I picked up a Rolex Sea Dweller 16600 last week and, at the suggestion of some members here, I thought I’d post some pics and a mini-review. None of this will be news to anyone who is into Rolex, of course, but this isn't a Rolex-focused site so this might be of interest to a few of you.
This is a watch which needs no introduction. Discontinued last year (I think) when the DeepSea replaced it, the 16600 is the modern descendent of the original 1665 Sea Dweller and is itself a classic.
Design-wise it is similar to the Submariner, but it differs in a number of ways, all of which are the consequence of it being designed for industrial diving. The 16600 is rated to the equivalent of 4000 ft (earlier models were 2000 ft), compared to 1000 ft for the Sub. The SD has a thicker case, caseback and crystal. It has the gas escape valve at 9 o’clock on the case, which is the reason why the SD was developed in the first place, as commercial saturation divers were experiencing problems with the regular Sub. The diameter of the dial is about 0.5mm smaller than that of the Sub. The bracelet comes with a longer dive extension. And it has no cyclops over the date, because the regular Rolex cyclops would not work with the thicker crystal of the SD.
At 40mm, the case is not huge by modern standards, but it is still a chunky watch that sits quite high on the wrist. The presence of the watch is accentuated by the polished sides of the case. I think it’s very eye-catching, more so than the dimensions would suggest, and it fits well on my 6.5+ inch wrist.
Here you can see the chunky caseback:
The dial is gloss black, with the older-style narrower hands and smaller hour plots (newer styles such as the GMT IIC, the Sub LV and the new ceramic Sub have the “maxi-dial”).
The quality and finish of the case and dial are excellent, and the in-house movement is tough and reliable. Mine is keeping excellent time, within 1 second a day, and the instant date change is a nice feature. Mine changes with a snap at 5 seconds to midnight.
The bracelet is a common area of complaint, especially from non-devotees of Rolex, and it is true that it is quite light and rattles a bit. It has hollow centre links, but at least it has solid end links (unlike some other Rolex divers). The clasp is made from thin sheet steel. I suppose it does detract from the solid, quality feel of the watch, but for some reason I can live with it. Perhaps because it’s a classic design, and also because it does look good on the wrist even though it feels flimsy. This is not the SD’s strongest area, however, and the clasps on newer Rolex models are infinitely superior.
Anyhow, I’m very happy with the SD, and it is getting a lot of wrist time at the moment. It works with a suit, casual clothes, or just about anything else, it’s comfortable and it has a satisfying feel on the wrist, although it won’t feel too hefty to anyone who is used to 44mm+ divers. My Planet Ocean, for example, is far heavier. I might be tempted to trade the SD to get the new Sub when it becomes broadly available, but I’m still undecided about that.
For a size comparison, here are some shots of it with my GMT IIC. As you can see, the SD appears smaller in diameter (despite being nominally the same 40mm) but it is noticeably thicker and sits higher on the wrist. The SD is the one on the right in all pics.
Enjoy!
