Gen Rolex

[M5Man]

So for Christmas my wife got me a 1665 DRSD. I LOVE the watch and haven't been able to remove it. The rest of my collection is busy gathering dust. My wife likes it so much that she told me to go buy a gen Rollie - Seadweller or a Submariner. In terms of collectability, which is the best watch to get for the 3k range?

[ubiquitous]

With regards to a modern (16610 or 16600), neither is going to be very collectable, per se. Personally, I find that the 16600 SD wears a bit better than the 16610 Sub (both actually wear quite nicely, but the SD has more wrist presence). But I wouldn't suggest either for collecting or investment.

Now, if you're talking vintage, that's a completely different story... But a vintage 1665 will be well beyond the $3k range

[millwright]

With regards to a modern (16610 or 16600), neither is going to be very collectable, per se. Personally, I find that the 16600 SD wears a bit better than the 16610 Sub (both actually wear quite nicely, but the SD has more wrist presence). But I wouldn't suggest either for collecting or investment.

Now, if you're talking vintage, that's a completely different story... But a vintage 1665 will be well beyond the $3k range

Sea Dweller all the way.

I had a gen in the Navy and I only saw them on diver's wrists.

I saw Sub's (and sub reps) all over the beaches in VA and San Diego.

Plus as Ubi said...the Sea Dweller has more wrist presence (sits higher) and I personally feel like it's cleaner since it's sans cyclops.

[simmons3d]

I f you're after a collectable piece you can still get lucky and find a decent 5513 Sub in the 3K range. Those will only increase in value and have the classic matte dial. Unfortunately any vintage Sea Dweller is much more than that...

[thewightstuff]

id agree that the seadweller is something a little bit more special than the modern sub though you really need to decide which, if any, speaks to you. its your watch. you will need to buy used to get either for 3k range though theres good deals for both. look on timezones sales corner. you can also get the non date modern sub for around 2.4k if you like the clean looks but not the heaviness of the SD.

the best thing to do is go to an AD and try the various watches on and see if any take your fancy. this will really help your decision IMHO. once you know you can look around used and see if the savings are worth it for you.

modern used should come with boxes most of the time and papers always.

as ubi said, none of the modern line are "collectible" in the way that the vintage are. how they will fare value wise in 40 years is impossible to say.

the one bonus is that they can easily be worn daily without any worries the vintage present ref water ingression, damage that may affect originality and thus value, servicing availability etc etc. you also get the latest movements and something new.

if you want something a little more special then as stated, if you hunt around you should be able to get an acrylic crystal, tritium dialed 5513 submariner no date for about 3kish in good condition, though not for much longer and ones at this price are starting to get thin.

you could also consider a GMT vintage. these can be had sub 3K still and are rising along with the rest of the vintage sports models.

any others will be way above your price range. you will be looking about 5k and up.

[Jimster]

Here's one if you like GMT's

Link

[Jimster]

sloppy link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolex-EARLY-GMT-Master...1QQcmdZViewItem

[Jetsons]

M5, you lucky SOB.

Between the two, my pick of the litter is 16600. I would suggest finding the older discontinued models with the side case holes. I can't undestand why rlx removed their long lived tradition of the bulging thick spring bars. The 16600 & 16610 strike me more as luxury type watches than sport with the new flush cases.

I'm not so sure you can sneak either one of these for under $3K. The lowest I see the 16600 from reputable sellers, complete with all boxes and papers, is around $3.3K. TZ is a terrifc place to look.

As others have mentioned, the 14060 with the T-dial/hands and the 14060M are available under your radar and might be something to consider as well. I suspect the older T-dial would be the more collectable of the two.

Best of luck in your hunt!

[thewightstuff]

just reread your original post with the emphasis on collectability.

if its pure collectability your after then nothing new will fit the bill IMHO. theres nothing modern thats proving collectible, mainly due to no real restriction in supply and i cant see that changing in the future either. its hard to see the sapphire crystal version we see at all the dealers being much of a fuss in the years to come, short term at least. beyond that 3k wont get you anything at an AD (had to check as im in the UK so wasnt sure how exhanges influenced dealers in the US) so you are definately needing used regardless of where you go.

vintage sports would be the best bet though you are atleast a year too late for any bargains. with a 3k budget the best, and only options, would be the GMT and 5513. getting a nice 5513 for that will be tricky but possible. for a GMT it will get you something very tasty as they are picking up slightly slower and were less to begin with.

id say as things stand, a GMT would be a nice sleeper IMHO.

its unclear how withdrawal of service and support for the older models will impact the market. its looking like its going to drive prices crazy but who can say for sure. a simple change in fashion can take the bottom out of a market too.

[torresp]

I don't know why your wife wants to buy you a rollie if she knows your signature :whistling:

but my choice if helps is the seadweller hands down (rare to find in any wrist and ticker than sub). I had both subs (with and without date and sold both). I'll also consider a 5513 with tritium dial, this watch will be more collectible in a couple of years (when all the new age of rollie collectors stocks all the 1665 arround the world)

[watcher]

Here's a wrist shot of my Seadweller to help you make a choice. It is a far more desirable model and according to my local dealer from whom I purchased this one, the SD is much harder to come by. It is seen far less on other guys too.