Six months Asian trip with Submariner

[Akira]

Hi, guys, here are some photos after my six months trip in Asia, in flip-flops, with backpack and with my Submariner Date (off course!!!!)

Coming to Bangkok I started my journey direct to the northern Thai provinces by Ayutthaya, Chang Ray, Chang May, then Laos by slow boat, Cambodia, Malaysian Penang and back home (so hard to start to work again!!!!)

THAILAND

Even the Rolex-sunglacess in Thailand :)



The bus for the northern provinces. At the every bus stop they take some more rice bags, parcels, chickens in the cages and rabbits...Bus works as delivery service for every goods in the villages. At the photo you see the letters to deliver from the Post Office.





Night boat to Koh TAO,



you have the choice, sleep here...



...or on the rice bags :)

[Akira]

LAOS

Slow boat at the Mekong river









The landscape bring the peace and meditation (here, a student in Nirvana after a pack of lagger...)

[Akira]

CAMBODIA

One guy with a Explorer I visiting the Angkor Wat

















In Cambodia they have few real roads where the regular transport works well. The only one possibility to see the lost and forgotten temples is to catch a motorbike or rent a mini-van. Much more funny than Indiana Jones! ;)







After five hours of a moto trip :)



The local restaurant









All my stuff have been covered by the red dust and dirt. Even two or three days late I was feeling the dust on my teeth.

[kcmo]

Wow, looks like you had an incredible time! And what a great travel companion in the Sub Date!!! Great pics

[Akira]

PERSONAL COMMENTS

After wearing my Sub for six months 24/7, I have a strong impression is not a really the best watch for travels and trips in the hot and very wet countries. It's a very precise watch, loosing 1 sec a day (the same precision as the day I bought it), thick enough for carry big chocks without any damage, but too heavy from my personal point of view for a daily wear and hard use in the hot climate.

BRACELET:

I really appreciate the simplicity and robustness of the simple Rolex bracelet, you open-close it in any conditions, even full of dust and dirt the clasp still robust and reliable. The cleaning with a simple brush is easy and quick, you can reach every far edge, cleaning it in five minutes. I'm not sure the new style clasp is so easy to clean and works (I mean close-opens with no problems) in absolutely all conditions. Still, I never wore the new style bracelet, may be I'm wrong, thanks for share your different experiences.

THE GLASS AND THE BEZEL:

I've hurt my Sub several times, but no traces no scratches on the glass or the bezel. May be didn't hurt hard enough :) With the ceramic bezel I would carry a lot more about protecting my watch, with the classic aluminum bezel you still zen.

The real necessity of the rotating bezel when you never dive? It's a joke question, really, the only one impression I has is the esthetico-traditional function of the diving bezel is absolutely useless when traveling in the jungle or the asian plaines.... You only catch your watch in the backpack's straps and the bezel turns himself. Then, you have to turn it for put the luminous point at 12. If it happens to you several times in a week, it gets quiet boring


CROWN:

Too, too big, that's it.

In the regular daily wear I never feel any discomfort or a particular dimension of the triplock. But when you wear a watch 24 hours a day, with the temperature up to 40ºC and the humidity at almost 70%, you feel the littlest details (weight, momentum)! And the Triplock dive in your skin, especially in a wet and dusty conditions. Sometimes was take my watch off my wrist, impossible to keep it because of the temperatures.

This is a photo made at noon



When you not really dive, the waterproof 300m or 100m doesn't really matter, but the dimension of the crown is.

My personal feeling, but in a really hot and wet climate, the skin become much more sensitive to all kinds of scratches, cuts, hurts etc. Here is a photo after I seized my hand between my backpack and my back (while traveling on a moto). It would never happen to me in the normal conditions.







I wouldn't say the discomfort have been permanent, the only several hot and wet days with the physical activity I felt it.

GLOWING

The glowing starts in the real darkness, but in the half on hour between the down and the real night the dial still readable with some difficulty (I was always thinking about Explorer II with the withe dial and black hands, the best of the best for darkness )

Here are some photos underwater for catch the moment when the Superluminova start to glow.

Day time:



Down:





And only in the real darkness the Superluminova start to glow really bright.



All I have said is off course my personal feeling, and after one so long trip (six months, from october 2009 to april 2010) I wouldn't wear a heavy watch for the long trips anymore. It would be better to wear watches like Explorer I or II, Air King, or even a simple DateJust. The 34-36mm for me is the best comfort for daily wear and hard use.

And I would never wear a NATO strap for that kind of trips, 40ºC, 70% humidity, a wet and humid synthetic, with some dust under it...no, thanks!

Best regards

[niner niner seven]

Absolutely amazing shots, really enjoy

[TimeOnHand]

Thanks for sharing your photos and thoughts!

[Roselló]

This is just great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[boa2]

What an amazing trip!

[tkc324]

That looked like an awesome trip! Thanks for sharing.

