I Finally took the plunge! Two additions to my stable of Divers´ watches.

[Subexplorer]

Hello! I wish to share with my Forum fellow members, my new adquisitions.
Last Sunday I posted here my experience seeing and trying for first time a DSSD, at a local AD that same afternoon.
Here are some of my writings and inicial thoughts about this awesome watch from that post:
” … I took advantage of this sunny Sunday here in Baires, to pay a little visit to a local AD at a mall, which I know is open on Sundays too.
My main objective was to see if any Submariner no date (14060m) was available, specially a non COSC (inscription free dial!) version.
I asked about the Sub no date, and the lady told me no one was in stock, and fairly difficult to get them, as Rolex was not importing them, and she guessed that it was no longer in production (which of course I know, it´s not the case)

This is what I was after… but…



Anyway, the lady was very nice, and invited me to take a seat, and showed me a Sub date, and then she told me that as it was evident I was a Rolex enthusiast, judging for my Daytona on my wrist, and that she was going to show me the latest Divers watch from Rolex.
She also asked me if I knew the new SDDS model.
I answered that only by pictures and magazine and Internet reports, but never "in person".

Well, there it was: a shining brand new SDDS, in my hands, which the lady graciously invited me to try in my wrist, in place of my Cosmograph.
This I did very pleased.
After some trying, close observation and chatting with this nice lady, I left the store with the promise of thinking a little more about its purchase, and also telling her that the new Rolex watch was very nice indeed.

Now, I must confess that this watch produced some mixed emotions on me:
(of course, what follows is a very personal point of view)





First feeling: this is not a watch I personally would like to use daily. I find it very heavy, and big.
I mean, the problem is not its diameter, but its height. I feel I would keep banging it everywhere. My God! it really stands out of my wrist!





I also guess I wouldn´t use it for scuba diving either, being the standard Sub
(date or no date) a more reasonable size in my opinion.
Depth rating of regular Submariners, being more than adecuate for a sport diver, and also for a saturation diver pro.
Before any of the nice forum members who also happen to be owners of a SDDS start throwing me some heavy objects, I wish to tell the other second feeling:
I liked this watch very much!.
It´s a superb piece of machinery, shows the great workmanship, finish and detail that we can expect from a Rolex product.
I was greatly impressed with it, and got very enthusiastic with the perspective of buying it in a near future.
I love well made machinery, and this watch is beautifully made indeed…
…Let me add that just the Glidelock clasp alone is a marvelous piece of engineering, and a wonderful example of the making of a rather complex and utilitarian piece, which is only a part of a wristwatch. This alone would make me enthusiastic about the purchase of this watch.
I would buy it just for the pleasure of owning it, fondling it, taking looks of its high quality in all angles. Isn´t that the name of the game anyway?
May be it won´t be my daily use watch, and it´s also possible that I´d be actually using it in very few occasions, just for the pleasure of it, having other more "logical" watches in my collection.
It surely kept "clicking" in my mind all the afternoon, after my visit to this AD, and I think that this will be my future purchase during the second half of this year, and inspired me to write these lines to share my thought with all my nice fellow members at TRF… “

End of my previous post.

Fact is that the mental picture of that SDDS kept ticking in my head all Sunday afternoon, and then during all Monday, trying to decide what to do, and balancing the pros and cons of this watch from my point of view. And also making some calculations about the contents of my pockets to afford its purchase!!

Tuesday morning, I was decided. I phoned my friendly AD, whose owner is a an old friend from whom I bought several watches, and asked him about the availability of both the SDDS, and the 14060m.
The store owner told me he had no one at his store, but was checking with Rolex Argentina, about the stock of those models.
Some 30 minutes later, he phoned back with the answer:
Sub no date was no problem, plenty of stock of the new model with COSC.
SDDS, only one example remaining in Rolex premises. No more expected to be impoorted in the following months, and a price increase very posible in next batch. Rolex also informed that very few examples remained in other local AD stores in my Country, if any.

This panorama speeded my decisión, and I requested to order the two watches inmediately, alter getting an special deal from my firendly AD.
I should mention that this AD store is located some 60 miles from Buenos Aires, so it took a little time for them to get the watches from Rolex, and then to ship them to my office in Buenos Aires on Thursday night…





I´m now wearing my new Sub no date as I write these lines, and I´ll be enjoying and discovering the new SDDS during this week end.
It´s really big! It surely wharfs my Sub, and I presently don´t know wether it will ever be a daily user.
But it surely is a very special piece of high quality and precision machinery, very worth to keep in ones watch collection, showing the craftmanship and finís one expects of a product bearing the Rolex brand.
Regarding size there is no problem with its diameter as it looks similar to my Panerai 111 on my wrist, but it is its height what I find rather akward.



What a great face!!





Lume shot



A Family shot: Deep Sea, old 1680 Sub Date (1977) and new Sub no date COSC (14060m)



Face to Face!! Deep Sea & Sub Date (1680)



Helium valve of a hefty watch





Hope I can post a better review in some time. Thanks for reading my long speech!
Kind regards, Abel

[kcmo]

Congrats Abel! Wow, you have a heck of a trio there! Enjoy them all in good health!

[AstroBoy]

WOW! The Beast is beautiful!

