Bezel Damage to DeepSea Sea-Dweller

[smafla]

Recently purchaesd a new DEEPSEA Sea-Dweller. Love the watch and have taken it diving several times. However, just noticed the bezel at the indicator is cracked. Dove this am but do not recall any bumps or scrapes. Has anyone had this problem?

[sheldonsmith]

Good heavens... a cracked bezel? Any chance you can post a pict? To answer your question.... yes, cracks at the bezel indicator are uncommon.

-Sheldon

[Dr.B]

Doesn't sound good.
Foto please.........

[Harvey58]

I would have it fixed before you go diving with it again!!!

[greekbum]

Go back to your AD and get it fixed.

[Tools]

If it is cracked all the way through, it is a simple matter for it to fall off as the tension fit is reduced....

[DCgator]

Sorry to hear about this. Yes, as some have suggested, take it back to the AD soonest. Pls let us know what the AD did or did not do to help resolve this issue. Isn't ther bezel insert made of ceramic that is supposed to a strong material used for that purpose?

Anyhoot, best of luck to ya!

[Rogue884]

Diving is a contact sport . . . . . . seriously, when you are gearing up, and when you are gearing down. Your slinging steel, nickel plated brass, and aluminum all over the place, and its easy to knock your wrist into something and not notice it, especially if your wearing your watch over a dry-suit or wetsuit. If your on a cattle boat with other divers, then you get a full on assault from the guy next to you, add if the boat is a rocking, ten fold.

That being said it is very easy to get your gear banged up and not notice it because your focused on so many things. Getting your gear together, getting in your gear, checking your budd's gear, sweating your but off, listening to the captain and divemaster, getting up, getting to the platform, getting your fins while the boat is a rockin, and then finally taking the giant stride. Thats just getting off the boat If you are the occassional vacation diver, its even more stressfull, because not your doing on a regular basis.



Don't sweat the small stuff, get it fixed and move on, I know it sucks, BOHICA

[petespendthrift]

The problem with a big and thick watch (other than reduced comfort) is that they get bashed around and hooked up on equipment straps a lot more than a smaller one. This gives them a hard life. The raised luminous capsule in the ceramic inserts causes a weakness because it protrudes enough to get knocked and then transmits the entire force of the knock to a small area (that is already weakened by having a hole in it).

The other design flaws, like the bezel that turns too easily and also the very high cost and finally the obsolete nature of this type of diving equipment make it hard to accept that Rolex intend this new model to be an actual working diving watch.

[smafla]

Best pic I could take. Note crack at zero indicator.

[Balboa]

That is a little more than a crack. Looks like that was smacked into something.

Appears to be only the bezel insert and not the bezel. That can be easily replaced and is not too big a deal.

Mark

[franksremote]

Originally Posted by smafla

Best pic I could take. Note crack at zero indicator.

I did something similar to my TT Blue Sub when diving in Belize a number of years ago. After a dive, I noticed a "chip" on the insert at around the "5" mark. Thinking it just added character to the watch I left it alone and didn't think twice about it until my dive vacation was over (another 10 dives or so over 3-4 days) and while sitting on the plane, noticed that the chip/hole had grown so that the insert had a complete hole/gap from the 5-15 marks or so, like it (seawater) had eaten away more of the insert on the subsequent dive's.

Not knowing better I thought it was the complete bezel that needed replacement and expected to pay a pretty penny to replace it. Luckily, the watchmaker I brought it to said it was only the insert and replaced it for $45 or so (this was 10 or so years ago). I was so relieved that I didn't need to spend hundreds to replace the 18k bezel that it didn't even dawn on me the $45 was a little high, but MUCH cheaper than a complete bezel replacement.

Yours looks to be similar and I would think it isn't gonna cost as much as you think to get it back to 100%. Cool thing is, I got to keep the damaged insert and am fondly reminded of that dive trip every time I come across the envelope with the damaged insert in it. I never did remember what I did in the first place to cause the original chip...

Hope this helps alleviate the giant dollar signs dancing in your head. ;)

[sushisummo]

Ouch......

[mateugbur]

Maybe is shattered because of the new Ceramic insert Rolex is now using, though Ceramic is strong the bezel insert on the watch is very thin and fragile..

[Brushpup]

Originally Posted by mateugbur

Maybe is shattered because of the new Ceramic insert Rolex is now using, though Ceramic is strong the bezel insert on the watch is very thin and fragile..

Ya think???

[SLS]

Hmm, I would have to think that you would remember smacking something for that to occur, I would contact the RSC and send it in. Sorry to hear that, let us know how this turns out.
Scott

[wegeman76]

how much to replace that?

[SDDS]

opps

[onkyo]

That hurts.... replacement cost anyone???

[Dutchers]

I lost my bezel in the subway in paris !!
Very strange, anyhow wonder what the replacement cost is too before I call the Rolex dealer !

[sheldonsmith]

Any chance of a picture????

I would be curious as to how much Rolex charges.. This seems to me to be under warranty, even if the warranty period expired...

-Sheldon

[Dalton]

I dive for sport and have cut myself without knowing it so I can see how you could smack your watch with either some coral, a wreck, or your equipment. It's easy for things to happen while diving. Does the Bezel have a mark or scratch near the cave in? If you do then you clearly smacked against something hard. If you dont then the insert was cracked by something sharp, and strong, something that applied more pressure than the insert could handle. The chances for that to happen are very low,but you Sir got it right in the bulls eye, with it being right on the Zero mark. Which brings up an interesting point. When you dove, did you set your Bezel or did you simply not use it? If you did not use and left it at the 12 o'clock position,then you clearly smacked it since that would be the point of impact if you were to swing your left arm out. If you used the bezel then the minute hand was either at the 12' o'clock position leaving it where it would need to be for the point of impact or I'm just thinking too much about it.

[1000ftSub]

O NO! I am really sorry that happened to your watch, if that happened to my DeepSea i would fall over crying

[2th Dr]

Patrick, I'm starting to follow your posts! Yur cracking me up!

[Brushpup]

Originally Posted by 2th DR

Patrick, I'm starting to follow your posts! Yur cracking me up!

Well, I'm doing the same with yours...I guess that makes two more loons in this loony bin?

Every time I read your sig, I think...that SOB is crazy as I am!

Hell, at least we are in good company!

[Cowboyland]

I don't know how deep you were diving but the most logical answer would seem the crystal over the lume dot may have imploded. I assume they test the water resistant ratings on the lume crystal, otherwise what would be the point of putting it on a 12,000 + depth rated watch. If that is what happened I am supprised at the actual damage. Good luck.

[hennabav]

Hmm...I thought the new ceramics were very strong. Also, I didn't know the new deepseas still use bezel inserts. I thought it was something like the GMT II ceramics.

[fujisan]

Thats a decent crack. It has been smashed against a rock or something. I wouldn't be putting it near any water until getting it fixed.

[Nicko]

This is why I don't think ceramic is such a good idea for a tool watch.

[clew84]

Originally Posted by Nicko

This is why I don't think ceramic is such a good idea for a tool watch.

I would agree with this statement. If this watch, which I own, was really supposed to be used for rugged diving then the bezel insert would be metal and the bezel wouldn't turn so easily. I notice going through my low contact, normal day that the bezel gets turned a position or two.

Yes, you can go deep but I don't think you can go hard.

Uh, that came out wrong.

So did that.