SS Submariner -- Out with the Old

[Z-Sub]

If you ever miss the old 16610, you can still easily find one here. Congrats on the new acquisition.

[Mr. K]

Just means you have to now go make some more memories with the new watch.

[Ragna]

Yes ! Do not keep the old one.

Let it go have some other exciting adventures and meet some new people !

[richamby]

You'll enjoy the Sub C, it's a great daily wear watch with the new bezel.

[forgedblades]

what was the trade value if you do not mind

[TickTopia]

Congrats

[mjclark32]

Congrats!

[Psmith]

Congrats

[speedolex]

This is the saddest thread I've read in a long time. What did that poor 16610 do to deserve this? What dark box is he sitting in now all scared and alone? This is worse than Jessie in Toy Story 2.

[OmegaJJH]

Originally Posted by speedolex

What did that poor 16610 do to deserve this? This is worse than Jessie in Toy Story 2.

Originally Posted by Ragna

Yes ! Do not keep the old one.

Let it go have some other exciting adventures and meet some new people !

Lovely sentiment

Originally Posted by Mr. K

Just means you have to now go make some more memories with the new watch.

Equally lovely sentiment


Huge congrats - Quite the upgrade.

[Tokyo Time]

OP, great post and congrats on the new Sub. I bought this my first man toy, a 16610 back in 97 from Ben Bridges before I could realistically afford it and it has travelled the world and been a catalyst for my other Rolex purchases among many other things. The original credit card charge slip for $2600? faded to blank many years ago but I have stored the boxes and bits and bobs very carefully. I've always wondered what my set would be worth in modern money and was therefore curious if you feel you came out ahead on your deal.

[dysondiver]

well done , be interesting to hear how you feel the new case wears by comparison , health to wear for at least the next 17 years.

[speedolex]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Time

OP, great post and congrats on the new Sub. I bought this my first man toy, a 16610 back in 97 from Ben Bridges before I could realistically afford it and it has travelled the world and been a catalyst for my other Rolex purchases among many other things. The original credit card charge slip for $2600? faded to blank many years ago but I have stored the boxes and bits and bobs very carefully. I've always wondered what my set would be worth in modern money and was therefore curious if you feel you came out ahead on your deal.

Listen to me very carefully:

There are two things going on right now which will benefit you greatly in the near future. First, the oversized watch craze is dying off and manufacturers and consumers are gravitating to traditional sizes. It was fashionable to wear a bigger and bulkier watch for awhile, fashions come and go, this one is nearing the end.

Second, the 16610 is at its lowest price ever as Rolex has their current model that's different and there are now used versions of that newer model being sold to compete against the prior generation.

What will happen in the next year or two is that the oversized watch trend will die a sudden death, smaller watches will become the standard again, and people will be dumping their 6-digit Submariners for 'new vintage' 5-digit Submariners. The market will flip, your 16610 will be worth a very hefty sum with it's box and papers, original one-owner examples (like mine) will skyrocket as buyers will get all the benefits of the modern Sub (sapphire, hacking, 904L steel) and pick up some retro charm (aluminum bezel, lightweight bracelet) in the process.

The convergence of the death of the oversized watch trend and the growth of the vintage watch trend will make the 16610 a highly sought after watch. Not to mention, birth-year is always a great motivator for aftermarket pricing and you're '97 will hit it's sweet spot on its 25 year anniversary as that's when people first begin to seek out birthyear watches. Sit tight, enjoy wearing it, you'll thank me a few years from now.

[Meme-Dweller]

Damn, should have sold that 16610 to one of us!

[AndyWright]

Enjoy!! As I am enjoying my newbie Deepsea!

[Oat Willy]

Originally Posted by speedolex

Listen to me very carefully:

There are two things going on right now which will benefit you greatly in the near future. First, the oversized watch craze is dying off and manufacturers and consumers are gravitating to traditional sizes. It was fashionable to wear a bigger and bulkier watch for awhile, fashions come and go, this one is nearing the end.

