Rolex Submariner

[drainaps]

I’ve never seen any official statement from any watchmaker...but more general advice I’ve seen from the watch community.


salt water and diving in general is pretty hard on watches, sure they are tough watches and built to take it, but it still takes its toll... and seeing as how seawater intrusion into the case and watch work is just about the worst thing that can happen to a watch....spending a few hundred annually on a service, if only to inspect and replace seals Is cheap insurance on not what is only a $7-12,000 watch, but also a piece of dive equipment

That being said, it’s your money/ watch, I’m not going to try and convince you to change what is obviously working for you. However in a sense, you are essentially having your watches “ serviced” to the extent that you need when you have them pressure tested.

personally I just don’t dive with expensive watches....I use a seiko skx007 and a gshock when I dive/ swim.....they work just fine and I’m not going to be heartbroken if something happens to them.

^^^^^ Exactly this. Can't write it myself any better.

 

[Hoag]

FWIW, when I dive, I have my primary dive computer (an Oceanic ProPlus3), my backup dive computer (Oceanic Geo2) both set to DSAT (conservative), and a Citizen HYPER Aqualand dive watch (with a NATO strap). Because I am constantly wearing the watch, that is typically what I use to fill out my log since I can get Time In, Time Out, Bottom Time, Depth, and Temp all from my watch.

Day to day, I wear a Tag Formula 1 watch, but it stays at home on dive trips.

 

[Snoweman]

On our first guys' dive trip, one of my buddies wore an Invicta that could have doubled as a boat anchor. He had very experienced divers asking him if it was a new type of dive computer. I've never seen an Invicta that large since.

I always dive with a Luminox. I almost lost it on that same trip when a watch band pin came dislodged. Luckily, my rash guard kept it attached to my wrist. I was able to repair it during the SI. I haven't had the same problem since, but I have changed the band from rubber to stainless (painted black). I love the constant luminous hands, but it is getting old. I had the battery changed, and had to pay $75 to get it pressure tested.

 

[Divectionist]

I as always fascinated by Rolex Subs and when I finally made some real money bought one. It was OK but I was worried about diving with it so I traded it on a Rolex Sea dweller, thinking that it should at least be waterproof to normal scuba depths. Of course paying that much money for a dive watch that you are afraid to get wet is ridiculous, but I came to realize that the whole "Rolex" thing was not really logical and that in fact they were not particularly great watches IMO.
Cons: OK but not great time keeping- I had another way cheaper watch with a Swiss ETA movement that kept better time.
Easily scratched- I never had watches that scratch so easily on the case and bezel which made me paranoid about wearing them anywhere but a restaurant.
Manually winding the movements sounded like someone shaking a tin can full of rocks, I don't know why but it did.
My Sea Dweller completely and suddenly stopped after two years, the Rolex dealer told me it was because I hadn't had it serviced- absolute BS!
So I sold it and now I am committed to Japanese made medium sized quartz analog watches that are tough, accurate, waterproof and value for money. The one I am wearing now is eight years old, don't know how many dives and never misses a beat!

Only regret! That I sold the last Rolex before the market on them went absolutely nuts and I could have got a lot more for it today.

I don't agree with this. Where did you pick up these watches? What year was this?

I owned a Sub and still wear an Explorer (that I also took diving after a service/pressure test - just for fun) every single day. Since I have owned many other brands and am even interested enough to track how well they keep time in an app, I think your comments do not do these watches justice.

Water resistance: You cannot possibly be worried about diving in a Sub unless you are planning to break the SCUBA depth record anytime soon. There is no threat to it at all if serviced properly with intact seals.

Time keeping: 3130/3135 (Sub) and my current 3132 are stellar movements. Brand new they all gained under 2sec/day and my Explorer currently runs at +0.4s/day after having it adjusted again a few weeks after its service. It also runs without any meaningful variance, whether I am jet skiing all day or reading on the couch, and never magnetised. No other watch I owned came close in sheer reliability. These movements in good health are great by any measure.

Manual winding: Absolutely smooth on all Rolex models I ever owned, and most modern movements for that matter.

Your SD stopping: Since we are now talking 10 years, and before recently, 5 years of recommended service intervals, I can only assume that you owned the watch for 2 years, but that it was significantly older, otherwise the AD would not use the 'service' excuse. That and the fact that the movement sounded like a tin can when winding, suggests that you had a seriously damaged movement in there. You sold it as a broken watch and did not find out what was wrong?

 

[reefrat]

I don't agree with this. Where did you pick up these watches? What year was this?

