Results for Rolex

Hands On: Rolex Yacht-Master II

Rolex commands a lot of attention during Watches & Wonders, and this year much of the focus was on the enamel-dialled Daytona — a high-tech, high-priced, off-catalogue variant of one of the hottest watches in the industry. But the brand’s other chronograph, the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II, also got a much-needed — but still unexpected — makeover, transforming it from an ugly duckling into a compelling chronograph for the contrarian collector. Initial thoughts Despite the pre-event teaser posted to social media, the launch of an updated Yacht-Master II still managed to feel like a surprise. The original Yacht-Master II debuted in the pre-financial crisis exuberance of 2007 and exemplified the tastes of the era, being something of the Royal Oak Offshore of the Rolex line-up. It was big and brash but offered enough technical substance to stay intellectually relevant, even as the model lost enthusiasm in collector circles before its discontinuation in 2024. The updated Yacht-Master II improves on the original in every way, dialing back the ostentation and doubling down on the technical merit. The new Yacht-Master II is available in stainless steel or full 18k yellow gold, and offers a decent value proposition in either configuration given the technical sophistication of the calibre and the high quality of make. As the standard-bearer of the luxury watch industry, Rolex could charge more than it does and the brand’s restraint is notable. The full-gold ref. 1266...

A Closer Look: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II

Rolex Yacht Master II Review: A New Era of Legibility for the Crown's Regatta Chronograph

The next generation Yacht-Master II boasts a dial design overhaul for new Oystersteel and yellow gold references. More

Bring a Loupe: A Polerouter Super, A Movado Bill Time, A Vintage Rolex Sub, And A Louis Vuitton Monterey II

Congrats on conquering another week, even if this one felt particularly expensive with the loss of Sonny Rollins. I know jazz is probably supremely uncool, but man oh man, if you've not had any experience listening to old Sonny stuff, pull up his classic The Bridge and dive on in (and, yes, his time out, alone, practicing sax on the Williamsburg Bridge, lent the album its title). But you're not here for that sort of cultural enrichment. Let's get to the real stuff. Scorekeeping earlier picks, the Hamilton RAF from two weeks back sold for €1,600, which is a cheering result. Last week's Omega Marine Chronometer went for CHF 2,000, the Marvin "Ocean Chief" sold for $1,000, and Rare Bird's Jaeger-LeCoultre Étrier sold as well. Strays Photo courtesy GALERIE DES VENTES D'ORLEANS. Photo courtesy Craft + Tailored. Photo courtesy Bonhams. Here's a beautiful Zenith Respirator on its original Zenith-signed NSA bracelet for all you square-cased Ballers to start things off. The Dennison ALD Dual Time seemed to scratch an unsuspected itch for a lot of folks, and certainly there are excellent vintage examples of double-dialed watches, but if you happen to find yourself hooked on the idea that more=better regarding dials, boy oh boy is this 18k gold Chopard with its four separate dials for you (with, yes, four separate manual-wind movements, for the fidgeters among us). Girard Perregaux alarms look fantastic for eschewing the typical fourth hand for setting the alarm, and this example ...

Introducing: Albishorn Type X-Graph (Live Pics)

What We Know We've featured a lot of Albishorn on Hodinkee recently, and for good reason. It's a fan-favorite brand, and, as our former head of limited editions said, it's hard to find someone who knows how to handle the technical side of watches, the design side, and pricing, all so well. The new Type X-Graph is no exception. If you want more info on the design inspiration behind the brand, you can read one of my previous stories here. But while other launches trend more vintage, this one feels a bit more modern. The Rolex "Zerograph" inspiration is obvious, with the slightly smaller dial and oversized bezel (that overhangs the case). This time, the dial pushes the look into modernity, with a semi-translucent fumé grey dial that lets you catch small glimpses of the skeletonized ALB04 M movement. But at the same time, Alibshorn was able to maintain the pebbled texture of some of their other dials. It's not a fully smoked sapphire like a Patek 5316 or a Lange Lumen, but at the price, it strikes a balance between creativity and affordability. Add the green-emission Super-LumiNova on the PVD-coated bi-directionally rotating steel bezel, and it's a cool monochrome finish. You'll notice that the watch is a chronograph with a 30-minute counter at the lower left and running seconds at the right, but right above the logo is the chronograph running indicator. It switches from red while running to white when stopped. The design of this is patented as part of the brand's modificatio...

