I must admit, the new ss ceramic Submariner was somewhat tempting me...

Until I saw the price!

Anyone else think Rolex is getting dangerously close to 'real' watch money with this one??? I might as well just get a white-dialed seven-days Portuguese.

I know what you mean. I think the new subs look gorgeous, but at that price point you might as well just go for the SDDS. As a matter of fact, I think I would actually for for a blackbird and a seawolf. Two watches for the price of one! Can't go wrong.

The new all SS subs are $7250 full retail, not $9,000. The Deep Sea is $2000 more at $9,300.

I know this. My point was that if you were going to get the sub, that you might as well just go for the SDDS. Because the price difference isnt too steep compared to the old sub. Come on sharky, you're a lawyer . I never said they were the same price in my post.

The new all SS subs are $7250 full retail, not $9,000. The Deep Sea is $2000 more at $9,300.

It's definitely $7250 for the black all SS. There is a green dial/green bezel that is $7750. I've looked at both at my AD. Be aware there are some online dealers and other sellers trying to sell at an inflated price so that makes getting the actual Rolex set retail a bit harder to find.

I know you didn't. Just pointing out the facts.

Personally I think the improved bracelet alone justifies the price. That hollow link thing Rolex was so very resistant to change now is a real bracelet IMHO. The ceramic bezel is just icing - tasty icing, but just icing.

I wouldn't get the new sub just because it's too close to the GMT MasterIIc I got. But the darn thing is....gulp....the most comfortable watch I have ever worn. And it actually has some weight. Not Bretiling weight, but some legit weight to it.

I tried out the SDDS first, but couldn't get past that 14mm clasp compared to a 22 or21mm lug width. I looked weird and on me it wore weird and was very uncomfortable. But in the end got the GMT MasterIIc and a black dial Seawolf for about the same price.

Disclaimer - I am not pushing Rolexes. As much as I love the GMT, I still can't "go all the way."

As I said, I like the new Sub a lot, but I also think it may be starting to edge out of the realm of attainability for previously-targeted Submariner clientele. Rolex has always seemed to straddle a very fine pricing line: this perfect level where an upper-middle class person could stretch to make the purchase for special occasions, events, career successes, etc. without bankrupting the family or appearing too ridiculous for having spent so much money on a watch. One could even justify it by saying, "Yeah, I got that for such-and-such event, and besides, it's a Rolex, so I could sell it and make money if I had to! Right?!?"

They were expensive, but not impossible under the right circumstances. There seems to be this perfect, $3-6k range that they as a company are leaving altogether.

IMO, you start getting into the $7-10K range, and you lose a large portion of your audience simply because you are approaching another level of watch where Rolex quality can't compete. Rolex will increasingly have to compete with IWC, AP, PATEK, etc... where people won't say, "It's better than because it has an in-house movement!" People instead will say, "It better have an in-house movement that doesn't look like an ETA 2892 with bits of red and blue. Oh, and it should at least one or two complications." All I'm saying is that Rolex will have to seriously compete again, and I'm not sure they will be able to measure up.

Maybe it will work for them, but in my opinion, they are navigating uncharted waters. I know that I look at that price range and say, "But for a little more, I could have a IWC Portuguese Automatic. Or 3 Breitling Superoceans on bracelet. Or almost two Navitimer chronographs. Or a decent used car."

Thoughts?

I would guess Rolex has the capabilities to do whatever they want in watchmaking, its just a matter of choice I think.