Case condition Sea-Dweller 1665

[Alexander88]

Hello,

I have heard that on the Sea-Dweller 1665 you can judge the condition of the case by the "depth" of the Helium Escape valve. On heavily polished watches, it comes out more and no longer sits properly in the case.
My watchmaker now told me that you could probably adjust the position of the valve.
Is this true? Would then make this criterion for case condition worthless.

Attached is my 1665 I bought last week, what do you think of the case condition? I think it has already lost some material due to polishing. On the other hand, the case is still quite "pointy".
Crown guards don't look optimal to me either.
Would appreciate opinions.

Kind regards

Alex

[77T]

I don’t believe either points are true.

I’m sure someone could grind down the midcase so badly that the HEV would be flush, but routine polishing isn’t going to do that.

I’m not sure there are any independent watchmakers who are certified for HEV replacement.


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[Dan S]

I would be inclined to judge the case using the standard observations of chamfers, lug holes, crown guards, etc. If you are happy with the watch and the case looks ok to you, why borrow trouble. Just enjoy it. As is often pointed out on the forum, most cases have been polished.

[Alexander88]

Thanks Dan!
What do you say about my crown guards and lug holes?
Yes, most watches were polished unfortunately, I think my 1665 was too.

Following is my 16220, this one has actually never been polished.

[swaini3]

Hi Alex,
Your 1665 is in nice shape. Congrats on the purchase. I wouldn't put too much focus on the HEV alone. As mentioned above, the overall look of the case is the way to go.

[swish77]

Perhaps you could post more photos of your 1665, with different angles showing the lugs and crown guards more.

Here's my (former) DRSD for comparison. I don't believe this one was ever polished, and if so, very minimally.

[Alexander88]

Beautiful DRSD!
I'll take some detail shots this week. Thanks a lot

[1665fan]

Looks real nice from the not soo good pics…..you lucked out

[TuRo]

Looks fine to me. Hopefully engravings both ends and dial are spot on too.

[Alexander88]

Hi TuRo, here are pictures from dial and engravings.

[swish77]

Well, those lugs are a little soft from the polishing. See how they're lost their sharpness? They're slightly rounded off. The crown guards look a little pointy too, especially the top one.

If you're a stickler for such things, this case could be a good candidate for a restoration to bring the lugs and crown guards back to life. Or leave it alone and enjoy the watch. Just depends how picky you are.

[Alexander88]

Thank you! Do you have a recommendation on who can do something like this? I didn't think it was that bad.
Here is a photo of my former 1665. The lugs look kind of round on my wrist too.

[Dan S]

I still don't see photos that would really allow us to judge that case, but as Aaron suggested, my gut feeling is that it's about average. Noticeably polished, but not as bad as some we've seen.

Respectfully, I truly don't understand the logic of asking the forum's opinion about things you are unable to see for yourself. If the watch looks fine to you, just enjoy it. Why worry about it or pay for restoration of something that means nothing to you. The watch looks totally legit, it's just a condition issue.

[Alexander88]

Hi Dan,
that's exactly why I'm asking the forum. If I had enough experience to judge the case myself, I wouldn't need a forum. I always find it interesting to learn something.
Which you are right about, I am a lousy photographer :)
Try to take better photos soon.

[Filipão]

Originally Posted by Alexander88

Hi Dan,
that's exactly why I'm asking the forum. If I had enough experience to judge the case myself, I wouldn't need a forum. I always find it interesting to learn something.
Which you are right about, I am a lousy photographer :)
Try to take better photos soon.

It's a beautiful 1665, no worries, wear it in good health and enjoy it!

On a 43 years old you can't expect perfection (at a friendly price) you are in possession of a fine SD, which is probably older than yourself...

[Alexander88]

Hello Filipe,
thank you very much for your words. This feels exactly right.

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by Alexander88

Hi TuRo, here are pictures from dial and engravings.

Nice MK1 (Identified by a straight (not italic) M of M(eters or metres here in UK) on top of M of in word CHRONOMETER below) DIAL.

[Alexander88]

Originally Posted by TuRo

Nice MK1 (Identified by a straight (not italic) M of M(eters or metres here in UK) on top of M of in word CHRONOMETER below) DIAL.

Thanks for explaining. I appreciate your knowledge very much. I like the MK 1 dial together with the MK 2 rail dial best on the 1665.