No QC thread on the Deepsea yet. Reference points for the 136660 with the D-Blue dial, from Rolex’s own spec sheet: a 44 mm Oystersteel case with the Ringlock System and a helium escape valve, a domed sapphire crystal 5.5 mm thick, a black Cerachrom bezel insert with platinum-coated graduations, calibre 3235 and an Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock clasp and Glidelock. The dial runs from bright blue at the top to black at the bottom, a tribute to James Cameron’s solo dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 2012.
Two things define the look on photos: that gradient and the sheer height of the case.
[[PHOTO: Deepsea 136660 D-Blue straight on in daylight, the blue-to-black gradient visible from 12 to 6]]
Editorial summary, not independently verified.
The gradient is where photos mislead most:
- Under warm indoor light the blue turns teal or almost green, so judge it in daylight or neutral white light.
- The transition should be smooth from the top of the dial down to the bottom, with no visible band or step in the middle.
- Phone cameras push saturation. Compare with reference photos taken in similar light, not with marketing renders.
Bezel insert: black ceramic with the numerals and graduations filled evenly, no thin or missing spots in the platinum coating, the lume pip centred at 12. The bezel is unidirectional with 60-minute graduation, so check the zero mark lines up with the 12 o’clock marker when the bezel is at rest. Action and alignment problems are covered in bezel action on rep divers.
Newbie question: the original is rated to 3,900 metres. Does a rep with the same case shape get anywhere near that?
No, and nothing on a photo can show water resistance. The Ringlock System, the helium escape valve and the 3,900 m rating belong to the original; on a rep the valve is a visual detail. What a pressure test does and doesn’t tell you is in swimming with a rep diver. For comparison, the smaller sister model with the same kind of valve is covered in Sea-Dweller 126600 QC.
Case and bracelet:
- Side profile: the Deepsea is tall, and the domed crystal adds to it. Ask for a shot exactly at 3 o’clock to check the case height and the crystal dome.
- Helium escape valve on the left flank of the case: cleanly set in, engraving sharp.
- Crown with guards, screwing down flush.
- Oyster bracelet: flush end links, clean Glidelock rail, sharp clasp logo. General points are in Oyster and Jubilee bracelets on reps.
[[PHOTO: Deepsea 136660 side view at 3 o’clock, case height, crown guards and the domed crystal]]
Lume: the original uses Chromalight with a blue glow. Ask for a lume shot after a short charge and check the markers and hands glow evenly. The text on the dial should be sharp, with no bleeding at the edges of the letters.
Summary:
- Gradient dial: judge it in daylight; smooth transition from blue to black, no bands.
- Bezel: black ceramic, graduations evenly filled, pip centred and aligned at 12.
- Case: a side shot at 3 o’clock for case height and crystal dome; valve cleanly set in on the left flank.
- Bracelet: flush end links, clean Glidelock, sharp clasp.
- Lume: even blue glow on markers and hands.
Not checkable on photos: water resistance, timekeeping and the movement.
Editorial summary, not independently verified.
Thanks. The daylight shot of the dial is the one to insist on; everything else follows from there.