• Tired of adverts on RWI? - Subscribe by clicking HERE and PMing Trailboss for instructions and they will magically go away!

Rolex deep sea blue

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48

I decided to commemorate my return to rwi by getting a special watch. At least special to me. Lol. Ive always been fascinated by travel, exploring. Weve got rolex expedition watches that have endured trips to the most harshest climates in the world. Everest, mountains, deserts....omegas to the moon, and one of my favorites to the depths of the oceans. The sea dweller always made that mark but then in 2012 when james cameron took his rolex almost 7 miles under water to the deepest part of the ocean in the mariana trench. Something that has never been done before. Rolex decided to do something unprecedented by commemorationg this event by creating the sea dweller deep blue. Ive really liked this watch since it was released but never got around to ordering it. But finally have started the process with lucy. We are just deciding which one to get now. Im leaning to the noob latest release. Which has got alot of improvements and great specs. Probably will go with that one unless someone talks me out of it. Lol. I love history and objects that are tied to a historic event and i think this watch really meets that criterium. So off we go. Ill keep an update on the process and then a pic review when it arrives. One of my favorite parts about that whole expedition in 2012 was that there were several countries working together including the U.S., australia, france, england, germany and russia. And probably more. But the challenger submersible they took to the bottom was made in australia. The yellow green print on the dial of the watch matches the color of that submersible. And then the blue from the top of the dial fading to black denotes the ocean from the top of the surface of the water to the depths where its pitch black. So there are some cool subtelties with this watch too without being gaudy. Anyway. Im back to my long winded posts. Lol. Sorry about that. But ill keep an update here. Anyone with any suggestions or anything please feel free to say anything. I researched this watch alot a few years ago when it came out but with all the new models now i had to start over. Have a great day.
 

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
I didnt even see arf factories version. Ugh. This one looks great too with improvements with the clasp and lec. I think im mkre leaning to the arf right now. I havent got a watch from them before anyway.
 

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
I have made up my mind between the arf factory and noob. Im going with noob. The details down to letter font are just much better with noob factory on this one. The biggest difference is on the gas ring lock around the dial. On the arf factory model the font is wrong. The noob factory printing on the ring looks pretty spot on. And the rest of the dial too. But for me that ring lock is kind of a focal point that you csn see pretty clearly so i would rather hwve that printing be correct. Ill post pics of all three. Arf, noob and then the gen.
 

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
Wont let me edit the pics so gen on top then noob then arf on the bottom. You can really see the differwnce with the letter s. And the font is way too thick on the arf.
 
Last edited:

Raddave

Most Delicious of all Nipples!
Staff member
Global Moderator
Administrator
Certified
24/12/11
66,111
17,068
113
Font is correct on the ring lock , you have pictures of 2 different watches
 

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
The top two have the same font. The bottom one is alot different. Thats the arf.
 

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
I went ahead and ordered the noob 126660 today from lucy at truetime168. I do like the improvements they said they made. And being the newest model out i am really curious and excited to see it in person. As always lucy gives excellent communication. Shes very helpful. I see alot of new members get worried writing posts if a t.d. doesnt message them back the same day or even a couple days. The dealers here will get back to you. It may not be right away but just be patient. They will. I will keep updating this thread through the process as it goes on. Thanks for reading.
 

RobSe1

goes Deepsea
Supporter
Certified
23/6/17
2,041
1,982
113
I went ahead and ordered the noob 126660 today from lucy at truetime168. I do like the improvements they said they made. And being the newest model out i am really curious and excited to see it in person. As always lucy gives excellent communication. Shes very helpful. I see alot of new members get worried writing posts if a t.d. doesnt message them back the same day or even a couple days. The dealers here will get back to you. It may not be right away but just be patient. They will. I will keep updating this thread through the process as it goes on. Thanks for reading.

What improvements were made?
 

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
The bracelet is larger just like the 2018 genuine. Since it originally came out in 2014 people complained that the watch was top heavy and flopped around or wasnt stable becsuse the bracelet was too thin. Just wasnt strong enough to hold the watch in place. So noob also corrected that with this watch. And then also they added the rolex crown at the six oclock position in between swiss and made just like the gen. I forget what else they did. A couple smaller things. I habent really read about too many things that were off on this watch. So theyve just improved it with the couple things they did. You can buy the fancy clone movement also with this watch but i usually always stick with the asian 2836 when i can. In all of my years of collecting reps ive only had one with a movement that needed rebuilt in a short time period of wearing it. Ive had great luck with the asian 2836. Its a great movement. Reliable. I just dont see the point in getting the one with the replica movement. Nobody ever sees the movement anyway until you have it serviced. And then only the watchmaker sees it and they could care less also about what movement is in there. My purpose in hqving reps is functionality and looks. I love seeing the second and third editions of a watch as they co?e out just to see the improvements they make each time to get it closer to gen. Oh also they use 904l steel on this noob model just like the gen. So that was another change they made.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gill777

