2,208 articles · 79 videos found · page 18 of 77
The Rolex chronograph born on the racetrack. History, references and specs.
The first self-winding waterproof wristwatch with a date window - and the reference Rolex.
The 1953 Rolex diver. James Bond's watch and the template every dive watch copies.
Founder of Rolex (1905) and Tudor (1946). Invented the Oyster case and the Perpetual rotor.
Quill & Pad
The Rolex Milgauss, despite being one of the longest-standing offerings by Rolex, remains one of Rolex's more under-appreciated models. Having owned a black dial 116400GV since 2016, Raman Kalra shares his thoughts on why it's worth your consideration.
Time+Tide
Whether you call it the Day-Date, the President, the Presidential, or even El Presidente, this is likely the watch most non-watch people think of when they think of Rolex. While watch nerds may rattle off esoteric Swiss watchmakers and obscure reference numbers, without a doubt, Rolex is the go-to answer when you ask a normal … ContinuedThe post The Rolex Day-Date is still the ultimate watch of ballers and shot-callers appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Usually when watchmakers brag about space cred, they bring up models that have gone to space or that are made of rocks from space or that take inspiration from the solar system. Zach Smith has them all beat: the Ohio-based horological craftsman makes aerospace engineering components (among other things) at his workshop, Hour Precision. Smith had hoped from the start that Hour Precision would make watches, and found along the way the machines and expertise you need to machine intricate watch movement pieces translate well to making parts for semiconductors, medical equipment, and, of course, aerospace components. That move into non-horological industries came relatively recently for Smith, however. Before the micro-machining and before he founded Hour Precision, Smith was a high-school-aged watch enthusiast who landed a job in a jewelry school. “I was fixing heart rate monitor watches. There was a brand called Polar before the Apple Watch that made fitness watches, and I started off doing that and then moved,” said Smith. “My boss at the time was selling pre-owned Rolex. He would buy product from walk-ins and from other suppliers and refurbish the Rolex watches, polish them, etc., and then sell them. After a while where I was doing well with the Polar watches, he asked me if I wanted to start doing that.” Zach Smith, front left, upon graduation from watchmaking school. Image courtesy Zach Smith @zachsmiami From there, Smith moved to another store that processed betw...
Fratello
When we introduced you to the new combination of a Rolex 1908 in yellow gold paired with a Settimo bracelet on April 1st, the price of the full-gold ensemble was CHF 33,400. On that same date, the cost of gold was reported at US$3,120.93 per ounce. As I write this on June 10th, the price […] Visit Hands-On With The Yellow Gold Rolex Perpetual 1908 On The Settimo Bracelet to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Here are our two favorite Rolex watches we recommend to anyone looking for the best entry level price into the Iconic Swiss brand.
Hodinkee
The nine-time winner at Le Mans and long-standing Rolex Testimonee is profiled in advance of this year's race at Le Mans.
Worn & Wound
Vintage watches remain ever popular in the watch collector’s journey. There are serious collectors who remain focused on buying only vintage. Since the pandemic, my inbox has been flooded with auction houses and vintage dealers trying to one-up each other by selling the most curated “once in a lifetime” or most expensive vintage piece. I have nothing against the sellers and buyers, especially if they can vouch for the authenticity and pay for the repairs, they deserve my appreciation. Personally, I am apprehensive of owning vintage watches at my current point of collecting. I owned a few vintage watches in my early days as a collector, most of them were bargain finds on eBay that eventually stopped working or I ended up trading, except for one expensive Rolex Datejust that had to be serviced. Ultimately, service on the Datejust was as expensive as the watch, including Rolex replacing the dial to a different color which I hated and ended up selling for a loss. I know it was a rookie mistake, but that was the end of vintage watches for me. After that experience, I stuck to buying either new watches from retailers or pre-owned watches from other collectors. As it happened, my work took me to Germany often, and there I discovered a whole new world of neo-vintage watches. Before I get deeper into what specific “affordable” neo-vintage watches a couple of my collector friends and I recommend, I should briefly define what neo-vintage watches are and why they are easier ...
Hodinkee
Tennis perfection met its horological match during weekend finals in Paris.
Monochrome
Yesterday was the final of the 2025 French Open, also known as Roland Garros. And I have to be honest, it was an incredible game between two young, talented athletes. On one side was Italian player Jannik Sinner, ranked number one in the ATP, facing Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz, ranked number two in the world. […]
Quill & Pad
Niclas has arranged to meet the seller of a platinum Rolex Day-Date at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. If all goes well, the watch transaction should be completed within an hour the he would catch the next flightto Stockholm. What makes him nervous is that the deal is to be done in cryptocurrency. But that's not what went wrong.
Fratello
It’s Friday, so it’s time for another list. After visiting Rolex a few weeks ago to check out the novelties for 2025, we immediately agreed that the Genevan brand treated us to some amazing releases this year. Having a chance to see them all displayed at once gave us a good idea of the variety […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Releases Of 2025 to read the full article.
Teddy Baldassarre
When it comes to Rolex, nicknames for its watches are almost as plentiful as the watches themselves – and often so esoteric that even avid watch enthusiasts can be perplexed by them. Can you tell a Kermit from a Hulk, for example? Or a John Player from a John Mayer? And would you be able to identify a Thunderbird or a Texano in the rare chance you’d come across one these days? Rolex’s legions of fans have been bestowing colorful and often esoteric nicknames on its most noteworthy watches for decades, and there are more of them than you probably even realize. Here’s a mostly alphabetical primer on the top 20 Rolex nicknames you’re likely to hear (and maybe even use) regularly in today’s buzzing watch-enthusiast community. Batman GMT-Master II Ref. 116710BLNR Debuting in 2013, this Rolex GMT-Master II reference garnered the nickname “Batman” for its first-of-its-kind bicolor Cerachrom bezel in shades of blue and black, which undoubtedly brought to mind for many enthusiasts the signature colors of DC Comics’ dark-garbed guardian of Gotham City. This “Batman” moniker is now applied primarily to the model on the three-link Oyster bracelet. Batgirl GMT-Master II Ref. 126710BLNR As alluded to directly above, the “Batgirl” name has been applied to the Ref. 126710BLNR of the aforementioned GMT-Master II, introduced in 2019, which differs from the original “Batman” only in its choice of a Jubilee bracelet rather than an Oyster. Is one more masculine...
Fratello
Rolex only makes one chronograph, and it’s called the Daytona. This has been a statement of fact since the first model bearing the name was created in 1963. Okay, fine; there’s one notable exception, the Yacht-Master II. But we’ll leave that as a topic for another day. Today on Fratello Talks, it’s all about our […] Visit Fratello Talks: Our Favorite Modern Rolex Daytonas to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Pierre-Yves Donzé's business history of Rolex documents how the Swiss brand embraced the idea of individual success while making its watches the ultimate status symbol.
Fratello
The Rolex Land-Dweller was the most talked-about release of this year’s Watches and Wonders. Regardless of whether the watch appealed to everyone, due to the groundbreaking new caliber and revival of the Oysterquartz design, the general impact of the Land-Dweller was palpable. We had an opportunity to experience the 36mm and 40mm models during Watches […] Visit What’s The Perfect Size For The Rolex Land-Dweller? to read the full article.
Hodinkee
A closer look at a favorite option from the current Daytona catalog.
Fratello
More than a platinum creation with an ice-blue dial, the combination of yellow gold and green is the ultimate expression of Rolex luxury. Luscious and alluring yellow gold dates back to ancient civilizations, and green is the brand’s signature color, often used in a celebratory way, that puts Rolex connoisseurs on high alert. Mix the […] Visit Hands-On: The New Yellow Gold Rolex Daytona With A Green Dial - Don’t Call It The “John Mayer II” to read the full article.
Fratello
Welcome to another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we decided to put the Swiss up against the Japanese, each with a purple-dial stainless steel watch of their own. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual with a lavender dial represents the Swiss, while the Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323 represents the Japanese. Both came out during Watches […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 “Lavender” Vs. Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323 to read the full article.
Fratello
It must have been 1999 or 2000 when the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 16710 was incredibly high on my wishlist. I even had the official Rolex advertisement for this model as the wallpaper on my Windows desktop. But I was a student, and the Rolex GMT-Master II was out of reach. The Rolex GMT-Master II […] Visit Why I Bought A Five-Digit Rolex GMT-Master II (Again) to read the full article.
SJX Watches
At Watches & Wonders 2025, all eyes were on Rolex. But the polarising Land-Dweller grabbed most of the headlines, relegating new versions of existing models, including the mighty Cosmograph Daytona Turquoise Blue ref. 126518LN, to second billing. Regardless, the Daytona remains one of the most iconic watches in the industry and its inherent quality makes any new version worthy of a close look. In this case, those who probed the depths of the Rolex catalogue were rewarded with the unusual combination of an 18k yellow gold case and a turquoise lacquer “Stella” dial. (And those lucky enough would have seen the “off-catalogue” Daytona ref. 126538TBR with an actual turquoise stone dial and diamond-set case.) Initial thoughts Let’s just say this was not love at first sight. I initially found this new colourway overly garish, but I am a sucker for turquoise, whether natural stone or, in this case, lacquer, so the look has grown on me over time. I think I’d have preferred a different treatment for the sub-dials, which to my eye dull the vibrancy of the turquoise, but this is a subjective critique of an objectively well-made watch. Dial colour aside, the new Daytona benefits from the model’s 60th anniversary updates rolled out two years ago, including the gold rim for the ceramic bezel. The case offers roughly ideal proportions for a sporty chronograph, 40 mm in diameter and around 12 mm thick. It also comes equipped with the brand’s rubberised Oysterflex bracelet, ...
Fratello
A few weeks ago, Rolex invited me to attend the World Endurance Championships 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. This series, which also includes the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, took place on May 10th in Belgium. Hypercars and GT3 racing cars compete for six hours at this beautiful track. This year’s winning car was a […] Visit Visiting The 6 Hours Of Spa-Francorchamps And A Talk With Tom “Mr. Le Mans” Kristensen to read the full article.
Time+Tide
The Rolex Daytona 126500 might be the best the legendary watch has ever been - but as Tom explains, it was definitely worth the wait.The post 23 years and 6 months with the Rolex Daytona appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Fratello
This year, Rolex introduced no fewer than eight new Daytona references, but only one made it to the brand’s press room during Watches and Wonders. The seven other iterations remained hidden. Luckily, a visit to the brand’s Brussels offices revealed that 2025 marks the year Rolex introduces three new Daytona watches in three gold alloys […] Visit Astronomical Exclusivity: Rolex Introduces Three New Daytona Watches With Meteorite Dials to read the full article.
Fratello
Control. It’s all about control. If you’re not in complete control, others can and will mess things up, and you will be held responsible for it, resulting in a negative image. That’s one thing no luxury brand wants to have to deal with. That’s why Rolex intends to control everything, from creating its alloy to […] Visit Rolex Wants To Control Everything - From Making Watches To Distributing, Selling, Servicing, Repurchasing, And Reselling Them to read the full article.
Fratello
Though it’s quite easy to forget this when looking at the watch world, sometimes less is more, and simpler is better. Simpler, however, is often much harder to get right. Poor design is easily covered in layers of otherwise unnecessary embellishments. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual presents simplicity at its very finest. Rolex added two new […] Visit New Rolex Oyster Perpetual Dial Colors You May Have Missed to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Editor’s Note: Earlier this week, Rolex held an event in New York City to showcase their latest 2025 releases. We saw most of these watches in Geneva at Watches & Wonders a few months ago, but this was the first time going hands-on with the latest from Rolex for Devin Pennypacker and Garrett Jones. These are their reactions and impressions, as well as a whole bunch of photos (with natural light!) from Garrett. Devin Pennypacker: There is a saying that gets murmured around the start of Watches and Wonders: The show goes as Rolex goes. This year, however, I was left with a feeling that Rolex was chasing trends rather than setting them for the first time in a long while. New announcements saw them leaning into pastel colors, stone dials, and even integrated bracelets to highlight their 2025 collection. To put it mildly, I was disappointed that there wasn’t immediately a model that stuck out to me as a winner of the bunch. That being said, I also didn’t have the opportunity to go hands-on with the new collection, so every thought was mere speculation. During a recent event in New York, I had the chance to spend some time with many of the new releases, form genuine opinions, and model the watches for our photography by Garrett Jones. Afterwards, Garret and I sat down to discuss a few releases we had time with, delivering our thoughts and feelings towards some of the collection, which we will have staggered below. As always, please leave your takes on these new releases ...
Monochrome
While all eyes were focused on the release of the new Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller collection, Rolex had a sumptuous surprise up its sleeve. Introduced in 2023 to replace (well, not officially, but still…) the Cellini collection, the elegant Perpetual 1908 premier dress watch returned to Watches & Wonders 2025 with a gold bracelet. Not any […]
Monochrome
Rolex is no stranger to niche models, specifically ones that specialise in less-than-mainstream purposes. The Milgauss, for example, was designed for scientists at CERN in the 1950s to withstand magnetic fields up to 1,000 gauss. Outside of this rather limited environment, it didn’t have much consumer appeal until its much later years and final models […]
Fratello
This week’s Top 5 list is a follow-up to last week’s list. You seemed to enjoy the article about some of the stunning, exotic dials that Rolex has used for its flagship model, the Day-Date. This week, we will look at some of the exotic dials that the Genevan brand has used for the Datejust. […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Datejust Models With Exotic Dials to read the full article.
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