116660 DSSD Observations

[Kevin of Larchmont]

In my recent post of about a month ago about my new CPO purchase of a Mk1 DSSD a poster on the thread said it would be interesting to hear my observations after I have worn it for awhile. I have dailied it since then and here is what I have observed.

First, I think it sounds a little delusional for a guy with a 6.75" wrist to say that a watch that weighs almost half a pound is one of the most comfortable I've ever worn but it's true. I have the GlideLock set at the next-to-smallest adjustment notch so it's free to move but not too much and thickness of the watch and caseback keep the crown well elevated above the back of my hand. The sheer size of the watch head along with the aforementioned thickness also keeps the edges of the narrow bracelet from interacting with the sides of my hand. What this translates too is zero hotspots where the edges of other watches tend to come in contact. The weight itself is really not noticeable because as a rule I have always enjoyed a substantial watch and own a number of them.

Timekeeping has been variable but has settled in wonderfully. Initially it seemed to be losing a second a day which I was thrilled at. The first night the date (set by the SA) didn't change at midnight so I addressed that the next day and then watched it lose a second a day for about five days when I realized I hadn't given it a full forty winds so I did that and then timekeeping turned and it started gaining about a second a day which I was equally thrilled at. Once another five or six days had passed and it reached one second faster than my starting point I thought I'd try crown down overnight instead of dial up which is my habit with any watch and in the morning it was down five seconds which was a little more than expected but hey, it's a little machine that I am just getting to know and I was glad to know it. Now here's the thing, since then for about the last two weeks this watch has been dead nuts accurate, fluctuating up or down only a fraction of a second from baseline depending on time of day, activity or rest. This absolutely thrilling.

As for the day to day I've only worn a couple of cuffed shirts in the last month and the watch passed easily under the buttoned cuff, probably facilitated by my small wrist. Previously to the DSSD in twenty-five years I had only caught two people looking at a Rolex on my wrist. In the month I've owned this one I've caught three, none of whom were watch guys. This watch has presence but still to most people with an untrained eye it's just another big black diver. Maybe they were considering the contrast between the watch on my wrist and my wrinkled whiskered visage.

From my view down at my wrist I have not tired of staring at this thing. I've even had a few Oh Shizzle moments about how this watch might affect the rest of my watches by demanding so much affection from me. I've only worn my EXP 1 to the gym once a week and the EXP II a few times to measure my affection temperature for it and it has cooled a bit. This honeymoon has lasted longer than any other with no sign of slowing. I know things will reach an equilibrium and I will get other watches back into rotation but there is no sign of this yet.

Each new watch is exciting but this one has been special.

[Dirt]

Congratulations. Welcome to the club
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts

May I ask which dial it has?
MK I, II or III?

My MK II says hi

[Kevin of Larchmont]

I think in my last thread you identified it as a MK1 dial.

[Sipper]

Good post. Thank you.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by Sipper

Good post. Thank you.

A sincere thank you.

[brandrea]

Glad to hear you’re enjoying it.

I owned the 116660 Dblue variant and this brought back some good memories

[Sipper]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

A sincere thank you.

Thank you, Sir.

[RTG]

The DSSD is a fun watch that makes me smile. It brings the kid out in me. Thanks for spreading the joy and sharing your feedback.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

I think in my last thread you identified it as a MK1 dial.

Thanks

[rohada]

Enjoyed your review of your SDDS. I did a similar thing for my Ploprof on the Omega forum, a few years back.

I have a 2017 116660 and love it. I don't have massive wrists, but also enjoyed wearing my Omega Ploprof before I sold it. I found similarities in your experience and my own. I've owned this watch since 2020 and I find the heft to serve as a good reminder that I'm wearing an expensive watch that I don't want to slam into door jambs. Let me explain, I'm 6' 3" with long arms and legs and going through a doorway in our 100 year old house with some narrow passageways is a good way to bang up a watch. So, the heft serves as a reminder for me, though it isn't crazy heavy.

Minimizing movement on my wrist has proven important to comfortably wearing the watch. For me, when the watch is loose, the weight becomes more noticeable and not in a good way. The Guidelock goes a long way to securing the watch in place to minimize movement and increasing perceived comfort. My wrist is not the narrowest part of my arm. That occurs about an inch up from my wrist. My guess is others may have similar physiology. Therefore, I wear the watch above the wrist in that narrow area where it moves very little with proper Guidelock adjustment.

Regulating the watch works out as such for me. Here is a typical day with the watch. I put it on about noon or so and take it off around 9:00pm. In a 24 observation of time checking that I do around 9:00pm at night, I find that I can address the +/- seconds as follows:
Crown down: slows watch maybe 1 second or less.
Crown up: slows watch 2-3 seconds
Face down: speeds watch maybe 1 second
Face down: speeds watch 2-3 seconds

Recently I left the watch crown up for a few nights (not meaning to do that) and it slowed accordingly. Placed watch face down for a few nights and it brought it right back into +/- 1 second.

