Sea Dweller 16600
Discussion
Thanks again for your replies. I’ve actually tried on a 16610 and felt it was a little light. I really like the heft of the SD. I agree, I prefer the 5 digit to the 6 as I feel the 6 digit looks more jewellery like (if that makes sense) although I love the clasp on the 6 digits though.
Regarding box and papers. I’m torn on this still. I do plan on wearing it everyday until I’m gone but I am nearly 50 so in 20 years my kids might be selling this. 20 years seems a long time away but in reality it’s not. Morbid I know but having had to deal with my dads estate, I want it to be as easy as possible for them.
A lot to think about.
Regarding box and papers. I’m torn on this still. I do plan on wearing it everyday until I’m gone but I am nearly 50 so in 20 years my kids might be selling this. 20 years seems a long time away but in reality it’s not. Morbid I know but having had to deal with my dads estate, I want it to be as easy as possible for them.
A lot to think about.
Earthboundmisfit said:
Thanks again for your replies. I’ve actually tried on a 16610 and felt it was a little light. I really like the heft of the SD. I agree, I prefer the 5 digit to the 6 as I feel the 6 digit looks more jewellery like (if that makes sense) although I love the clasp on the 6 digits though.
Regarding box and papers. I’m torn on this still. I do plan on wearing it everyday until I’m gone but I am nearly 50 so in 20 years my kids might be selling this. 20 years seems a long time away but in reality it’s not. Morbid I know but having had to deal with my dads estate, I want it to be as easy as possible for them.
A lot to think about.
Not THAT much, by the sounds of it.Regarding box and papers. I’m torn on this still. I do plan on wearing it everyday until I’m gone but I am nearly 50 so in 20 years my kids might be selling this. 20 years seems a long time away but in reality it’s not. Morbid I know but having had to deal with my dads estate, I want it to be as easy as possible for them.
A lot to think about.
You know you want the SD, so that's the one to get.
You don't readily see the value in B&P, and won't be selling soon, so buy without and save the cash. Added to which in twenty, or hopefully more, years people might not be buying mechanical wrist watches and it may make very little difference to value.
I had an SD 16600 about 15 years ago
One of the nicest watches I have owned
(swapped for a Ceramic sub which I didn't like as much)
Has a nice heft not too crazy like the DSSD
I love the engraved back
All 16600 have solid end links unlike the 16610 which only have them around 2000 onwards (and not at all on 14060)
Fantastic watch, thinking about buying another but hard to swallow paying 3x what I sold it for back then (3k)
Bracelet not as good as the modern ones but is functional and it has screws for adjustment
One of the nicest watches I have owned
(swapped for a Ceramic sub which I didn't like as much)
Has a nice heft not too crazy like the DSSD
I love the engraved back
All 16600 have solid end links unlike the 16610 which only have them around 2000 onwards (and not at all on 14060)
Fantastic watch, thinking about buying another but hard to swallow paying 3x what I sold it for back then (3k)
Bracelet not as good as the modern ones but is functional and it has screws for adjustment
chuck_ster said:
No B&P? Buy cheap, sell cheap. Wouldn't bother me. If you get an official Rolex service at some point in your ownership then provenance is proved.
...or they tell you the watch is nicked and you don't get it back.B&P is not a guarantee that a watch is genuine, but with something like a SD I would rather have them. Or a service card.
In terms of daily wear, I'll add my experience:
I bought my Submariner (14060) in December 1996 for £1650 and wore it all day every day until 2021. I dug the garden in it, painted, decorated, worked on my cars and bikes, wore it for sport, sailing etc. Only ever took it off to go to bed. Over time I scratched the Crystal once, but only very faintly. The little pearl type thing in the bezel cracked and of course the case and bracelet got pretty scratched. One annoying scratch through one of the numbers in the bezel. Over time of course the decline is gradual and you don't really notice. I never had it serviced in that 25 year period!!! By 2021 it was losing about 3mins every two weeks or so and the bracelet was very stretched and loose. Then, the pin holding the bracelet and clasp together broke and it dropped off my wrist (at home). Even replacing the pin, it wasn't really safe to wear out any longer.
