Comparison pics 15550 vs Rolex watches?

[Rollieo]

Would love to see some wrist shots comparing the 37mm RO 15550 with other Rolex watches on the same wrist.

If you can post with wrist diameter, it’d be much appreciated!

Also I’ve been reading that the grey wears bigger. I’m very undecided between which color I’d like. The blue seems amazing but it being the darkest it seems it’ll wear the smallest. I like the grey and that it wears bigger, but also seems a bit monochrome. The ice blue is sweet, but seems a tad feminine.

Ps I’m a 7-7.25 wrist size.

[matthew P]

Seven inch wrist







The grey does indeed wear larger than the blue IMO.

It’s also more influenced by the light and color of its surroundings
In direct light it lightens up light grey/ (almost light blue) , in indirect light it’s darker and has more contrast.

It’s very much a monochrome feel compared to the vibrant blue where the dial really stands out against the case.

With your wrist size you are going to have to want that smaller watch / vintage sizing feel.

I could wear the larger size but preferred the smaller feel like my 36mm explorer.


..Explorer, Spring Diver & APRO..

[Rollieo]

Much appreciated Matthew. I did a forum search and luckily saw the pictures you previously posted. I have a 36mm Explorer too which I like to wear, though I’d say it’s slightly on the small side.

Do you feel your RO wears just slightly bigger than your Explorer at 1mm larger? I’ve heard people say the 37mm RO wears like a 40mm GMT Master II. I’d love it if it wears closer to a GMT Master II than the Explorer 36

[huncho]

Originally Posted by Rollieo

Much appreciated Matthew. I did a forum search and luckily saw the pictures you previously posted. I have a 36mm Explorer too which I like to wear, though I’d say it’s slightly on the small side.

Do you feel your RO wears just slightly bigger than your Explorer at 1mm larger? I’ve heard people say the 37mm RO wears like a 40mm GMT Master II. I’d love it if it wears closer to a GMT Master II than the Explorer 36

the 37mm RO wears much smaller than a GMT. it's somewhere in between a 36mm rolex and a daytona. if you want it to be closer to a 40mm sports rolex, a 38mm chrono is probably a better choice

i have a 15450 and here are some comparisons

[matthew P]

It depends how you visualize size.

When i first try on a watch I’m looking at bracelet and case dimensions.
For my 7 inch wrist on a bracelet 48/40/20 are my sport watch “perfect dimensions”.

However once I own a watch I stop seeing the case and I start to gauge size based on dial opening.
For this reason my MKII explorer felt perfect in store but too large after extended ownership….. because of its all dial feel.
I ended up much preferring the 124270 explorer even though it’s a significantly smaller case and bracelet size…… the dial size just felt appropriate on wrist. Now that I’m used to the 36mm explorer I can’t wear the MKII explorer with out it feeling too large even through the case is perfect based on my “preferred numbers above”
A 5 digit submariner or GMT with a larger utility bezel is perfect ( same dial size as smaller explorer )

The 41mm APRO case size fits my wrist well and for a modern sport watch it’s a good look….. but to me it’s too much dial and not enough bracelet showing when on wrist.
To me it’s just looks out of proportion for my wrist and I’ve never wanted to buy one for that reason.
The 15450 always felt too small when I tried them on years ago ….. the smaller case and smaller dial made it an instant “no thanks”when on wrist .

The change in proportions for the 15550 peaked my interest and my preference change to the smaller explorer made it feel possible.
It is a smaller dial but the case does wear larger than the Explorer.
The dial however is still on the small size and a black or blue dial would likely look too small on wrist to me for my own wrist.
The grey dial however blends into the case visually with its monotone look and to me it’s the acceptable small watch V the too small sport watch that I felt with the blue dial 15550 and any of the 15450 models.

The grey 15550 feels feels more vintage / classically sized much like the smaller explorer , but to me it’s a good small watch for dressier / special occasion wear.
If you are looking for the daily wear modern sport watch feel the larger 41mm RO will likely feel better

Sadly the perfect size for me is the Jumbo….. the slightly larger case and broader bracelet balances out the visually smaller blue dial relative to the case size.

