From the desk
Date or no-date, 40 or 41mm, and how not to buy a franken piece.
<p><b>Date or no-date?</b><br>The no-date (124060) keeps the dial clean and skips the Cyclops, which is the purist's pick. The date (126610LN) adds daily use and holds a slightly stronger resale. If you wear one watch for everything, take the date. If this is a second or third piece, the no-date is the more honest tool. Both share the 300-meter case and the same Cerachrom bezel, so you are choosing a habit, not a capability.</p><p><b>Is the 41mm case too big?</b><br>The 2020 redesign went to 41mm but trimmed the lug width and slimmed the case, so it wears closer to the old 40mm than the number suggests. On a 7-inch wrist it sits flush. Anything under 6.5 inches, try the previous 116610 generation first. Put it on a strap as well, since the lug drilling and clasp differ across the generations and change the feel more than the millimeters do.</p><p><b>Are the older references a better buy?</b><br>The 16610 (aluminum bezel, roughly 2001 to 2010) is the value entry now — no ceramic, faded inserts that some buyers prefer, and a proven 3135 movement. The 116610LN that followed gave you the Cerachrom bezel and Maxi case at 40mm. Both undercut the current model and skip the retail waitlist. Check the bezel insert on the 16610 for a factory finish and the bracelet for stretch.</p><p><b>How do I make sure I am not buying a redialed or franken piece?</b><br>This is the one people hedge on. Match the serial and reference between the caseback, the rehaut, and the papers. Pull the bracelet and read the clasp code and end-link numbers against the reference. Weigh it if you can; a light Submariner is a warning. Lume should glow even, the Cyclops should magnify 2.5x, and the crown should screw down with no grit. If any single tell is off, walk — a clean example will come around again.</p>
