The only true tool watch is the sea dweller

[chris russell]

[Welshwatchman]

The term "tool watch" for a Rolex was only valid in the days (long since gone) where they represented anything like value for money in relation to the utilitarian purpose for which they were purchased.

A Rolex watch is a luxury article, plain and simple. Has been for more than two decades.

[MikeyTX]

Originally Posted by chriseskew24

14060M is the only true true true Tool IMHO

Lug holes no ceramic bezel no thrills work hourse.

+1 ! No PCL thankfully and, looks fantastic on a NATO. (Watch Is Dell Deaton's)

[MikeyTX]

Originally Posted by rolexsubdate

Yes, I agree .... Whatever Rolex touches, it bastardizes ... just look at Basel2010 .... There is less crap in a public restroom, than in the Rolex booth ....

The SD has gone down, in the anals of time, like the titanic ....never to be touched again .....those of us who are very anal about our watches, will notice that apart from the lug holes, the 16600 has remained the same...

and look at its birth ... there was a need by COMEX so Rolex fulfilled it by making the SD .... kind of like PAN AM pilots needing a watch with two time zones .... reasons for creation were pure ... there was a need that no other watch could fulfill ....

Now today, there is still a need ... It is a need for ROLEX to have more $$$ and that's why they are putting out the crap ....

I guess that meant the T/T BunWad edition DSSD will be unvailed in 2011 ......................

[Lucyloc]

SD is a beauty but the DSSD is the current Rolex extreme tool watch (and yes it's fits under shirt cuffs and goes with business suits too)

[landroverking]

For me the Deep Sea is a liilte over the top. I am just not into the 42mm plus watches from any company.

[Omega_Precision]

Nobody is going to drop the amount of coin on a DSSD and beat it up.

I believe the 14060m and 16610 and it's predecessors are the only true sports watch.

If you really want to use or beat up on a Rolex watch....the above mentioned models, would do the job just as well and for the fraction of the cost of a DSSD or any newer maxi-case Subs.

[MURRAY]

Originally Posted by Omega_Precision

Nobody is going to drop the amount of coin on a DSSD and beat it up.

I believe the 14060m and 16610 and it's predecessors are the only true sports watch.

If you really want to use or beat up on a Rolex watch....the above mentioned models, would do the job just as well and for the fraction of the cost of a DSSD or any newer maxi-case Subs.

I think the 16600 Sea Dweller is pretty representative there as well....

[superlite]

A lot of my offshore diving work mates have Sea Dwellers but very few of them actually wear them in the water. So much so that they are given the nick-name 'Drawer Dwellers'.
It's not that they are no good in the water, it's just that the guys are frightened of damaging them.
Some get taken into the sat chambers but usually are left on the bunks whilst the teams go off on their bell runs.
This poses another problem, I know 'cos it happened to me with Seamaster when left on the bunk for several days in a row.
There's downsides to wearing your watch in a sat system as the humidity and heat can make your wrist sweaty under your strap and this can cause bacteria to fester. And you don't really want to take it in the bell as there is a chance of dropping it out of the trunking when the bottom door is open. I digress. After a couple of days of not wearing, the power reserve runs out and watch stops and then you are stuck. You can give it a shake to recharge but you cannot undo the crown to set the correct time as you would let in the chamber atmosphere, (heliox, CO2, water vapour and the diver's expunged digestive gases - nice).
So there you go. Sea Dwellers are by far the commercial diver's favourite choice of watch but they are mainly worn in the dock side bars around the world when there's a bit of shore leave going.

[MikeyTX]

^^^^^ The truth comes out !

[jrssv]

Who says my Sub LV isn't a tool watch? I just got out of the jacuzzi and it did fine!

[Earl Camembert]

Originally Posted by Welshwatchman

A Rolex watch is a luxury article, plain and simple. Has been for more than two decades.

Any mechanical watch, with the possible exception of one for a very special mission, is no longer used as a tool. It just doesn't do enough.

Athletes now have watches that monitor their heart rate and an alarm sounds if his heart rate goes out of a preset range. These watches can time many functions at once plus record altitude climbed and decent.

Cyclists can even attach a transmitter to the rear hub that measures power output. All of this can of course be downloaded into a computer for a detailed analysis of the performance. How many things are now timed with a mechanical watch? I doubt Omega used a Speedmaster to time the Downhill to a thousandth of a second.

I own more Swiss mechanical watches than Asian quartz watches as they are marvels of complexity and workmanship but to be honest my Casio gets the most wrist time as it just does more and if it should not survive the day a brand new one is only a few hundred dollars.

