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Old 27 May 2010, 12:57 PM   #1
DWdrummer
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Did Rolex make a lot more Submariners than SeaDwellers?

It seems so. You can find tons of Subs on the bay and other places. It seems for every ten Subs, you see a SeaDweller.

Every AD I have been to has a few Subs for sale at any given time. I have not seen an SD in a long time.

Does Rolex build less of them than the Submariners? Im curious as to why if that is in fact the case.
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Old 27 May 2010, 01:22 PM   #2
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I'm not privy to sales figures, but it does seem so.

I'm guessing the SD is less popular because of its thickness. It wears a lot taller than the Sub, and I can see how some can find it a bit cumbersome (my dad's words, not mine).
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Old 27 May 2010, 01:27 PM   #3
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I think the Subs have been around longer thus the higher numbers... just guessing though...
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Old 27 May 2010, 01:30 PM   #4
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It seems so, as your observations are the same as mine. I have seen hundreds of Subs "in the wild", and only 3 SD's in my life.
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Old 27 May 2010, 01:31 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sea-dweller View Post
It seems so, as your observations are the same as mine. I have seen hundreds of Subs "in the wild", and only 3 SD's in my life.
You're luckier than me, Dennis. The only SD I've seen in the wild is the one on my wrist!

Maybe I should move to Sunnyvale?
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Old 27 May 2010, 01:54 PM   #6
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Yes there are far more subs out there, for whatever reason the SD did not sell nearly as well as the sub.
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Old 27 May 2010, 02:00 PM   #7
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Yes there are far more subs out there, for whatever reason the SD did not sell nearly as well as the sub.
Agreed. My guess is that the general buying public was turned off by the SD's lack of cyclops and higher price...but its really just a guess.
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Old 27 May 2010, 09:35 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nickriebe View Post
I think the Subs have been around longer thus the higher numbers... just guessing though...
I believe the Subs have been around since '53, whereas the SDs were introduced in '71? So, it had a good head-start.
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Old 27 May 2010, 09:41 PM   #9
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more subs definitely
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Old 27 May 2010, 09:48 PM   #10
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If one forgets the WIS community for a moment (forgive me!) the Sea Dweller has a MUCH narrower market than the sub. i.e. if you buy the watch for its intended purpose, who really needs one that goes to those depths??

If you are not a commercial diver then the sub will more than meet your needs. In fact any Rolex Oyster will meet most peoples needs regarding going swimming or even rec diving.
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Old 27 May 2010, 10:09 PM   #11
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I see Subs all the time and have only seen two Sea Dwellers.
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Old 27 May 2010, 10:29 PM   #12
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SD was originally special order only

When the SD was first produced it was only sold to COMEX. Afterwards rolex decided to make small batches for sale to other companies and individuals. Because it was seen as more of a piece of equipment for divers rather than a fine timepiece, it was marketed that way. Specifically, the SD was a special order item and ADs didnt stock them. ADs would show them in catalogs if asked and could order them but they rarely if ever had them in inventory. However ADs in Florida and South carolina and Maine (?) tended to stock them. By sometime in the 80's they became more well known though still relatively unkown to the buying public. The old man that old me this info used to be an AD in a southern coastal city. He also said that during the 80's and early 90's Rolex would say that the ratio of subs produced to SDs was 4 to 1.
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Old 27 May 2010, 11:00 PM   #13
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i bet it a lot less now with the deepsea.

my local deal told me when the deepsea first came out he had lots of order for them then they see the watch and how thick it was they fused it!!

shame....guess it not to everyone taste.
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Old 27 May 2010, 11:10 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DWdrummer View Post
It seems so. You can find tons of Subs on the bay and other places. It seems for every ten Subs, you see a SeaDweller.

Every AD I have been to has a few Subs for sale at any given time. I have not seen an SD in a long time.

Does Rolex build less of them than the Submariners? Im curious as to why if that is in fact the case.
Well the 16610 has now been in production since 1988/9 so quite a few million of those around and Rolex most popular sports watch.The 16660 SDs biggest customer is/was Comex but even thought the SD sold in lesser numbers than the sub, there must few quite a few in this world today.Some prefer the Sub cyclops some don't that where most of the non diver SD sales went.
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Old 27 May 2010, 11:37 PM   #15
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Seriously?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zed Homme View Post
My guess is that the general buying public was turned off by the SD's lack of cyclops and higher price...but its really just a guess.
That was what drew me to it! Death to the Cyclops!

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Old 27 May 2010, 11:42 PM   #16
ersnyder
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Never seen an SD in the "wild."
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Old 27 May 2010, 11:46 PM   #17
mike
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mattmartin View Post
When the SD was first produced it was only sold to COMEX. Afterwards rolex decided to make small batches for sale to other companies and individuals. Because it was seen as more of a piece of equipment for divers rather than a fine timepiece, it was marketed that way. Specifically, the SD was a special order item and ADs didnt stock them. ADs would show them in catalogs if asked and could order them but they rarely if ever had them in inventory. However ADs in Florida and South carolina and Maine (?) tended to stock them. By sometime in the 80's they became more well known though still relatively unkown to the buying public. The old man that old me this info used to be an AD in a southern coastal city. He also said that during the 80's and early 90's Rolex would say that the ratio of subs produced to SDs was 4 to 1.
Yeah, I've heard in the area of 5 to 1, but certainly much less than the Sub.
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Old 28 May 2010, 12:05 AM   #18
MURRAY
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I imagine many like the cleaner look sans a cyclops, yet still have the date (unlike the 14060). The problem some may have with the SD is that its height makes it more difficult to fit under sleeved shirts at times....

I really like mine....
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Old 28 May 2010, 12:11 AM   #19
tkc324
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I have probably never seen a SD in the wild... while, i lost count of the number of Subs.
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Old 28 May 2010, 12:50 AM   #20
P Diddy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MURRAY View Post
I imagine many like the cleaner look sans a cyclops, yet still have the date (unlike the 14060). The problem some may have with the SD is that its height makes it more difficult to fit under sleeved shirts at times....

I really like mine....

I agree regarding the cyclops - I think they make the date more difficult to see as you have to look at it at the perfect angle. Not to mention they look weird, IMHO.

I think there are two main reasons there are more subs. First, they're cheaper. The average consumer (which the passionate watch enthusiasts of this forum do not even remotely represent) won't pay up for something that looks identical to an untrained eye. They're buying the Rolex for the name; the additional depth resistance of the SD is useless to them since the deepest they'd ever go is in a swimming pool. Second, I agree that the thickness would turn off the average person.
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Old 28 May 2010, 01:13 AM   #21
nauticajoe
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I love my SD for a few reasons - it was once the only watch produced (aside from the Milgauss & the DSSD) with engraving on the caseback, and the only watch w/ a date without the cyclops.
IMO, its unique & in a class by itself.
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