409 articles · 195 videos found · page 11 of 21
Integral case projections protecting the crown from impact; introduced on Rolex Submariner ref. 5512 in 1959.
Every Rolex Submariner from 1953 ref. 6204 to today: years, dials, bezels, movements, nicknames.
The 1953 Rolex diver. James Bond's watch and the template every dive watch copies.
French saturation-diving company COMEX (1961) and Rolex partnership 1967 onward. Drove the joint Rolex/Doxa invention of the Helium Escape Valve.
Quill & Pad
After years of consideration, Bhanu Chopra took the plunge and bought both a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 mm and a Submariner Reference 114060. And less than 24 hours after finally taking ownership of them, Rolex discontinued both watches! Here he shares the story of how it all went down. Spoiler alert: he couldn't be happier!
Worn & Wound
It’s hard to understand Budapest without being there. On its surface, it seems like any other major European capital, but in practice, Budapest is a singular experience. I was lucky enough to visit Budapest when I was 14, and what I encountered was a city replete with contradictions, one that wears its history on its sleeve, and which evokes a unique perspective. In other words, it’s exactly the sort of city where you would expect to find someone like Jake LeBoy. “I went there for vacation a few years ago and I thought, you know, I’m just going to get an apartment here,” he told me. “It’s pretty nice. And I’ve been enjoying it ever since.” Jake LeBoy, the founder and designer behind the newly launched watch brand J.M. LeBoy, expresses a similar sort of contradiction. Talking to Jake, it would be hard to guess that the remarkably chipper native Californian had served as an enlisted Marine, or that he has spent much of the time since working as a military contractor all around the world. What wasn’t hard to see was his love of watches. Soft spoken and warm, Jake is a passionate watch enthusiast, driven by detail and with a strong sense of what it means to do right by the collectors whose attention he’s looking to grab. “I’ve always been a huge watch nerd,” he explained. “Even from the time I was a little kid, I saw Goldfinger and the famous Submariner, and then I saw Jason Bourne, the first one with the TAG Heuer… that for me, dude - I final...
Monochrome
It is a fact: the watch industry loves to celebrate anniversaries and important milestones. Being emotionally driven products, playing on nostalgia has long proven an efficient strategy for watch brands. In reality, such anniversaries have witnessed the creation of some genuinely important models – the Kermit for the 50th anniversary of the Submariner, the Calibre […]
Fratello
We often hear statements like, “This watch is a true classic,” or “This is a timeless design.” Typically, such statements refer to big names in the watch industry, such as Rolex and the Submariner, Omega and the Speedmaster, or Audemars Piguet and the Royal Oak. That’s either because their designs are simple and indeed timeless […] Visit The Dirty Dozen Watches As Interpreted By Half A Dozen Affordable Microbrands to read the full article.
Monochrome
Rolex arguably has more iconic models than any major watchmaker, from the Submariner to the Datejust to the Explorer (and many more). Still, the Cosmograph Daytona has become something of a unicorn and a collector’s dream in the last couple of decades. At a time when the brand’s steel sports watches were still readily available […]
Video
Monochrome
Since its founding, Rolex has been a powerhouse of Swiss watchmaking and the name is synonymous with luxury and success. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf as Wilsdorf and Davis in 1905, it wasn’t until 1908 that the patronym Rolex was registered as the brand name. Some of the most iconic models like the Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master […]
Monochrome
The Rolex Submariner is among the most iconic watches of the brand’s entire portfolio and even the choice of James Bond (in the earlier years, at least), but the GMT-Master series is up there in popularity as well, and arguably the most iconic traveller’s watch from any brand. It lived alongside the Explorer II models […]
Monochrome
It is pretty impressive to see how Tudor’s Black Bay models have established themselves as more accessible options to the Rolex Submariner in a relatively short period of time without compromising on quality. But more than just being a more accessible Submariner, the Black Bay has gained its own status over the years, becoming an […]
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we look at the Rolex Milgauss, the oddball engineer’s watch that first came out in the 1950s, just like many of The Crown’s classics. But unlike the Submariner and the GMT-Master, the Milgauss hasn’t always been part of the brand’s collection since then. It’s part of the reason we […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Milgauss Models to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
The Rolex Yacht-Master occupies a prominent but, for many, difficult-to-define area within the company’s overall portfolio. It’s regarded as a popular dress watch but is firmly positioned within the “Professional” collection. It looks a lot like a Submariner but isn’t really a dive watch, so it’s really not like a Submariner at all. It’s designed as a men’s watch but has become a canvas for some very feminine executions. And unlike other Rolex models that offer an original “I” and a second-generation “II” version, like the GMT-Master and Explorer, the Yacht-Master I and II are scarcely related in their design or functions at all. And yet, the Yacht-Master remains a top-tier timepiece both for Rolex and its legions of fans, and in its relatively short span on the market has welcomed a number of innovative materials and technologies into the Rolex fold. Read on to discover more about the Rolex Yacht-Master (in all its various versions) and what makes the model unique among its Oyster Perpetual brethren. 1967 - 1969 - The Prototype: Cosmograph Yacht-Master Rolex Cosmograph Yacht-Master, circa 1967 (photo: Rolex Magazine.com) While the Yacht-Master as we know it today traces its genesis only to 1992, the name appeared on a Rolex dial several decades before - on a watch that resembled more an evolution of the Daytona than of the Submariner - indicating that a sailing-themed watch was something that Rolex had been tinkering with as an organization for...
