Over a year later, the 126710 GMT is still... heavy. Any advice?

[daOnlyBG]

I set out to acquire a 126710BLRO GMT because it fit most of the criteria I wanted in a GMT-Master, namely the strong lume relative to its predecessors.

I felt its heft the first time I put it in- but many people told me "eh, you'll get used to it."

Over a year later, I have not. It's heavy.

Does anyone have advice? There aren't many muscles around the wrist- and I question whether the forearm muscles will help much. A friend of mine suggested that further working out one's biceps might surprisingly help, as it's those muscles that help lift the entirety of the arm. Another friend suggested swapping the solid Jubilee link bracelet with an older bracelet that fits, perhaps an Oyster bracelet with hollow links (i.e., whatever bracelet was on the 16610, which might actually fit). I'd rather not part with the watch if I don't have to.

Thank you in advance!

[LA_LEC]

Sounds like the issue is you and not the watch.

Perhaps rather than working out you just need to downsize to say - a 36 or 34 mm.

[Dan Pierce]

You need a 16710.
dP

[S’portEye]

Put it on a NATO.

[Nikrnic]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

You need a 16710.
dP

X2

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[Oxfordian]

Originally Posted by daOnlyBG

I set out to acquire a 126710BLRO GMT because it fit most of the criteria I wanted in a GMT-Master, namely the strong lume relative to its predecessors.

I felt its heft the first time I put it in- but many people told me "eh, you'll get used to it."

Over a year later, I have not. It's heavy.

Does anyone have advice? There aren't many muscles around the wrist- and I question whether the forearm muscles will help much. A friend of mine suggested that further working out one's biceps might surprisingly help, as it's those muscles that help lift the entirety of the arm. Another friend suggested swapping the solid Jubilee link bracelet with an older bracelet that fits, perhaps an Oyster bracelet with hollow links (i.e., whatever bracelet was on the 16610, which might actually fit). I'd rather not part with the watch if I don't have to.

Thank you in advance!

Sell the watch, go and look for a titanium GMT from another brand, you’ll be well in profit if you bought the 710 from the AD.

Otherwise the watch is what it is, you could put it on a strap but straps don’t look great on a modern Rolex, others may disagree.

I don’t think that any of my watches are particularly heavy on the wrist, during the day the weight of the watch sort of disappears as I just get used to it being there. Do you wear your 710 daily or just occasionally?

[ThatSubGuy]

I had the same issue with a 6 digit Submariner. Just always felt heavy on the wrist to the point of being uncomfortable over longer periods. Specially when just working at a desk and the case is resting on top of your arm.

Some guys like the heft, I prefer a watch being unnoticeable. 36mm is my sweetspot. The bb58 I have NO problem with what so ever

[watchtabs]

Umm… does it hurt tho?

I also had this happen to me but with a sub. Somehow the Full PM GMT doesn’t hurt.

[3HandsNoDate]

NATO strap (if you don't like the strap folds, a nice two-pc NATO from Crown and Buckle.

Or a vintage model that still has some lume.

[Big_Red]

If you are okay with rubber, try an Everest or Rubber B. The Everest paired with Rolex clasp on my sub was great. Lightened it up. But I went back to bracelet as most of us do!


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[sj24k]

Wish i could help you, but to me, this has to be one of the lightest watches I own. 126719 perhaps a bit heavy feeling for some, but the 126710 weights about 137 grams which is hardly heavy for a SS sports watch. If this isn't a troll, you should probably look elsewhere for a lighter feeling watch. I wouldn't mess with the bracelet, etc.

[afjag256]

Most people tell themselves that they prefer the “heft.” I disagree entirely. I hate a heavy watch; it’s like wearing heavy glasses—by the end of the day, it’s unpleasant. The watch sits on the top of your wrist, forearm curls or biceps curls won’t help. Your arm isn’t fatigued, it just irritates your wrist. It is more than just weight. How it sits on your wrist matters, width of the bracelet, sharpness of edges, etc. Sounds like you need a lighter watch if you are going to use it as a daily.

[daOnlyBG]

Originally Posted by LA_LEC

Sounds like the issue is you and not the watch.

Perhaps rather than working out you just need to downsize to say - a 36 or 34 mm.

Sadly, they don't make GMTs in that range.

Originally Posted by sj24k

If this isn't a troll, you should probably look elsewhere for a lighter feeling watch. I wouldn't mess with the bracelet, etc.

I don't know how I could make the post more sincere, lol. No, it's not a troll.

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

You need a 16710.
dP

I considered the 16710 a while back. I'm just not a fan. I think it has to do with how thin the bezel insert is. It's tempting to acquire an early 16750 (without the applied indexes) but of course, we run into the problem of not having a lumed dial.

[daOnlyBG]

Originally Posted by Oxfordian

Sell the watch, go and look for a titanium GMT from another brand, you’ll be well in profit if you bought the 710 from the AD.

Otherwise the watch is what it is, you could put it on a strap but straps don’t look great on a modern Rolex, others may disagree.

I don’t think that any of my watches are particularly heavy on the wrist, during the day the weight of the watch sort of disappears as I just get used to it being there. Do you wear your 710 daily or just occasionally?

I wear it daily. I agree, it does not look as nice on a strap.

The Rolex GMT-Master is my favorite watch... of all time. I could sell it (and yes, make a hefty profit), but I'd rather not- especially not for a different brand's GMT.

[dannyp]

What size is your wrist, and are you sure what you’re feeling is too much weight as opposed to the watch having an awkwardly large diameter for your wrist? The two may be indistinguishable if you’re not actively thinking about it but make sure you’re actually solving the right problem.

[Largoshark]

Swapping the bracelet will probably make it worse, as the weight won't be as evenly distributed and it will become more top heavy.

