I Found My Ultimate Dive Watch: The Top Replica Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 Watches UK

Rolex has always produced watches that I have gravitated towards. For a long time, though, I grappled with some of the modern baggage that the brand has taken on. Modern Rolex sports watches have a certain bling factor that turns me off. The problem is that vintage Rolex replica watches UK are either unobtainable or, if I want to take one for a swim, at risk of failing underwater! This is where the neo-vintage Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 enters the fray.

“Neo-vintage” is a term that loosely describes cheap fake Rolex watches produced circa two decades ago. The great thing about neo-vintage watches is that, in many cases, manufacturers applied the design coherence of familiar model lines but with great (smaller) sizes and some of the key technical innovations we might want. These include, importantly, sapphire crystals. Plexiglass is a common point of failure in maintaining water tightness on a vintage watch. Sapphire crystals provide an added degree of peace of mind when, like me, you take your timepiece into the ocean nearly every day.

Not my first Rolex
Last month, I walked into a vintage watch shop and walked out with a Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600. It had been a long time coming. You see, I already own a Rolex, a vintage Oyster Perpetual ref. 1002 from the 1960s. It’s a beautiful and elegant example of a vintage Oyster. It was my mother’s, and I’m now its lucky owner.

The ref. 1002 is a time-only 34mm watch with pure Rolex DNA. I had long lusted after a vintage Rolex sports model, though. It would have to be one of the brand’s dive 1:1 copy Rolex watches. Equally as important, it would have to be something that I could afford with months of saving.

Why the Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600?
When pursuing a sports Rolex model, I had a clear enough notion of what I wanted. As mentioned, it had to be a dive watch, which removed the Explorer series from the running. It also had to be neo-vintage because I like the more relaxed tool-watch impression that an aluminum bezel provides. This meant that modern Rolex Submariners and Sea-Dwellers, including the Deepsea, were off the table. Suddenly, I had narrowed my search to just a few references, specifically the Rolex Submariners of the early to mid-2000s and the Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600.

Even within these rather narrow parameters, I wanted top clone Rolex watches with Super-LumiNova, not tritium, on the dial. This is because I wanted the lume feature intact. Tritium degrades over time, and this was not something I was after. This meant that it would likely have to be a Rolex dive watch produced after 1999/2000 and before the mid-2010s.

Learning more about neo-vintage Rolex
Luckily for me, there are several fantastic watches within that date range. But the more I read about these options, the more I honed in on the Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600. It helped that my colleagues here at Fratello had already written some useful features about the replica Rolex watches for sale. It’s fair to say I was partly inspired by Jorg’s writings on the subject as well as RJ’s thoughts.

These articles by my colleagues helped inform my search. I was not particularly worried if the case had been polished during a Rolex service once. Some collectors refuse to purchase used AAA Rolex fake watches if they have been polished at all. As long as Rolex had carried out the polishing job, though, I had no issues with this.

A matter of personal taste
The reason I honed in on the Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 is that it fit the bill on the multiple factors I was seeking. It’s also something a little different, with an enhanced specification set that doesn’t detract from the overall ergonomic experience. The added thickness of the high quality replica Rolex watches (compared to a Submariner) mostly disappears since it’s primarily in the bulging case back, which nestles into the wrist.

The Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 debuted in 1988 as the next generation of the professional-spec Sea-Dweller line. It was a long-running reference that stayed in production for 20 years. The Swiss fake Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 watches were one of the brand’s first watches to feature 904L steel (now called Oystersteel) in its build. It also happens to be my favorite neo-vintage Rolex sports model.

A solid set of specifications
The 16600 has a 40mm case with a 14.5mm thickness. Inside beats the Rolex 3135, an automatic caliber with a 48-hour power reserve. This chronometer-rated movement was used extensively by the brand and is renowned for its reliability and accuracy. Protecting the caliber is a solid steel case back that helps ensure water resistance to 1,220 meters (4,000 feet). The perfect fake Rolex watches come complete with a 904L steel Oyster bracelet with a matching safety clasp to prevent accidental opening.

This was a purchase based on emotions as much as “reason”
All these specs help support the logical reasons why I bought the Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600, but they don’t cover the emotional reasons why I chose it. You see, I always liked the Sea-Dweller story, with the watch line emerging from the technical advancements required to meet the demands of deep-sea diving.

The Sea-Dweller is the more technically capable, tool-specific version of the Submariner. In a sense, it’s the ultimate Submariner. It also happens to lack the bulbous Cyclops that divides so many enthusiasts. I quite like the fact that this Rolex has a date without that magnifier poking out.

Concluding thoughts
It was quite a somber experience walking out of a shop with such a serious Rolex sports watch strapped to my wrist. You would think it would be one of natural joy, and there was joy, of course. But there was also a sense of “things are now getting serious” in that moment. It was also a moment I got to share with my father, which was quite special. Now, both of the best selling Rolex replica watches in my small collection have a connection to one of my parents.

I’m glad it has worked out that way. This is a watch that is now a part of the family, and it will be getting wrist time not only from me but also from my dad. Hopefully, we can add some more scratches and scuffs along with the memories that will accompany them. So, is the Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 my endgame watch? I think it just might be.

The First-Ever Perfect Replica Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” 16599SAAEC Watches UK

One of the most valuable 1:1 replica Rolex watches UK to go on the block this auction season is the Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” 16599SAAEC. Part of Phillips’ Reloaded auction taking place on November 8, 2024, the Zenith-powered Daytona is the original “Rainbow”, having been produced in 1994, some 18 years before the serially-produced Daytona “Rainbow” was introduced.

