- 17/5/14
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Hello folks,
after I got my latest diver a few days ago, I thought it might be interesting to compare three extreme diving watches that should be able to use from 1000m to 1200m beneath the surface. I am not sure if this is the right forum section but I think for at least three reasons it´s not completely wrong here:
I personally love Panerai watches and in this section I posted most of my comments or threads
There is no general "divers" section
I think you guys here are into big diving watches anyway - so it might be interesting
Ok, let´s see what I´ve got here...a nice Panerai 243, a Rolex 16600 Sea Dweller and an Omega 224.32.55.21.01.001 or - to make it a bit shorter - the Ploprof 1200
Each of the watches was build with the same idea: to use them when you dive under extreme conditions. Not many of us, I suppose, have been that deep under water, but A LOT OF US like those toys
On to the pics and some comments about the details...first of all the dial:
the dial of the 243 its pretty tidy and very good to read...just two numbers and big dots on it with the small second and the date window. When there is something you could let away it is the loupe for the date...not really useful for a real diving watch but ok...
then we have the Sea Dweller
one of the clearest dials with ALL you need without any gimmicks
the Ploprof dial is kind of reduced to the max, too
what I like a bit more about the Ploprof dial than on the Sea Dweller dial is the black date wheel - it fits in the rest of the dial pretty good and is readable when you want to know the date
the ploppy is the one of the three that is pretty best readable from every angle ... with the double AR coating it seems that there is no crystal on the watch. The Sea Dweller is also good to read but as you know Rolex don´t use an AR coating on their crystals. The 243 has a thick crystal which makes it hard in some angles to read the time good...but anyway - nothing you can´t live with!
Now let´s have a look at the bezels...you have to adjust them before you go diving - and in some case it´s kind of hard when you already got your suit and your gloves on...
the Ploppy has the coolest mechanism and I think the safest lock .. BUT .. it takes some training to turn the bezel with one hand - with your gloves on you have to be really good on it...otherwise it may look ridiculous when you try to switch it onehanded
press the magic orang button and turn the bezel counterclockwise...release the button to save your adjustment. due to the shape of the bezel you can do it with or without gloves, with a wrench or anything else which grabs
much easier on the 16600...
just turn the bezel counterclockwise to the adjustment you want, go diving...
same here with the Submersible...easy as it can be but you have some more teeth on the bezel which might make it a bit more slippery (when wet)
from the optical aspect I personally like it the most of these three...
when you are under the surface and it´s getting darker and darker ... which one has the best lume and visibility ?
well I think the best overall information is provided by the Omega...strong lume and even the bezel is shining pretty bright...awsome
second best here is the Submersible...very nice, too, great lume and kind of clear...love it
well, and what´s about the Sea Dweller? I am really sorry that I can´t provide a lumeshot of my SD...a 20 year old t-dial has not anymore the power that I can capture it...even though it still glows a bit...but under water I think it´s kind of useless
when you go back to the surface a bit too fast you might crash your crystal because of the gas and pressure inside the watch - unless you have the He Valve...a small thing but a nice feature on these three watches and a live saver for the watch, too.
let´s have a look how the engineers of the three manufacturers solved their valve optical
Rolex:
Form follows function - nothing spectecular
Omega:
kind of nicer - at least we have an engraving here
The winner is:
Panerai
eyecandy
what else do we have?
Oh, the concept for the clasps and diving extensions...very important, too.
the best overall solution in my opinion has Omega.
it´s an easy to adjust and technical well done solution to fit EVERY wrist - with or without suit...amazing and butter smooth
the clasp has some nice engravings an a cool look...
then Rolex...well, as they did with the He valve they did with the bracelet, the extension and the clasp.
nothing really spectacular but very very functional...and even this fits most of mens wrists and some gorillas, too
and it´s all said with one symbol that almost everybody knows...
the Submersible - in my case - is worn on a nice fat leather strap - which I prefer to the rubber straps from Panerai...you can order it at any size to fit every wrist...
and customize your buckle...I prefer it classical though
So and when it comes to the back of these beauties...it´s like with the back of a woman...you don´t see it that often but it´s quite important anyway
Rolex shows again that sometimes it´s ok to reduce...
simply beautiful
Omega has a much more ornate caseback...all informations you need, combined with artistic engravings...
and Panerai ? Well, nice but not really an eye-catcher
and when your watch stops running somewhen, when you maybe change them with other watches? Wind´em up...even this is from watch to watch different here...
Rolex - unscrew the crown, pull the stem out - wind it - easy
Submersible: Pull the Crownguard - pull the crown - wind it up - a lot cooler to do and to be looked at doing it
Omega: unscrew the whole crown protector with the huge crown - pull the crown - wind it - that is how real men work on that
So, I think that´s all for now...if you want to know anything else - feel free to ask for it!
Time for some groupsex!
At the end I´ve to say that every watch is special and really outstanding in it´s way...no winner or looser - I personally am happy to have all of them and I won´t let any of them go.
What is amazing that all three watches are very comfortable to wear - even I have kind of skinny wrists. And believe me I really feared the "first time" I put on the Ploprof...but even with these extreme measurements it´s not that big I´ve thought it might be...try it - you´ll LOVE it!
I hope you like what you saw, even if it´s not 100% PANERAI.
