New watch - new SD4000 vs Explorer II 216570 Comparison

[sheldonsmith]

Rolex SeaDweller 4000 & Rolex Explorer II 216570

2014 was the year Rolex unveiled some surprises including the re-introduction of an old classic, the Rolex SeaDweller 4000. Originally launched in 1967 as a watch developed for depths and conditions greater than the industry standard Rolex Submariner, the Rolex SeaDweller 4000 possessed functions and design elements that made it different from the Submariner. Just as how Rolex collaborated with Pan American Airlines on the development of the Rolex GMT, Rolex collaborated with COMEX S.A. to design a professional diving watch for depths beyond recreational SCUBA levels. Fast forward to 2008 and the Rolex SeaDweller was discontinued with the unveiling of the Rolex DeepSea SeaDweller (DSSD), Rolex deep-water professional diving watch.

Speed forward to 2014 and Rolex's re-introduction of the Rolex SD4000 brings a dive watch that can be worn everyday (unlike the DSSD) yet has features setting it apart from the Submariner including the classic lines and design ethos that the first 1976 SeaDweller possessed.

Looking at the SD4000 and Rolex's other renaissance watch, the Explorer II 216570 illustrates the simlarities and differences between them that make these both great everyday wearer sport / professional wristwatches.

http://www.minus4plus6.com/images/216570_116600/thumbnails/tn_20150103-IMG_165816.jpg http://www.minus4plus6.com/images/216570_116600/thumbnails/tn_20150103-IMG_165612.jpg
The Rolex SD4000 (left) and Rolex Explorer II (right) are both made of 904L stainless steel exclusively. There are no platinum or gold counterparts to these watches and are positioned in the Rolex line as bona-fide tool watches. The SD4000 and Explorer II 216570 keep the classic lines as their older brothers without the boxy re-design found on the updated Submariners and GMTs.

Both made of 904L stainless steel, the SD4000 and Explorer II comparative proportions match their intended use. The Explorer II is designed for both AM and PM visibility with its larger 42mm face, larger indicies, and larger hands that hold more Chromolight luminova for longer lasting glowing at night.

The SD4000 is designed for water pressure and subsequently has a smaller traditional 40mm watch face, traditional 20 mm lug width (2mm narrower than the Exp II), thicker Triplock crown, thicker caseback, and thicker crystal.

I have more images and more to the review / comparison at http://www.minus4plus6.com/SD4000.htm

All errors are mine, so feel free to point them out.

-Sheldon

[sheldonsmith]

The correct link is http://www.minus4plus6.com/SD4000.htm

[Servus]

Hi Shelden, what is your conclusion drawn from the comparison posted?
Cheers
Michael

[Flo74]

nice, but it's "apples vs pears" :ka:

[sheldonsmith]

Hi Shelden, what is your conclusion drawn from the comparison posted?
Cheers
Michael

Here are the closing paragraphs from the final thoughts section. There is more discussion and images from the piece at http://www.minus4plus6.com/SD4000.htm

How it Wears
After wearing the DeepSea SeaDweller, a 17mm high, 44mm wide, 215g behemoth of a dive watch for almost a year, the SDc4000 is a sigh of relief. I have a 6 5/8th wrist and the DSSD was a great weekend watch, but my wrist started to feel beat after a few weeks of wearing it. When my wrist felt beat, I would switch to the Explorer II 216570 letting out a sigh of relief. To let my normal watch wrist recover, I would wear the Explorer II on the opposite wrist for a few days.

The DSSD is a fantastic piece of engineering and would still be wearing it if the watch was not so top heavy and tall. I believe the DSSD would be more comfortable if it were less tall. I had to keep the DSSD pretty tight on the wrist. The much heavier platinum Daytona rides closer to the wrist and thus does not flop around as much.

The SDc4000 is a great combination of rugged watch with thicker everything, yet has the relative comfort of the Explorer II. I appreciate the thicker caseback raising the watch case higher allowing clearance between the crown and the back of my hand. A 150g watch is much easier on the wrist. If you like to have your watches slide around a bit like with the older hollow-link, tuna-can bracelets found on the originals, both the SDc4000 and Explorer II allow for that without beating up the back of your hand. The SDc4000's raised caseback, and the slightly raised Explorer II caseback matched with the narrower Twinloc crown allow for both watches to be worn slighly loose

The SDc4000 watch face is as visible as the Explorer II, but it does not have the orange 24 hour hand and other orange accents that I appreciate on the Explorer II.

On the comfort side, both the SDc4000 and Explorer II are very similar. The SDc4000 is a tad heavier and slightly taller causing a *little* more watch flop, but not anything like the DSSD. The SDc4000 looks smaller on the wrist as the Explorer II, but has the same amount of watch presence. For ones who are desk diving or desk exploring, both watches are a coin flip. The Glidelock clasp standard on the SDc4000 might sway me to the SDc4000, but that feature is counteracted by the larger hands and dial orange accents, and 24-hour hand resident on the Explorer II. The smaller looking SDc4000 possesses some very angular features (raised crystal, raised bracelet end links) that make the SDc4000 stand out from the GMTs and Submariners. Between the two watches, I would have a hard time selecting just one. Both the SDc4000 and Explorer II have features that I use daily. Too bad Rolex does not make a SDc4000 Explorer merging all distinguishing features of both watches into one watch. Now there's an idea...