The Last Word - Submariner 116610 Ceramic vs 16610

[franchise1450]

This review is a bit dramatic, but it is 100% authentic and i wanted to share with anyone trying to decide between a Submariner 16610 vs 116610, hope this helps...

I first fell in love with the Rolex Submariner about 20 years ago when i was 10 years old and saw my first James Bond film, Dr. No. I am not a James Bond expert but am a big fan and immediately took a liking to Sean Connery's original rolex submariner with NATO strap. It is in stark contract to my fathers 1980's era two tone with silver face Rolex Date Just, an iconic watch for sure, but just a little "too old" for most people in the late 20's to mid 30's. I will no doubt be purchasing one of these models at a later date, but i knew from a very early age that the Submariner would be my first REAL watch, and my first rolex.

While i had the funds to buy one a few years ago, i made the decision that it would be my 30th birthday present to myself, a reward for a job well done over the past 3 decades. Fast forward to age 25 (2010) i was 100% sure that the model 16610 was my dream watch and the first rolex i would buy, for all of the reasons that everyone already knows and i will not go into on this review, it is simply one of the most classic and awesome watches ever made and the modern interpretation of that James Bond watch i fell in love with, something that looks good in scuba gear or a tuxedo, in a tee shirt, or at the office.

But as you all know, in 2012 Rolex, dropped the bomb and introduced the Submariner 116610 Ceramic. Most people were curious, interested, excited... my heart sank. Here i was just a few years from buying my first Rolex, having taken the better part of a decade to decide which model i wanted and obsessed and agonized over every detail of the watch, and then this happened. My world was thrown upside down, and i was plunged into darkness. But like any curious watch buyer, i had to see it for myself.

The first time i saw the new model at my local Portland, Oregon AD, i decided it was just too big for my small wrists, i didn't like the new design, and i wrote the watch off entirely. I could't fathom why Rolex introduced this AWFUL new case design, claiming they still had a "40 mm" watch but in reality destroying the purity of the 16610 case by introducing larger lugs, larger crown cards, larger hands, and the new maxi dial. I liked the new solid steel bracelet, gridlock clasp, lume and of course the shiny ceramic bezel right off the bat ( these are the watches largest attributes) but i could not understand why they decided to change the shape of the watch case. Here they made a vastly improved watch, that was technically superior and parts of it were visually superior, but i just could not get over the crown guards and wider lugs.

After my first trip to the AD, i spent over 1 year reading reviews all over the internet including ROLEX forums, which were (and thank you everyone for posting your opinions) not very helpful, simply because there were SO many different opinions . One person LOVED the new watch, others strongly opposed it's very existence. I was looking for a definitive review that told me to buy the old watch, buy the one you wanted and fell in love with so long ago, but it simply wasn't there. About 2 months ago i again went to the AD to try and again tried on the new 116610, then immediately went to a preowned dealer to try on the 16610. I AGAIN liked the 16610 design better, but, for the first time, the 116610 started to call on me. There was just something about it that i liked...the ceramic bezel, the new movement, the heft of the watch and how it just felt more expensive and worth the nearly $9,000 price tag. This is not to mention the terror i would endure trying to buy a used watch, having absolutely no idea how to go about this process and no idea if i was buying real, fake, abused, quality, etc.

I went back home and pondered what it was i didn't like about the wider lugs and crown guards, read another 20 reviews until my google could literal not locate any review in which i hadn't already read, and went back to the AD...and then it hit me...I had been reading too many reviews and more importantly too many pictures of the "square looking" 116610 not on an actual wrist. This may seem like not a big deal, but it is.

On your wrist, all of the things i didn't like initially about the 116610 began to disappear. The watch was designed to be worn on your wrist, not to sit in a photo both at 3X zoom. And it wasn't that the watch took me, as many others have said, 2-3 weeks to get used to, or grow on me, or anything like that. It simply looked amazing on, in person, in the moment. The "transition" that many say they don't like disappears once it's on your wrist and looks nearly identical (for me) as the older model. Off wrist at 3X zoom, it looks like a square box, i agree, on wrist, in real time, it looks incredible

Once more, the larger hands, the maxi dial, the heavier case, all of the items i wasn't quite sure i liked, i began to look at them differently. This is the NEW rolex model. I missed my chance for the old one, and that's OK. I realized these new forms and features made the watch much cooler and modern and more fun than the old model, and began to look at the the new model as just that, NEW, FUN, more MODERN, and quite frankly, a technically superior watch that feels like it is worth the better part of 10 figures, AND, once on your wrist, looks incredible.

Today, i am proud to announce i have purchased my very first Rolex, model 116610, and i could not be happier with my decision. I will say that had i already owned the 16610, there is little chance i would have made the change, as this model is a timeless classic and once you get used to that, it is hard to let go. But for me, as a first time Rolex and first time Submariner owner, the 116610 was the right decision.

Please learn from my mistakes, stop looking at 3x zoom shots and stop looking at off wrist shots, and definitely stop reading endless reviews from people who already own the 16610, as if i were them, i probably wouldn't like the new submariner either. Go to the store, try it on, look down at it, and i am pretty sure you will like what you see.

[Adam from Oz]

Thanks! This a great write up and covers many things that I am thinking weighing up my first Rolex purchase. Great advice.

