The Deep Sea as finally arrived via courier from our secret source in Japan, and we have all the exclusive shots of this bad boy. All angles are covered, as we seek to bring you the first review of most likely the hottest watch for the coming holiday season.
Unveiled this spring at Basel 2008, the watch is perhaps a harbinger of things to come from Rolex. Beefier case, new bracelet, ceramic bezel- these are all things that will be integrated across the Rolex sports watch lineup in the years to come.
Quick inspection of the watch reveals a new and very ingenious clasp system, called “GLIDELOCK”. This new system allows for easy adjustments to the size of the bracelet (Up to 1.5 links approx.), simply by lifting the clasp and opening the center, revealing a serrated edge that locks in the desired size of the watch. This is a useful feature if you’re like me and have small wrists. If someone wants to try the watch on, it can easily be adjusted to allow for larger wrists.
The endpieces of the bracelet are a new size, 21mm. It’s a bit awkward how the bracelet tapers down to the standard 20mm link size however. There are 3 tapered links, but the 4th link from the endpiece is a standard 20mm link size. Perhaps this allows for streamlined production of removable links for other sports watches of a smaller size. One other minor gripe is that the clasp is quite long, certainly longer than old 91350 and 91360 clasps.
Examining the head of the watch, we can see that the caseback is now a multi-piece construction, with a titanium cover in the center. (Slightly obscured by the Japanese caseback sticker.) With the introduction of the engraved inner ring, this is the first new model to completely do away with the S/N between the lugs, although the reference number remains on the opposite side.
The addition of an additional ring around the midcase and dial allows for a higher degree of water resistance, but makes the dial appear a bit small due to its recessed position and the curvature of the now domed sapphire crystal. The luminous on the dial and bezel glow blue, a departure from the usual green of previous models. Rolex first used this in the newer style Air-Kings with purple luminous dials.
Deep Sea on the right, compared to a GMTIIC on the left.
The bezel is sheer beauty. Unidirectional, each click feels nice and precise, a bit nicer than the ceramic GMT bezel. The pearl is a bit awkward, as it protrudes out from the bezel a little more than I’d like. It seems like something that would get knocked off rather easily. Also, in may press photos, the dial seemed matte finished, but I can tell you that it is glossy, just like previous ones.
Overall, this watch represents the “Modernization” of Rolex. Starting with the GMTIIC and the Milgauss, expect to see this theme of “Bigger and badder” continue into the rest of the collection. The Deep Sea will undoubtedly be a coveted watch for months to come, but once the novelty wears off, the sheer size of the watch may make it a difficult to justify such a piece. I am more impressed with the technology and innovations in this model than the sum of its parts. Don’t get me wrong, I love the watch, and am sure that it will get many glances on my wrist at the Pebble Beach Concours this weekend.
Here are some size comparisons so you can see what a behemoth this guy is.
First compared to a modern 16610 Submariner.
Now with a watch of a similar size, the Panerai PAM195.