[nickriebe]

This is the best post I've seen in a while! What an adventure! The pics are outstanding... If you dont like the sub for traveling, try and Explorer II. I wear mine everyday and hardly notice it! Again, great post and thanks for sharing your travels.

[Rolesor]

wow what an experience!!

Thank you for sharing that with us!

[Esexx]

Stunning pics!

[veidtadrian]

Great photos, great trip, great review!

You really took great pics of SE Asia (and of the rural parts of Thailand..I thought Russians were only interested in Pattaya )!

In Bangkok, there are like 5 watch repair shops in every mall and they always use a Rolex logo (though most of the watches that get fixed there are Seikos)!
Indeed, the stereotype of the "old thai chinese man" ("Ah sea" in Thai) involves a gold Rolex and a Benz. Perhaps that will be me one day..heh heh

I've also worn my Sub to Luang Prabang, Laos as well...very peaceful though getting alot more developed.

Seriously, if anyone wants to take an extended Vacation..I believe Thailand offers the best value (Especially in the resort areas in Thailand, everything is pretty cheap and the quality of the facilities/service is top notch!..man it seems like I am trolling)

[Akira]

Thanks for your comments, guys, appreciate very much!

Originally Posted by veidtadrian

I thought Russians were only interested in Pattaya )!:

I'm crazy Russian, don't you see?

The best way to travel there is the backpacking, you see the real country and the real people. Friendly and smily.

It happened to me to drink the rice vodka with local guys, in Laos, without ice, just plain, worm, a bit sweet rice vodka...
Tried to get home after, but someone have token the Earth away under my feet and I failed in darkness...

I woke me up, Jesus, freaking headache, I see a fan turning on the cellar, a mosquito net around me...I get out and discover the guys have found me lying on the street (a bit stunned, you see) and simply brought me in the nearest Guest House! I check my watch - great, on my wrist! My valet, my passport as well. In a country were the people get a 150 euros monthly wages they even did not try to steal may Rollie.

Imagine that in the Western countries?

[psv]

Great trip/report.

You got some cojones bringing a minty Sub along on such a trip, I would have easily voted for a G-Shock and not a Rolex/mechanical steel watch at all. Having said that, I've traveled all over the place with my 16610 for soon 15 years and I don't agree that it too heavy, I think that is simply a matter of personal tastes and how it sits/fits on your wrist.

Cheers,

PSV

[timetravel125]

Stunning photos. Visually entertaining. Thanks.

[Otto]

Outstanding! Thanks much!

[Watch Professor]

Originally Posted by veidtadrian

Great photos, great trip, great review!

You really took great pics of SE Asia (and of the rural parts of Thailand..I thought Russians were only interested in Pattaya )!

In Bangkok, there are like 5 watch repair shops in every mall and they always use a Rolex logo (though most of the watches that get fixed there are Seikos)!
Indeed, the stereotype of the "old thai chinese man" ("Ah sea" in Thai) involves a gold Rolex and a Benz. Perhaps that will be me one day..heh heh

I've also worn my Sub to Luang Prabang, Laos as well...very peaceful though getting alot more developed.

Seriously, if anyone wants to take an extended Vacation..I believe Thailand offers the best value (Especially in the resort areas in Thailand, everything is pretty cheap and the quality of the facilities/service is top notch!..man it seems like I am trolling)

I agree that Thailand is an exceptional vacation/travel spot. I spent two weeks in Bangkok and loved every minute of it, despite the air pollution and crazy traffic. The people are exceptionally nice. I wore a Seiko on that trip.

[Nicko]

Now this is why I'm giving up my vintage, I can't take my 5513 on a trip like this, it would be beat to hell. Excellent pics!

[steubi1]

Hey, what a wonderful thread!!!!

Great pics, great story, I am sure it was not always pleasant, but surely very interesting, a trip you will never forget in your life.

Concerning your remarks on comfort: I am 100% with you! Even now in Switzerland with actually close to 30 deg C, I sometimes feel a little discomfort with my old Sea-Dweller and I am happy when I can put it away for some time in my office.
Imagine now a guy doing your trip with "the monster" Deep-Sea: 225 grams permanently on the wrist, day and night in heat and humidity...well, that's not for me.

Probably you are right saying that Ex I would suit best.

Kind regards and many, many thanks for your stunning pics!
Tom

[axjimenez]

Absolutely amazing pictures! That must have been an amazing experience!

[Chipmunk]

Thanks for sharing your great adventure.....I really enjoyed reading and looking at the scenery.

[Kanger]

I LOVE this thread!!! Great pictures, great narration, loved reading it!!

[DanteBrandolini]

Amazing Photos Man!!!!!!! You are living the life!!!!!!!! Love that Sub!!!!!!!!

[mfer]

Agreed. One of the best posts and reviews here!!!!!!!

[JoeSiR]

Nice ! thanks for sharing!!

[Akira]

Thanks, guys!

[Art 1]

Wonderful, thanks.

[Yazo]

Awesome adventure... thanks so much for sharing it with us!