp, but no where near as sharp as the standard Noobmariner bracelet. A little fine sandpaper will take care of these very easily. The endlinks sit a little high, but fit very firmly to the case.
The clasp is solid with straight, clean edges. It takes a bit of a nudge to get the clasp to close cleanly, but will probably get easier with wear. The diver's extension is quite stiff, but this is not a big deal to me. The flip lock is firm, so no worries of it coming loose during wear at this point.
The Movement
The movement is a genuine ETA 2846 low beat. The frequency at 21,600bph is closer to the genuine Rolex caliber at 19,800bph than the high beat 28,800bph ETAs. This is the smoothest winding movement I currently own. It winds very quiet, and there is no annoying excessive rotor spin like some of the clone movements.
Summary
This is well done replica for the money. With a few modifications, it can be an great replica. And for those that really want to take it to another level with gen parts and vintage work, it can be outstanding. Although according to Dizzy, replacing the crystal can open a can of worms.
For those seeking something different than the modern Noobmariners, here's a great vintage Rolex sport model to wear as is, or a good, economical base for that vintage mod project. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.