I've only been approached about watches from non watch people three times. Twice with this SDDS and once with my Ploprof (and that includes watches I've had and currently have). As with all my watches, it is a complete set down to the white box slide and bezel protector. As you mentioned, it is a stunning piece and I'd add that it's very well executed given its capabilities. Wear it in good health. While I like Subs just fine, I won't own a Sub while I own this one and I don't see myself getting rid of this one anytime soon. Quite different from the other divers and I like that. The Challenge looks cartoonish on me, so that's not going to happen.

[CFR]

Kevin, congrats and glad you're happy with the DSSD!

I totally concur with the comfort assessment. My wrist is smaller than yours, and this watch was extremely comfortable (I had a 116660 for about a decade and then sold it to get a 126660 James Cameron). Some people think the 126660 is much more comfortable than the 116660, maybe due to the bracelet, but I noticed no difference. Both were just fine.

I hope you continue to love it!

[Brian Page]

Great Reference!

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by rohada

Enjoyed your review of your SDDS. I did a similar thing for my Ploprof on the Omega forum, a few years back.

I have a 2017 116660 and love it. I don't have massive wrists, but also enjoyed wearing my Omega Ploprof before I sold it. I found similarities in your experience and my own. I've owned this watch since 2020 and I find the heft to serve as a good reminder that I'm wearing an expensive watch that I don't want to slam into door jambs. Let me explain, I'm 6' 3" with long arms and legs and going through a doorway in our 100 year old house with some narrow passageways is a good way to bang up a watch. So, the heft serves as a reminder for me, though it isn't crazy heavy.

Minimizing movement on my wrist has proven important to comfortably wearing the watch. For me, when the watch is loose, the weight becomes more noticeable and not in a good way. The Guidelock goes a long way to securing the watch in place to minimize movement and increasing perceived comfort. My wrist is not the narrowest part of my arm. That occurs about an inch up from my wrist. My guess is others may have similar physiology. Therefore, I wear the watch above the wrist in that narrow area where it moves very little with proper Guidelock adjustment.

Regulating the watch works out as such for me. Here is a typical day with the watch. I put it on about noon or so and take it off around 9:00pm. In a 24 observation of time checking that I do around 9:00pm at night, I find that I can address the +/- seconds as follows:
Crown down: slows watch maybe 1 second or less.
Crown up: slows watch 2-3 seconds
Face down: speeds watch maybe 1 second
Face down: speeds watch 2-3 seconds

Recently I left the watch crown up for a few nights (not meaning to do that) and it slowed accordingly. Placed watch face down for a few nights and it brought it right back into +/- 1 second.

I've only been approached about watches from non watch people three times. Twice with this SDDS and once with my Ploprof (and that includes watches I've had and currently have). As with all my watches, it is a complete set down to the white box slide and bezel protector. As you mentioned, it is a stunning piece and I'd add that it's very well executed given its capabilities. Wear it in good health. While I like Subs just fine, I won't own a Sub while I own this one and I don't see myself getting rid of this one anytime soon. Quite different from the other divers and I like that. The Challenge looks cartoonish on me, so that's not going to happen.

Thank you for your observations! I have to say that I’m surprised that I haven’t banged the watch against any door casings yet but I have lower center of gravity than you do and my arms don’t swing as far which helps.

Like you my forearm is narrowest about 1.5” above my wrist bone. I’ve read Padi’s advice many times here to keep the bracelet snug but it’s all bone up there and I don’t know how people can do it so mine floats over a range of about 3” but doesn’t roll at all. The Glidelock has been a revelation and I wish it was an option for every Rolex.

Thank you for sharing the details of your experience.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by CFR

Kevin, congrats and glad you're happy with the DSSD!

I totally concur with the comfort assessment. My wrist is smaller than yours, and this watch was extremely comfortable (I had a 116660 for about a decade and then sold it to get a 126660 James Cameron). Some people think the 126660 is much more comfortable than the 116660, maybe due to the bracelet, but I noticed no difference. Both were just fine.

I hope you continue to love it!

Thank you!

It’s wild, I’ve always associated this big watch with big guys but counterintuitively it’s exceptional for smaller wrists as well. The GlideLock at the smaller adjustments brings the clasp closer to 6 o’clock, exactly where I place it when I adjust the bracelet on a new watch.

Thank you for sharing your observations.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

Thank you for your observations! I have to say that I’m surprised that I haven’t banged the watch against any door casings yet but I have lower center of gravity than you do and my arms don’t swing as far which helps.