Video
Monochrome
While the Rolex Submariner, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Omega Seamaster ruled the 1950s enthusiast and military diving scene, it was the Triton Spirotechnique in 1963 that briefly became the most expensive dive watch of its times, although never the best known. It was developed for the Spirotechnique company (Aqualung), founded by oceanographer/filmmaker/French naval officer Jacques […]
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! Last week, we looked at the rarest Rolex Submariner references. This week, we have shifted our focus to Tudor. We decided to have a look at our favorite five vintage Tudor references. Most people will know the classic Submariner models, but there is plenty more to enjoy from the Tudor brand. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Vintage Tudor References to read the full article.
SJX Watches
While the history of the Rolex diver’s watch begins with the Oyster Perpetual Submariner of 1953, one of the brand’s landmark achievement in water-resistant cases is more recent: the Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea launched in 2008 that incorporates the Ringlock system. With the innovative Ringlock system, Rolex surmounted an enduring obstacle in building a deeper-diving watch – a case that grew in proportion to the depth rating. The Ringlock system is a patented case architecture that fundamentally rethought the traditional approach to a diver’s watch, which allowed the Rolex Deepsea to achieve a water-resistance rating of 3,900 m with a 44 mm case. The utility of the Ringlock was proven in 2022 with the Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge that took the Oyster case to the limits of horological engineering. Featuring a 50 mm case in RLX titanium, the Deepsea Challenge is water resistant to 11,000 m – the all-time water-resistance record for a mechanical wristwatch. The latest addition to the deep-diving collection, the Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea in 18k yellow gold. Image – Rolex A deep history The history of Rolex is inextricably intertwined with the water-resistant wristwatch. Six years after establishing the brand in 1908, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf wrote to Bienne-based movement maker Aegler, “We must find a way to create a waterproof wristwatch”. By 1926, Wilsdorf had achieved his goal with the launch of the Oyster, a waterproof wristwatch which ha...
Quill & Pad
It is the old age question - Rolex vs. Omega. Which brand should I buy from? Which brand produces better watches? Should I buy an Omega Seamaster Professional 300M or Rolex Submariner? Through their histories, the two brands have been going head-to-head whether it's on design or technology. Raman Kalra explores how Omega compares to Rolex.
Time+Tide
Resplendent in Tudor Blue, this chronograph nods to vintage models like the Submariner "Snowflake" and Oysterdate Chronograph "Montecarlo".The post The dressed-down Tudor Black Bay Chrono Blue nods to iconic 70s Tudor watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
Fratello
Rolex surprised us all when the brand launched a Submariner with a green bezel in 2003. The stainless steel Sub was steadily monochromatic during the five preceding decades, so this was a bit of a shocker. The model was soon nicknamed “Kermit.” More than two decades later, it seems green is here to stay. We […] Visit Comparing Green-Bezel, Black-Dial Subs: 16610LV “Kermit” Vs. 126610LV “Starbucks” to read the full article.
