Rolex DEEPSEA vs Submariner & Omega Seamaster PO

[floater156]

I love the DSSD

[kdav]

Nice collection & great review. Loved the comparison pic between the DSSD & Sub. The DSSD definitely looks the part of a serious diver's watch!

[MYK]

Love the DSSD, one of my grails. Wear it in good health. :)


Question, what"s the difference betweem 4WD and AWD? :p

[Doc Martin]

I wanted the DSSD from the moment I saw one, but after an hour wearing the watch around, it was just overkill for me being mostly a desk diver. Although I do dive and spend plenty of time in and around water, the DSSD was like a Hummer H1 compared to the 4Runner I drive. Its shear mass must be attended to.

However, I fell in love with the new Submariner 116610 which happens to be an excellent compromise between the previous Sub and the DS. Plus there is more watch and less case with the Sub compared to the DS, and I can slide a fitted shirt over it (most of the time).

Something to consider about the weight is that the new bracelet adjustment allows both fast and precise adjustment meaning that you can neutralize much of the movement. Further, a considerable portion of the weight increase of the new Sub over the old one is because the bracelet is solid, not hollow and makes a beautiful sound as such when setting it on a counter or table...THUNK! So the weight on the wrist is greater, but the weight is nicely distributed around the wrist.

I also like the fact that the ceramic bezel of the new Sub has not yet been knocked off.

But in honesty, the DSSD is still gnawing on me so I can't rule it out just yet.

[Igerswis]

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

I wanted the DSSD from the moment I saw one, but after an hour wearing the watch around, it was just overkill for me being mostly a desk diver. Although I do dive and spend plenty of time in and around water, the DSSD was like a Hummer H1 compared to the 4Runner I drive. Its shear mass must be attended to.

However, I fell in love with the new Submariner 116610 which happens to be an excellent compromise between the previous Sub and the DS. Plus there is more watch and less case with the Sub compared to the DS, and I can slide a fitted shirt over it (most of the time).

Something to consider about the weight is that the new bracelet adjustment allows both fast and precise adjustment meaning that you can neutralize much of the movement. Further, a considerable portion of the weight increase of the new Sub over the old one is because the bracelet is solid, not hollow and makes a beautiful sound as such when setting it on a counter or table...THUNK! So the weight on the wrist is greater, but the weight is nicely distributed around the wrist.

I also like the fact that the ceramic bezel of the new Sub has not yet been knocked off.

But in honesty, the DSSD is still gnawing on me so I can't rule it out just yet.

If my brother didn't already have a Submariner then I would have probably got the LV instead of the DSSD. That shade of green looks amazing! The DSSD is definately a keeper but I don't and couldn't wear it everyday. It gets rotated with thinner watches in the collection when I'm going to work.

Originally Posted by MYK

Love the DSSD, one of my grails. Wear it in good health. :)


Question, what"s the difference betweem 4WD and AWD? :p

4WD is permanent, so the same amount of power goes the the front and rear wheels. Obviously Subaru and Mitsibushi have systems that alter the amount of power to each axle.

AWD sends the majority of the power to the front wheels and directs the power to the rear when it's needed

Originally Posted by kdav

Nice collection & great review. Loved the comparison pic between the DSSD & Sub. The DSSD definitely looks the part of a serious diver's watch!

Originally Posted by floater156

I love the DSSD

Originally Posted by diamondsource

lovely collections

Originally Posted by Psmith

Interesting comparison and great photos - thanks

Originally Posted by Blueinsert

Thank you very much for this post. Shows very clearly that The SDDS is NOT that big, when compared to others. Very nice photos!

Originally Posted by HRV

Thanks for sharing

Originally Posted by AmbSteve

Love the comparison shots...and you reminded me that I definitely need to pick up an Omega. Great review and collection.

Every collection needs an Omega

Originally Posted by Nairn1980

The brand name just sounds cheap? What an idiot!!!

Originally Posted by Rodentman

I think the Omega is a lot of watch for about half the cost of the DSSD.

The Omega retails for around £5k, the DSSD has now gone up to £8k. It's hard justifying the extra outlay for the DSSD, even though it feels more solid and it'll hold its value better.

Originally Posted by jamesp7890

Nice collection though indeed

Originally Posted by jamesp7890

OMEGA DOES NOT COMPARE WITH ROLEX!!!! I don't care how much they keep raising there prices to make people believe they are in competition with companies such as Rolex,
It will never b a Rolex or patek. IMHO The brand name just sounds cheap to me!!!