[k4vks]

Congrats Abel!! I had the opportunity to wear my cousins DSSD for a week and I absolutely fell in love with it! It was MASSIVE when I first put it on, but after the second day, it just felt "right" and after I gave it back my 16613 felt SO small and light...


DSSD is in my future for sure!

ps - the blue lume is amazing!

[buz-lh]

Big congrats Abel. Splendid trio.

[mike]

Man you know how to do things right. Wonderful additions and mega congrats. Stunning trio.

[Subexplorer]

Thanks for your comments Karis, Phthais, K4vks and Buz-lh!!
Regards, Abel

[Subexplorer]

Thanks Mike!! Kind regards, Abel

[Nica64]

Congratulations Abel!! great watches I love them both Go Boca!!!

[casadecamporolex]

Congrats Abel!!!! Did you just win the Argentinian lottery? Two watches in a couple of days? We all envy you in many ways.
How many DSSDs have they received in Argentina do you think? Amazing that the AD and Rolex have such a relationship. Nothing like that in the USA. Even if you order the most expensive watch from an AD here and it is in stock at RolexUSA, RolexUSA will say, "Yes, it is in stock and it will take about two weeks to ship it to you." I know because it has happened to me with my wife's platinum watch.
Again, enjoy your new additions, you lucky guy!!

[Browining]

Congratulations Abel!!! I too wear panerai (236) and at first had the same impressions as you, width was no problem but the height was a different matter. To be honest ,you get used to it very quickly and the height doesn't seem so extreme. I took one link out and the divers extension and have a perfect fit, no flop and perfectly centered. The only down side is some (not all) of my shirt sleeves hang up on the watch but that can be fixed, just have to buy new shirts. You'll soon find the DSSD on your wrist more and more.
Browning

[Parachrom]

If you wear a Sd , the extra height of the dssd will not bother you. I think somehow the body adjusts as to when you are near things that might hit it. almost intuitive.

enjoy both of these fine peices of workmanship.

[benjaminchia]

you are one lucky man. Congrats.

[chenx15]

look at that giant!!!

[Subexplorer]

Nica64 Thanks!! Yes, Boca has a lot followers here. They say that half + 1 of our population is a fan of Boca. I don´t think so, anyway!

Casadecamporolex: Thanks: here is my reply to:

Congrats Abel!!!! Did you just win the Argentinian lottery? Two watches in a couple of days? We all envy you in many ways.
How many DSSDs have they received in Argentina do you think? Amazing that the AD and Rolex have such a relationship. Nothing like that in the USA. Even if you order the most expensive watch from an AD here and it is in stock at RolexUSA, RolexUSA will say, "Yes, it is in stock and it will take about two weeks to ship it to you." I know because it has happened to me with my wife's platinum watch.
Again, enjoy your new additions, you lucky guy!!

Thank You!! Don´t think I can do this very often. Just decide to use some savings, and depleted my piggy bank!
I guess Rolex has around 25/30 AD in the whole territory.
Most of them do not have the complete line in stock, so when you request something special, they just call Rolex, and request if it is in stock. If available, it reaches the AD within 24/72 hours.
Regarding quantity of DSSD arriving here, I can´t tell you for sure, but I don´t think that more than two or three dozens. What I know is that mine was the last of this first batch. Our market is not very big for this kind of watches, and this model is very specialized. Anyway, Rolex keeps a very large operation here, with a very well equipped and efficient Service dept.

Browning: Thanks too for your comment. I had to take out two links, from the 12 side.
Watch got completely centered and very comfortable, in spite of its size. Anyway, its weight is well felt. I feels heavy indeed!!
I like very much my Pam 111. What a sweet watch! I love its manual workings visible through its glass back, and to wind it like in vintage watches.

Thanks again for reading such a long post and sending your comments!!
Kind regards, Abel

[ocwatching]

Congrats..nice trio...

[Deep Sea]

Your entire post is well worth reading. Enjoy your new additions! Both look great, and I'm sure they'll add to the confusion as you dress in the morning (1680, ND, SDDS....).

Cheers.

[Brunotheboxer]

Congrats. Big

[Lion]

Wow what a threesome you have there Abel!!! The PICS look great and the side by side comparison is awesome. I too like the blue glowing lume color on the dial of the DSSD. Enjoy your new toys and wear them in good health.

[Bankster]

Enjoy your trio collection in good health, one thing you mentioned was a price increase is likely in the next batch of shipments, do you guys think rolex will increase their prices again in march no matter how crappier the economy gets?

[hflee55]

Congrats!

[oyster21]

very nice report and congrats for your new watches! wear in your best of health.

[ayeya]

DSSD makes your other watches look tiny haha. congrats!

[mck22]

Very nice editions to the collection. Id love to have the SD!!!

[Andad]

Great thread Abel, nice pair of Rolex.

Enjoy wearing them.

[valentine]

Just got my Deepsea today too!!!!!! congrats, Abel!!!!!! we'll both be enjoying these new monsters this week!!!!!!!!

[wanasub]

What a collection Abel! From the Explorer to the Deep Sea, magnificent!!

[yannis]

Excellent story Abel. Congratulations my friend!! Great watches!

[SirLoki]

congrats from a fellow deepsea owner! saw there were not any club tags for the deepsea so i made a quick one in my sig :)

[SLS]

Congrats on two great pieces!
~Scott