![[Video] Review: the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2024/08/Zenith_Defy-Extreme_15.jpg)
Worn & Wound
When I write reviews, I find myself bucketing watches into two distinct categories. The first of these is home to watches that feel like they’re meant for a different version of me, if not a different collector altogether. These are the watches that, whether I love them or not, I’d be hard-pressed to really see as part of my day-to-day life - at least as my life exists now. The other bucket is where watches like the Zenith Defy Extreme Diver live. This is the bucket for the watches that seem to hit right in my wheelhouse - the watches that seem like they were purpose-built to appeal to me (and possibly to my wallet). The minute I saw the press release for the Defy Extreme Diver, I knew it sat in this second bucket, and I knew I needed to spend some time with it, if not for a review, then certainly to consider whether this watch was one I needed in my life. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait all too long, and after a couple of weeks with the Defy Extreme Diver on my wrist I can easily confirm what at first I only suspected - it is very, very good. There’s an inherent irony that comes along with the very concept of a luxury tool watch. The tension between building a rugged tool watch ready to tackle the world’s most demanding environments and building a high-end luxury product is palpable. To make a watch that straddles those two worlds without looking too much like a Submariner is even harder. With the Defy Extreme Diver, Zenith has managed to make somethi...
Fratello
Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we ask: What the hell is so special about Rolex, anyhow? Sure, the brand has been discussed heavily, but having had recent Submariner experiences, both hosts hash out what makes these watches so fantastic. For our faithful listeners, the watch content begins at approximately […] Visit Fratello On Air: What’s So Special About Rolex Anyhow? to read the full article.
Fratello
This will be an article featuring some of my favorite watch brands out there. Here are a few examples of watches that, in my mind, earn their rightful place next to the Rolex “MilSub.” The so-called Rolex “MilSub” (short for Military Submariner) is a rare breed. MilSub watches don’t consist of any one reference. Rather, […] Visit Modern And Attainable “MilSubs” From CWC, Marathon, And Seiko to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Among Tudor’s new releases for 2024, the most conservative is undoubtedly the Black Bay 41 METAS ref. 7941A1A0NU, which offers a monochrome, black-and-white alternative to the gilt-and-burgundy ref. M7941A1A0RU-0003 introduced last year. Initial thoughts The new Black Bay 41 (BB41) feels instantly familiar. In fact, it’s a little surprising that it wasn’t already in the collection, being about at straightforward as a contemporary dive watch can be. But what it lacks in surprise, it makes up for in simple, tangible quality. While the BB41 was the original Black Bay – launched a dozen years ago now – it now sits atop a range that also includes the smaller Black Bay 58 and even more compact Black Bay 54. The BB41 METAS’ dimensions of 41 mm by 13.6 mm thick mean it wears similar to a modern Rolex Submariner; those looking for vintage proportions should consider the BB58 and BB54. Of course, the big news is METAS certification for the MT5602-U movement, which now carries a “U” suffix to identify it as a METAS-certified Master Chronometer. The differences from the standard MT5602 used to date are likely minimal, since the movement has always had a silicon hairspring, one of the most important features for resisting the METAS standard’s 15,000 gauss anti-magnetism test. The difference, therefore, is that the movement’s high-performance specs have been confirmed by an independent test. Tudor is all about value, and the BB41 METAS is no exception. Available with...
Video
Worn & Wound
I’ll be upfront here: I love the Defy. All the Defys. I’ve said many times to many people that the Defy is probably my favorite sports watch line of all time. It’s certainly my favorite corner of the Zenith catalog, and vintage Defy references are some of the coolest you can own, and somehow still represent a great value compared to comparable sports watches from other brands. To me, these watches have historically been exactly the right combination of avant-garde design and sports watch functionality. A Defy, unlike a Submariner, for example, can be both an art piece and an everyday wearer. They are also consistently interesting from a materials perspective, particularly when they get into colored ceramic, as they have with the newest Defy introduced today, a successor of sorts to one of my favorite watches from last year. The Defy Skyline White Ceramic Skeleton is in some ways a predictable, natural evolution of the current generation Defy. It takes the ceramic case and bracelet we saw in last year’s black model, turns them white, and gives us the skeleton dial treatment that debuted early last year. It’s a similar trajectory to the Defy Classic releases from several years back, which started in titanium, with colorful skeletonized ceramic versions to follow. This new reference is a little different though for how it plays with contrast. Against the stark white of the case and bracelet, we get a skeletonized blue dial and a movement in a matching shade. Tha...
