GenTLe Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 Hi guys,popping up here as I know that here there are the best Rolex experts around the various rep fora (and probably gen forums too!).Making it short: I'd like to add to my collection a vintage piece, and not having any black dial/bezel Rolex watch, I started to read (mainly from here: http://www.doubleredseadweller.com/ ) and I' ve shorten my list to these 2 ones. One is a red sub 1680, 200m=660ft with closed 6, sop basically a Mark I.This one: http://www.puretime.watch/product/vintage-red-submariner-1680-200m660ft-with-closed-6/ The other is a double red SeaDweller, which, in this form, is the nearest to the version III dial (or at least the one more similar to it, also if PT describe it as Dial 4)This one: http://www.puretime.watch/product/vintage-double-red-sea-dweller-1665-dial-4/ Now the question: wearing my clothes... Which one would you choose, and why? Thanks, GenTLe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpk207 Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 I am liking the SD more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 This really comes down to which one you like the best- they're both good reps. Both need to have the crown guards trimmed, both could use a gen crown, maybe you age the dials. If you mess with the crystals, that's when you'll have a challenge and might have to change out the bezel assembly for a more gen like one- so maybe you don't mess with the crystals. And you might have to service the 2846-2 but that's not a big deal IMO- it's the best movement for those two watches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 One additional thing... the Sea-dweller is the king of Rolex dive watches from that era and the DR is the king of Sea-dwellers. So you're making a big statement when you wear one, and it may garner appropriate / unwanted scrutiny. A Red Sub is much less of a statement and you might feel more "comfortable" wearing it ... more carefree, for lack of a better word. Laissez-faire. Wear it like it's no big thang. That's a lot of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droptopman Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 I absolutely love the look of the 1665 especially the early double reds. Love the no cyclops dome with a date function. Like the perfect sport watch. I would love the have one, only problem with my wrist they just sit to high and do not wear good on me. Really unfortunate as it is one of my favorite models. Oh and now days a DRSD in decent shape is 30K+ and climbing all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 I tend to agree with nanug about these two. The DRSD is the king of dive watches, and because of it's popularity the prices have risen proportionately. The 1680 sub is a wonderful watch, but certainly not as big and "attention getter" as the SD. If you are looking at being a little more "under the radar" you might want to have a look at the White SD as well as the White dial 1680. To be perfectly honest, if it were me, rather than buy the ones you listed, I would search for and old MBW 1680 or 1665. They both take gen parts, and with a little work and modding, both of them can be made very gen like. Of course with these gen construction MBW's, you can take the nodding as far as you and your budget want to go.Here are mine, based on MBW's 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted October 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 I also was thinking to get the double red SD:) You just confirmed my feelings About being scrutinized: I don't know anyone that has a vague idea of what a seadweller is, let alone the vintage models details A part for a colleague who is around 44yo and regularly sports his one that apparently got for his 18th birthday (alternating it with a speedmaster) but he knows mine are rep Legend, what about MBW? Is him still around? (had to Google to discover what he is)Anyway I don't want to franken them: at most I will rework the CG but I will never start to spend huge amount of money for little gen details: if I can't see the differences between gen and rep parts without a loupe, then I prefer my money to go into something else Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemballa Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 SD personally but go with what you like most and not what others perceive or recommend to be the best etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 SD personally but go with what you like most and not what others perceive or recommend to be the best etc?I agree, what I or others here are just our opinions. You have to follow your heart, buy the one that you think fits you best. Opinions are great, and it's good to get ideas from others, but in the end, it's you hitting the "buy" button. What you decide is what's right for you. And genTLe, you are right, these old watches pretty much are off the radar. Just not many around and in active everyday wear anymore. Maybe guys my age who grew up with these and old watchmakers that worked on the old SD's and Subs might know, but they are few and far between. Outside of WIS they are unknown. Most folks who own gens don't wear them much, as replacement parts have gotten so darn expensive, and unless they have been recently serviced, the water resistance has to be considered suspect. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mendota Explorer Posted October 3, 2015 Report Share Posted October 3, 2015 As an owner of the Puretime red 1680 you referenced, here are some thoughts on it. I bought mine in 2011 when it was readily available. If you can find a used one on M2M sales you will be much happier. First off, it has been out of stock for most of this year. You will need to ask Angus if he knows when he will get stock again. They changed the design of the bezel assembly. Big bummer there. It now has a clip spring-type mechanism. The old design, which mine has, features a goofy plastic gasket, which you can throw away, the retainer ring, and then the bezel ring. Many people choose to have JMB custom make a new retainer ring.Rolex Addict over on RWI said this is one of the best cases he has ever worked on. The crown guards need only minimal shaping. Literally only a hair off the tips of the ends. If you look at pics of gens from the underside, and then compare those to this, they are almost spot on. The case accepts a gen size dial and a gen spec crystal. The stock tube will accept a gen crown, so you can put on a gen 703 or 702, or get Athaya's 702. I bought a used vintage 703 before Athaya offered his 702, otherwise I would have bought Athaya's for sure. The insert is a great example of a service replacement thin font insert and has a nice vintage pearl. No need to do anything to it other than age it if you want. Of course, you could always get a gen fat font insert and have more of that original, non-service look.The lugholes take gen 2mm springbars but the holes in the endlinks fit really snugly. There is no wiggle room, and in my case that meant the tips of the bars would not line up in the holes. I had to buy WSO 580 endlinks in order to use the gen spec bars. Boy are those a pain, too. The lug engravings are correct and read 1680 but the serial is from the late 1980s, long after the 1680 was discontinued.If you replace the crystal, you might have luck reusing the plastic gasket that comes with the watch, but often it gets mangled and you have to toss it. Rolex Addict says you don't need it, anyway. The date window is in the ETA position, so a gen-spec plexi with cyclops is going to be slightly out of position. People have said it isn't that big of a deal, or you can use a T19. Personally, I think the T19 looks fan-freaking-tastic.My bezel assembly is missing the tension washer, so the bezel ring is a little too loose and spins. I'm going to try to find one. I also need to age my dial, swap my crystal, and then I'm done. Regarding the dial, the print is excellent and it is a great dial, but the lume markers are flat and shiny. To make it look right you really need to do something with them.Here are a few pics of mine: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted October 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2015 Amazing amount of info here! Thanks I know I could have bet to find the right knowledge here Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylazar Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 (edited) Ive owned both over the years and can honestly say the seadweller was my favorite. Its closest to the no date while still having a date, and i got called out less on it than on the sub. That cyclops is just very noticable!! Both were modded by me and eta movements, but the seadweller is just bad*ss man! Edited October 5, 2015 by johnnylazar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted October 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 Dammit... Francis (WatchStation, the wholesale sales guy of Angus Puretime) told me "Yes It's available" just to receive a damn "Sorry out of stock" after paying! These things drive me crazy: I asked them 3 times to check if it was really available! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mendota Explorer Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 Dammit... Francis (WatchStation, the wholesale sales guy of Angus Puretime) told me "Yes It's available" just to receive a damn "Sorry out of stock" after paying! These things drive me crazy: I asked them 3 times to check if it was really available!I think someone on another board just found out that it has been discontinued. Sorry! That is a shame, too, because it was a good case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Guys, is it just me or this is a terrible mish-mash of remaining bits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mendota Explorer Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Wow. Which dealer? That sucks! Where do you start with replacing items? I like the mid case if you were buying a SD. Was this supposed to be a sub, though (judging by the dial?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenTLe Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Wow. Which dealer? That sucks! Where do you start with replacing items? I like the mid case if you were buying a SD. Was this supposed to be a sub, though (judging by the dial?"This was proposed to me (and of course refused) as alternative of the double red SD (out of stock) and of the red sub (also out of stock). With a Comex dial and removing the date parts it wouldn't be that bad, but I don't want to put other 130$ for a dial in it ..I am now heading toward AP15400 (ok I will have to put there other 50$ but fine) with a tudor ranger as backup plan It was Watch-Station.co (Angus wholesaler site). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mendota Explorer Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Interesting. So apparently they have spare parts lying around to make a hodge podge? I wonder - do they have any of the sub cases instead of the SD cases? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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