Rolex Seadweller conundrum

1st world problem. I have a Seadweller (16600) which I bought new in 2001. For the last couple of years I’ve not worn it much as I have got used to slightly bigger watches.

I’ve thought about maybe getting a newer 126600 43mm one, which would mean selling mine and putting money to. Best I good get would be a s/h one which seems the going rate is about £10 to £11k.

What I don’t know is how much I should expect for mine. Collectors dream, 1 owner from new (me), never been passed around the trade, absolutely everything it came with new and never been opened or polished. In extremely good condition bar a very, very faint scratch on the crystal. I’m thinking £8k is not unreasonable for mine but I really don’t know.

Would I be better selling privately or doing a p/ex deal with someone like Watchfinder?

The other thing is my 16600 has been with me for over 20yrs and it’s a bit like an old friend, but should I keep it if not wearing much.

I’m sure the collective expertise on the forum could help me decide wether to keep a very nice vintage ish piece which I’ve owned from new, or go for a modern piece which will cost me money

Keep it, it's yours, if you've only worn it occasionally the chances are you'll be the same with the next one, if you've worn it and its got a few memories all the more reason to hang on, oh and size fashion is always changing up/down /thicker /thinner, rattling bracelet, quick adjustment, nun's pube hairspring, - all there to part us from our money and in the great scheme of things they don't come with ready made memories.

Personally I think I would find it very difficult to part with, especially for another watch. Much easier decision if it had been a second hand Sea Dweller that you were liquidating as any regret could be rectified and another sourced down the line. Once it’s gone it’s gone. The larger one seems an attractive proposition now, but having sacrificed pieces in the past for new loves, it’s sometimes just not worth it looking back.

Don’t sell it. Wear it more.

Keep it,selling on here wont get you the 8k people would have said it will.....

Agree with Verv.

Sold my BLNR last year for similar reasons and regret it.

Here is a decent comparable for you https://watchesofwhitby.com/product/...ollectors-set/

To echo others wisdom

Don’t sell it, you can never replace it to that standard.

D


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Keep it.
You like big watches now.
This too shall pass.

Definitely keep

It's a great watch

Fyi, David Duggan had/has a brand new with stickers 16600 at 10k so I doubt you'd get 8k for yours in today's market.

You know that if you keep something long enough it comes back into fashion !? That's exactly where you are with this IMHO, small is the new big. Keep it !!!

My advice would be to keep the SD - if I had my time over I would have just stuck with the SD I purchased in 2002 and avoided the constant search for the new watch. Better spending the spare cash on a trip away or time with the family.


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Keep the 16600,it's the best sea dweller there is,IMO.

I wouldn’t sell your 16600 for a 43 as you will regret it.
The 43 is a big lump and there’s a reason it’s not a very popular model considering it has a red line.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7cc7f2db71.jpg

I’d keep it. The new one would have no soul for you.

100% keep it without a doubt.

An absolute classic Seadweller in exchange for a lump of bling? Nah!

The forum has spoken :peaceful:

Do what Verv said.

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Originally Posted by Loupe

I wouldn’t sell your 16600 for a 43 as you will regret it.
The 43 is a big lump and there’s a reason it’s not a very popular model considering it has a red line.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7cc7f2db71.jpg

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Great pic, think that perfectly illustrates what the forum is getting at. That 43 looks massive, also don't like how the ceramic bezel inserts on all the modern stuff, regardless of case size, are so much higher in profile and more prominent than the good 'ol thinner Alu bezels.

The beauty of the 16600 for me is in the design, the fact that it's basically identically sized to a Sub but with a bit of 'added beef'.

Love that 1665 BTW, absolute knockout.

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Originally Posted by Onelasttime

An absolute classic Seadweller in exchange for a lump of bling? Nah!

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This 100%

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Neil

my 16600 has been with me for over 20yrs and it’s a bit like an old friend,

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Discard an old fried at your peril, they are hard to replace.

Invest more time in them is my advice... wear it more ... fashions change and it already feels like big watches are on the way out ...

IMO the 16600 is the best reference for a relatively modern SS sports Rolex. I certainly wouldn't be selling it for the 43.

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Originally Posted by verv

Don’t sell it. Wear it more.

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You and your old fashioned ideas. :icon_biggrin:

Think long and hard before you part with it. Sold my Sub 16610 that I wore every day for 10 years and regret it.


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You think you'll like the big one more, but you never really know until you've got a watch and worn it for some period of time.

It seems like a bad risk to me. You'll have to give up the watch you've had with you all these years, which is probably now scarce in the condition you've got it, and part with extra cash too, when there's a good chance you'll end up wishing you still had your old one.

Looks like the collective has spoken, and my old friend will be staying.

It's been many places around the world with me, every job interview and many important events in the last 24 years.

https://i.imgur.com/QnMaXWsl.jpg

It is a nice one, and back on the wrist, thank for bringing me to my senses :)

The more you wear if, the more you will normalise the size, and so after a while it won't seem small at all

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Originally Posted by Neil

Looks like the collective has spoken, and my old friend will be staying.

