SD or DSSD

[submariner123]

Sd

[drainaps]

DSSD is an attention seeker type of watch. Not my piece of cake. I'm a vintage guy with a strong like for SDs, so my views are tilted that way. Here is my list in order of preference:

1 1665 Great White. Any dial.

2 Triple Six Matt Dial.

3 Triple Six Glossy Dial.

4 16,600 Lug Holes.

5 16,600 No Lug Holes.

6 And last, DSSD. Impractical, attention seeker and expensive for what it is, a new watch.

[impalass]

I have a 7" flat wrist, tried to warm up to the DSSD, too tall/massive for me, ended up coming home with the 16600 with no regrets.

[sea-dweller]

SD for me, as the DSSD is too large on my wrist.

[horseco]

Why not a ceramic Sub ??? Are you going diving in the Marianas trench ???

[Doctorsti]

I wear 40mm and larger with many of my pre-Rolex obsession being 44mm. I have about a 7 inch wrist maybe just shy if it's cold (or a lot shy depending on region of the body and how cold). I think the DSSD fits great on my wrist. Smaller then 7" and I think you risk the lug to lug distance being as wide as your wrist which is what, IMHO, makes watches look "too big" (sub 48mm watchs, 48mm and wider are just clocks).

Given your choices and budget (considering the DSSD) I would say Triple 6 SD matte dial unless you need lume for night viewing of time then 16600 with lug holes from around the year 2000 would be perfect. Spend an extra grand or a glidelock clasp and you will have the best of both worlds despite bastardizing the vintage law of keeping it all stock.

DSSD is big but not as big as comes across in opinions here as this audience is, for good reason, skewed to Rolex product which hovers at 40mm std. Compare a DSSD to a PO, AP ROO, PAM, SINN, IWC diver, Blancpain, Grand Seiko, etc... and it's all of a sudden the smallest or close to the smallest. Check some comparisons of PO's, Fifty Fathoms, etc... on size and you'll see the DSSD is not big AND as has been stated the narrowing of the bracelet works to it's advantage for being comfortable on wrists less then 7.5". I LOVED my DSSD and will soon have another but if the bracelet was wider at the clasp end I wouldn't buy it back. Fits perfect with the taper. Remove the dive extension and add a half link and I'm a happy camper.

[Oyster Al]

DSSD is big but not as big as comes across in opinions here as this audience is, for good reason, skewed to Rolex product which hovers at 40mm std. Compare a DSSD to a PO, AP ROO, PAM, SINN, IWC diver, Blancpain, Grand Seiko, etc... and it's all of a sudden the smallest or close to the smallest. Check some comparisons of PO's, Fifty Fathoms, etc... on size and you'll see the DSSD is not big AND as has been stated the narrowing of the bracelet works to it's advantage for being comfortable on wrists less then 7.5". I LOVED my DSSD and will soon have another but if the bracelet was wider at the clasp end I wouldn't buy it back. Fits perfect with the taper. Remove the dive extension and add a half link and I'm a happy camper.[/QUOTE]


Probably the smartest thing I've ever read about the DSSD.

[improviz]

I don't think the *diameter*of the DSSD is too large when viewed against contemporary watches (although IMO a 44mm diameter watch is too large for a 6.5" wrist), but I do think the *height* of it is too much, same with the new Omega POs to a lessor extent. If they'd have gone for a more reasonable depth rating (I mean, hell, even the SD's depth rating is beyond ridiculous, but at least it doesn't make for an uncomfortable wear), allowing them to make due with a case that's not so tall and correspondingly heavy, I'd probably have gotten one, but for me the height and weight are just too much.

[Clay]

Sea Dweller

[JMW]

Originally Posted by Betelc

Just below 6.5". I have 44mm Pams and they wear well. Can't say the same for the BP where the crown bites into the flesh (hence it's gone).

I think the SD would be the better option

That said if you are ok with the Pam's i don't think there's much between them and the DS might suit you ok.

A few size comparison pic's to help

[Rashid.bk]

I had a SD, after three months I sold it and got a Deepsea and love it. Haven't looked back yet.
I would say your wrist size is a consideration on this one. There are times after a few weeks that it feels a bit heavy, I switch to another watch, after a few days I miss the DS and when I put it on, love all over again.
.....SD who..?

[Hkexpat183]

I've had a SD for the last 3-4 years. Worked great as a tool watch. Was able to try out a DS for a week or so and have now decided to pass the SD to my wife and get a DS for myself.

[Betelc]

Thank you, pals, for all your advices.

The DS sits well on the wrist as it is flat. But because of the flatness, it makes the DS sits tall from the side view. While it does feel heavy, it has an awesome overall look and feel.

From this thread, there are more ayes for the SD. The one I am offered is a P-prefix. The matte triple 6 and the 1665 did not come to mind as I am no vintage chap and do not want to be pay for my lessons. If I take the P-prefix, I certainly won't bastardise the bracelet by going for a glidelock clasp!

I will post some pics of my decision.

Waddle on!

[Rashid.bk]

Originally Posted by drainaps

DSSD is an attention seeker type of watch. Not my piece of cake. I'm a vintage guy with a strong like for SDs, so my views are tilted that way. Here is my list in order of preference:

1 1665 Great White. Any dial.

