Month: February 2018

The fake Rolex Sea-Dweller was manufactured with both the “Sea-Dweller” and “Submariner 2000” names printed in red text on the surface of the dial for the first ten years of its existence. While in 1977, Rolex launched a new Sea-Dweller – still under a special replica watch which gave up the red lines of text, together with the Submariner name, in favor of a whole black and white dial.
Owing to the monochromatic text of the dial of the new  Sea-Dweller, the watch gained the nickname the “Great White” among Rolex collectors, as a means to help distinguish it from the earlier replica Sea-Dweller watches that featured red text on the surface of their dials. Besides, this change to a totally black and white dial for the Sea-Dweller would be a lasting decision that would stand for forty years. 
To accompany the updated dial of the “Great White” Sea-Dweller, the case-backs on the new generation of these replica watches received slightly more refined engravings, in which the Rolex name curves along the arc of the fluting, rather than appearing in a straight line.
The replica Sea-Dweller starts its life as a Submariner that had been modified to be even more water-resistant in order to withstand even greater depths below the surface of the ocean. The dial of the Sea-Dweller also had the Submariner name printed on it for the first 10 years of its existence, so it was somewhat unclear as to whether the Sea-Dweller was a separate line of watches or just a particular version of the Submariner that had been designed for more rigorous professional use.
Although the absence of red lettering made for a rather noticeable visual change, the removal of the Submariner name was the most important change that accompanied the arrival of the “Great White” model. Without the Submariner name appearing on the dial, it was an obvious signal to the public that the replica Rolex intended the Sea-Dweller to be its own line of watches, separate from the Submariner, and filling a slightly different niche within their lineup of highly competent, professional watches.
The replica “Great White” Sea-Dweller remained in production for roughly five years, during which time a number of small changes took place, and five different dial variations were manufactured.
Even though it is not the most valuable iteration of the Sea-Dweller that the fake Rolex has ever produced, the “Great White” is the watch that helped distinguish the Sea-Dweller as its own unique line of highly specialized, ultra-water resistant, tool watches – separate from the Submariner and specifically engineered for the rigors of saturation diving and professional use.