Watch reference library

Rolex Sea-Dweller 116600

Produced 2014 to 2017. Discontinued.

The Rolex Sea-Dweller 116600 is a 40mm 904L stainless steel watch with the calibre 3135, water resistant to 1,220 meters, made 2014 to 2017.

Specifications

Case size
40mm, about 15.5mm thick
Case material
904L stainless steel
Bezel
Unidirectional, black Cerachrom ceramic insert graduated over the full 60 minutes
Dial
Black Maxi dial with Chromalight hands and markers
Movement
Rolex calibre 3135, automatic
Water resistance
1,220 meters (4,000 feet)
Crystal
Sapphire, with no Cyclops lens over the date
Bracelet
Oyster bracelet with the Glidelock extension and a Fliplock diving extension Part number, lug width and links
Bracelet part
97400, per Rolex's 2016 price list
Lug width
20mm

The story

The Sea-Dweller was born in 1967 as the Submariner's deeper sibling for saturation divers, with a one-way helium escape valve in the case side so the crystal stayed put during decompression. The 40mm 16600 carried the line through the 1990s and 2000s on the calibre 3135, and after it left the catalog, in 2008 by Fratello's count and 2009 by Monochrome's, the only Sea-Dweller Rolex sold was the 44mm Deepsea.

The 40mm watch came back in 2014 as the Sea-Dweller 4000, reference 116600, rated to 4,000 feet. Fratello's report from the launch lists a 904L steel case and bracelet, the calibre 3135, a titanium helium escape valve, water resistance to 1,220 meters, a ceramic Cerachrom bezel, Chromalight on the hands and hour markers and the thicker lugs of the ceramic generation, with no Cyclops over the date, as on every Sea-Dweller before it. Monochrome Watches adds that the Cerachrom insert is graduated over the full 60 minutes rather than only the first 15, that the dial is a Maxi dial, and that the case runs about 15.5mm thick with lugs thinner than a Submariner's. The Oyster bracelet carries both the Glidelock extension and a Fliplock diving extension.

It was the shortest-lived Sea-Dweller. Monochrome puts production at 2014 to 2017 only and calls it a transitional model, and in 2017 the 126600 replaced it with a 43mm case, the calibre 3235, red Sea-Dweller text and the model's first Cyclops lens.

What to check before you buy

The 116600 is the one modern Sea-Dweller that still looks like a Submariner, so check which watch you are being offered. Against a 116610LN Submariner Date of the same years it has no Cyclops over the date, a helium escape valve in the left case flank, a thicker case and a bezel graduated all the way round. Against the 126600 that replaced it, it is 40mm rather than 43mm, has no Cyclops and no red text on the dial, and uses the calibre 3135 rather than the 3235.

With only three years of production there are fewer about than of either neighbor, so a full set with its card and box is worth asking for. On the watch, check that the Cerachrom insert has no chips at its edge, that the bezel clicks evenly, that the Glidelock slides and locks at every position and the Fliplock extension folds flat, and that the helium escape valve sits flush and is not stuck; a Rolex service will pressure-test the case to its rating, so ask when that was last done.

Buying or selling a 116600?

Selling one? Text photos to (605) 521-2821 for an offer within hours, or ask for one below. Moda pays by wire or Zelle within 24 hours of receiving the watch, on its own insured label. Rather sell it yourself? Post it in the Moda watch groups and run the listing through the Post Checker first. Buying one from someone you don't know? Moda's middleman service inspects the watch at Moda HQ and the buyer pays the seller only after approving the condition report. When it ships, it goes fully insured through ShipIFS, the shipping vendor Moda uses for its own watches.

A Serial Check tells you whether this 116600 has been reported stolen and whether its dial and bracelet are the factory originals.

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Common questions

What years was the Sea-Dweller 116600 made?

From 2014 to 2017 only, which Monochrome Watches calls the shortest run of any Sea-Dweller. The 43mm 126600 replaced it in 2017.

Is the 116600 the Sea-Dweller 4000?

Yes. Rolex sold the 116600 as the Sea-Dweller 4000. Its depth rating is 4,000 feet, or 1,220 meters, the same rating the 40mm Sea-Dwellers before it carried.

Does the 116600 have a Cyclops lens?

No. Like every Sea-Dweller before it, the 116600 has a plain sapphire crystal over the date. The 126600 of 2017 was the first Sea-Dweller with a Cyclops.

What is the difference between the 116600 and the 116610LN Submariner Date?

The Sea-Dweller is rated to 1,220 meters against the Submariner's 300, has a helium escape valve in the case side, a thicker case, no Cyclops and a bezel graduated over all 60 minutes. Both are 40mm and use the calibre 3135.

What changed on the 126600 that replaced it?

The case grew from 40mm to 43mm, the movement changed to the calibre 3235, the dial gained red Sea-Dweller text and, for the first time on a Sea-Dweller, a Cyclops lens over the date.

Related references

Sources

The facts on this page come from the brand and from established watch publications.

Specifications summarized from the manufacturer's published information and the watch press. Spot an error? Tell us through the contact form and we will fix it.