It's been many places around the world with me, every job interview and many important events in the last 24 years.

https://i.imgur.com/QnMaXWsl.jpg

It is a nice one, and back on the wrist, thank for bringing me to my senses :)

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A good decision.:smiley:

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Originally Posted by Neil

Looks like the collective has spoken, and my old friend will be staying.

It's been many places around the world with me, every job interview and many important events in the last 24 years.

https://i.imgur.com/QnMaXWsl.jpg

It is a nice one, and back on the wrist, thank for bringing me to my senses :)

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It's a lovely example.
IMO the 6 digit ceramic refs dont have the charm or the ability to age with their owners.
You're actually in a very enviable position of having a "one owner" 16600 to put your own history on.
Wear the bloody thing!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Neil

Looks like the collective has spoken, and my old friend will be staying ... It is a nice one, and back on the wrist, thank for bringing me to my senses :)

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Absolutely the right call. I dissent from many of the posts above in preferring the SD43 - bigger, but much better balanced in my view, less 'toppy' than the previous etc - but this is clearly the right outcome reading how you've described the watch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Neil

Looks like the collective has spoken, and my old friend will be staying.

It's been many places around the world with me, every job interview and many important events in the last 24 years.

https://i.imgur.com/QnMaXWsl.jpg

It is a nice one, and back on the wrist, thank for bringing me to my senses :)

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Can’t believe you ever intended otherwise.

Good decision, get it in the Friday thread this week.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gomers

Great pic, think that perfectly illustrates what the forum is getting at. That 43 looks massive, also don't like how the ceramic bezel inserts on all the modern stuff, regardless of case size, are so much higher in profile and more prominent than the good 'ol thinner Alu bezels.

The beauty of the 16600 for me is in the design, the fact that it's basically identically sized to a Sub but with a bit of 'added beef'.

Love that 1665 BTW, absolute knockout.

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That 1665 is the absolute dogs amazing


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[QUOTE=Pan16520;6347742]That 1665 is the absolute dogs amazing


And now im beginning to regret selling to you! 😂

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Originally Posted by Snowdon

Definitely keep

It's a great watch

Fyi, David Duggan had/has a brand new with stickers 16600 at 10k so I doubt you'd get 8k for yours in today's market.

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Can you link that?
He has one advertised at £14500 . Is that the one?

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Originally Posted by Neil

Looks like the collective has spoken, and my old friend will be staying.

It's been many places around the world with me, every job interview and many important events in the last 24 years.

https://i.imgur.com/QnMaXWsl.jpg

It is a nice one, and back on the wrist, thank for bringing me to my senses :)

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Glad to see you decided to keep it. The right decision IMO. That looks a million times better.

My own take, is that the 16600 is a credible evolution of the original submariner/seadweller which was still a credible dive watch.

The SD43 is a watch that Rolex rolled out - to simply have something new, in a size that they thought the buyers would want.

Red script, cyclops and a big frame............. almost a new watch in its own right - with no heritage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blackal

My own take, is that the 16600 is a credible evolution of the original submariner/seadweller which was still a credible dive watch.

The SD43 is a watch that Rolex rolled out - to simply have something new, in a size that they thought the buyers would want.

Red script, cyclops and a big frame............. almost a new watch in its own right - with no heritage.

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Agreed!

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Originally Posted by learningtofly

Agreed!

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Yep, +1 [emoji106]


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spesh

IMO the 16600 is the best reference for a relatively modern SS sports Rolex. I certainly wouldn't be selling it for the 43.

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I honestly think it’s the best watch, full stop.

Last of breed, and we’ll likely never see another true commercial dive watch.

Great choice. I love the concept of a watch ageing with the owner.

The 43 is huge and heavy. I’ve 6.75 wrists and no, too big for me. Your 16600 looks perfect.

You should go for both ;)

I have a 5 digit Sub and a SD43. Both are great in their own right. I don't find the SD43 wears big and it is comfy (once the divers extension is removed). I also wear a Pam so nothing is large compared to that :)

I've also just gone full circle and over the last few days have had the SD back on the wrist.

Long story as short as possible, as a kid always wanted a Submariner. When I still couldn't afford one I saw a guy I knew with an SD, and from then knew that was what I would like. Chopped and changed watches until in 2012 (I think it was) I could afford this one. Wore it to death until late 2016. Disposable income then started to allow me to add rather than sell to try something new and the SD was consigned to the watchbox and really it has just sat there since while other watches tried to fill the "perfect" watch conundrum.

Fast forward to 1st Feb, went to get a watch, the SD for some reason just sang to me and so I've been wearing it the last few days.

It's really just dawned on me (again) how perfect it is. I don't think I'll be a one watch person for a few years yet, but, suspect that when the time comes this very possibly could be it.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...457d413dbd.jpg

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