Yet another DD I vs DD II thread? Yes!

[Otto]

I take exception to all the criticism of the bezel on the DD II. To me, it seems appropriate to the size of the watch. Here are a I and II side-by-side. They don't look so dramatically different in overall style; only in size. Look at each one in isolation and it's clear to me, at least, that both are just fine as a DD. Look at them together in a shop; and the II is clearly much bigger overall and it becomes easy to focus on that and enter an almost OCD state of mind in comparing the two versions with the familiar traditional size being the baseline for comparison. I know; been there; done that; moved on.

I see 36 mm DDs "in the wild" that look absolutely fantastic on the wearer; and I've seen my DD II (not many "in the wild" yet) on others and it looked great on them. I think in the end how they look on one's arm is the determinative factor on the 36 vs 41 decision; and that Rolex made a smart move in offering the larger alternative.

So...when it first came out, I focused on the bezel size when I looked at photos; and I was critical; but real world experience "in the wild" with both DD versions has convinced me that it's just like shoe size; get the one that fits best and if a wider width helps; go for it. To me, the larger bezel is a good idea for the larger dial. I chose the II for better or worse because it just felt better. I gave up my I to get the II.