Rolex Deepsea 116660

The 116660 is the first production Rolex Deepsea. Rolex introduced it in 2008 with a black dial, a 44 mm steel case, the Ringlock system and a 3,900 m depth rating. It uses calibre 3135; Rolex added the D-blue dial in 2014.

Core facts

Detail	Specification
Reference	116660
Model name	Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea; often catalogued as Sea-Dweller Deepsea
Introduced	2008
Successor	126660, introduced 2018
Case	44 mm; 17.7 mm thick
Material	904L stainless steel middle case (now called Oystersteel); grade 5 titanium caseback
Depth rating	3,900 m / 12,800 ft
Movement	Calibre 3135, automatic, date
Crystal	Rolex's 2013 brochure: 5 mm; its 2020 comparison and current page: 5.5 mm
Bezel	Unidirectional, black Cerachrom insert, platinum-coated graduations
Dials	Black; D-blue blue-to-black gradient with green DEEPSEA text, added in 2014
Bracelet	Oyster ref. 98210; 21 mm, 11 links, Glidelock and Fliplock extension

Rolex's 2013 brochure says the Deepsea was presented in 2008 and lists calibre 3135, the Ringlock case and its 3,900 m rating. Rolex's 2020 comparison and current technical page give more detail on the dimensions and case materials. Auction catalogues identify calibre 3135 and the 44 mm case on individual 116660 examples.

Place in the line

The 16600 was the 40 mm Sea-Dweller when Rolex introduced the larger 116660 in 2008. Rolex brought back a 40 mm model with ref. 116600 in 2014; it then ran alongside the Deepsea.

The 116660 uses the same case diameter and depth rating as its successor, ref. 126660. In 2018, Rolex updated the Deepsea with calibre 3235, a broader bracelet and changes to the lugs and case sides. Launch coverage dates the new generation; Rolex has not published a final factory-production date or total output for the 116660.

Production outline

Rolex introduced the Deepsea in 2008 with a black dial. Auction catalogues date individual black-dial examples to circa 2008 and circa 2009; those dates apply to those watches.

Rolex added the D-blue dial in 2014. Its blue-to-black gradient and green DEEPSEA lettering refer to James Cameron's 2012 dive to Challenger Deep. The watch attached to his submersible was the experimental Deepsea Challenge; the D-blue 116660 was the later production tribute.

Movement notes

The 116660 uses calibre 3135, an automatic movement with date and stop-seconds. Rolex's 2013 brochure identifies the calibre; auction catalogues list 31 jewels on the examples they describe. The movement guide gives 28,800 vph and an approximately 48-hour power reserve. See Calibre 3135 for the movement's construction and later fitments.

Dial map

The two main dial colors are black and D-blue. Rolex describes Chromalight as debuting on the Deepsea in 2008. The blue-glowing material appears on the hands, hour markers and bezel zero marker.

The 2012 Rolex Forums comparison and GINZA RASIN's photographed guide describe three black-dial print groups, usually called Mk I, Mk II and Mk III. Rolex does not use these labels, and collectors disagree about some boundaries. The guides compare coronet shape, letterforms and spacing around the depth rating; GINZA RASIN dates the groups partly from its own stock.

Collector label	Reported print details	Approximate dating in dealer guides
Mk I	Earlier coronet shape and heavier print; GINZA RASIN also notes an angular S in SEA-DWELLER.	2008–about 2009
Mk II	Revised coronet and changes to the DEEPSEA lettering, hyphen and equals sign; GINZA RASIN notes a lower-case f in ft.	About 2009–2013
Mk III	Fine spacing and print changes around the depth line; forum comparisons note differences in the space around the equals sign.	About 2013–2018

Treat these as descriptions of observed printing, not a serial-date chart. The two collector sources differ on some details and do not establish factory changeover points.

GINZA RASIN describes later D-blue dials with a brighter, wider blue area in stock it received in 2017. Its date is a dealer estimate, not a Rolex changeover date.

Oblique view of the black dial on a Rolex Deepsea 116660 — Black-dial 116660, John Torcasio, CC BY-SA 3.0; rotated clockwise and converted to WebP, shared under the same license

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

The Oyster case measures 44 mm across and 17.7 mm thick. The middle case is 904L steel. The Ringlock system places a nitrogen-alloyed steel compression ring between the case and caseback; Rolex describes the caseback as grade 5 titanium. Rolex's April 2013 brochure calls the slightly domed sapphire crystal 5 mm thick. Its 2020 comparison and current technical page give 5.5 mm. Rolex's published figures differ, so both are recorded here. The depth rating is 3,900 m / 12,800 ft.

The 60-minute bezel turns in one direction and carries a black Cerachrom insert. Rolex's technical material describes platinum-coated numerals and graduations. The steel case, titanium caseback and ceramic insert are separate parts of the construction.

The 116660 has a Triplock screw-down crown and a helium escape valve. The valve releases excess pressure during decompression.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging

Rolex's June 2012 US price list identifies bracelet 98210 as an 11-link, 21 mm Oyster bracelet with Glidelock and Fliplock extension for the 116660. The 2013 Rolex brochure describes the Glidelock adjustment and Fliplock extension. The 98210 marking identifies the bracelet model. A clasp date code dates the clasp, not the watch head or the bracelet's original delivery with that head.

GINZA RASIN describes a clasp revision around 2015: the finish changed from matte to polished, the locking tab became smaller, and the inner plate grew by 5 mm. The date and details come from dealer stock comparisons, not a Rolex parts bulletin. Published records do not give a complete end-link or clasp-code sequence.

Auction catalogues show boxes, guarantee cards and booklets sold with individual watches. Those records describe each sale and its provenance; they do not establish a standard package for every 116660.

Special branches

For the Royal Navy Clearance Diving Branch's 60th anniversary, Rolex agreed to make a 50-piece series of 116660s. Sotheby's, Christie's and Phillips catalogue examples numbered 33/50, 36/50 and 38/50, with the branch crest on the caseback. Christie's dates its example circa 2014 but lists a 43 mm case, while Rolex specifies 44 mm for the model. The lot's measurement conflicts with Rolex's published specification.

Auction catalogues also record a black DLC-coated 116660 called “Deep Blue,” numbered 12/50. Christie's describes a coated case and bracelet and a blue inner ring but gives no coating or edition issuer. This modified watch is separate from Rolex's D-blue dial and the Royal Navy commission.

Historical market and auction record

Catalogue	Example-specific record
Sotheby's, 2025; case V'125'083	Catalogued circa 2008; black dial, calibre 3135, 44 mm steel case and Oyster bracelet. The guarantee card is undated.
Bonhams, 2022 catalogue; case V244796	Catalogued circa 2009; black dial, calibre 3135, 44 mm case and clasp marked PJ9. The clasp mark belongs to the clasp.
Christie's, 2018 catalogue; case G172288	Black dial, calibre 3135, 44 mm case and bracelet stamped 98210; the accompanying guarantee is dated 8 August 2012.
Sotheby's, 2024; case 73'L2S'466	D-blue dial, calibre 3135 and a guarantee card dated 26 September 2014.
Phillips, lot 1079; case G861'348	Royal Navy Clearance Branch example 38/50; catalogue records a guarantee dated 5 December 2013.

The circa dates and guarantee dates in the table belong to those lots. Rolex's 2018 successor announcement dates the next generation; it does not give a final production date for the 116660.

D-blue front view, original photograph by amh1988; upright derivative by Pittigrilli, CC0 1.0
Black dial, John Torcasio, CC BY-SA 3.0; rotated clockwise and converted to WebP, shared under the same license

Sources