AP Diver or Rolex Sea Dweller Deep Sea

[RSbandit]

Looking at these in the used mkt and both v appealing options…what would the connoisseur's pick be? AP more prestigious but the blue dial Deep Seas look great. Haven’t been following the mkt so closely in the last while, has the post Covid spike deflated or have we further to fall? Thinking max budget £15k but might need to pay more for the AP.

[bazza.]

I got myself a new AP offShore Diver once and on the day I went to pick it up the clasp on the option £1500 bracelet wouldn’t close correctly and the crown made a grating sound so had to be sent back to be fixed .Then I found the the time keeping to be 14sec a day so I sent it back they got it down to 9 sec a day and they said it would get better it didn’t so I sent it back and they refused to touch it and said 9s is good enough as there watches are not COSC rated so I sold it and got a Rolex and never looked back

[AB]

I absolutely love my James Cameron, it's quite large on the wrist so tend to wear my Bluesy more often but having considered selling the JC I wore it for a few days and it's a keeper. Prices seem to have fallen of late but I believe they are to be discontinued so now would be a good time?

[RSbandit]

Interesting comments on the AP seems poor losing that much time a day ! Has anyone used Chrono24 or Watchfinder to buy and if so good experience?

[Wills2]

You'll overpay on WF but it gives peace of mind in terms of buyer protection, check out watch collecting for the base value of what you're buying as some of the retail spreads are wide at the moment vs the reality of the trade price.

[donutskidmark]

Regardless of money I’d go for the Deepsea every time

[T6 vanman]

Can I suggest "The original diver's" watch

[FarmyardPants]

RSbandit said:

Interesting comments on the AP seems poor losing that much time a day ! Has anyone used Chrono24 or Watchfinder to buy and if so good experience?

I have bought 4 watches from chrono24 (although not my JC) and they have all gone without a hitch. chrono24 charge the seller 6% so if looking at a UK seller it might be worth clicking through to the seller's website (if they have one of course) and negotiating in person. But chrono24 is great, can't fault them.

(just to clarify, my 4 transactions have all been through chrono24, one was even from New Zealand)

Edited by FarmyardPants on Sunday 1st October 20:41

[jshell]

Deep Sea is a robust tool watch, the AP is a huge scratch-magnet case with a dress watch movement inside. Had both, only kept the Deep Sea.

[Armitage.Shanks]

I can't see how the AP Offshore Diver could actually be used as a diver's watch. The 'timing' internal bezel is operated by unscrewing a crown that is in the wrong place, let alone trying to do it in the water with gloves on. It just doesnt; make sense.

[bazza.]

T6 vanman said:

Can I suggest "The original diver's" watch

Thats been debunked I believe Sir

https://perezcope.com/2023/09/09/debunking-the-fic...

[Joe Strummers Guitar]

RSbandit said:

Looking at these in the used mkt and both v appealing options…what would the connoisseur's pick be? AP more prestigious but the blue dial Deep Seas look great. Haven’t been following the mkt so closely in the last while, has the post Covid spike deflated or have we further to fall? Thinking max budget £15k but might need to pay more for the AP.

Have you pursued this? I am looking at the James Camerons and there seems to be a bit of choice , box and papers around the £11-12K mark......I am tempted ......

[Riff Raff]

bazza. said:

T6 vanman said:

Can I suggest "The original diver's" watch

Thats been debunked I believe Sir

https://perezcope.com/2023/09/09/debunking-the-fic...

Leaving all the handbags aside, I'd have the Blancpain over the other two any day of the week. The FF is a big watch, but wears well. The Rolex is massive. I have relatively small wrists and it doesn't wear well for me. To put that statement in context I wore a PloProf for a good while as a daily (which is even more massive than the Rolex) and that was OK. As far as the AP goes, I vowed not to have another one after a similar experience to the poster above with a new Royal Oak. Plus you get your pants severely pulled down every time it needs a service. OMMV.

[Vipers]

I never thought when I bought a watch to actually use daily would increase in value.

Bought a Rolex Sea Dwelller around 78 for £200 new, it still is my daily watch. Been serviced once, doubt I could afford a second one.

[Hedgedhog]

I have an AP Diver. I bought it when it still flew under the radar and every man and his dog seemed to be wearing a Submariner. I still like it and use it mostly as a beach watch rotating colourful rubber straps but as mentioned above it isn't as robust as a Rolex and ironically I have gone back to wearing my Sub and Daytona more often.

[RSbandit]

Thread resurrection here as I never followed up on getting one last year but was walking past a jewellers in London the other day and they had a new JC DeepSea sitting in the window for £12,750…not much more than what used ones are asking for on Chrono 24 etc. really nice looking watch.