Rolex
Sea-Dweller 4000
116600
The last 40 mm Sea-Dweller — a diver's classic at its purest.
An estimate from current market data — not an offer. Your actual value depends on condition, completeness, and authentication.
Get an instant offerFree insured shipping. Paid within 48 hours of inspection.
Overview
The Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 reference 116600 represents the final expression of the 40 mm Sea-Dweller format before the line moved to a larger case. Powered by the proven Calibre 3135 and rated to 1,220 metres (4,000 feet) of water resistance, it upholds the professional diving heritage the Sea-Dweller line has carried since the late 1960s. Its clean black dial and Oystersteel case place it firmly in the tradition of no-compromise tool watches.
History
The Sea-Dweller lineage grew out of Rolex's collaboration with professional saturation divers, producing a watch built around a helium escape valve to survive decompression in diving bells. Reference 116600 was introduced in 2014 as an update to its predecessor, retaining the 40 mm case diameter that had defined the line for decades. Production continued until approximately 2017, when Rolex retired the reference in favour of the enlarged 43 mm Sea-Dweller ref. 126600, which also reintroduced the "Sea-Dweller" name to the dial after a period of absence. The 116600 is consequently regarded as a transitional milestone — the last of the classic-sized Sea-Dwellers.
Notable points
- Rated to 1,220 m (4,000 ft) water resistance, with a helium escape valve at 9 o'clock for saturation-diving use.
- Calibre 3135 is a self-winding movement with a Parachrom hairspring and Rolex's Paraflex shock absorbers, offering robust daily reliability.
- At 40 mm in Oystersteel, the 116600 is widely considered the last Sea-Dweller to occupy the 'classic' proportions established by earlier references.
- The black dial carries applied hour markers and a Chromalight luminescent fill, maintaining strict legibility under low-visibility conditions.
- A relatively short production window of roughly three years gives the reference a defined place in Sea-Dweller collecting history.
