Is a Sea-Dweller a Submariner?

[Joearch]

I posted earlier about picking up a 16600 ref SD. I noticed the booklet that came with the watch is titled Submariner and the SD is described in some detail in the little booklet. Just curious as I thougt a SD was a completly different model.
Seems they are different enough to be separate model even in 1999. Today they are clearly different. Just wondering.

[GTC]

For 2018, the 126600 SD43 and the 126660 DSSD share the same 27 page Rolex brochure, but no mention of the Sub. Prior to 43mm SD, as thesharkfactor points out, very similar.

https://assets.rolex.com/watches/sea...26660-0001.pdf

[thesharkfactor]

The 16600 is very similar to the 16610...

[Blackdog]

In it's very beginnings, the Sea Dweller was indeed a spin-off of the Submariner line.

So, IMO, they are Submariners. Albeit a very specialised variant.

Probably slightly more so for 5 digits and older, than for 6 digits references.

[oldman2005]

[904VT]

Nah SDs have been distant cousins to Submariners for years, but not actually Subs outside of the beginning. Just happened to be part of Rolex's "Diver Collection" in 5 digit days when there wasn't a more defined model line of Subs, SDs, and DSSDs. You're just seeing synergies in the printing of owner manuals imo

[Bruins7]

Yes basically they are just that the SD is a sub on steroids :).

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by Bruins7

Yes basically they are just that the SD is a sub on steroids :).

[Rocketman39]

I just saw my first SD in person this week. If you are a professional diver, I get it. Since I am not, I would have no need for this time piece. It's a beauty but "HUGE" and "HEAVY".
I wore my Sub for fifty years and now my GMT. They are as big as a Wimp like me needs to go !

[c.rod]

Originally Posted by Rocketman39

I just saw my first SD in person this week. If you are a professional diver, I get it. Since I am not, I would have no need for this time piece. It's a beauty but "HUGE" and "HEAVY".
I wore my Sub for fifty years and now my GMT. They are as big as a Wimp like me needs to go !

What would you do if you saw a Deep sea sea dweller? The sea dweller pales in comparison.

Also, it depends on how big your wrist is. Subs and gmt’s look like ladies models on me...

[BT1985]

Originally Posted by Rocketman39

I just saw my first SD in person this week. If you are a professional diver, I get it. Since I am not, I would have no need for this time piece. It's a beauty but "HUGE" and "HEAVY".
I wore my Sub for fifty years and now my GMT. They are as big as a Wimp like me needs to go !

I love the extra heft. I wore a 16610 for 10 years and now it feels dainty. I’m going to put it on leather now that the SD43 has won the starting role. If I am wearing a dive watch I want to be able club aggressive wildlife with it if needed.


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[Joearch]

Originally Posted by BT1985

I love the extra heft. I wore a 16610 for 10 years and now it feels dainty. I’m going to put it on leather now that the SD43 has won the starting role. If I am wearing a dive watch I want to be able club aggressive wildlife with it if needed.


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To me the difference in thickness is less than I expected. Also a bit heavier, but not a big deal for me.

[SomeEngineer]

Originally Posted by oldman2005

Oh god look at how its all yellow and the pearl is all faded and old like its been smoking lucky strikes. This is a saucy picture sir.

[gman5515]

I've been quite a SD fan, especially of the old. IMO, the Sea Dweller was Rolex's development for deeper dives and subsea capabilities, sprung off from the Submariner model. Hence why the DRSDs had the wordings "Submariner 2000", as the Mk 1 and 2 DRSDs used the same case as the submariners, but with a HEV. in fact, a few pieces of the prototype Single Red Sea Dweller had no HEV at all. Perezcope had a write up on his investigation of the 12 known SRSDs. It as a very intersting read.

Of course, over the years, the case got larger, and Rolex made improvements to the SD, based on feedback from divers through R & D in the real world.

The current SD43, is probably by far(no pun intended), the most differentiated SD version compared to the Submariner(with the exception of the DSSDs)

[HarryLime]

Originally Posted by oldman2005

Originally Posted by oldman2005

oooh baby

[faz]

Originally Posted by Rocketman39

I just saw my first SD in person this week. If you are a professional diver, I get it. Since I am not, I would have no need for this time piece. It's a beauty but "HUGE" and "HEAVY".
I wore my Sub for fifty years and now my GMT. They are as big as a Wimp like me needs to go !

You don’t dive 1000ft down either.

I would bet 99.9% of buyers won’t go anywhere below 100ft of water, so functionality really has nothing to do with the purchase of a watch.


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[faz]

Originally Posted by oldman2005

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[Joearch]

Originally Posted by faz

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Thx, great input. I had never noticed the SD 2000 actually said Submariner on the dial. At that time the SeaDweller would seem to have been a special Submariner. SD 43 and DSSD clearly a different animal. In any case fun discussion for me.

[SG56]

Originally Posted by faz

You don’t dive 1000ft down either.

I would bet 99.9% of buyers won’t go anywhere below 100ft of water, so functionality really has nothing to do with the purchase of a watch.


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Well said!

[HogwldFLTR]

After 100 ft nitrogen narcosis becomes a possibility. Not really good to dive to deep anyway.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by oldman2005

Photoshopped much?.

Spoils it imo.

[Onikage]

Originally Posted by directioneng

Photoshopped much?.

Spoils it imo.

??Help me out if you will. What's he done?

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by thesharkfactor

The 16600 is very similar to the 16610...

Apart from the case, dial, crystal, case back, HEV and bracelet

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by directioneng

Photoshopped much?.

Spoils it imo.

Originally Posted by Onikage

??Help me out if you will. What's he done?

Totally over saturated the colours

Should look like this

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by faz

You don’t dive 1000ft down either.

I would bet 99.9% of buyers won’t go anywhere below 100ft of water, so functionality really has nothing to do with the purchase of a watch.


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There are people on this forum who wouldn't wear their Subs in the shower, let alone even swim with them

[rph08]

For some reason this reminds me of geometry where all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares!

[javier]

Originally Posted by faz

You don’t dive 1000ft down either.

I would bet 99.9% of buyers won’t go anywhere below 100ft of water, so functionality really has nothing to do with the purchase of a watch.


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I would say 20ft

[dricig]

The 166XX Dwellers were actually tool watches back then.
Rolex cheaped out by not printing an SD specific booklet.

[lenfried29]

Sea-Dweller family is completely different from Sub family now days. Especially DSSD.
1. Specifically developed case to withstand greater pressure
2. Sapphire crystal(DSSD) 5.5mm thick
3. Helium escape valve
4. 2018 SD models are equiped with new caliber - 3235 vs Sub 3135
5. Rolex testing SDs differently then Subs before releasing it to consumer(a lot tougher test for SD models)

[soran]

A beefed up Sub... talking about the 5 digit ones