The Better Rolex GMT-Master II Alternative? Imperial Oceanguard vs. Steinhart Ocean 39

We reviewed the Imperial Oceanguard GMT and Steinhart Ocean 39 GMT hands-on to see which affordable Rolex GMT-Master II alternative is easier to live with.Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Hands On: The Rolex Daytona Enamel Dial Ref. 126502 is More Than Meets the Eye

Rolex surprised in a big way with the Cosmograph Daytona Rolesium Enamel Dial ref. 126502. Despite being an “off-catalogue” model, the new Daytona was launched publicly, perhaps to emphasise its unusual nature. To start with, it features a grand feu enamel dial – yes, fired vitreous enamel – inside a bi-metal case of mostly steel, with a touch of platinum, plus a new ceramic (or cermet) bezel. It also has a display back and a steep price tag rivalling that of an all-gold Daytona. While last year’s Land-Dweller and its cal. 7135 was chock-full of patents that Rolex explicitly explained, the Daytona ref. 126502 is more typical Rolex in possessing incremental technical innovation that is left unspecified; it probably incorporates multiple patents that Rolex will not elaborate on. The traditional nature of the dial, the materials and production techniques, and even the display back, hint at future developments at the leading champion of industrial quality perfection. The dial is a four-part affair in white grand feu enamel, while the bezel insert in cermet Initial thoughts Let’s start with the obvious: do I like the new Daytona? Yes. Do I think the dial is actually and technically enamel? Yes. Do I think it’s too expensive? No. While it seems pricey on its face, Rolex pricing is practically always reasonable. I believe the seemingly high price here is justified by something in the watch that Rolex hasn’t explicitly divulged. Price aside, it takes a bit of exami...

Rolex Daytona Rolesium Review: A New Direction for The Crown's Famed Chronograph

The latest off-catalog rendition of the icon might be the sleekest take yet. More

Sunday Morning Showdown: Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Vs. Rolex Yacht-Master 42 In Titanium

Grand Seiko surprised friend and foe at Watches and Wonders when the brand released a smaller, more accurate dive watch at a lower price than its predecessor. The Ushio 300 diver, naturally, was met with applause. So, for this week’s showdown, we thought we’d stack it up against a watch so popular that it is […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Vs. Rolex Yacht-Master 42 In Titanium to read the full article.

Affordable Rolex GMT-Master II Alternatives Showdown: Imperial vs Vaer

Compare the Vaer G2 Meridian GMT and Imperial Oceanguard GMT as affordable Rolex GMT-Master II alternatives, with hands-on notes on wearability, movements, value, and daily use.

Fratello’s Top 5 Alternatives To The Rolex Yacht-Master II

Another Friday, another list. This week, we decided to dive into the world of regatta timers. Rolex’s big introduction this year during Watches and Wonders was the updated Yacht-Master II. In itself, the updated watch proved to be a huge improvement compared to the previous generation of The Crown’s regatta timer. In both usability and […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Alternatives To The Rolex Yacht-Master II to read the full article.

Audemars Piguet and Swatch send the watch world crazy, Cartier quietly opens a new space in Sydney, while Rolex drops a new doc instead of a watch

There’s nothing like a good Swatch release to turn the watch world upside down, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen this week. Fresh after our brilliant British Weekender in NYC, where watches were firmly on enthusiasts’ minds, Audemars Piguet and Swatch decided to bring watches into the forefront for everyone, announcing a new collaboration that everyone, … Continued