I had the watch serviced by Rolex and had the bezel, glass and crown replaced by them. But, Rolex won't service or repair a bracelet they'll only take yours in part exchange for a new one (for a short £1000!!), which I didn't want as I wanted to retain my original watch. So I kept my floppy bracelet and took it to a genius artisan called the Watch Polisher in West Dulwich who literally renovated every tiny micro-millimeter of it. He used a tiny welder to build up all the worn away steel where the pins had rubbed the bracelet sections over the years. He told me he used over 700 individual welds. Then with new pins and a polish it looked like new and he gave me a video of the work being done. Beautiful.
The watch now looks like it did in 1996 and in total the renovation cost me c£600 for the Rolex service and £800 for the bracelet. So the watch has cost me £3000 in total over 27 years (including purchase) and in the condition it's in now (with box and papers) is probably worth c£7,000+.
Here's the rub though, in the year or so that I didn't wear it my partner bought me an Apple Watch and a combination of wearing that and liking the functionality and also not wanting to scuff up the sub again, I really very rarely wear the Rolex now. Maybe out to dinner or occasionally to work. I often reflect on that and see it as a shame but that's what happened.
Mine has had a life and is now semi-retired I guess, but given that the 14060 is not the most solid of Rolex sports watches and that it lasted 25years of daily wear and tear without a penny spent on it I wouldn't worry about longevity!!
I bought my Submariner (14060) in December 1996 for £1650 and wore it all day every day until 2021. I dug the garden in it, painted, decorated, worked on my cars and bikes, wore it for sport, sailing etc. Only ever took it off to go to bed. Over time I scratched the Crystal once, but only very faintly. The little pearl type thing in the bezel cracked and of course the case and bracelet got pretty scratched. One annoying scratch through one of the numbers in the bezel. Over time of course the decline is gradual and you don't really notice. I never had it serviced in that 25 year period!!! By 2021 it was losing about 3mins every two weeks or so and the bracelet was very stretched and loose. Then, the pin holding the bracelet and clasp together broke and it dropped off my wrist (at home). Even replacing the pin, it wasn't really safe to wear out any longer.
I had the watch serviced by Rolex and had the bezel, glass and crown replaced by them. But, Rolex won't service or repair a bracelet they'll only take yours in part exchange for a new one (for a short £1000!!), which I didn't want as I wanted to retain my original watch. So I kept my floppy bracelet and took it to a genius artisan called the Watch Polisher in West Dulwich who literally renovated every tiny micro-millimeter of it. He used a tiny welder to build up all the worn away steel where the pins had rubbed the bracelet sections over the years. He told me he used over 700 individual welds. Then with new pins and a polish it looked like new and he gave me a video of the work being done. Beautiful.
The watch now looks like it did in 1996 and in total the renovation cost me c£600 for the Rolex service and £800 for the bracelet. So the watch has cost me £3000 in total over 27 years (including purchase) and in the condition it's in now (with box and papers) is probably worth c£7,000+.
Here's the rub though, in the year or so that I didn't wear it my partner bought me an Apple Watch and a combination of wearing that and liking the functionality and also not wanting to scuff up the sub again, I really very rarely wear the Rolex now. Maybe out to dinner or occasionally to work. I often reflect on that and see it as a shame but that's what happened.
Mine has had a life and is now semi-retired I guess, but given that the 14060 is not the most solid of Rolex sports watches and that it lasted 25years of daily wear and tear without a penny spent on it I wouldn't worry about longevity!!
Gixer968CS said:
In terms of daily wear, I'll add my experience:
I bought my Submariner (14060) in December 1996 for £1650 and wore it all day every day until 2021. I dug the garden in it, painted, decorated, worked on my cars and bikes, wore it for sport, sailing etc. Only ever took it off to go to bed. Over time I scratched the Crystal once, but only very faintly. The little pearl type thing in the bezel cracked and of course the case and bracelet got pretty scratched. One annoying scratch through one of the numbers in the bezel. Over time of course the decline is gradual and you don't really notice. I never had it serviced in that 25 year period!!! By 2021 it was losing about 3mins every two weeks or so and the bracelet was very stretched and loose. Then, the pin holding the bracelet and clasp together broke and it dropped off my wrist (at home). Even replacing the pin, it wasn't really safe to wear out any longer.