Second, the 16610 is at its lowest price ever as Rolex has their current model that's different and there are now used versions of that newer model being sold to compete against the prior generation.

What will happen in the next year or two is that the oversized watch trend will die a sudden death, smaller watches will become the standard again, and people will be dumping their 6-digit Submariners for 'new vintage' 5-digit Submariners. The market will flip, your 16610 will be worth a very hefty sum with it's box and papers, original one-owner examples (like mine) will skyrocket as buyers will get all the benefits of the modern Sub (sapphire, hacking, 904L steel) and pick up some retro charm (aluminum bezel, lightweight bracelet) in the process.

The convergence of the death of the oversized watch trend and the growth of the vintage watch trend will make the 16610 a highly sought after watch. Not to mention, birth-year is always a great motivator for aftermarket pricing and you're '97 will hit it's sweet spot on its 25 year anniversary as that's when people first begin to seek out birthyear watches. Sit tight, enjoy wearing it, you'll thank me a few years from now.

You're forgetting one thing, the Sub C's are hardly "oversized" watches. They are a far cry from the giant watches that are in fashion right now. So I don't think a reversal of the chunky watch fad will see people discarding their ceramic subs anytime soon.

[speedolex]

Originally Posted by Oat Willy

You're forgetting one thing, the Sub C's are hardly "oversized" watches. They are a far cry from the giant watches that are in fashion right now. So I don't think a reversal of the chunky watch fad will see people discarding their ceramic subs anytime soon.

The way the case and lugs are designed, no, I'm not forgetting anything. Take a good look at that photo up there. The Ceramic Submariner is gigantic compared to the Aluminum Submariner.

The current 6-digit Submariner is deliberately big and bulky to play to the oversized trend and the older 5-digit is perfectly sized. It may measure 40mm but it wears like a 42 or 44, there must be twice as much steel on the 4 corners from the lugs back to the 9 and 3 positions.

Link to good video on the subject below:

https://youtu.be/krU4W-NfbEI

[ajas]

Congratulations. Enjoy and wear in good health. Cheers

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[bpetty13]

Originally Posted by speedolex

The way the case and lugs are designed, no, I'm not forgetting anything. Take a good look at that photo up there. The Ceramic Submariner is gigantic compared to the Aluminum Submariner.

The current 6-digit Submariner is deliberately big and bulky to play to the oversized trend and the older 5-digit is perfectly sized. It may measure 40mm but it wears like a 42 or 44, there must be twice as much steel on the 4 corners from the lugs back to the 9 and 3 positions.

Link to good video on the subject below:

https://youtu.be/krU4W-NfbEI

I think "gigantic" is being overly and unnecessarily dramatic with the comparison. Gigantic would be more along the lines of comparing a SubC with a 44mm Panerai. A SubC is hardly considered an oversized watch.

[mmbiker]

Congrats! Great story! I hope I can wear mine this long as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Maxy]

Originally Posted by MariettaMike

Still Shaking: Excited and sad seeing the old Submariner go. It's been around the world with me several times.

Congrats and now its time to create memories with 116610. Wear in best of health!!

[MariettaMike]

Originally Posted by forgedblades

what was the trade value if you do not mind

Trade-in value was 110% of my original purchase price on June 29, 1999. Subtracting trade-in from retail price and paying 7% tax, I think I got a fair deal. Admittedly, I had the watch serviced once at Rolex for $675.

[sun_devil]

Great story! Congrats!

[Sublover2166]

Originally Posted by speedolex

Listen to me very carefully:

There are two things going on right now which will benefit you greatly in the near future. First, the oversized watch craze is dying off and manufacturers and consumers are gravitating to traditional sizes. It was fashionable to wear a bigger and bulkier watch for awhile, fashions come and go, this one is nearing the end.

Second, the 16610 is at its lowest price ever as Rolex has their current model that's different and there are now used versions of that newer model being sold to compete against the prior generation.