[Tools]

Your watch is too heavy?

If you drink your latte with the other hand you shouldn't have an issue.

[1665fan]

Originally Posted by dan pierce

you need a 16710.
Dp

x3

[daOnlyBG]

Originally Posted by dannyp

What size is your wrist, and are you sure what you’re feeling is too much weight as opposed to the watch having an awkwardly large diameter for your wrist? The two may be indistinguishable if you’re not actively thinking about it...

7.1." Only needed to remove one link from the bracelet when I bought it.

Here's how it appears on the wrist (pardon the smudge & glare on the crystal):

Originally Posted by dannyp

...but make sure you’re actually solving the right problem.

Good point. Like someone else here said- the problem might be me. Perhaps it's a health thing, I dunno. Maybe there's tension due to some other stuff (I work a desk job, etc etc).

Originally Posted by Largoshark

Swapping the bracelet will probably make it worse, as the weight won't be as evenly distributed and it will become more top heavy.

Fair enough.

[daOnlyBG]

Originally Posted by Tools

Your watch is too heavy?

If you drink your latte with the other hand you shouldn't have an issue.

Triggered

[dannyp]

And any luck if you make it a tiny bit looser or tighter, or switch which end link comes out of (to change how clasp sits)?

No offense, but I have a hard time believing that it’s a strength issue, as opposed to some kind of sensitivity (that would endure regardless of arm strength).

[Nairn1980]

Could sizing be the issue?
Alternatively maybe take some medical advice?
My wife is petite and wears her 126710BLRO daily without problem.

It really shouldn’t hurt you.

[ThatSubGuy]

Originally Posted by Nairn1980

Could sizing be the issue?
Alternatively maybe take some medical advice?
My wife is petite and wears her 126710BLRO daily without problem.

It really shouldn’t hurt you.

Women also wear heels

I think women value looks over comfort on different scale compared to us men

[daOnlyBG]

Originally Posted by dannyp

And any luck if you make it a tiny bit looser or tighter, or switch which end link comes out of (to change how clasp sits)?

I don't think so- but I will try playing around with the adjustable link to see if tightening it positions the watch a bit better.

Originally Posted by dannyp

No offense, but I have a hard time believing that it’s a strength issue, as opposed to some kind of sensitivity (that would endure regardless of arm strength).

No offense taken. I'm interested in addressing this nagging issue and welcome anyone's take on it. As for sensitivity... I guess I could ask a physician or something. Thanks!

[Buckaroo Banzai]

Not sure what to say. I have a 7" wrist and wear my 126710BLRO daily. I have a DSSD, and that feels heavy compared to the BLRO.

Good Luck.

[brandrea]

It weighs about 135gms. Maybe someone who owns a 4 or 5 digit can chime it with what those weigh.

[EEpro]

To me it is light enough to feel like delicate jewelry. I guess sell it if it doesn't make you happy.

[the dark knight]

A couple of things that aren't frequently mentioned. Messing around with straps (like a Nato) can be a decent fairly lower cost idea. YMMV, but changing a strap has never really helped for me IF the issue I've perceived is the watch being heavy. It helps if the bracelet itself is what's uncomfortable obviously. But I noticed if I have an issue with a watch feeling heavy, if I put it on a lighter bracelet the weight just gets distributed more towards the case and it ended up feeling even more top heavy and uncomfortable. Just something you may want to keep in mind. Balance is a huge factor in comfort, ie how the bracelet helps distribute the weight of the watch so it's not top heavy.

Another thing I'll add about comfort is that you need to keep your lifestyle in mind. This is another huge YMMV thing. I previously owned a 16610 that I'll use as an example. Those 5 digit Subs are renowned for comfort. But I did notice it could get a tad uncomfortable during a typical 10-12 hour day at the desk. Mainly because in that position I'm doing a lot of typing and my wrist is positioned in a way where the watch case is constantly facing up and the full weight is bearing down on my wrist. That and the slightly protruding caseback of the 16610 made it so that while it wasn't unbearable, I would look forward to taking it off after a long day at the office. This would be much less of a factor wearing it all day on the weekends, where I'm doing more standing, more walking, and thus my wrist is in all kinds of positions where the case doesn't bear down on my wrist constantly.

I think this is an underrated aspect of watch comfort that one should keep in mind. Maybe you have a desk job where like my Sub example above the watch is in a position where your wrist is bearing the entire weight of the case all day long in a fixed position? If that's the case the only solution may be to either take the watch off while working at the desk or wearing a lighter office watch.

[Jmbarrack]

So, I've had the same issue with almost every 6-digit reference I owned except for the Daytona really. Even the TT YM which I find better than the 116610 and the 116710, still isn't always comfortable. So I can attest to this actually being a thing. These watches are very precisely made and the bracelets and cases have very sharp edges on them. They can be uncomfortable under certain circumstances based on how they sit.

OP, as others suggested, the 5-digit 16710 is really your only option here aside from just dealing with the weight. Because unfortunately, there's not much you can do with the weight of the watch besides changing the strap. I will say, I own a 16710 with both a jubilee and oyster, you want to talk about comfort, that's your answer.

Buying a Rubber b is ultimately what I did with my 126621 YM and I love it. It's much lighter and more comfortable for daily use. That said, I do think the Rubber look looks good on every watch. YMMV in terms of personal taste. I know your conundrum though, it’s hard to really love a watch no matter how hard you try if the thing isn’t comfortable.

[Speedbird-1]

I'm sure there must be some 'Heavy Watch, Arm Excersise Classes' at your local college. They'll be, between the Series C Vincent Black Shadow, 'Starting Procedures for the feint hearted man' and Association Football, 'The Offside Rule For Ladies' lectures.