I owned a Sub and still wear an Explorer (that I also took diving after a service/pressure test - just for fun) every single day. Since I have owned many other brands and am even interested enough to track how well they keep time in an app, I think your comments do not do these watches justice.

Water resistance: You cannot possibly be worried about diving in a Sub unless you are planning to break the SCUBA depth record anytime soon. There is no threat to it at all if serviced properly with intact seals.

Time keeping: 3130/3135 (Sub) and my current 3132 are stellar movements. Brand new they all gained under 2sec/day and my Explorer currently runs at +0.4s/day after having it adjusted again a few weeks after its service. It also runs without any meaningful variance, whether I am jet skiing all day or reading on the couch, and never magnetised. No other watch I owned came close in sheer reliability. These movements in good health are great by any measure.

Manual winding: Absolutely smooth on all Rolex models I ever owned, and most modern movements for that matter.

Your SD stopping: Since we are now talking 10 years, and before recently, 5 years of recommended service intervals, I can only assume that you owned the watch for 2 years, but that it was significantly older, otherwise the AD would not use the 'service' excuse. That and the fact that the movement sounded like a tin can when winding, suggests that you had a seriously damaged movement in there. You sold it as a broken watch and did not find out what was wrong?

I'm glad that you are happy with yours, lots of people seem to be but I was not so impressed- still it satisfied an urge I'd had for a while!
Both watches were purchased from Hal Martins on Westheimer in Houston, both were pre-owned but appeared to be in pristine condition and were serviced, according to the store.
They were undeniably beautiful watches to look and kept OK time but I stand by my comments and observations at the time- otherwise I would still own the Sea Dweller.
"+0.4s/day after having it adjusted again a few weeks after its service", how on earth do you really measure the accuracy of a watch at 0.4 seconds at day? That's what- about 7 seconds per month! I've never heard of a mechanical watch that accurate but I'm sure you right and obviously a lot more into watches than I ever was, I just wanted a Rolex and expected to have zero issues or concerns.

 

[reefrat]

I'm glad that you are happy with yours, lots of people seem to be but I was not so impressed- still it satisfied an urge I'd had for a while!
Both watches were purchased from Hal Martins on Westheimer in Houston, both were pre-owned but appeared to be in pristine condition and were serviced, according to the store.
They were undeniably beautiful watches to look and kept OK time but I stand by my comments and observations at the time- otherwise I would still own the Sea Dweller.
"+0.4s/day after having it adjusted again a few weeks after its service", how on earth do you really measure the accuracy of a watch at 0.4 seconds at day? That's what- about 7 seconds per month! I've never heard of a mechanical watch that accurate but I'm sure you right and obviously a lot more into watches than I ever was, I just wanted a Rolex and expected to have zero issues or concerns.

Sorry, obviously not 7 seconds per month- more like 12 seconds! Still!

 

[doctormike]

spending a few hundred annually on a service, if only to inspect and replace seals Is cheap insurance on not what is only a $7-12,000 watch, but also a piece of dive equipment

I think that you may be thinking of regulators. A $12,000 watch is not "dive equipment". If you are lucky enough to be able to afford something like that, why would you take it diving at all, especially if that means that it requires annual service? I mean, I have a Thomas Hart Benton oil, that I love, but I don't laminate it and take it with me underwater.[/QUOTE]

 

[doctormike]

I own a submariner, and used to dive with it. I figured that if the computer pooped out, I would know how long I have been down and when I went back up could count down a safety stop accurately.

If your computer fails and you are doing a dive within NDLs, you should ascend, do a safety stop and surface. Not sure you need a submariner to estimate three minutes...

 

[Sbiriguda]

I don't have the time to read everything, but unless you are a sheick or another sort of billionaire, it doesn't make any sense to buy this kind of rolex for diving. If you are a millionaire, it would still make sense to purchase the rolex if you like it and keep it to be used as a watch, and then a crappy second hand Suunto Vyper for 70 bucks on the ebay to be used for diving

 

[M-Cameron]

I think that you may be thinking of regulators. A $12,000 watch is not "dive equipment". If you are lucky enough to be able to afford something like that, why would you take it diving at all, especially if that means that it requires annual service? I mean, I have a Thomas Hart Benton oil, that I love, but I don't laminate it and take it with me underwater.

if you use if for diving....its "dive equipment".

i dont know why people dive with Rolexs.....but they do, and thats their prerogative.

personally i dive with a cheap watch......but if someone feels better about diving with a rolex than a seiko, who am i to tell them they cant?