116610LN Review

[dannyt]

*My review is based on opinion and what I state is just that, an opinion*





Specifications (borrowed):
• Diameter: 40 mm
• Material: 904L steel
• Bezel: unidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated
• with black Cerachrom insert, platinum graduations
• Winding crown: Triplock
• shoulders to protect the crown
• Crystal: sapphire, Cyclops lens with anti-reflective coating
• Waterproofness: 300 m (1,000 ft)
• Calibre: 3135
• Self-winding: Perpetual rotor
• Date: instantaneous change and rapid setting
• Oscillator: frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 beats/hour)
• Parachrom hairspring with Breguet overcoil
• Precision: COSC-certified chronometer
• Power reserve: ~48 hours
• Hour markers: luminescent Chromalight
• Hands: luminescent Chromalight
• Bracelet Material: 904L steel
• Type: Oyster
• Clasp: Rolex Glidelock Clasp

First Impression: (9.5/10)
When I first got my Sub-C, I was blown away by the attention to detail on everything, from the bracelet to the bezel to the crystal and back around. It's the iconic sub we all know, but this time it's a little different. This time it feels like a tool watch that is meant to look good AND function, and it does just that and does a good job of it too. As my first "real" watch purchase, I was very happy with the entire transaction, which included a friendly AD and a nice discount. Even the box that houses it is of superior quality, and is a great option if you ever need to store your watch. Pictures do not do this watch justice and it must be seen in the flesh to fully appreciate the craftsmanship put into this watch.



Quality: (mine 9/10, without flaws 10/10)
The watch oozes quality while still maintaining it's tough mantra. The watch has a spectacular brushed finish which contrasts the polished bits very nicely. The quality of the clasp is unparallelled, and the bracelet on this is bar far the best in this price range. If you're like me and you love the little details, you will love this watch. The engraved numbers in the bezel are not too prominent, but when you look at it you definitely notice the recessed numbers, and I think the look is fantastic. The rehaut is flawless and also looks stunning, and complements the recessed numbers on the bezel beautifully. Unfortunately, a few months into my purchase, I noticed a slight defect in the lume applied on the pearl. The lume sits in a flat and there is a sapphire crystal covering it, but on mine there is some lume on only one half of the sapphire crystal of the pearl. It is absolutely a manufacturing default and should not have slipped through Rolex QC. However, another watch for sale at my AD had the same problem, so my guess this problem is from an unrefined early manufacturing process and will be sorted out it the future. I must still dock marks for this though, as it is an irritating problem that CAN be fixed under warranty but shouldn't have to be.



Bracelet / case: (9/10)
The new bracelet is now solid, a not-so-necessary improvement. It now makes the watch heavier, and takes away from it's true purpose as a sport / tool watch. Those will smaller wrists may find the extra weight a little irritating, but for the time being I have no problem. This solid bracelet should also prevent 'stretching' in future years and help to preserve the original look of the watch. I find myself indifferent to the new maxi case, as it does not affect my comfort and aesthetically is not a problem. The maxi dial is a nice addition however and makes reading time at a glance much easier.



Clasp: (10/10)
The biggest and most appreciated addition to this watch is definitely the clasp. Although considerably longer than the previous clasp, it provides unparallelled comfort. Although designed for divers, wrist size (at least mine) changes with humidity / wetness on a daily basis, and the option to adjust by just a mm or 2 allows me to hit the 'sweet spot' and is pure perfection. Additionally, some days I will prefer wearing the watch loose (a hot summer day) and on some days I will prefer the watch a little tighter (a winters day / cold night). I can make the adjustment on the fly, and that ease is totally worth the inflated price to me.









Bezel: (10/10)
A truly beautiful thing to look at, the engraved numbers jump out at you and although it does look different than previous models, I think it has changed for the better. The bezel is engraved then blasted with platinum before being polished and finished. A cool little touch that is not in your face but increases the quality in my mind. The bezel changes colour in direct light, and goes from a dark black to dull grey in direct sunlight to everything in between in varying colour intensities.







Movement / Accuracy: (8.5/10)
The tried and true Rolex 3135 with a twist. Now supposedly more accurate and with an increased resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, it keeps nice time. Mine keeps to about -.5 seconds over 9 days and then gradually falls into -1.5/day after the 9 day 'break-in' period. For a mechanical movement it is fantastic, but could definitely be better (although likely not in this price ranged).





Lume: (9.5/10)
No complaints here. When fully charged, glows a nice bright blue and slowly fades but lasts 8-10 hours.



Overall: (9.5/10)
Without taking price into account, this is a fantastic watch. If it is within your means, it is a worthy upgrade of past subs, and takes on a contemporary spin on a timeless classic, but manages to maintain that everlasting beauty. You must see it in person to fully appreciate. Hope you enjoyed!

[moviefreak]

Nice..

[Megalobyte]

Nice review. Unfortunate about the pearl, but totally fixable.

I'd only say that if your watch is within 1.5 sec a day, that's more than just ok. It could perhaps be improved, just as likely it would return no better. I do understand you'd prefer it gain 1.5, but that's still excellent. And, it's my belief the watch breaks in and changes slightly over 2-3 months. I've heard more often than not the 3135, if it changes, tends to get a second or 2 faster. I'd get the pearl fixed and not regulate it.