[14060m]

Thanks
I already own it and I'm glad you decided on this model
I love it and Apparantly you do also
Wear it in good health

[gougy]

It is strictly a matter of personal preferences and feeling.
For me, ceramic Sub did not do it, had to be replaced by 16610
(actually the final battle was 16610 vs BLNR and I hope to get the GMT soon )

[AK797]

[locutus49]

Great write-up. I went through a similar process. There is always a conflict between nostalgia and progress. In my case, progress won out and I'm very happy with the Subc LV.

There is a saying in the Porsche community: unless you are looking at vintage (which is a whole 'nother subject), buy the newest, best condition car you can afford. I think it is good advice.

[joli160]

Nice first post and welcome. Imo you did the right thing in putting it on your wrist before you decide.

[Roll the Lex]

I agree. When looking at my second watch, I went to the AD and the sub wasn't even on my radar given all the negative reviews of the current sub-c. Tried it on after the dealer offered and I fell in love.

[Bangel]

Super post!

It was like reading my own thoughts on a screen!!

I went through the same dilemma. Having set my heart on a 16610, unbeknownst to me at the time, they had just been discontinued.

Buying preowned also wasn't a viable option for me for the same reasons as you.

I just couldn't get over the shape of the new case on the 116610, despite hours of poring over photos on the internet (or in some cases, staring at the same photo).

Eventually my wife, who probably got sick of me looking at watches on the internet that "look the same anyway," presented me with a 116610 as a surprise anniversary gift.

Sure the 116610 is "blockier" than it's predecessor and I still think an ideal Sub would have thinner lugs, but once I put it on, my concerns about the case shape didn't seem so important. Overall, I now prefer the 116610 over the 16610.

[FTX I]

I have the latest but I always wanted to have the 16610 as well. My problem is that I have 6.3 wrists and I don't know if I will be able to adjust the bracelet. TBH I've had the same doubt for years and the answer was always 'no you will never be able to adjust it properly' and I should stop thinking about it but It's clear to me now that the 16610 is very hard to forget.

[landroverking]

Nice post, congrats.

[GRabens]

Originally Posted by AK797

Love your photo.

[Jason71]

Own both. Still prefer the 16610. Glad you are enjoying your new watch

[nikhsub1]

Love mine!

[1995akcoop]

not a ceramic fan but love your story,,,, enjoy the new watch bro!!


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[mrallen13]

I have to agree that I like the ceramic version better. Would I have wanted some slight tweaks to make it perfect? Sure, but I would want some tweaks to the older version too. I haven't found a watch that is perfect yet, so you can only compare what watch companies produce. It's close, but the SubC wins for me between the too.

[mew]

Still prefer the old sub. No doubt the new ones are great but the longer lugs and wider lugs mean they don't fit my wrist.

[leicashot]

Great writeup. The new Submariner is so perfect

[rainbowmax]

Super post! I've been in the same boat and ended up as you did.
Very well done.

[Maxy]

Excellent thoughts for 1st post! Welcome!

[Furbo]

Thinking with your own head is always good.

[shay2nak]

I had a chance to see these two models side by side at my AD recently. The 16610 was pre-owned but was in excellent condition and $5k asking price. However, I liked much better the changes on the 116610, such as the wider minute hand and larger maxi markers, etc. I also like the new clasp as it is cleaner and doesn't have a pattern pressed into it. Additionally, it appeared the width of the bezel was slightly larger on the ceramic, which I also liked. I wish I did prefer the 16610 because it was $3500 less. Funny as soon as I finished looking at it and said no, a guy behind me was waiting for me to make a decision. As soon as I gave it back, he bought it.

Only thing I wish on the 116610 is I'd have the option for the red accents (second hand and "Submariner" on the dial).

[chong2k]

Great story! I was in the same dilemma. I didn't like the new case of the 116610 against the classic version. But everything else on the new Sub had a great appeal to me.

My "wake up call" was the 1:1 comparison at a local dealer. They had both in stock, both brand new, all stickers on them. When I tried them on side by side the old one felt and looked...well... old. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to try them both on at the same time, so my decision was crystal clear to the SubC + the old model cost even 600 Euros more!

The only option that was still on my mind was the 16610LV with black bezel insert....I really like that watch. But still, I am so used to the glidelock clasp and use it frequently that I just don't want to have a Sub without it!

At the end of the day the SubC was the best package for me, as well. And if I ever should feel the need for the old case, I'd go for a real vintage version like the 1680 or 5513. But for an everyday rocker, the SubC is the perfect tool, imho.

[leicashot]

I recently considered the previous versions of the Sub but when you compare side by side its a tough argument to purchase pre-ceramic, even with a cost saving.

[Gerardus]

Nice post, thanks.

[Snow-Dweller]

Great first post.

[Psmith]

Welcome, and thanks for such an interesting first post

I've long said that looking at large photos on the internet is not a good way to assess a watch. And for some reason there have been many 'old vs new' and 'size' debate threads recently, and to be frank these have become very tedious. It is refreshing to read your open-minded write up.
Enjoy your new watch

[AK797]

Originally Posted by GRabens

Love your photo.

Many thanks.

[Watch Professor]

I had the same issue as you.

My solution.

[Racerdj]

Great intro, welcome and congratulations!