The 697-2RS is a single-row miniature deep groove ball bearing from the 600 series, sealed on both faces with contact rubber lip seals that engage the inner ring shoulder directly. At just 7 mm bore and 17 mm outer diameter, it occupies one of the smallest envelopes in the standard metric ball bearing catalogue while still delivering the contamination exclusion and grease retention that sealed construction provides. This combination — sub-20 mm outer diameter, contact rubber seals, and factory pre-fill — makes the 697-2RS the default choice for compact precision assemblies that run in dusty, humid, or mist-exposed surroundings where open or shielded miniature bearings would require additional housing protection to achieve comparable service life.