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
Lucy shipped my watch a couple days ago. She kept it for several days to make sure it was functioning properly. I really appreciate that she does that. She actually wat hed it for a little over a week. Which i dont mind at all. Im never in a hurry to get a watch. Id rather my dealer take their time and make the best decision in choosing one at the factory and then take their time monitoring it for a few days or week to make sure its running properly. Then lastly after making sure it functions well she takes it to her watchsmith and he removes any dust thats under the crystal and if anything is off a little bit he lines it up properly then seals it up. Tests it on the timeographer to see the beat rate and other readings. I forget the number she said but its good. Within cosc specs. Keeping time great. So hopefully it will be here soon. Not sure though because shipping is kind of backed up in alot of places right now. So hopefully not too long. I remwmber one other time when shipping was backed up it took like 43 days to get here once she sent it. So hopefully not that long but i will understand if it is. Something for all new members out there. Sometimes you will get a watch thats dead on arrival. Doa. Or something isnt working right or a hand fell off. Or whatever. You may have an issue. It happens. Eventhough its perfect when it leaves their hands something can always go wrong ilduring shipping. The handlers are not the gentlest people in the world. Your watch might get thrown or dropped or smashed by something. All kinds of things happen during shipping. Luckily ive only had a couple problems over the years. You have options if something happens and your watch arrives damaged or not working properly. First one is ti send it back to china to your dealer and they will send you a new one. I dont recommend this option because alot of things can happen. Shipping a watch back it could get seized by customs. Could get lost.......a whole bunch of things could happen. Ive read on here i remember one guy sent his back to the dealer and disnt get one back for over a year just because one thing after another happened. I just dont recommend sending it back. Although some people do. If i receive a watch thats doa or not working right. If i cant get it to run then ill just email or text my dealer and let her know what the problem is. And then she will just give me a discoilunt on my next watch. A big ddiscount. To me thats just the better way to go instead of risking losing the watch completely by sending it back to china. Or sometimes the dealer will just offer to pay the watchsmith that you send it to to get it fixed. Its just easier for me to take the discount on my next watch. Like i said thats only happened twice in many years of buying replicas. The one time the watch just had a gear with a couple broken teeth so it was super cheap to fix so i just told my dealer dont worry about it. But even so she still offered me a discount on my next watch. But it wasnt necessary because it was so cheap to have fixed. Anyway. Hope this helps some. And im excited to see this watch when it arrives. Ill take a bunch of pics and give it a little review.
 

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
I received my watch yesterday. I will do a review of it tomorrow hopefully. What a beauty. I cannot stop looking at it. That dial on the deep blue is one of the bezt imo. Aesthetically. Anyway. Will gwt some pics and hopefully tomorrow a write up.
 

scottiedog

I'm Pretty Popular
15/7/16
1,404
394
83
I received my watch yesterday. I will do a review of it tomorrow hopefully. What a beauty. I cannot stop looking at it. That dial on the deep blue is one of the bezt imo. Aesthetically. Anyway. Will gwt some pics and hopefully tomorrow a write up.

Congrats. Very much look forward to the pictures and review.
 
  • Like
Reactions: egroegart

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
Sorry about the crappy pics. Cant do macro with this phone. Hopefully ill get some better pics. Im just going to overview the buying process with lucy, and then talk about the watch.
ive seen alot of posts over the years when new people order a watch from one of our td's that they are worried something has happened or they are being ripped off by the dealer. I know for a first time buyer spending a couple hundred to 600 bucks with someone you dont know in a far away country buying a replica. It can be worrisome. But when you buy from a t.d. here youre safe. Its when you go outside this website and buy from a dealer that is not well reviewed and vetted by this site where you could be scammed. All the dealers here are different and work in different ways. Some are super fast. I ordered from a t.d. a few years ago that i had never used and my watch was here in the u.s. 2 weeks after i paid. And that is crazy fast. Ive also had watches take almost two months to get here. Usually its about a,month or so. With lucy it might be a little slow but theres a great reason. When she goes to the factory to pick out your watch she carefully looks them over right there and inspects them very well. She is very picky. If she doesnt like it or any of the watches she looks at that day. Then she will pass and just go back a couple days later when they have a new batch out. And she will do that until shes happy with the watch.

