Still ugly but you have to admire it: Rolex Deepsea
By The Prodigal Fool, published on 22 September 2009
How does it do it? You have to thank the complex new Ring Lock System, the slightly domed sapphire crystal, and titanium case back. These are all features worthy of our admiration. They’re all impressive examples of the ‘over-engineered’ philosophy behind the Sea-Dweller that we’ve always loved so much.
If only Rolex hadn’t let their new bling design philosophy pollute the way it looks. If they’d just toned things down a little, we’d be queuing up right now, cash in hand. As it stands, we’ll hold out for the day when we chance upon a mint condition previous generation Sea-Dweller.
What do you think? Is the Deepsea doing it for you or do you agree with us about the styling?
Still ugly but you have to admire it: Rolex Deepsea
We’ve ranted about the vulgar stlying decisions that Rolex took with their Deepsea on these pages before. Having said that, the video below from @KeepTheTime is a timely (excuse the pun) reminder of what a very special watch it is from a technical perspective. This behemoth of a watch can withstand 12,800 ft. of sea [...]
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5 Responses to “Still ugly but you have to admire it: Rolex Deepsea”
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Hear hear!
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A Prodigal October « The Prodigal Guide
1 November 2009
[...] 10 – Still ugly but you have to admire it: Rolex Deepsea – In which we begrundlingly admit that, even though we still deplore its looks, the Deepsea [...]
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A Prodigal November « The Prodigal Guide
1 December 2009
[...] number 9 – Still ugly but you have to admire it: Rolex Deepsea – In which we begrudgingly admit that, much as we dislike its vulgar styling, there’s still [...]
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Wonderful post! Thanks for featuring our video of the DeepSea Sea-Dweller. Keep up the good work at TPG.
Edreams
22 September 2009
Egads! Well, I’ve literally “bumped” into a DSSD on a buddy’s wrist and it really is a world apart from the supreme restraint and engineering smugness of the Sea Dweller – which we know will be a future classic. You heard it here!
Simply put, the DSSD is big, bright and downright obnoxious. And big. Really goddamned, American-truck-sized big. Where is the balance of the piece? The understanding that a watch – like much else in life – is the sum of its parts?
And Rolex kept throwing everything it had at the DSSD, in the belief it needed to shout its credentials from the watch store window. Ceramic bezel? Check. Ridiculously over-sized crystal? Check. Polished centre-links? Checks. Maxi-dial? Check. Add this all up and you get a piece that lost its predecessor’s mojo and finesse in the quest of serving as the equivalent of a horological billboard. Enough already…
To be sure, the engineering and technical achievement of the DSSD is beyond reproach, but the trick the Sea Dweller pulled off was the ability to resist the bone-crushing depths of the Laurentian abyss (well, not quite, but you would be dead by then…) and fend off the verbal jousting of a cocktail party at Hong Kong’s G Bar.
Now that’s a feat worth recognising!