Omega aren't trying to be Rolex. Rolex has the prestige but Omega have definately taken over in terms of movements and designs. Couple this with more attractive pricing and it's hard to justify a Sub over a PO.

In the past, Rolex have always had the edge in terms of movements as they were all in-house. Omega caught up with the co-axial movements and are prepared to re-regulate the movements to +4/-1 seconds iirc under warranty. Send a Rolex back that's outside those specs but still within COSC and they won't be interested.

Omega also had better bracelet designs on the PO compared to the Sub. It's taken Rolex to design the Glidelock to catch up.

Both brands have their followers and the world would be a very boring place if we all liked the same thing. But Omega is a recognised brand in it's own right, just like Rolex.

Personally I enjoy wearing my PO just as much as the DSSD. PO is more casual, DSSD is more formal.

Originally Posted by Rolex Submariner

thanks your great review

Originally Posted by Maxx

Lovely pics and collection> Really like the Deepsea but I felt it was a little too big on my 6 1/2 inch wrist.
Definitely up there as arguably one of the best diver tools on the market though.

My wrists are only a fraction larger but it's the shape of the wrist that's important. If your wrists are flat at the top then the watches will sit better.

Originally Posted by witch watch

Nice collection and pics. I'm a fan of the weight of the Deep Sea but it's too thick and top heavy for my wrist and i'm not keen on all the the writing on the dial. Subs are iconic for all the right reasons but are just too 'safe' a Rolex and thus common so for me a Sea Dweller would be my choice for a Rolex diver.

Originally Posted by DCgator

Great collection! My personal opinion only, DSSD is a step above the PO.

Originally Posted by Adam Bryan

Thanks for this sort and clear review! :) BTW, nice collection

Originally Posted by sea-dweller

Good comparison and nice photos!

Originally Posted by MYK

Gorgeous, all of them! I want a DSSD.

[filfoster]

Wow. The DSSD is not just a watch, it's an exercise program for one arm.

[Igerswis]

Originally Posted by filfoster

Wow. The DSSD is not just a watch, it's an exercise program for one arm.

The PO9300 actually weighs more than the DSSD

[WatchingTime]

The Omega is a very nice watch. Love the orange. The sea Dweller is a VERY big watch in person, a little too big for my liking. Great collection!

[h999r]

love the DSSD .. congrats !

[dalip]

Once I properly sized and wore the DSSD for a day that was that. It's an extraordinary model from Rolex in so many ways. Great to see you enjoying yours. Nice comparison shots. Love my sub LV also.....but when I'm in the mood I can't get past having the DSSD on my wrist.

Enjoy!!

[Watchmutt]

Very nice set. That PO is deceptively big...

[RFFG]

Loving the orange! PO has one of my favorite bracelets ever.

Nice collection as well.

[alpinab7]

GGRRRrrr...I'm no better off!! I literally logged on to see if there were many opinions about the DSSD on the smaller stature,(I'm 5'8/6.5 wrist) but after reading above I'm still in a quandry. As said earlier by the OP on the characteristics, I love the DSSD for what it is, it really is so much of a watch, Unnecessarily BIG / Unnecessarily WR / Over engineered etc.
I have an Exp. 2 as my daily beater & love it, possibly the most comfortable watch I've ever worn, but therein lyes the problem, am I going to just want to admire the qualities of the DSSD, find too uncomfortable & never enjoy...

[cheers for listening to my rant]

[xvfasttrip]

Hello, what's the Breitling on the very right? Thanks.

[steveclocks]

Originally Posted by Irf

Hi everyone, haven't posted here before but at least now I have plenty to share!

I collected one of my grails yesterday. It was supposed to be a 30th birthday present to myself but I wanted to avoid a potential price increase.

It's a brand new Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea (DSSD). Now I know this is a marmite watch, some love it and others loathe it, but I love this watch. For a very long time I've been into watches and only during the last couple of years have I been in a fortunate position to build up a great collection. I've steered clear of Rolex watches before as I found them too conservative for my taste and my brother has a Rolex Submariner date which I found too small and just couldn't love the bracelet. It's also a competitive thing, I had to have a better model than him! But ever since Rolex launched the DSSD in 2008 I instantly fell in love with it.

Just to clarify, I'm not a brand *****, more of an inverse badge snob. My last car was a diesel Skoda hot hatch and I loved the way people hated the brand, as the car was fantastic and it would genuinely surprise them how good it was. Perhaps this is why I've avoided a Rolex for so long. But one thing I love is technology and engineering. From my teenage years when I was into mountain biking, I loved reading up on the latest full suspension technology and the way components were being made stronger and lighter. This love of technology extended into computers (I've water cooled my computer!) and cars (my nephew can now explain the differences between FWD, RWD, 4WD and AWD!). Hence my love for the DSSD. As a watch, it's totally over engineered, uneccesary, huge, expensive and not very practical, but so are some of our dream cars. Look at Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, Zonda's etc.

