First Rolex, first impressions

[michaeljmroger]

Hi everyone,

I just received my new Rolex Sea-Dweller and I wanted to share some thoughts about it.

• This is my first Rolex. Oddly enough, I started my watch journey with a high-end dress watch (Lange 1) and I wanted a sports watch that I could wear more easily and casually. After spending an unreasonable number of hours reading, trying, and comparing brands (I'm pretty much the opposite of an impulse buyer), Rolex felt like the best choice overall.
• Coming from what's arguably the best watchmaker in the world, I was expecting the Rolex to feel a lot less refined. Oh boy was I wrong! Sure, it's not the same kind of finishing and elegance, but this thing feels incredibly polished and well-executed. For instance, the feeling and the sound when you rotate the bezel is simply outstanding. I tried a bunch of other dive watches in the store and nothing comes even close -- the Rolex is just in a different league.
• It's not a cheap watch by any means, but I honestly think the quality you get for this price is better than almost everything else out there. For example, the Polaris Mariner Date (which I was also interested in) didn't look and feel as impressive, robust, and precise as the Sea-Dweller when I tried it. Rolex's value for money is really unparalleled in my humble opinion.
• The size is perfect for me. I was initially interested in the Submariner but it felt a tad too small for my wrist (I'm a big guy, unfortunately). I also tried the 44mm Deepsea but this one felt absurdly chunky and top heavy. Really, the Sea-Dweller was the perfect fit for my wrist.
• I wasn't expecting the bracelet to be so comfortable. I was kinda worried it might sometimes pinch my skin or catch the hair on my arm, but that never happens. Also, it never smells bad like leather sometimes does.
• I’m not a huge fan of the cyclops. It’s not visually shocking and I suspect I won’t even notice it eventually, but I think it’d be cleaner without it (just like the Sub).
• Coming from a manual watch, I can't tell you how much I love having an automatic watch! Seriously though, winding your watch every single day loses its charm over time.
• I'm not exactly sure what happened but when I ordered the watch, the delay they gave me was close to two years. I received the watch in less than two months. I realize the Sea-Dweller isn't the most popular model and they might have been overly cautious but still, that's a pretty massive difference. I'm not complaining though, that’s a wonderful Christmas present!

Overall, I'm thrilled with this watch. It took me a while to understand why Rolex was so popular and why so many people were obsessed with them. Now, I get it.