Watch It: Rolex Releases A Film Celebrating 100 Years Of The Oyster

How do you capture 100 years of the Oyster? That's the question at the center of Rolex's new 23-minute film celebrating the anniversary of one of the most important watches ever made. The film opens with incredible archival footage of Mercedes Gleitze swimming across the English Channel, then moves on to archival footage of many defining moments tied to the Oyster's history—speed records, Everest expeditions, deep-sea exploration, and much more. Most will know these stories, but seeing them presented together really captures the full breadth of what the Oyster has represented over the last century. One of the film's most impressive qualities is its sense of scale. Even something like the Daytona—one of the most iconic watches ever made and a subject that could easily support an entire film on its own—is only one small part of the larger story being told here. More than anything, it underscores just how broad and far-reaching Rolex's history with the Oyster really is. From there, the film transitions into the modern era, highlighting Rolex's ongoing ties to sport, the arts, and scientific exploration. It closes with a look at the brand's Perpetual Planet initiative and Rolex's environmental efforts, both in the field and within its own manufacturing operations, including a closer look at how the company is approaching sustainability in watchmaking.  There are also a few fun details throughout. At one point, the film references precision down to "a fraction of a billi...

In-Depth - The New Rolex Yacht-Master II ref. 126680 & 126688 - the Regatta Instrument Reimagined

There’s always been something slightly paradoxical, if not vague, about the Rolex Yacht-Master II. In the brand‘s catalogue, year after year defined by a slow-paced evolution (quite unpredictable recently, though, as we have learned from experience) and exceptional commercial clarity, this watch has consistently stood apart. A large, complex and highly specific model, it is […]

Bring a Loupe: A Movado Polyplan, An Impossible Rolex 1680, And A Full Set Patek 3970

William Stafford wrote, "I'd just as soon be pushed by events to where I belong." While I wouldn't claim it is great or wise to have a single line from a single poem weigh too heavily on anyone's life, those dozen words have exerted a monumental pull in my own existence. I'm not by nature much of a planner, and the line offered itself as a little sophisticated rejoinder I could tell myself when confronting my chaotic life, but I also think the wisdom the line offers is useful. And you're sitting there at your computer or on your phone going "Dude, I came here to see watches, not some diatribe about poetry or chaos or whatever," but the line, oddly, has played out in my own life in watches more than anywhere else. If you're familiar with Bring A Loupe as it has existed over the years, you've maybe noticed I include fewer dealer picks than was common in the past, and I am 100% blaming a line from an old poem for that. While I know there's nothing inherently better or worse about buying watches through auctions or dealers, auctions are most interesting to me because of their inherent unpredictability. Over a decade ago, a vintage Tudor Ranger popped up on eBay. It was cheap enough that I wouldn't lose money selling it if I didn't like it, so I bought it. I thought nothing at all of whether I loved the watch, had never had any deep desire for that particular model—it's just what was there, that day. Most of the watches I've fallen hardest for—a '69 Speedmaster on Craigslis...

Holocaust Survivor’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual To Go Up For Auction

We have covered quite a few historical stories about Rolex here on the Fratello site. Today, we have another, this time about a special gold Oyster Perpetual that belonged to Holocaust survivor Kurt Kahn. Let’s dive in. Some watches merely tell time, while others tell stories. Very rarely, one encounters a piece that does both […] Visit Holocaust Survivor’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual To Go Up For Auction to read the full article.

Hands-On With The Watch That Shouts My Name And The Other 100th-Anniversary Rolex Oyster Perpetual

Once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. The special Jubilee dial of one of two anniversary Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches displayed the brand name repeatedly, but I just saw my name written over and over. This watch that literally had my name on it in a most obvious way. So, is the OP with […] Visit Hands-On With The Watch That Shouts My Name And The Other 100th-Anniversary Rolex Oyster Perpetual to read the full article.

News - Rolex Quietly Updates the Datejust 41 and 36 in 2026 with new Roman Numeral Dials

We’ve long come to understand that, during Watches and Wonders (where it releases almost its entire collection for the year), Rolex communicates only on certain of its novelties. What the brand considers the most important, the most relevant and the deepest updates. But, there’s very often more to the story than just what’s been presented […]

6 Best Alternatives to the Rolex Submariner We’ve Ever Reviewed

Explore the best Rolex Submariner alternatives across affordable, mid-range, and luxury picks, with hands-on notes on wearability, bezel feel, design, and value.