So when she gets your watch from the factory she takes it back to her office and sets the time and date and lets it run. She will watch it for a few days or up to a week. Then if shes satisfied with how it functions she will then send it to her watchsmith and he cleans the dial and gets all the dust out. Because the factories assemble these in not the greatest of dust free environments. So thats just part of her process which i really appreciate. Then she ships it off to you.

last year i ordered one from her. She picked it out. Watched it run for a week. Then as she was inspecting it with a loupe found a scratch on the seconds hand. Immediately texted me and said she would like to go back to the factory to pick out a new one. And sent me pics of the scratch. A macro pic. I asked if it was visible with the naked eye and she said no. It functions great. Looks great except for that scratch that really bothered her. It wasnt visible to the naked eye so that didnt bother me at all and i just said to send it. And for sure you need a loupe to see the scratch. Maybe it would bother some people. But if its not visible it doesnt bother me. Its been a greT watch. Ive basically worn it everyday the last year.

the process with this deep sea blue watch was great also. Took a few trips back and forth to the factory but she found a great one. I really cant find a flaw with it. It arrived two days ago. Wrapped really well. I also noticed shes using larger boxes,now with alot more protection for the watch. Im pretty sure parcels are not handled with alot of care while its being transported. So that added bubble wrap is great.

ive wanted this watch for a few years now. Glad i waited because of the updates theyve made that rolex made on it in 2018. Which i explained earlier in the thread.

There were several reasons i wanted this watch. Alot because of the james cameron expedition into the mariana trench in 2012 which is why rolex made this watch to commemorate that expedition. Then i really loved the dial. Something rolex has never done before in the history of the company. Making a two tone dial that artistically represents something. And then representing the submersible vehicle cameron travelled to the deepest part of the ocean in by using the same color that sub was the lime colored green on the words "deep sea" on the dial. Just some really cool touches that make this watch unique.

honestly i wish i had a camera on me when i opened it because my jaw dropped. It is so much better in person. Pictures do not do this watch justice. Its simply amazing. I have seen the real one once. And this is just amazing compared to the gen. I wish i could do a comparison thread on both. They really nailed it on this watch. This one is from the noob factory which from all the research ive done i think is the best version. I could be wrong. And if anyone else has one from a different factory please chime in. But i do think its amazing.
everything functions perfectly so far. Its only been two days. Its gaining about 4 seconds per day. Which is within cosc specs. And excellent. Imo. I dont think ive gotten one yet that has had that good of precision over the years without adjusting it. So im really pleased with that.

the date turns over right on the dot at midnight. Im really impressed that the date is centered in the date wheel box. Ive just come to accept over the years that it is usually off centered a little to the right. But every date is just about perfect. Another thing i am impressed with is the winding. It is very smooth. Nice little clicks and not that muddled sound you have alot of times with reps. The rotor is very quiet. You can hear it slightly but its very good compared to most reps ive gotten. The bezel is a dream to turn. Nice crisp clicks. Feels closer to gen than any rep ive had with a bezel that rotates. Thats impressive. It is a half click off. So doesnt line up perfectly at 12 oclock. But again ive never had one from the factory yet thats been properly aligned. Ill have that sorted in time. Doesnt bother me right now. And nobody would ever notice anyway.

i believe thats all for function. Im probably missing alot. Havent done one of these reviews in a long time.

the function is important to me. I want a reliable and accurate watch. Ajd so far this one is definitely that. But to me on this watch thats not the most impressive thing. Its just amazing to look at. Ive never had a reaction opening a watch like i did with this one. I literally gasped when i saw it. Its an artwork. The dial is amazing. The blue fading into black is really striking. And then with the lime green on the words. The colors just really go together so well. And really represent the sea excellent. The lume application is excellent. The indices really shine. Especially in the sunlight. Even though its just a tiny ring around the lume it adds alot. I really think the domed crystal kind of magnifies the dial. I can see the details on this dial better and clearer than on any watch ive had. I think maybe because of the crystal? Not sure. But its stunning with that crystal. The bezel numbers and hash marks are done really well. Right off white color. Or silver or whatever it is. You cant really see the rehaut in my pics but it is aligned right. Hopefully ill get some better pics soon.

this watch is big. Its a,big chunk of metal sitting on your wrist. I was worried that it may be too chunky but its perfect. Maybe if you have small wrists it may be akward but i think it fits and feels great. So far i think the worst part. Which is not horriblw but i wish was better is the lume. Sure, if youre out in the sun and go in the dark right away its really bright. But overall the lume isnt very bright. I didnt take a pic of that but i will. My explorer 2 shines so bright and lasts all night. If i wake up i can see the time perfectly with it any time of night. This one is just not the brightest. And i was hoping it would be because i do look at my watch when i wake up during the night. But no big deal.

Im probably missing alot. And if anyone has any questions about it that i didnt talk about please ask. But overall i love this watch. Definitely one of the best ive gotten straight from the factory without any mods done to it. Thanks for reading. Ill post the pics i have.
 

egroegart

Put Some Respect On My Name
1/7/13
4,472
61
48
Is everybody on vacation? Lol. Holy cow. Ok if anyone can guess what the table is that i took my pics on you win a million. Lol.