Like you my forearm is narrowest about 1.5” above my wrist bone. I’ve read Padi’s advice many times here to keep the bracelet snug but it’s all bone up there and I don’t know how people can do it so mine floats over a range of about 3” but doesn’t roll at all. The Glidelock has been a revelation and I wish it was an option for every Rolex.

Thank you for sharing the details of your experience.

The fit on my wrist is similar to yours but my wrist is bigger.
It's quite humid in these parts so I found out many moons ago that I do better with a bit of slack in the bracelet so the watch can move around a bit and allow the skin on my wrist to breath and not rot under the watch head.
I find the weight of the DSSD watch head helps to facilitate the movement as well.

[rohada]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

but doesn’t roll at all. The Glidelock has been a revelation and I wish it was an option for every Rolex.

Agreed. I find that with this watch, having 4 fully visible links coming out the bottom (6 o'clock) and 5 fully visible links coming out the top (12 o'clock) centers the clasp and makes for the most secure fit for my wrist. My other watches are similar in that the links coming out the 6 o'clock position are one less than those coming out from the 12 o'clock position. Again, for me, it centers the clasp. As another poster shared, I, too, live in a humid climate and often make an adjustment for summer versus winter. Usually, one rung adjustment on the Guidelock takes care of it. Just worked out that February is SDDS month in my 3 watch rotation.

[sevykor]

Picked up the same model last summer. Didn’t expect to wear it much, but found it to be surprisingly comfortable. Gets more wrist time than any other thus far.


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[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by Dirt

The fit on my wrist is similar to yours but my wrist is bigger.
It's quite humid in these parts so I found out many moons ago that I do better with a bit of slack in the bracelet so the watch can move around a bit and allow the skin on my wrist to breath and not rot under the watch head.
I find the weight of the DSSD watch head helps to facilitate the movement as well.

Ditto. I live at 6000ft straddling alpine and high desert geography. While not humid the temperature can easily swing fifty degrees in a day and ten or fifteen degrees between sun and shade so room for wrist expansion and contraction is critical.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by rohada

Agreed. I find that with this watch, having 4 fully visible links coming out the bottom (6 o'clock) and 5 fully visible links coming out the top (12 o'clock) centers the clasp and makes for the most secure fit for my wrist. My other watches are similar in that the links coming out the 6 o'clock position are one less than those coming out from the 12 o'clock position. Again, for me, it centers the clasp. As another poster shared, I, too, live in a humid climate and often make an adjustment for summer versus winter. Usually, one rung adjustment on the Guidelock takes care of it. Just worked out that February is SDDS month in my 3 watch rotation.

Exactly my bracelet set-up.

[gtnator]

This is a great post and I concur with the OP and others. My DSSD is one of if not the most comfortable watches I own. I wear it tighter than other watches, but it has zero hot spots and fits perfectly. Many others have said this about the DSSD comfort as well.


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[mrlube1151001]

Glad you are enjoying your watch.

[steveclr]

just measured my wrist at 8 inches (it changes wildly depending on what I've been drinking lately) - my 116660 JC is perfectly comfortable - I'm timing a pot roast with it's bezel right now - glad to hear that you're still happy with it - seems the fit of a watch trumps the weight - when I win the lottery, I'll be checking out the Platona

[waterman1]

I concur with all on the surprising comfort of this relatively large and heavy watch. I think boils down to flat case back, height of crown off the wrist so no digging into wrist, and glidelock.

[1William]

Very cool watch and thank you for the follow-up.

[aehaas]

I have found that I wear my Challenge far more often than my other two Sea Dweller versions:

Ali

[travisb]

Glad to hear it! It's a special watch for sure.

[CFR]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

It’s wild, I’ve always associated this big watch with big guys but counterintuitively it’s exceptional for smaller wrists as well.

Yes, the DSSD stretched the limits of my wrist's capacity, but in a good way. The Deepsea Challenge, on the other hand, clearly exceeded that capacity when I tried to try it on:

[rohada]

One additional aspect of the watch that I appreciate is the uniqueness of the SDDS having a flush mount crystal integrated smoothly into the bezel. That crystal really grabs light to the watch. I have one hype watch, but I very much enjoy this one and my two-tone Daytona on leather. Path less traveled, and such. I like some of the less loved Rolex offerings.

[Kiddodoc]

I started with the original black 116660 but moved it to get the 116 JC and love this watch. I have considered moving it for the 126 JC. I haven't moved on it due to just liking what I have already. It is a gorgeous watch and looks different that the sub and the SD43. I will always have the DSSD in my collection. Congrats and so glad to hear you love it despite a smaller wrist.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

The mutual enabling on this thread is heartwarming and I am grateful for everyone’s participation.