Getting fed up with my DSSD.....

[aquanaut]

...what to do? Following on from this thread a couple of years ago...
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=294847
I sent my Deepsea off to Rolex UK and was hit with a £750 bill on a 3 year old watch. Damage to oscillating weight inside, new bezel and service etc. I phoned Rolex UK and to their credit the head of training the technicians called me back. Had a really good chat with him about the watch and he was interested in the life offshore of a sat diver. He actually travelled round Rolex centres running workshops to the techs so was very interesting to speak to him.
Anyway since I received the watch back it never really run well. Always gaining time. I have put it back to be regulated but it's still the same. I am currently offshore again in saturation and the watch is gaining 2-3 minutes every few days. It has also started steaming up again, after dives, between 2-4 o clock to the centre of the watch. I was told this was normal but it's been fine until the last few dives. Also the other divers ancient seiko has never fogged up!
Anyway, looks like it will have to go back to Rolex again but getting disillusioned with the watch and not sure wether to keep it or not. :(

[Old Expat Beast]

That's a shame, especially if you have developed an attachment to it over the last few years. It's always just assumed that the DSSD is over engineered, and all that, but you're the only person I can think of who has reported back here with real world, deep-sea experience of using it, and the news is not good. Good luck with your efforts the next time around with RSC. What's the deepest you've taken it, out of interest?

[aquanaut]

183m is the deepest. Been diving now at 120m but decompressing now. Other divers have also reported fogging in the lens

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by aquanaut

183m is the deepest. Been diving now at 113m but decompressing now for shallower stuff at 27m. Other divers have also reported fogging in the lens

Hmm...not good. Even the Black Bay is supposed to be able to go to 200m. If others are reporting it, too, it sounds like it might be a design flaw. Either that or they're not being properly pressure tested after service. Thanks for posting anyway.

[sleddog]

Certainly disheartening...and sorry to hear of the troubles you are having with the watch.

You are using this watch in an environment it was designed for. So one would naturally expect it to hold up without issue, especially the fogging.

As for the irregular timing, any chance of magnetism from specialized equipment on the rig/boat?

[AS1]

real shame, sorry to hear this and you have the right to be upset IMO.

I see you have a SD4K too, how does that run in the work environment?

[aquanaut]

Originally Posted by AS1

real shame, sorry to hear this and you have the right to be upset IMO.

I see you have a SD4K too, how does that run in the work environment?

Not used for offshore work, and no plans to. Deepsea is the one for offshore at the moment

[Rookie52]

Hope RSC can make this right for you. Did they polish the first time you had it there? If not, you really need to post some pics of that well worn DSSD!

[Jason71]

I notice you have a 1995 SD 16600. Has that one been your dive partner in the past before the DSSD?? Sorry to hear of your troubles with the DSSD

[liuk3]

Keep us updated. Thanks for sharing your stories.

[Brian Page]

This is a very interesting thread, please keep us posted

[fishingbear]

It is very interesting that one of the rare members that actually uses this watch with it's specific purpose is having these type troubles. I know this must be frustrating to you and keep us posted on the outcome and causes/solutions.

[aquanaut]

Originally Posted by Jason71

I notice you have a 1995 SD 16600. Has that one been your dive partner in the past before the DSSD?? Sorry to hear of your troubles with the DSSD

Yes, never had a problem with it. Wear that when home from offshore now

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by Brian Page

This is a very interesting thread, please keep us posted

x2

[red.earth]

Originally Posted by Brian Page

This is a very interesting thread, please keep us posted

I agree! I sincerely hope Rolex can finally resolve the unacceptable issues you've been having.

[WWC]

It's sad to hear how it's not living up to the standards. Best of luck

[travisb]

That's too bad. Especially since that's what the watch was built for.
I hope they can resolve the issues before you give up.

[Racerdj]

My hope is that they get it correct this time and do a quick turn around for you.

[brandrea]

Sorry to hear of your difficulty with the DSSD, it's definately not what you'd expect from a watch that is meant for extreme diving depths

[VicLeChic]

Am shocked. If not resolved in your next visit to the RSC, I would personnally get rid of it, especially considering your profession. The only problem is you might not get much money out of it if it's very banged up, and if you disclose the problem to a potential buyer. I really hope they sort it out for you.

[997.2]

so sorry to hear, what a shock

[Leasky]

Get a new job as an ROV pilot 😜😜😜

[watchwatcher]

Well, that's not right. Hope it gets sorted out for you.

[Cdn328is]

Is it possible that the DSSD's more complicated case design while capable of withstanding more extreme pressures is "less" water resistant at shallower depths? If more parts are used in the case back and case than a more traditional design case back like the one found on the SD4k or the submariner, perhaps it's more prone to water and moisture leaks? IIRC, the case design uses the extreme pressure to self seal at greater depths, maybe there isn't enough pressure at 200m to ensure a proper seal?

This could also explain why the OP never had any moisture issues with the simpler 16600 sea dweller case design, and why other DSSD users are reporting similar issues.

[Globule]

Everyone should know that Scottish water is the wettest in the world. There you have it, the wrong kind of water!


Seriously, that is not good to hear. I hope RSC sorts it for you.

[Pharmlou]

Hate to say it, but I have had similar issues with "official service centres"! and no longer use them. I have managed to find officially trained watchmakers that do a better job with the advantage of actually speaking to the person performing the service. Ask some forum members that live near you for some tips on where to find one. Good luck


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Cdn328is

Is it possible that the DSSD's more complicated case design while capable of withstanding more extreme pressures is "less" water resistant at shallower depths? If more parts are used in the case back and case than a more traditional design case back like the one found on the SD4k or the submariner, perhaps it's more prone to water and moisture leaks? IIRC, the case design uses the extreme pressure to self seal at greater depths, maybe there isn't enough pressure at 200m to ensure a proper seal?

This could also explain why the OP never had any moisture issues with the simpler 16600 sea dweller case design, and why other DSSD users are reporting similar issues.

I was thinking the same thing, too.

[johneh]

Originally Posted by Cdn328is

Is it possible that the DSSD's more complicated case design while capable of withstanding more extreme pressures is "less" water resistant at shallower depths? If more parts are used in the case back and case than a more traditional design case back like the one found on the SD4k or the submariner, perhaps it's more prone to water and moisture leaks? IIRC, the case design uses the extreme pressure to self seal at greater depths, maybe there isn't enough pressure at 200m to ensure a proper seal?

This could also explain why the OP never had any moisture issues with the simpler 16600 sea dweller case design, and why other DSSD users are reporting similar issues.

This makes no sense. There's no way it would be designed in a way that would allow for less water resistance at depths that 99% of the people wearing them are diving to. Rolex surely understands that nearly everyone wearing a DSSD is not going to hit 30m, let alone 200m. OP probably just got a dud.

[SeaDweller50]

You would have thought Rolex would have swapped it straight away rather than face this negative publicity. It's quite embarrassing really IMO.

[wantonebad]

Very interesting information, thank you for sharing!!