What will happen in the next year or two is that the oversized watch trend will die a sudden death, smaller watches will become the standard again, and people will be dumping their 6-digit Submariners for 'new vintage' 5-digit Submariners. The market will flip, your 16610 will be worth a very hefty sum with it's box and papers, original one-owner examples (like mine) will skyrocket as buyers will get all the benefits of the modern Sub (sapphire, hacking, 904L steel) and pick up some retro charm (aluminum bezel, lightweight bracelet) in the process.

The convergence of the death of the oversized watch trend and the growth of the vintage watch trend will make the 16610 a highly sought after watch. Not to mention, birth-year is always a great motivator for aftermarket pricing and you're '97 will hit it's sweet spot on its 25 year anniversary as that's when people first begin to seek out birthyear watches. Sit tight, enjoy wearing it, you'll thank me a few years from now.

People will not dump their 6 digit ceramic Subs and the market will not flip. If you are basing your speculation from member feedback on this forum your results will be skewed. As far as I know Rolex has absolutely no problems selling stainless ceramic Subs. In fact, parts of the world obviously are not receiving enough of them for sale as there are waiting lists to get one. Do you think Rolex will retool their machines to start making 5 digit Sub cases again? Seriously.

[evlkoala]

Congrats on your new Sub C, it's a handsome modern Rolex, no doubt with the new tech.

BUT no sentimental attachment to 16610 that served you for 17 years?

[brandrea]

Welcome and congratulations.
Now that the decision has been made, do at look back, it will drive you nuts.

[MariettaMike]

Originally Posted by dysondiver

well done , be interesting to hear how you feel the new case wears by comparison , health to wear for at least the next 17 years.

First full day of wearing the Sub c: I love the look and feel of this newly designed watch over the 16610. I did get a great fit from the AD -- they removed two links from the watch and I have more movement for fine adjustments on the bracelet. My old watch did not have any extra links when sized but was comfortable. I just have to keep my eyes on the road when driving.

Now that I invested in a new Rolex, I'll have to get at least 17 more years of wear on it. ��

[Daytona88]

Congrats!

[Maiden]

Originally Posted by speedolex

The way the case and lugs are designed, no, I'm not forgetting anything. Take a good look at that photo up there. The Ceramic Submariner is gigantic compared to the Aluminum Submariner.

The current 6-digit Submariner is deliberately big and bulky to play to the oversized trend and the older 5-digit is perfectly sized. It may measure 40mm but it wears like a 42 or 44, there must be twice as much steel on the 4 corners from the lugs back to the 9 and 3 positions.

Link to good video on the subject below:

https://youtu.be/krU4W-NfbEI

Yeah I've watched the video, in zoomed in pictures you can see a difference, whenever I look at someone on a train or plane with a sub it is very difficult to tell which reference they are wearing by size. I do agree the large watch trend is slowing down, and may die, but the SubC is not oversized for a sports watch. I doubt you will see a flood of them on the market, if and when the big watch trend ends.

[speedolex]

Originally Posted by Sublover2166

People will not dump their 6 digit ceramic Subs and the market will not flip. If you are basing your speculation from member feedback on this forum your results will be skewed. As far as I know Rolex has absolutely no problems selling stainless ceramic Subs. In fact, parts of the world obviously are not receiving enough of them for sale as there are waiting lists to get one. Do you think Rolex will retool their machines to start making 5 digit Sub cases again? Seriously.

No, I never said Rolex would re-tool the Submariner so soon after the current model's release. And feedback isn't from this forum, it's from external sources, other brands, etc.

What I said was that those who bought their Submariners during the oversized trend who look around and feel they are out of style will seek out the logical solution which will be a 5 digit version on the aftermarket.

As an added bonus, unlike 5513's and other throwback Sub's whose fans are into only the retro look/feel, the 16610 will offer all that as well as a dramatic size reduction compared to the current model, will look even more unique.

Point being, no one should be dumping their 5-digits right now. It's the bottom of the market and the upside is going to be tremendous.