I had the watch serviced by Rolex and had the bezel, glass and crown replaced by them. But, Rolex won't service or repair a bracelet they'll only take yours in part exchange for a new one (for a short £1000!!), which I didn't want as I wanted to retain my original watch. So I kept my floppy bracelet and took it to a genius artisan called the Watch Polisher in West Dulwich who literally renovated every tiny micro-millimeter of it. He used a tiny welder to build up all the worn away steel where the pins had rubbed the bracelet sections over the years. He told me he used over 700 individual welds. Then with new pins and a polish it looked like new and he gave me a video of the work being done. Beautiful.
The watch now looks like it did in 1996 and in total the renovation cost me c£600 for the Rolex service and £800 for the bracelet. So the watch has cost me £3000 in total over 27 years (including purchase) and in the condition it's in now (with box and papers) is probably worth c£7,000+.
Here's the rub though, in the year or so that I didn't wear it my partner bought me an Apple Watch and a combination of wearing that and liking the functionality and also not wanting to scuff up the sub again, I really very rarely wear the Rolex now. Maybe out to dinner or occasionally to work. I often reflect on that and see it as a shame but that's what happened.
Mine has had a life and is now semi-retired I guess, but given that the 14060 is not the most solid of Rolex sports watches and that it lasted 25years of daily wear and tear without a penny spent on it I wouldn't worry about longevity!!
You can see the video using this QR:I bought my Submariner (14060) in December 1996 for £1650 and wore it all day every day until 2021. I dug the garden in it, painted, decorated, worked on my cars and bikes, wore it for sport, sailing etc. Only ever took it off to go to bed. Over time I scratched the Crystal once, but only very faintly. The little pearl type thing in the bezel cracked and of course the case and bracelet got pretty scratched. One annoying scratch through one of the numbers in the bezel. Over time of course the decline is gradual and you don't really notice. I never had it serviced in that 25 year period!!! By 2021 it was losing about 3mins every two weeks or so and the bracelet was very stretched and loose. Then, the pin holding the bracelet and clasp together broke and it dropped off my wrist (at home). Even replacing the pin, it wasn't really safe to wear out any longer.
I had the watch serviced by Rolex and had the bezel, glass and crown replaced by them. But, Rolex won't service or repair a bracelet they'll only take yours in part exchange for a new one (for a short £1000!!), which I didn't want as I wanted to retain my original watch. So I kept my floppy bracelet and took it to a genius artisan called the Watch Polisher in West Dulwich who literally renovated every tiny micro-millimeter of it. He used a tiny welder to build up all the worn away steel where the pins had rubbed the bracelet sections over the years. He told me he used over 700 individual welds. Then with new pins and a polish it looked like new and he gave me a video of the work being done. Beautiful.
The watch now looks like it did in 1996 and in total the renovation cost me c£600 for the Rolex service and £800 for the bracelet. So the watch has cost me £3000 in total over 27 years (including purchase) and in the condition it's in now (with box and papers) is probably worth c£7,000+.
Here's the rub though, in the year or so that I didn't wear it my partner bought me an Apple Watch and a combination of wearing that and liking the functionality and also not wanting to scuff up the sub again, I really very rarely wear the Rolex now. Maybe out to dinner or occasionally to work. I often reflect on that and see it as a shame but that's what happened.
Mine has had a life and is now semi-retired I guess, but given that the 14060 is not the most solid of Rolex sports watches and that it lasted 25years of daily wear and tear without a penny spent on it I wouldn't worry about longevity!!
Gixer968CS said:
...and took it to a genius artisan called the Watch Polisher in West Dulwich who literally renovated every tiny micro-millimeter of it. He used a tiny welder to build up all the worn away steel where the pins had rubbed the bracelet sections over the years. He told me he used over 700 individual welds...
