Rolex Submariner

[Fastmarc]

What do sat divers wear for watches?

Likely the experienced brands that have dive watches with helium escape valves.

 

[Divectionist]

"+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?

I use an app where you tap the screen when you see a given time on your watch, which it then compares to the atomic clock time. This plots the watches accuracy over time and shows you the rate and variance graphs. This is very accurate, particularly over time, and useful to plot the health and performance of a movement.

Over the past 59 days and 17 data points, my Explorer (3132 movement) sat at +0.4spd average, with a nice and straight line, meaning it does not have much positional variance or difference in rate between resting and moving. Previous watches, including another dive watch, the Omega Planet Ocean (2500 Co-Axial movement), had quite a bit of variance and you could clearly pick out night time on the bedside table vs wearing vs vigorous activities.

It is the consistency of time keeping that matters, not how many seconds plus or minus, as this can be regulated. This is where a great movement shows. This, along with the general quality and material finish of the watch, is what I am looking for.

The 3132 has great shock and magnetic resistance, and once properly regulated, it keeps perfect time. I owned it for 7 years before the first service, and only serviced it as a preventative measure, not because time keeping declined.

Why one would wear a Sub for diving?
- It is a dive watch, and if you wear it every day and happen to go diving, just keep wearing it for the fun of it. It is no longer the useful/required accessory it once was, but there is a peculiar fun about wearing a dive watch whilst diving that non-watch enthusiasts may not understand.
- It uses 904L steel, which is corrosion resistant enough not to worry about any salt water damage
- It has a great crown seal (triplock system) with enough gaskets/O-rings to make water intrusion a non-issue, provided they are in good health. A Sub will pass a pressure test well beyond its service interval.
- Modern Subs have a great adjustable bracelet, so it can be sized for a wetsuit without any fuss.

So it just needs to be rinsed like any other dive equipment after a dive and nothing at all will happen.

As for those that cry about the price of these watches, the world of watches can be like that of vintage/collector cars. Or paintings. Or antique violins. If you buy a Fossil or TAG, they will depreciate immediately like an entry level car brand. Unless you buy to love and keep the watch, you are actually the 'idiot' that is losing money - not the guy that spends a well considered $80k on a Patek that he can own and sell for a good profit because that is where the market happens to predictably move. Rolex is not Patek, but for a number of reasons, they have steadily climbed in new and particularly used value, with the current supply of 'professional' (sports) models being so squeezed that I could sell the watch on my wrist above retail to someone who wants it right now, and not be on a wait list for who knows how long to get it. Instant gratification drives used values for a few models here, and the Sub is on that list today. For as long as I bought/sold them when I was still keenly interested in watches, they have been an appreciating asset. I am not saying this is sustainable or will continue, just what it was.

Just don't jump to conclusions about the value of certain watches based on a dollar figure if you don't actually understand that space.

 

[Ojai Diver]

Over the past 59 days and 17 data points, my Explorer (3132 movement) sat at +0.4spd average, with a nice and straight line, meaning it does not have much positional variance or difference in rate between resting and moving. Previous watches, including another dive watch, the Omega Planet Ocean (2500 Co-Axial movement), had quite a bit of variance and you could clearly pick out night time on the bedside table vs wearing vs vigorous activities.

This, too, can be regulated. I know mine was.

I would say that with mechanical watches and old cars, the person who works on them, the care and time they spend or don't spend, makes an enormous difference in the performance, regardless of brand. I have had good and bad watch makers, and boy, what a difference it makes.

 

[vjb.knife]

What do sat divers wear for watches?

When I was a Saturation diver I did not usually wear a watch. There was no need for a watch. It is actually one of the few types of professional diving that you really have no need for a watch.

That being said, I have owned Rolex Subs and Seadwellers since the 1980's and still do. I use it to make sure that my dive does not extend past Happy Hour.

 

[АлександрД]

Just one remind about Rolex

Mariana chasm, James Cameron`s "arm"

My favorite is Orient EM65003D

(on the right. left- compass КНМ, middle - depthmeter Г-5)

Fully mechanical, with self-winding. You can keep it on the shelf for years, than take and use.

 

[CanadaDan]

As a side note be VERY careful buying vintage watches. Only buy from sellers you know and trust.

I’ve had fake Oris and Seiko divers come through the shop. This fake Seiko is pretty good but upon opening the movement was a typically badly finished Chinese automatic similar to the movement pictured. The finish on the case was close but there were enough visual cues to make me doubt the authenticity.

NEVER buy a used watch without seeing the movement... even if it means you're going to have to pay for a reseal and pressure test.

 

[Stoo]

100% status at this point. They do nothing that a $50 Timex Ironman doesn't do. (Actually, the Timex is WAY more functional.) and obviously the variety of dive computers out there are way more useful than a watch.

I have an older Tag-Heuer watch that Mrs. Stoo just had serviced and pressure-tested. I thanked her then realized that she had the band shortened and now it's her watch it seems. Ugh.

 

[abnfrog]

ive owned my sub since the early 80's I dove it for years till I bought a computer , there is a reason why its traditional to get a submariner and a randal knife for grads of the SF Q course because you can trade them any where in the world .......from where you are to where you want to be

 

[abnfrog]

heres mine

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

ive owned my sub since the early 80's I dove it for years till I bought a computer , there is a reason why its traditional to get a submariner and a randal knife for grads of the SF Q course because you can trade them any where in the world .......from where you are to where you want to be

Well said. A Rolex is not a time keeper. It is perpetual currency.