Mine did appear to speed up about a second after wearing it for 6-7 weeks straight. It was losing about a second a day, now it's very close to even with slight deviations that basically cancel out, with a touch of self regulating through nightly resting positions.

[phampau]

Good review, beautiflu indeed!

[HL65]

Serious review Danny!!

[Sherwooddavid]

Nicely done Daniel !

[jay_man2]

Nice run-through, and great pics!

[AJMarcus]

Wow! Awesome review. I could not agree more. Since I bought mine in AUGUST last year i have worn it almost exclusively. It looks Great dressed up or down and everywhere in between. I think Rolex took the Sub to the next level and no one is close. I thought initially there was no way they could surpass the classic sub and then when I first laid eyes on it I made my decision and have never looked back. This is one watch that will remain in my collection.

[dragonrolex]

What is your standard of "fully charged" for the luminescent markings? I am surpised that you can still see them glow during the 8-10 hours.

[MortgageGuy]

WOW Great review, awesome pics too I certainly would have RSC fix that pearl, IMO this is unacceptable for a Rolex to have

[chicagofan]

Nice review and great pics of a fantastic watch.

[Megalobyte]

I too find I can easily read the time on the C anywhere from bedtime until morning. It's not super bright but the large markers and hands seem to always have enough residual energy to read as much as 8 hours after being in total darkness. I don't think it's so much the new blue Lume, as the size of the markers/hands which allow more Lume to be applied. I do like the blue color though. :) The Sub C is my favorite watch of all time.

[dannyt]

Originally Posted by Megalobyte

Nice review. Unfortunate about the pearl, but totally fixable.

I'd only say that if your watch is within 1.5 sec a day, that's more than just ok. It could perhaps be improved, just as likely it would return no better. I do understand you'd prefer it gain 1.5, but that's still excellent. And, it's my belief the watch breaks in and changes slightly over 2-3 months. I've heard more often than not the 3135, if it changes, tends to get a second or 2 faster. I'd get the pearl fixed and not regulate it.

Mine did appear to speed up about a second after wearing it for 6-7 weeks straight. It was losing about a second a day, now it's very close to even with slight deviations that basically cancel out, with a touch of self regulating through nightly resting positions.

I agree that 1.5/day is great, but I get a little jealous when I hear the true potential of this movement (others have reported 0.5/day)

As for the pearl, it should've been fixed before it was sold, and I'm not sure I'm ready to part with this watch for whatever 2-3 weeks it may take to fix, LOL!

[Michael M.]

Great review, love the pictures! That clasp is awesome, thanks for sharing!

[Megalobyte]

Originally Posted by dannyt

I agree that 1.5/day is great, but I get a little jealous when I hear the true potential of this movement (others have reported 0.5/day)

Right now, mine is staying very close to dead on, BUT, I think some of that is sheer random luck, and, a fair bit of experimenting with nightly resting positions, and, it woudn't surprise me to see that change somewhat in time. I think that sometimes, the stories we hear of watches that are consistently a second or 2 a week/month, are at best, unusual examples of a watch that's adjusted in such a way as to perfectly match that particular wearer's habits, or a combination of that, a nightly resting position that offsets the daily error, plus a little wishful thinking, seeing it in its best possible light, if you will. :)

Have you tried to find a nightly resting position that gains the most time? On mine, crown up seems to be the fastest, crown down, the slowest. Both are still pretty good at only half a second difference between the 2.

[Old Blue]

Excellent review and photos!
Thanks for taking the time to do that.

[dalip]

Solid review Daniel - thanks for taking the time to post.

[Puffy]

great review mate, thanks for sharing

[buddy13]

Very well done...I am loving mine more and more with each day ...

[Art 1]

Well done!

[Cru Jones]

nice review and pix, thanks.

[jamesbondOO7]

Nice review, thank you.

[dannyt]

Originally Posted by Megalobyte

Right now, mine is staying very close to dead on, BUT, I think some of that is sheer random luck, and, a fair bit of experimenting with nightly resting positions, and, it woudn't surprise me to see that change somewhat in time. I think that sometimes, the stories we hear of watches that are consistently a second or 2 a week/month, are at best, unusual examples of a watch that's adjusted in such a way as to perfectly match that particular wearer's habits, or a combination of that, a nightly resting position that offsets the daily error, plus a little wishful thinking, seeing it in its best possible light, if you will. :)

Have you tried to find a nightly resting position that gains the most time? On mine, crown up seems to be the fastest, crown down, the slowest. Both are still pretty good at only half a second difference between the 2.

I used to do crown up but recently I've gotten lazy and just sat it crystal up because it is the most natural position. I think I saw the steady time loosing after changing from crown to crystal up, and I think I'm going back to crown up. Thanks for reminding me about that!

[Scandinavian]

Great review indeed!

[KarlFr]

Very very nice review!

[rfknauss]

Daniel ..... what a great review ..... and beautiful pics!

[A.J.R.]

Nice review.

[Jet]

Great review & superb pics!

[mitchy]

great review Dan! reall making me want one

[ncj]

Really enjoyed the review and the comments about the weight differences. Did you try weighing the watch to see how different it was compared to older versions of the Sub?