Rolex Sea Dweller 16600 – Purple Bezel

Description

Rolex Seadweller 16600 with box and papers from 1991 / E Serial. The dial has heavy patina and texture on the surface from age and hands are original and match perfectly. The insert has faded to an amazing purple hue.  The case is in excellent vintage condition and has probably been polished but still thick and even throughout .   The movement is running strong and keeping excellent time.

the 16600 was launched by rolex in 1989 and very similar to its predecessor the 16660. It has a sapphire crystal and 1,220 meter water resistance. The 16600 was the longest production Seadweller (20 years) however its important to note that the tritium version was only produced from approximately 1989-1998. The luminous material transitioned from tritium to Luminova to SuperLuminova. You can easily identify the dial variant below the 6 marker at the bottom of the dial. T Swiss T<25 = Tritium, Swiss = Luminova, and Swiss Made = SuperLuminova.

the movement is the caliber 3135, an improved version of the caliber 3035 which has a longer power reserve and a full balance bridge. The reference 16600 was discontinued in 2009 and in recent months the tritium version especially in original unpolished condition have become very collectible and increasingly difficult to find. We suspect it will continue to grow in value and rarely as they further become unavailable.