Thank´s for your interest!
kindly,
fredl
after I got my latest diver a few days ago, I thought it might be interesting to compare three extreme diving watches that should be able to use from 1000m to 1200m beneath the surface. I am not sure if this is the right forum section but I think for at least three reasons it´s not completely wrong here:
I personally love Panerai watches and in this section I posted most of my comments or threads
There is no general "divers" section
I think you guys here are into big diving watches anyway - so it might be interesting
Ok, let´s see what I´ve got here...a nice Panerai 243, a Rolex 16600 Sea Dweller and an Omega 224.32.55.21.01.001 or - to make it a bit shorter - the Ploprof 1200
Each of the watches was build with the same idea: to use them when you dive under extreme conditions. Not many of us, I suppose, have been that deep under water, but A LOT OF US like those toys
On to the pics and some comments about the details...first of all the dial:
the dial of the 243 its pretty tidy and very good to read...just two numbers and big dots on it with the small second and the date window. When there is something you could let away it is the loupe for the date...not really useful for a real diving watch but ok...
then we have the Sea Dweller
one of the clearest dials with ALL you need without any gimmicks
the Ploprof dial is kind of reduced to the max, too
what I like a bit more about the Ploprof dial than on the Sea Dweller dial is the black date wheel - it fits in the rest of the dial pretty good and is readable when you want to know the date
the ploppy is the one of the three that is pretty best readable from every angle ... with the double AR coating it seems that there is no crystal on the watch. The Sea Dweller is also good to read but as you know Rolex don´t use an AR coating on their crystals. The 243 has a thick crystal which makes it hard in some angles to read the time good...but anyway - nothing you can´t live with!
Now let´s have a look at the bezels...you have to adjust them before you go diving - and in some case it´s kind of hard when you already got your suit and your gloves on...
the Ploppy has the coolest mechanism and I think the safest lock .. BUT .. it takes some training to turn the bezel with one hand - with your gloves on you have to be really good on it...otherwise it may look ridiculous when you try to switch it onehanded
press the magic orang button and turn the bezel counterclockwise...release the button to save your adjustment. due to the shape of the bezel you can do it with or without gloves, with a wrench or anything else which grabs
much easier on the 16600...
just turn the bezel counterclockwise to the adjustment you want, go diving...
same here with the Submersible...easy as it can be but you have some more teeth on the bezel which might make it a bit more slippery (when wet)
from the optical aspect I personally like it the most of these three...
when you are under the surface and it´s getting darker and darker ... which one has the best lume and visibility ?
well I think the best overall information is provided by the Omega...strong lume and even the bezel is shining pretty bright...awsome
second best here is the Submersible...very nice, too, great lume and kind of clear...love it
well, and what´s about the Sea Dweller? I am really sorry that I can´t provide a lumeshot of my SD...a 20 year old t-dial has not anymore the power that I can capture it...even though it still glows a bit...but under water I think it´s kind of useless
when you go back to the surface a bit too fast you might crash your crystal because of the gas and pressure inside the watch - unless you have the He Valve...a small thing but a nice feature on these three watches and a live saver for the watch, too.
let´s have a look how the engineers of the three manufacturers solved their valve optical
Rolex:
Form follows function - nothing spectecular
Omega:
kind of nicer - at least we have an engraving here
The winner is:
Panerai
eyecandy
what else do we have?
Oh, the concept for the clasps and diving extensions...very important, too.
the best overall solution in my opinion has Omega.
it´s an easy to adjust and technical well done solution to fit EVERY wrist - with or without suit...amazing and butter smooth
the clasp has some nice engravings an a cool look...
then Rolex...well, as they did with the He valve they did with the bracelet, the extension and the clasp.
nothing really spectacular but very very functional...and even this fits most of mens wrists and some gorillas, too
and it´s all said with one symbol that almost everybody knows...
the Submersible - in my case - is worn on a nice fat leather strap - which I prefer to the rubber straps from Panerai...you can order it at any size to fit every wrist...
and customize your buckle...I prefer it classical though
So and when it comes to the back of these beauties...it´s like with the back of a woman...you don´t see it that often but it´s quite important anyway
Rolex shows again that sometimes it´s ok to reduce...
simply beautiful
Omega has a much more ornate caseback...all informations you need, combined with artistic engravings...
and Panerai ? Well, nice but not really an eye-catcher
and when your watch stops running somewhen, when you maybe change them with other watches? Wind´em up...even this is from watch to watch different here...
Rolex - unscrew the crown, pull the stem out - wind it - easy
Submersible: Pull the Crownguard - pull the crown - wind it up - a lot cooler to do and to be looked at doing it
Omega: unscrew the whole crown protector with the huge crown - pull the crown - wind it - that is how real men work on that
So, I think that´s all for now...if you want to know anything else - feel free to ask for it!
Time for some groupsex!
At the end I´ve to say that every watch is special and really outstanding in it´s way...no winner or looser - I personally am happy to have all of them and I won´t let any of them go.
What is amazing that all three watches are very comfortable to wear - even I have kind of skinny wrists. And believe me I really feared the "first time" I put on the Ploprof...but even with these extreme measurements it´s not that big I´ve thought it might be...try it - you´ll LOVE it!
I hope you like what you saw, even if it´s not 100% PANERAI.
Thank´s for your interest!
kindly,
fredl
