The perfect replica Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 was produced from 1988 through 2008, sitting alongside a couple of the previous five-digit references in the luxury fake Rolex catalog for many of those years. I like adding a Sea-Dweller to this list because it’s a less obvious choice than a cheap fake Rolex Submariner, and the 40mm case of the 16600 still wears nicely. A little thicker, no cyclops date, and the helium escape valve.
“The follow-up to the now collectible ‘triple six’ reference 16660, this best 1:1 replica Rolex Sea-Dweller is a bit more under the radar without a quick nickname,” Hodinkee’s vintage expert Rich Fordon said.
In a theme that you’ll see has developed here, Rich recommended an earlier 16600 with tritium lume and nice patina (AAA quality fake Rolex began to change from tritium to LumiNova just before the turn of the century).
“The sizing is so much more comfortable than any other Swiss movement copy Rolex Sea-Dweller produced since,” Rich said, referencing the fact that the next generation of the Rolex Sea-Dweller super clone for men was bumped up to 44mm, doing away with much of the vintage appeal of the original heavy-duty diver.