Rolex Quietly Updates The Datejust With New Roman Numeral Dial

The “Deconstructed” design takes cues from previous iterations of the DatejustMore

Hands-on - The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 with Multicoloured Jubilee Dial

You don’t have to be a watchmaking fan to know that the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is one of the few watches that defines the brand and modern horology at large. As the direct descendant of the 1926 Oyster, one of the very first waterproof wristwatches, this time-only, robust, precise, and endlessly wearable watch is what […]

Hands On: Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 ‘Jubilee’ Dial

Marking the centenary of its signature Oyster case, Rolex has introduced a new polychrome ‘Jubilee’ dial for the Oyster Perpetual 36. An appealing new variant of a tangibly excellent product, the Jubilee dial will likely appeal to both experienced Rolex collectors as well as those who have historically found the brand’s designs too sedate. Initial thoughts Rolex is a brand that takes itself seriously. At times, the brand’s product development cycle seems to move at a glacial pace, but this is part of the discipline that has made Rolex the most successful maker of luxury watches by some margin — collectors have learned they can trust Rolex to keep a good thing going. So when the brand decides to have a little fun, it’s almost shocking. The brightly coloured Jubilee dial motif — built up of 10 layers of coloured lacquer — is certainly fun, and reminiscent of the ‘Celebration’ dial launched in 2023 in both 36 mm and 41 mm sizes. The Jubilee model pictured is the 36 mm size, but the design is also available in 41 mm (ref. 134300) and 31 mm (ref. 277200). The ‘Celebration’ dial was launched in 2023 in both 41 mm (left) and 36 mm sizes. The Oyster Perpetual 36 case keeps its nearly ideal proportions — small and sleek enough to disappear under a shirt cuff but chunky enough to hold its own with short sleeves. Substantively, it could make a proverbial ‘one-watch collection’ but given its exuberant dial will probably appeal most to seasoned collectors...

Observations and Takeaways at Watches & Wonders 2026

The biggest booth at Watches & Wonders 2026 (W&W;) belonged to Rolex, as it always does. Looming three stories high, the Rolex booth was home to some of the most talked-about and polarising watches of the fair, as it always is. Rolex took the occasion of the centenary of its water-resistant Oyster case to roll out a line-up of surprising watches, perhaps the most unexpected from Rolex in a while. The collection included a Daytona with a fired enamel dial, Boetti-esque Oyster Perpetual, and a return of the little-loved but technically impressive Yachtmaster II. The vast, three-story Rolex booth. Image – Watches & Wonders In a first, Rolex gave its popular sports chronograph a vitreous enamel dial, or grand feu enamel in watchmaking parlance. The industrial and engineering achievement is impressive; it’s not just a new livery and this Daytona is more than meets the eye. The enamel is melted glass, as is tradition, but instead of a metal base, the enamel is on a ceramic substrate that is in turn mounted on a brass plate. While there is some debate whether the ceramic substrate makes it enamel in the traditional sense of the word, I consider it enamel. The new enamel dial harks back to the “porcelain” dial Daytona of yore More importantly, the key characteristic of the dial is thinness, recording-setting thinness in fact, which means that Rolex has achieved an enamel dial with all of the qualities of enamel, lustre, fade-resistance, colour, without compromising thicknes...

The Rolex Yacht-Master II returns in 2026 with a new movement and updated design

With a new movement, a new way of operating the countdown timer, and an updated design, the Rolex Yacht-Master II is a thoroughly new watch.

Wind Vintage has Drake’s ‘Take Care’ Rolex for sale & Polymesh is now available for non-MING watches

Watches and Wonders. Watches and Wonders. It’s all we’ve been talking about, I know. So, all I will say for this Friday Wind Down on the subject is that you can find all of our written coverage here and video coverage here. Now let’s move on to some horological headlines from this past week that … Continued