What would you choose?

I would definitely go for the Santos. The Sub in my opinion doesn’t deliver anything that other brands can’t except for the crown on the dial and the brand history. The santos has a way more individual design language in my opinion. Also as a SMP fanboy I would never sell that one.. (if I had one 😪) 😜

My vote was for the Santos. Why would you sell the Omega to spend even more on an inferior product?

The way your post is written, you don't seem to be really interested in any of those watches.

I actually like all of them, but I gotta choose as money is not infinite. 😀 The Sub might be inferior in some areas of comparison, while it may be superior in others. So why would I sell the SMP? Just to try something new and see how that feels! I think that's a part of our watch journey. I've had my Omega for a while, I like it, but I've never had a Sub before. Who knows, maybe I'll like it even more?

I have the SMP and a Santos and I wouldn’t swap both out for a Sub.

2 individual pieces which offer way more in terms of design and versatility, as well as quality being on par if not better than a used Sub.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not anti-Rolex as many people are. I’d swap them both out for a Pepsi but not a used Sub.

Get a Santos. Less basic and a bigger flex 💪

Save the money. The Submariner is too expensive on the aftermarket and the Santos is alright. But you can always get that and if you have you eyes set on an AP that will clash in its function with the Santos I would say.

I agree that the design is much more distinct and unique for the SMP and Santos. But there's always a Rolex factor, which is not only about the brand image and recognition, but also the value retention as well

Variety is always better IMO. And paying over RRP for a sub seems mad to me. That's a nice Santos model, but I'd get from a non boutique (Authorised Dealer) and try and get some discount.

Santos for sure (I’m biased given my ~20 yr old SMP)

I have both the No-Date and Santos Large. I love them both. But to maximize your $$$$, buy the Santos @ 2nd-hand market. Don't buy it from the boutique brand new (MSRP with little discount + tax). You can find almost brand new Santos for much better pricing. I probably won't buy a No-Date Sub which is 15+ years old (wear and tear and potentially service in the near future).

Yeah I get you. To be honest I bought mine just before the price increases so I can still sell mine very close to what I paid. I know it’s probably gonna change over time but I don’t plan to sell them. So it’s not something I concern myself with.

Well I DID go for the Sub No-Date and I couldn’t be happier. The Santos is a dress watch in my eyes, the Sub a sports watch. Both quite versatile, but I think the Sub does that better

my personal purchasing philosophy (and i don’t expect others to agree) is that i will never pay more than MSRP for a watch in the secondary market. if i had to pay that kind of price i’d rather pay it to an AD and build some buying history than pay it to a third party i’ll never buy from again.

but that’s just me.

and that might mean getting the Sub is harder because you can’t just walk into an AD and buy it readily. but if you really wanted a Sub you’d have put your name down on a list and at least started to wait for one. the fact that you haven’t put your name down on a list at an AD (i’m assuming you haven’t) means that you don’t really want the Sub anyway.

so my vote is to either get the Santos or save the money for the AP. i have the Santos and it’s a terrific watch. and it’ll be a great companion for your SMP and the two together gives you a lot of versatility. but if your future goal is to get the AP, then you’ll end up having two integrated bracelet watches and you might not wear the Santos as much. you can always sell the Santos in the future but you won’t recoup your money on it.

Taste is unique to the individual and everyone here has different taste so buy the watch you can't put down.

I'd flip over a table of subs to get to Cartier. Nuts, I know. I just hold Cartier in higher esteem than Rolex. My crazy opinion.

This!

I actually thought if he had said a pepsi gmt I'd have been sold. But definitely not for a no date sub!

I said Cartier only because I don't think you should sell your SMP.

C. Keep the Omega. Is a better watch.

I had an omega seamaster and sold it to purchase a sub date , definitely no regrets

If you’ve ever held a used sub and you still want to buy it, then I would say go for the sub. If you haven’t held a sub then I wouldn’t sell anything until you do. Personally the moment I held a used sub, I realised that I was getting nothing more (and IMO somewhat less) than my SMP. I would say get the Santos.

Cartier, always! No doubt for me!

If you are thinking of getting the Santos, I would think very carefully of going pre-owned rather than AD even if the discount is very good. For instance a ADLC Santos rrp is €8950 and one jut sold from a reputable german grey dealer for €6150 (1 yr old, box and papers), so it would have to be a fantastic discount from AD to get even close.

If plan is to eventually get a Royal Oak and sell some of your pieces to fund it at least with the Sub you are less likely to take much of a hit.