Like all automatic Daytona models prior to 2000, this Daytona “Rainbow” is powered by the cal. 4030, which is a Zenith El Primero modified by Rolex. But this Daytona is unique in having a singular model reference of 16599 followed by the suffix “SAAEC”, short for saphir arc-en-ciel, French for “sapphire rainbow”.

A rainbow history
Though the Daytona “Rainbow” is perhaps the most famous gem-set top Rolex fake watches today, it took a while to catch on when it was introduced. It debuted as a regular production model in 2012 with the Daytona ref. 116598RBOW in yellow gold and ref. 116599RBOW in white gold.

The Daytona ref. 116599RBOW in white gold

At launch the Daytona “Rainbow” was not the object of frenzied desire as it is now, but by 2018 it was sought after. And that year best Rolex clone watches debuted the Daytona ref. 116595RBOW in Everose gold that boasted the upgrade of baguette-cut rainbow indices.

The facelift was also applied to the yellow and white gold versions, both of which now sport baguette-cut rainbow indices as well. As with the first generation model, variants with gem-set dials and bracelets also exist.

The Daytona ref. 116595RBOW in Everose gold of 2018

But the Daytona was not the first Rolex Oyster with “rainbow” treatment. That distinction likely goes to the Day-Date dating to the 1980s.

The Day-Date refs. 18058, 18059, and 18188 are known with rainbow gemstones, each executed differently but instantly recognisable with the multi-hued bezel.

The original Daytona “Rainbow”
Though the Daytona “Rainbow” ref. 16599SAAEC is being sold publicly for the first time now, it has been known for some years now.

The best selling Rolex replica watches were originally sold in Saudi Arabia, before making its way to a collection in Dubai over a dozen years ago. The next owner was a gentleman who owned a famous collection of vintage watches and is the consignor of the watch.

The ref. 16599SAAEC is essentially a white gold high quality replica Rolex Daytona watches of the period with the addition of a bezel with rainbow-hued sapphires set in a graduated pattern.

Interestingly, the rainbow bezel differs from today’s 1:1 quality fake Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watches “Rainbow” because the colour graduation is inverted. On today’s models the greens are at three o’clock, while here they are at nine.

The rest of the Swiss fake Rolex watches are identical to the regular production model. This has the familiar white gold case with a hood in-between the lugs to create an integrated appearance for the leather strap, which was likely a glossy maroon when the Rolex watches were first sold.

Likewise, dial is identical to that of the standard version of the ref. 16599. It’s paved with brilliant-cut diamonds and has brilliant-cut sapphires for hour markers, along with minute numerals at the quarters.

With an estimate of over CHF3 million, the AAA+ copy Rolex watches “Rainbow” is lot 27 in Reloaded: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, 1980-1999 on November 8, 2024 in Geneva at the Hotel President. For more, visit Phillips.com.

This Vintage Perfect Replica Rolex Day-Date Watches UK, With Ultra-Rare ‘Bark’ Design, Can Be Yours—But You Better Hurry

Over the last four years there has been a resurgence in interest for 18-karat yellow gold cheap replica Rolex watches. Much of that is due to fatigue over the long-running craze for steel tool watches, but it is also in part due to the rising value of gold (which shows no sign of slowing), rendering these once undesirable pieces increasingly worth collecting.

Add to that the fact that, in some niche and stylish circles, unusual bracelet treatments, gem-setting, and interesting dials are becoming increasingly appealing and you have a new wave of watch collecting emerging. Steel sports replica Rolex watches UK are still the bread and butter for most dealers, but as pockets of interest in more unusual timekeepers, often from younger and fashion-forward collectors, continue to rise we’re seeing some really fun pieces pop up on the market. Case in point: This 1980s top copy Rolex Day-Date watches in 18-karat yellow gold with a sapphire and diamond dial from Wind Vintage currently available exclusively on The Vault.

It wasn’t that long ago that dealers had a hard time unloading an all-gold gem-set piece. Eric Wind, the notable dealer and founder of Wind Vintage, says five years ago he would have sold this piece for around $15,000 to $18,000. The asking price today? $29,000. “It is very rare,” he tells Robb Report. “I think that was all clearly hand-done. Funnily enough, bark watches were not very desirable in the past. You know, even five to 10 years ago, they were very, very hard to sell. But, over the last three to five years, there’s been such an emergence and interest in jewelry and watches and work like that engraving and other kind of artistic forms that the watches took.” The style of engraving he is referring to on this Swiss fake Rolex Day-Date watches can be seen on the bezel and middle links of the bracelet that is referred to as “bark” for its rough tree-like appearance.

And while the bracelet is certainly a notable feature that will stand out in a sea of Submariners and Daytonas, the dial is also worth bragging about. Its diamond minutes track and sapphire hour markers are executed in what is known as a “string dial” because it looks like a string of pearls. “They’ve become very popular,” says Wind. “They were very expensive back in the 80s, just because of the cost of the stones, and there are just not many that exist on the planet.” Likewise, Wind says the canary yellow matte dial is not something he comes across often, having only seen a couple of others.

Part of what makes this watch so hard to find on the market is that pieces like this often didn’t survive past their ’80s heyday. “A lot of times these perfect replica Rolex watches were so undesirable that dealers would replace the bezel inserts and put on fluted inserts, or smooth bezels or fluted bezels and melt down the bracelets or polish the center link so they looked like a standard Day-Date. Those dealers should have learned that what goes around, always comes around. Now with these interesting clone Rolex watches for sale on the rise, they’ll become even harder to find.