I was initially very resistant to the new supercase, preferring the classic case shape of previous SDs and Subs. It just looked wrong to me in pictures, although I must admit that when I tried on Ceramic Subs over the years, they looked quite good on the wrist. For whatever reason, when the 114060 was announced, this new reference just clicked for me. I had the opportunity to acquire one a few days ago (thanks Matt), and couldn’t help myself.
The most striking differences between the ceramic and previous generation Subs/SDs are the supercases and maxi dials. The blockiness and fat lugs of the supercase make for a watch that wears considerably larger than 40mm. To me, the 114060 feels and looks like a 42mm piece. The increased wrist presence is augmented by the maxi dial and the maxi hands. The overall look is much sportier than my 16600.
The ceramic bezel is much more reflective than the old aluminum inserts. I enjoy the way in which the ceramic reflects light differently, with the appearance ranging from dark black to light grey, adding visual interest to the piece.
The slimmer, more tapered lugs of the 16600, along with the non-maxi plots and hands, give it a more restrained, sober appearance. It doesn’t scream “sporty” as much as does the 114060. For me, this has always been a positive attribute of the previous generation, gloss dial Rolex diver. The versatility and broad wearability of these watches is among the best of any dive watches ever produced. I think some of this is lost with the new generation Rolex divers. I doubt we will ever see another 1000+m-rated dive watch as elegant in appearance as the old SDs. The 114060 is significantly heavier than the prior Subs (I suspect much of this increased weight is in the bracelet), and surprisingly outweighs my 16600 by a couple of grams.
I am not generally a fan of metal watch bracelets, but I absolutely love the look of Rolex oyster bracelets. The new glidelock clasp moves a great looking bracelet forward into a place among the best sport watch bracelets on the market. I much prefer the look of the glidelock clasp over the old stamped clasps (the stamped clasp on my 16600 has always bothered me a bit). The glidelock itself is a thing of utter beauty, as anyone who has ever used one can attest.
My overall impression of the 114060 (granted, just a few days into ownership) is overwhelmingly positive. Whether or not you like the style of the new Subs, I think it’s hard to argue that it is a quality piece. To me, it has a higher-end feel than the prior generation Rolex divers, and this makes the eye-watering MSRP a bit more palatable.
I’ve always had a bit of an irrational hang up about Submariners, due to my issues with their ubiquity, amongst other things. When a watch is this good, however, I don’t care how common it is. I think there is a place for both the 114060 and the 16600 in my collection. The 16600 isn’t going anywhere, and the 114060 is different enough that I can see the two watches complementing and not duplicating each other.