Personally from a wearing stand point, I really like the Santos, it feels pretty special.

Rolex service on a no date sub is at least $700 and is taking months. Don’t get me wrong the Cartier is also a very long service period rn (all Richemont brands take 5ever) but a used sub will most likely require service soon so factor that in

The Rolex is more versatile, more classic (even among normies), and will always be easier to offload.

A no-brainer.

Sub no date all day on a classic RAF bond colorway (dark navy blue vs black), but that's some rando on the internet.....lol.

Either is cool, either will work, go with whichever gives the best bang for the budget.

I've owned both, but the Sub all day for me. The SMP has been sold now, as it never really hit the spot. I do like the Santos, but we can't have everything.

I was lucky enough to get my 41mm Sub from an AD, so I didn't pay much more than the SMP is now.

I would find it virtually impossible to let go of the Sub. Financial crisis or terminal illness would be the only way it leaves my collection. God willing that doesn't happen!

Go try on both! Pick what sings to you and what fits your life. Both are great pieces, as is the SMP.

Good luck watch friend!

Considering all the thoughts said before, firstly it would be nice to try the Submariner to see how it fits me. It’s also true that the Santos is adding more variety because it’s having the square shape and has two size options plus quick strap release and comes with a lather strap. It’s also cool to have this feeling getting something brand new straight from the boutique, which is not an option with the Sub

@MetaGame The three watches you mentioned Rolex Submariner, Cartier Santos and AP's Royal Oak are all very different watches. Then you mentioned selling your Omega SMP that adds another dimension to this cluster. All four have their place in modern watch history and considered flagships. An AP's Royal Oak is part of The Holy Trinity and a Holy Grail Gerald Genta design watch. The movements in those watches are of superior quality. If your Omega SMP is a Master METAS COSC movement, then that will rise to the top in front of the others mentioned. I am not aware that they have 8900 Double Barrel movements just the 8800 Single Barrel. This does not mean that the AP movement is not that good anymore. Far from it as they are a work of art and similar to JLC ones. There are times it is better to forgo buying a few watches for the purposes of obtaining one grail one. Having several watches can mean there are not as many opportunities to wear all of any of them for any length of time. Then there is the capital invested in them together with having to sell them to make way for others. We watch collectors are constantly having to deal with this dilemma, including myself. Cartier watches are all about the design and the long historic lineage with some of their models. They are very aesthetically pleasing. One does not buy one for the movement. Rolex Submariner is an iconic model of great significance going back to James Bond film Dr. No worn by Sean Connery a late 1950s model. Many of dive watches today has been influenced by this model. A Submariner will not have the same significance as a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms of the earlier 1950s for the purpose it was designed for but in terms of investment and value retention, it is probably the best of the four. This now gives you food for thought to re-calibrate your goals and ambitions. There is a case for each of these being in one's collection, but should one have all four? The answer for many collectors would be no whereas the answer for you could be yes. Now it is become subjective and to one's personal desires.

Is all this clear as mud? Yes it could very well be (LOL) - The choice is yours at the end of The Day.

I had the SMP300 white dial, sold it, I already had the no date Submariner bought new in 2019, the SMP was a mistake impulse buy, it's pretty nice, but the sub is so much better... SMP is heavy and unbalanced, bezel didn't line up, hard to turn bezel, and too thick...

Save up for a Sub is my advice, Santos is nice but I think it would be a watch you have to convince yourself is great, like I kept trying with the Omega SMP... To me Cartier has to be a Tank Louis in gold on strap, which I do really want to add one day

Thanks for your comment; I really appreciate your help with my decision! Of course, owning all four watches at once is not a bad thing if we're not considering the money factor 😅

My watch collecting approach is more like checking all of the boxes and having a diversity of designs for different outfits or moods: formal occasions, everyday casual wear, going to the beach, or the gym. For me, the Sub and the SMP fall into the same category, especially as I already have the Seamaster with a black dial. It's not that they're too similar in terms of design, but they're both steel dive watches with a black ceramic bezel. Having both at once seems kind of excessive to me. Additionally, having too many watches of the same style also adds a concern about the wrist time each timepiece gets.

As for the AP, I won't feel comfortable wearing a 40-50k timepiece if it took me a few years to save up for. I believe that you're either buying it with your recent earnings or not buying it at all.

That's why I indulge myself once in a while with something nice that doesn't make me too scared to wear and doesn't cost a significant part of my savings. Sorry, AP, I'll get back to you later, and today is my SMP day 😀