The one exception.

[Chronometer]

Originally Posted by kahoot

It is my openoin you might not agree but the seadweller is the only watch which does not come in TT version 18k gold or with diamonds but all the other Rolex lineup come with these options so I think the concept of tool watch is best justified with the seadweller.

Um. This one fits the bill by 2,680 meters more.

[vjb.knife]

Originally Posted by superlite

A lot of my offshore diving work mates have Sea Dwellers but very few of them actually wear them in the water. So much so that they are given the nick-name 'Drawer Dwellers'.
It's not that they are no good in the water, it's just that the guys are frightened of damaging them.
Some get taken into the sat chambers but usually are left on the bunks whilst the teams go off on their bell runs.
This poses another problem, I know 'cos it happened to me with Seamaster when left on the bunk for several days in a row.
There's downsides to wearing your watch in a sat system as the humidity and heat can make your wrist sweaty under your strap and this can cause bacteria to fester. And you don't really want to take it in the bell as there is a chance of dropping it out of the trunking when the bottom door is open. I digress. After a couple of days of not wearing, the power reserve runs out and watch stops and then you are stuck. You can give it a shake to recharge but you cannot undo the crown to set the correct time as you would let in the chamber atmosphere, (heliox, CO2, water vapour and the diver's expunged digestive gases - nice).
So there you go. Sea Dwellers are by far the commercial diver's favourite choice of watch but they are mainly worn in the dock side bars around the world when there's a bit of shore leave going.

You forgot to mention the #1 reason for not wearing it in sat. - you don't need it. I would also really be surprised if anyone wore one in the water. When I worked saturation I would easily have destroyed or seriously destroyed any watch.

[TimeOnHand]

Originally Posted by rolexsubdate

Yes, I agree .... Whatever Rolex touches, it bastardizes ... just look at Basel2010 .... There is less crap in a public restroom, than in the Rolex booth ....

The SD has gone down, in the anals of time, like the titanic ....never to be touched again .....those of us who are very anal about our watches, will notice that apart from the lug holes, the 16600 has remained the same...

and look at its birth ... there was a need by COMEX so Rolex fulfilled it by making the SD .... kind of like PAN AM pilots needing a watch with two time zones .... reasons for creation were pure ... there was a need that no other watch could fulfill ....

Now today, there is still a need ... It is a need for ROLEX to have more $$$ and that's why they are putting out the crap ....

Thank you Jason... cheers!

[MikeyTX]

Originally Posted by Earl Camembert

Any mechanical watch, with the possible exception of one for a very special mission, is no longer used as a tool. It just doesn't do enough.

Athletes now have watches that monitor their heart rate and an alarm sounds if his heart rate goes out of a preset range. These watches can time many functions at once plus record altitude climbed and decent.

Cyclists can even attach a transmitter to the rear hub that measures power output. All of this can of course be downloaded into a computer for a detailed analysis of the performance. How many things are now timed with a mechanical watch? I doubt Omega used a Speedmaster to time the Downhill to a thousandth of a second.

I own more Swiss mechanical watches than Asian quartz watches as they are marvels of complexity and workmanship but to be honest my Casio gets the most wrist time as it just does more and if it should not survive the day a brand new one is only a few hundred dollars.

How did I know what it was before I scrolled down the page .................

[Dr. Robert]

Rolex is the elegant tool watch.

[Earl Camembert]

Originally Posted by Dr. Robert

Rolex is the elegant tool watch.

I'm going back to the basement to be with buddies the great unwashed.

[Singslinger]

Funny how no one mentions the YM II when discussing tool watches. If I'm not mistaken, the YM II's movement was developed specficially for yacht-racing countdowns so if ever there was a watch that qualifies as being made for a particular purpose, ie a "tool'' watch, it's the YM II.

Of course, I think the number of YM II wearers who actually use the countdown feature at races is possibly the same as the number of Exp II owners who explore caves. Or for that matter, Daytona owners who use the chrono function to time race laps.

[Earl Camembert]

Originally Posted by Singslinger

Or for that matter, Daytona owners who use the chrono function to time race laps.

OK the basement is slow at this time of the morning.

When I am holding the clutch in and simultaneously watching the "christmass tree" and my tachometer how in the heck am I going to be able to press a button on a mechanical watch. Then when I'm going 100MPH am I supposed concentrate on pushing a button exactly as the red finish light comes on or think about stopping?

Oh I don't even need a watch as the track has one and gives me a print out to the 1/1000 of a second. The world still uses seconds I ass/u/me.