I’d highly recommend a couple of different extended seasons with the different sizes on wrist.
It takes a while to get used to either option when you are comparing them side by side.
I did that 4 times over the 9 months I waited to purchase and I will still nervous about the size when I pulled it out of its case for the first time at home after the purchase day.
In my mind I was expecting it to feel smaller so I was pleasantly happy when it felt larger than my explorer when I wore it out as an owner.










Wrist and mirror shot of the black dial 15500 ….. the watch is always loved but found “too much dial on wrist “

[matthew P]

Agree that the grey 38mm chronograph wears much closer to the GMT in real size, visual mass and style.


..Explorer, Spring Diver & APRO..

[Rollieo]

Thanks Huncho. That white dial definitely gives it good presence. Definitely larger than your DD36 and smaller than the Daytona - exactly as the specs show I guess. But your RO looks more like a 38 than a 37mm (not as close to the Daytona, but nicely in the middle between the 36mm DD and 40mm Daytona.

I think the 38mm RO Chrono would be a perfect fit… I like so many things about the watch. But I absolutely hate that the date window isn’t centered between the hour indices. It bothers me so much

[Rollieo]

Thanks Mathew. We think very similar. It’s definitely dependent on a lot of factors that drive how the watch wears. Bezel size and dial diameter, dial color, and lug size and bracelet taper all make a huge impact.

I find the 41mm way too big. The 38mm would be perfect, but my issue with the date window I can’t get over. The jumbo I actually find has too broad lugs, making the watch proportions a bit odd. I really think the 37mm is for me.

As far as color goes, I’m just hugely on the fence.

The dark blue dial I like the most in terms of color, but because it’s dark I worry that it will make the watch look smaller. My white dial DJ 36 looks so much bigger than my black dial Explorer 36.

The ice blue color is nice, and it being lighter seems like it will wear larger. But it’s definitely more of a feminine color.

The grey seems like it will wear the largest as you mention, which I like. But it feels the most “standard”, with it being monochrome against the case. Funny enough grey also seems like a “standard” color because you see a lot of grey in normal life and it’s seen as a neutral color, but you actually don’t see many grey dial watches.

[matthew P]

The grey is very hard to photograph…… it’s rather dynamic on wrist because it changes so much based on the color temp of the lighting and the ambient color around it.
Photographically it’s the most plain / normal looking.

The light blue and dark blue seem incredibly punchy and they really pop in direct sunlight where the grey washes out.




The silver 15550 was released for one year.
It’s always bright it seems and dosnt vary as much under lighting conditions that cause the others to change a lot
I imagine it could still be chased down …… or maybe it will be re introduced one day.




The jumbo sizing and proportions give a significantly larger looking case than the 15550 with a dial aperture that’s more to my taste ….. but I know what you are saying about shoulder width.


And I thoroughly agree with the 4:30 date issue. I’m really not a fan…. But I was pleasantly surprised by how minimized it was when I viewed the watch on wrist with the color matched grey dial.

Only the grey 15550 photo is mine…. The rest were accumulated from the forums while I was making my decision.

If you can get into a house and spend extended time with the watches on wrist it will likely be an enjoyable and informative experience well worth the time…… at least it was for me.

Best of luck


..Explorer, Spring Diver & APRO..

[Rollieo]

Love all the analysis and pictures Matthew, exactly the type of details and thought process I go through before buying a piece.

I don’t buy secondary so silver 15550 is out for me, but I’m ok with it since I have a white dial DJ already and I think the silver is too close to white. I’d definitely pick the grey over the silver dial anyways. Also I actually don’t like the 50 years rotor, which I believe is the only year the silver dial was produced.

I luckily will be visiting an AP house in Europe during a trip in November. Hopefully they’ll have all the dial color variations at the time and I will get to compare. I’m still very much on the fence between all 3 colors