Good info... My 16610 could do with a refresh and after my 16600 debacle at RSC (too expensive), I'm looking for a good, independent recommendation and that's fairly local! Laser welding is the nuts!Hi all. Just to update this thread. I’ve finally bought one. Took advice from here and bought through Dom Hackett. It was a pleasure to deal with him and he was very patient with me.
2006 11600.
Decided on no box and papers as I plan to wear daily and not take it off. I won’t say how much I paid but I got it at a price I was happy paying in a good unpolished condition.
Arriving Thursday so really excited.
Thanks again for all your advice and a big thanks to Dom (who I know reads these forums)
2006 11600.
Decided on no box and papers as I plan to wear daily and not take it off. I won’t say how much I paid but I got it at a price I was happy paying in a good unpolished condition.
Arriving Thursday so really excited.
Thanks again for all your advice and a big thanks to Dom (who I know reads these forums)
Edited by Earthboundmisfit on Tuesday 28th March 20:09
fine choice
16600 was my first serious watch which I managed to find brand new in a rolex agent 2 years after they had been discontinued. Was very happy. May 2011 and I paid £4000 and am wearing it as I type.
FYI, mine was an old D serial watch probably dating to around 2005 and it had been sitting around in the agent's safe all that time. It definitely had not been in the window because it was pristine with all stickers in place. Timekeeping was a problem and I sent it to rolex a couple of times and on the third occasion they kindly did a complimentary movement only service and it's kept good time since. It must have been 11 years since the service by now. My case and braclet show signs of careless use but timekeeping remains good which is exactly what I want from this watch
Enjoy
16600 was my first serious watch which I managed to find brand new in a rolex agent 2 years after they had been discontinued. Was very happy. May 2011 and I paid £4000 and am wearing it as I type.
FYI, mine was an old D serial watch probably dating to around 2005 and it had been sitting around in the agent's safe all that time. It definitely had not been in the window because it was pristine with all stickers in place. Timekeeping was a problem and I sent it to rolex a couple of times and on the third occasion they kindly did a complimentary movement only service and it's kept good time since. It must have been 11 years since the service by now. My case and braclet show signs of careless use but timekeeping remains good which is exactly what I want from this watch
Enjoy
MrJuice said:
fine choice
16600 was my first serious watch which I managed to find brand new in a rolex agent 2 years after they had been discontinued. Was very happy. May 2011 and I paid £4000 and am wearing it as I type.
FYI, mine was an old D serial watch probably dating to around 2005 and it had been sitting around in the agent's safe all that time. It definitely had not been in the window because it was pristine with all stickers in place. Timekeeping was a problem and I sent it to rolex a couple of times and on the third occasion they kindly did a complimentary movement only service and it's kept good time since. It must have been 11 years since the service by now. My case and braclet show signs of careless use but timekeeping remains good which is exactly what I want from this watch
Enjoy
My 16600 was also not a good time keeper.16600 was my first serious watch which I managed to find brand new in a rolex agent 2 years after they had been discontinued. Was very happy. May 2011 and I paid £4000 and am wearing it as I type.
FYI, mine was an old D serial watch probably dating to around 2005 and it had been sitting around in the agent's safe all that time. It definitely had not been in the window because it was pristine with all stickers in place. Timekeeping was a problem and I sent it to rolex a couple of times and on the third occasion they kindly did a complimentary movement only service and it's kept good time since. It must have been 11 years since the service by now. My case and braclet show signs of careless use but timekeeping remains good which is exactly what I want from this watch
Enjoy
Louis Balfour said:
My 16600 was also not a good time keeper.
Told this story before but a friend of mine had one that kept very good time (he is a track it on a spreadsheet kind of person)... until it went for service and they have never got it within spec since. Soured the whole thing for him.gregs656 said:
Louis Balfour said:
My 16600 was also not a good time keeper.
Told this story before but a friend of mine had one that kept very good time (he is a track it on a spreadsheet kind of person)... until it went for service and they have never got it within spec since. Soured the whole thing for him.Gassing Station | Watches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff