Hodinkee
Recommended Reading: A Farmer Reunites With His Rolex After 50 Years And One Bovine Adventure
A long-lost Rolex and an unlikely time cowpsule.
2,101 articles · 68 videos found · page 26 of 73
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.
Hodinkee
A long-lost Rolex and an unlikely time cowpsule.
Time+Tide
You might call bull, but a metal-detector and some good luck reunited this farmer with his Rolex Air-King, after being eaten by a cow.The post Poo-tina: UK farmer unearths lost Rolex Air-King eaten by his cow 50 years ago appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Plus, a cutting-edge and impressively thin offering from Bulgari along with a lovely and classic Carrera from Tag Heuer.
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...
“Leica” looms over cameras much like Rolex does watches. It’s a name with both meaning and stigma. On one hand, it speaks to quality, provenance, tradition, and a culture of dedicated enthusiasts. Conversely, it speaks to snobbery, wealth, style over substance, and exclusivity. Being who I am, I’m always suspicious of overly adored things, especially when they are expensive, as I can’t help but keep value in mind. Over the years, I’ve avoided the red dot despite countless recommendations. They just felt like too much of a thing I didn’t want to be a part of. A brand name for people who wanted to appear to be photographers, regardless of whether or not they had any skill or even a desire to shoot. Or maybe they didn’t even care if they appeared as photographers; the camera just served as an accessory to a lifestyle. Part of a kit that said, “Yeah, I do alright,” and looked great with a vintage Sub. *Side note: I wrote this intro before Griffin Bartsch covered the new SL3, and thus, I still thought myself clever for the Rolex comparison. As I now know it’s quite banal, I feel a tinge embarrassed, and yet, it holds a true statement, so it remains. As a former art major, I’ve always felt that cameras were tools, much like my paintbrushes. They could be used to create art or to document life. They weren’t lifestyle objects; they were a medium. I only got into photography in the first place to shoot my work in grad school. And then, I had to learn more ...
Quill & Pad
The long-term decline in secondary market prices continued over the course of last month. In this update, we cover the Big Three in detail as well as the performance of all key secondary market brands.
Hodinkee
Plus a classic dress watch from Patek and a gorgeous time-only option from Grand Seiko.
Fratello
When we talk about Rolex, we talk about huge numbers. According to Bloomberg, last year, Rolex produced 1.24 million timepieces with sales of CHF 10.1 billion. That wasn’t enough to get people their desired “Pepsi” GMT-Master IIs, though. The future Rolex manufacture, about which the brand issued its first official press release, might change that. […] Visit Will The Future Rolex Manufacture Solve Your “Pepsi” Problems? to read the full article.
Hodinkee
The Crown published official renderings and publicly commented on the billion-dollar project for the first time since the news of the expansion was announced back in 2022.
Quill & Pad
The Rolex Air-King has in the Rolex lineup since 1945, but the most significant change to the watch came in 2016 with the release of ref. 116900. The Air-King divides opinions, and Raman Kalra is one of those that doesn’t understand it. Here’s why.
Fratello
Sunday is here, and you know that means: it’s time for another Sunday Morning Showdown! But it’s not just any showdown this week. We decided to bring out the big guns for a battle that will surely get people talking. We selected the brand-new Omega Speedmaster Professional in steel and gold for this week’s faceoff. […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Vs. Omega Speedmaster Professional In Steel And Gold to read the full article.
Fratello
In this edition of Fratelli Stories, we learn more about Fratello reader Andre. He combines his passions for diving and underwater photography with his love of horology. This includes his fondness for his favorite diving companion, a Rolex Sea-Dweller. Underwater photography is a passion of mine as well. The underwater world is both enchanting and […] Visit Fratelli Stories: How Andre Combines His Passions For Watches And Diving to read the full article.
Fratello
When I assembled my list of favorites from this year’s Watches and Wonders, I didn’t even mention the Rolex Day-Date with the new white dial and deconstructed Roman numerals. Honestly, I didn’t think much of it because it’s way out of my league budget-wise, and it seems like such a small update that it didn’t […] Visit Hands-On: Rolex Day-Date With A White Dial And Deconstructed Roman Numerals to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Plus a pair of fun and functional chronographs from IWC and Tudor.
Fratello
For me, Rolex had a golden era. It was from the middle of the last century right up until the mid-2000s. Many of our fellow enthusiasts and collectors seem to share this impression and veer towards this long period of Rolex design in their horological journeys. Why is this the case? I think it’s probably […] Visit My First Rolex: The Oyster Perpetual 1002 to read the full article.
Fratello
Fratello On Air returns with an on-location episode where we discuss overpriced vintage watches. Specifically, we bring up models from Tudor, Cartier, Seiko, and Rolex. Yes, these are fighting words, but someone had to say them! We hope you enjoy the episode! This week, we’re together in London as Balazs traveled in for work. Close […] Visit Fratello On Air: Overpriced Vintage Watches From Tudor, Cartier, Rolex, And Seiko to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Is changing colours a novelty, or is it an acceptable compromise for a proven design? Zach finds out.The post Is the new steel Rolex GMT-Master II with a black-grey bezel boring or beautifully monochromatic? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Last weekend was a big one for the renowned auction houses. All the famous ones in Geneva had incredibly impressive timepieces under the hammer. Some amazing watches, including rare or unique vintage ones, were in the avalanche of timepieces we saw for sale at the yearly spring auctions. We went through the different results and […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Recently Auctioned Watches - Featuring Patek Philippe, Rolex, And Cartier to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Just released at Watches & Wonders 2024, the Rolex GMT-Master II in steel with a grey and black bezel (ref. 126710GRNR) is the newest addition to the famous line of dual time zone watches. More restrained in terms of colour, the new GMT-Master sports a 24-hour bezel with a grey-and-black Cerachrom insert. It’s still immediately recognisable, but a bit more discreet than its siblings in the collection, especially the famous “Pepsi” that is perhaps too recognisable. Like several other Rolex sports models, the 126710GRNR sports green accents on the dial and GMT hand. And the 126710GRNR is available on either a Jubilee or Oyster bracelet. Initial thoughts The GMT-Master II is a almost perfect, with little that needs revision. While some expected a “Coke” GMT this year, the 126710GRNR is a solid proposition for anyone who wants a GMT-Master dressed more subtly. The bi-colour bezel is functional without being too loud unlike the better-known GMT-Master “Pepsi”. Flashy or recognisable watches sometimes attract unwanted attention, so dialling back the bezel colours is smart. In fact, the 126710GRNR may as well be more appealing than the discontinued 116710LN with its all-black bezel. Although I prefer the all-black bezel of the 116710LN, the grey and black bezel of the 126710GRNR is more functional as it separates day and night. The Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi” 126710BLRO The green accents are a nice touch and also logical since green is the Rolex corporate c...
Hodinkee
Plus a two-tone Cartier Roadster, and an IWC Portuguese Chronograph in green.
Quill & Pad
The Geneva Watch Auction: XIX held over the weekend by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, totaled 39,667,167, just a tad over its high estimate, and set five world records.
Fratello
This is a story of pioneering adventurers. It is a tale about a group of expert cave divers that may never have surfaced if not for the tireless efforts of volunteers at the Oxford University Cave Club. It was also an opportunity for the watch brand Rolex to test out its Explorer 1016 on the […] Visit “A Great Deal Of Rough Treatment” - When The Rolex Explorer 1016 Went Caving to read the full article.
Monochrome
When it was unveiled last year, the Rolex Perpetual 1908 made quite a strong impression. I know that the brand doesn’t want to call it the successor to the Cellini line but the reality is that it is an Mk2 Cellini. The inaugural models were surprisingly appealing despite their minimalist, almost empty dials. Rolex isn’t […]
Quill & Pad
With Watches & Wonders and the associated speculation around discontinuations and new releases firmly in the rearview mirror, the secondary watch market in April 2024 has continued to follow the longer term trend of decline. In this report, we summarize the high level trends from last month, give an update on the Rolex Pepsi, and cover some of the best and worst performing collections in April.
Time+Tide
Buffy looks to the Swingin' Sixties to find out more about a Rolex cocktail watch that, just like a chameleon, easily changed colour.The post The curious case of the Rolex Chameleon and its many variants appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
In March 2022, the global watch market was at an all-time high. A stainless steel Rolex Daytona was worth just over €50,000, any new limited-edition watch would sell out in a matter of minutes, and sites like Fratello attracted a lot of new readers. Since then, things have cooled down substantially. According to Chrono24, that […] Visit Weekend Contemplation: The Watch Market Isn’t In Crisis, But How Should We Describe Its Current State? to read the full article.
Fratello
Another Friday, another Top 5! We stay in the Rolex universe this week and check out some of the most amazing Rolex stone dials. The Genevan brand has created exceptional dials through the decades, with the stone dials being the most famous among many watch fans. Taking the step to stone dials this week was […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex Stone Dials - Featuring Onyx, Lapis Lazuli, Coral, And More to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
Before I hop into the watches in “Challengers” and how they play into the movie, I want to establish an important fact about me - I am not a sports fan, much less a tennis fan. However, this movie wasn’t really about tennis, was it? This is more a movie about the loss of innocence to the nature of competition. Now that is something I can understand, and I’d wager you can too. Many of us are pushed to be competitive from a young age. Whether it be through sports, academics, the competition over jobs, success in the arts, or even in love, the spirit of competition is implanted early, and if you’re not careful it can take over. And yes, when it comes to the consumption of competition, watches can play a role. We all start out wide-eyed and accepting of others, the concept of “prejudice” or an “enemy” is not innate but instilled through slow infiltration. At the start, the characters in Challengers are exactly this - hopeful and innocent. Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) are former boarding school friends and roommates turned tennis teammates. They are close friends whose relationship extends both on and off court. Patrick is established as the naturally better tennis player at the beginning of their careers, but his love and respect for his friend Art is evident. In an early scene the two win a doubles match, but are then discussing a singles match they have the next day against one another where Art asks if Patrick woul...
Hodinkee
Plus an IWC Perpetual Calendar, and a Grand Seiko GMT.
Time+Tide
A dress watch from a sports watch brand takes on a high-end, revitalised artisan. It's Rolex versus Parmigiani Fleurier.The post Can the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde challenge the Rolex 1908 at nearly double its price? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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