SJX Watches
Several months back, Tudor quietly released the Black Bay Ceramic Blue exclusively for the Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) Formula One team, with the dial colour modelled on the Visa logo. Today, the watch is available to the public (while the VCARB drivers will sport the more recent rainbow-dial “Chameleon” edition). Initial thoughts Tudor often listens to its audience, giving them what they want. Examples include the more compact Black Bay 58 GMT, and now the Black Bay Ceramic Blue. Intrinsically, the new Black Bay is technically and aesthetically perfect in its own way. It is the same Black Bay that has remained the brand’s bestseller since its launch, but in an unusual combination of black ceramic and blue. The brand has rolled out a number of special editions recently, which might dilute the concept somewhat. That said, this is the first instance of a publicly available Black Bay Ceramic special edition (unlike say the Black Bay 58), which makes it appealing. That said, the Black Bay Ceramic Blue is a great value proposition, as is usually the case for Tudor. It combines a ceramic case with an impressively spec’ed in-house movement that’s both METAS- and COSC-Certified, all for US$5,150, a price that few can rival. Visa Blue The highlight of the new Black Bay Ceramic is the matte blue dial (that’s arguably similar to the discontinued Rolex Submariner “Smurf” ref. 116619). It’s matched with applied hour markers and snowflake hands filled with white Super-Lum...
SJX Watches
Ressence has gently tweaked its flagship model to create the Type 5 L. Already unconventional in its original form, the new Type 5 is similar in style and function to the original but with a fully luminous dial that maximises legibility in the dark. As is tradition for the brand’s higher-end offerings, the Type 5 L features an oil-filled case that enhances visibility of the dial by eliminating a common problem underwater: refraction. Initial thoughts Dive watches rarely deviate from orthodoxy, exemplified by the Rolex Submariner. But then there is Ressence, which is unorthodox across all its watches, but in a sensible and thoughtful manner. The Type 5 L underwater The Type 5 L meets the ISO 6425 standard for a dive watch, but looks nothing like a typical dive watch. Even though the planetary sub-dials take some getting used to, legibility is good once you’re familiar with the dial layout. And the addition of lume enhances visibility, making this a logical evolution of the model. As is often the case with most of the brand’s top-end offerings, the only downside is the price of CHF34,500. Granted, the Type 5 L is unique in construction and form, and also executed to a high level of quality – but it is still pricey. The entire dial of the timepiece is luminous for legibility in dim light Oil-filled dial In terms of dimensions and materials, the Type 5 L is identical to its less luminous counterpart. The case is titanium, measuring 46 mm in diameter and 15.5 mm high....
Monochrome
You thought all dive watches were the same round watch topped by a unidirectional bezel with a classic time-only display over a black dial, right? Well, Benoi?t Mintiens from Ressence is here to prove you wrong. Not all dive watches need to look like a Submariner or a Seamaster. Not all dive watches need to […]
Teddy Baldassarre
From the beginning of 1953 to the end of 1954, Rolex had perhaps the most productive and impactful period that any watchmaker had ever managed in a two-year stretch. The Explorer, the gold standard of adventure-oriented luxury watches, debuted in the summer of 1953 and the first Submariner, the quintessential diver’s watch, was manufactured that same year. The Submariner’s public debut wasn’t until 1954 at the Basel Watch Fair, but it wasn’t the only trendsetting Rolex watch the Crown released that year: the other was the original GMT-Master, the dual-time travel watch against which all others are measured. Photo: Matthew Bain We all are familiar with the three iconic Oyster Perpetual timepieces above, but few may be aware that Rolex released another tool watch in 1953, whose production not only preceded that of the Submariner and GMT-Master but whose signature design feature influenced the look of both. That watch is the Rolex Turn-o-Graph, the first serially produced Rolex tool watch equipped with a rotating bezel that could be used for timing intervals. (To be thorough, it should be noted that it was not the very first Rolex watch with such a feature: the Zerographe Ref. 3346, made way back in 1937, takes that honor, along with the distinction of being the first Rolex watch with a movement made in-house - with a flyback chronograph, no less. The rarest of unicorns, the Zerographe (below) is nearly forgotten today, rarely mentioned in official Rolex literatur...
Video
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.