As I had the opportunity to compare the watch against a 6-8 year old Sub I thought photos would do more than words ever could:

Rolex DSSD



Rolex Submariner Date



Some comparison shots:



















As you can see, the DSSD dwarf's the Submariner from all angles but the major difference is the thickness of the case. Many people complain about the writing inside the DSSD, but while it's on your wrist you don't really notice it. It's actually great when your bored and you take a closer look at the dial and the second hand sweeping away that you see the engravings on the inside. The lack of a cyclops on the crystal of the DSSD makes it look much tidier too.

Another major difference is the glide-lock mechanism. As far as I'm aware, Rolex have started introducing this new bracelet design in their newer models and IMO it was long overdue.

The old Submariner had micro adjustment in it's clasp and the diver's extention was released by pressing a link in and pulling the extension out:



The DSSD has micro adjustment in the clasp, however instead of messing with a springbar you just flip open the clasp and slide the bracelet extention in or out. This is great if your wrists expand and contract a lot during the day as you can alter the bracelet at your leisure. The diver's extention is also easier to use as you just unclip it and fold it out:

(clasp open)



(bracelet extended to the maximum)



(diver's extention unfolded)



I also took comparison shots of the Rolex DSSD against my Omega Seamaster PO Chrono:













As you can see, they are both large watches. However what makes the Rolex special is that the Omega has a depth rating of around 600 metres, whereas the Rolex is rated to 3,900 metres. Thats over six times the depth of the Omega, yet the case isn't that much larger. One thing that is is obvious is that the Omega has a much clearer crystal due to the internal and external AR coating. The Rolex is always full of reflections which takes some getting used to.

Finally a shot of the collection:



I think I'm done with further watch purchases now! It would be nice to have a white dialled Rolex Daytona (also a grail!) but if I wait a couple of decades they might update it as they have with the Submariner ;)

Handsome collection, definately a guy with good taste, that's for sure

[cjlewis610]

Very nice collection. Man that DSSD is humongous! I bet it looks like you are walking around with a filet mignon wrapped around your wrist. :) I'm jealous, those are all pretty big for my wrist.

[Rashid.bk]

Great comparison, thanks for the awesome side by side comparisons and throwing in the PO was a bonus. I love the DSSD more and more. One thing I hadn't even noticed when I tried it on is how the band tapers, even compared to the sub. It's ridiculous next to the PO. I can get pretty ocd about stuff and now that I noticed this I wonder if it'll be an issue for everyday wear.
Do you notice any difference in the band from other watches, besides maybe a little top heavy, is there a sense of balance on your wrist.
Thx in advance.

[HRV]

Wearing the DSSD is all about having the bracelet properly adjusted to your wrist!
If your one of those guys who like your watch loose and sliding about.....then I guess the DSSD will drive you crazy, as it is top heavy. But if you can wear it snug, then it's great, most of he time you don't even know you have a watch on, ALTHOUGH I do enjoy rotating it with my YM II, after work

[338hk]

i like deepsea rolex & nice collection

[andyboy39]

Awesome comparison, and awesome collection...

[mmmk604]

Nice review!
Did you try on the ceramic Submariner date? It's got a new clasp, similar to the one on your DSSD...but probably still too small for your taste haha

[thran]

Great collection and great comparison pictures.

I used to think the DSSD was a very bulky watch but after wearing some 44mm pams, it doesnt feel that bad anymore.

I do love the Orange PO chrono :)

[Armyguy03]

Very very nice, many thanks for sharing. I LOVE the new glide lock system for the reason you stated. I had a few links removed, and slid the loc system all the way in. It was comfortable the first day, but after, it wasnt. Took less than 8 seconds to re-adjust to a wider fit moving the slide out just a pinch. Amazing!

[DArik2633]

Great Comparison and great pics!!!!!

[amvd]

my favorite watches are there,
thanks!

[kuya808]

Awesome collection!!!

[acht&zwanzig]

thanks your great review

[Jase0851]

I like the DSSD to look at and always wanted one until I actually tried it on, cool watch but didn't feel the price to me
On the other hand the PO might not be able to go as deep but for the money it's an absolute bargain

[honitel]

I agree,comparing with photos would do best on those watches! Words can't just explain properly perhaps photos can very well show the similarities and differences! Great collection you've got there!

[subtona]

great pics...
sub for me