2 Triple Six Matt Dial.

3 Triple Six Glossy Dial.

4 16,600 Lug Holes.

5 16,600 No Lug Holes.

6 And last, DSSD. Impractical, attention seeker and expensive for what it is, a new watch.

Wrong!
Absurd, silly comments. I would say a gold watch is more for attention than a Deepsea. But one could argue any Rolex is an attention seeker. There are lots of reasons I chose a Deepsea and attention isn't even on the list as I would suspect are most Deepsea owners.

[dalip]

Originally Posted by drainaps

DSSD is an attention seeker type of watch. Not my piece of cake. I'm a vintage guy with a strong like for SDs, so my views are tilted that way. Here is my list in order of preference:

1 1665 Great White. Any dial.

2 Triple Six Matt Dial.

3 Triple Six Glossy Dial.

4 16,600 Lug Holes.

5 16,600 No Lug Holes.

6 And last, DSSD. Impractical, attention seeker and expensive for what it is, a new watch.

Originally Posted by Rashid.bk

Wrong!
Absurd, silly comments. I would say a gold watch is more for attention than a Deepsea. But one could argue any Rolex is an attention seeker. There are lots of reasons I chose a Deepsea and attention isn't even on the list as I would suspect are most Deepsea owners.

Well - drainaps has certainly gained my attention...but hold on..he doesn't wear the DSSD ..Go figure

DSSD for me - When fitted correctly it's an exceptionally comfortable watch. The crystal, dial and superb clasp make it a winner all round.

[Travelller]

Originally Posted by Betelc

The DS sits well on the wrist as it is flat. But because of the flatness, it makes the DS sits tall from the side view. While it does feel heavy, it has an awesome overall look and feel. From this thread, there are more ayes for the SD. The one I am offered is a P-prefix. The matte triple 6 and the 1665 did not come to mind as I am no vintage chap...

It's a tough call, to be sure! My first tool-watches were 44~45mm and when I tried on a 1665 and 14060M, I though there would be no way I could get used to the [small] size... . Then I tried on the DSSD - loved the weight, size was of course ok too, but I found it to be major top-heavy... . It could be that I didn't take the time to have the bracelet properly fitted, dunno. Finally, I tried on an SD and talk about the Goldilocks of the Rolex tool watches At 144g on OEM bracelet, it's only 1g less than my 1950-case PAM (on OEM rubber). The case-height is perfect and although it's 4mm less in dia. than my PAM it looks big (especially on NATO )

And that's without getting into the history of the Sea Dweller... you don't have to be a vintage collector to appreciate the history of the SD; this goes for the DS as well - no argument that it has a rich history of its own

Good luck with your decision - you can't go wrong either way

[lavaman]

I go SD all the way

I have smallish wrists and the SD fit me better than the Sub. I think its an illusion because of the no-Cyclops, but there ya go.

the SD fit me perfectly. (I went with a GMT instead, but...)

[Armyguy03]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1373911620.318268.jpg

[Brandon(phila)]

If you are going watch for watch the DSSD is truly awesome....but I still own my K Series SD bought new by me back in 2002, I sold my DSSD a few months ago.....I really loved that watch and thought for sure it was keeper as I have 7.5 wrists...in the end...the height was too tall.
I hated bumping it into everything.
On average I only bump my watches a couple times per year.....the DSSD...a couple times per week. If it was 2-3mm flatter...I would have kept it.

Make sure you go to an AD and try on a DSSD....I think it might look a little too big.

[ufboy73]

i dont understand all this banging and clanking around:). i generally try and have more clearance thru doorways, car spots, etc for my body than a couple mm :)

luckily, i have not knocked my dssd once and am still in love with it - of course, i have other watches too so its not a case where i would get easily sick of it.

actually, the only time i have banged the dssd was putting on a BCD...but, in that case, i think i would have banged a Sub too :)

[strafer_kid]

Tried the Deepsea on and it is undoubtedly one amazing piece of engineering that looks terrific, but it really does feel top heavy and big, even on my 7.0 inch wrist. Some people even feel that the SD is a bit top heavy but having had one, I would recommend it.

[psv]

It all depends on what you are looking for and how you are going to use the watch.

The heft and handling of the DSSD is something else, it is easily the best engineered Rolex I've ever handled. I find the matte dial and domed crystal very attractive and more importantly it works really well with sifficient amount of lume. It is simply a bad ass watch that you can take to hell and back. And then some. On the downside, it is the only Rolex I ever remove from my wrist, it is really a bit too top-heavy and the tickness is on the extreme side. I am not the type of person to tell anyone else how to live their lives, but a 215 gr watch that is 18mm thick is a bit extreme on a 6.5 in wrist.

The SD 16600 is a cult watch with a strong following, especially on online communities like TRF. It is the true original extreme dive watch that was used by pro divers for decades, not by posers. Best of all, it comes in a very compact and under-the-radar package, and it doesn't scream Rolex as a Sub or GMT does with the cyclops. Downsides? The lume is really sub-par by today's standards and the stamped clasp will get lose/worn out over time.

Which one to pick? Only you could decide? Mint SD's are getting harder and harder to find, while DSSDs are readily available in any city in the world...