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Results for Rolex Explorer II

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Editorial: The Rise of the Indian Watch Collector SJX Watches
Rolex watches as most were Jun 5, 2020

Editorial: The Rise of the Indian Watch Collector

Years ago, while attending a wedding in the southern Indian state of Kerala, I noticed most men in attendance were uniformly dressed – crisp, white linen shirt and matching mundu. Some milled about, some laughed over the most recent ministerial gaffe making the rounds, and others waited impatiently for the evening to end. For an outsider, the plainness of their attire seemed at odds with the occasion they were attending, except for the occasional glint of gold on their wrists, which caught my eyes more often than I’d anticipated. The heavy lustre of their Rolex watches, as most were, stood out because of the simplicity of everything else. Observing closely one could notice the subtle nods of affirmation exchanged between the men as they glanced at each other’s timepieces. For a culture obsessed with jewellery – India is the world’s second-largest consumer of the precious metal according to the World Gold Council – the country has taken predictably well to fine watches. Timepieces in precious metals form a substantial proportion of the gifts given to grooms – a practice that is, in a small but undeniable way, bringing the appeal of horology to a larger, otherwise untapped audience. A market in its infancy But the sales of luxury watches in India are far lower in proportion to its population as compared to say, China. According to trade body Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), Switzerland exported 1.99 billion Swiss francs of watches to China in ...

Business News: Baselworld Inches Towards Calamity [Updated] SJX Watches
Rolex Apr 7, 2020

Business News: Baselworld Inches Towards Calamity [Updated]

Writing in a manner graceful yet irate, the president of the exhibitors committee of Baselworld – mostly made up of brands that exhibit that the event – has penned a quietly scathing letter to the organisers of Baselworld. [The fair’s response to the letter can be found in the addendum at the end of the article.] The letter, which I received a copy of, expresses the exhibitors’ dissatisfaction at well, everything, from the new date for the event to the proposed refunds for the “postponed” fair, while asking for a refund of fees paid for the cancelled event. Significantly, the letter ends with: “we fear that this will be the end, pure and simple, of Baselworld…”. While on the surface this might seem to be a group of exhibitors pushing back, it is a more nuanced – and perhaps more uplifting – picture. The president of the exhibitors committee, Hubert J. du Plessix, has a day job: head of investments and logistics at Rolex, in addition to being the president of the watchmaker’s pension fund. If there was ever a sterling example of the philosophy “speak softly and carry a big stick” in watchmaking, this is it. Seen in that light, Mr du Plessix, and by extension his employer, are standing up for the little guy: defending the interests of exhibitors who can ill-afford Baselworld even in the best of times, in an attempt to help the wider watch industry that is now on the edge of the precipice. The central atrium of Messe Basel, the convention hall des...

In the Eye of the Storm – A Letter From Geneva SJX Watches
Rolex which just closed all Mar 17, 2020

In the Eye of the Storm – A Letter From Geneva

Switzerland has declared a state of emergency as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Almost everything is closed, including schools, shops, and restaurants, with only businesses offering the basic necessities, like banks and supermarkets, being allowed to open. There is bad news from Switzerland’s neighbours as well; the virus has spread fast in Italy. A recent poll showed that only 8% of the Swiss population feel they are in great danger. I can assure you that 100% of watch brands are feeling the pressure. Many watch factories, particularly the privately-held brands, have shut down completely or are about to. That includes Rolex, which just closed all its facilities for two weeks starting March 17. Watch sales are falling all around the world, with some brands suffering drops of 30-40% in February, and duty-free sales – which are substantial for the watch industry – falling by up to 90% in major airports. We have seen many crises, but this is unprecedented. But the biggest blow to the industry so far – the cancellation of the major watch fairs, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) and Baselworld. Even though very little is actually sold at the fairs, they were universal events that brought everyone together, almost like an annual reunion of old friends (and competitors). The fairs were a major, major part of the larger imagination, so the cancellations feel like a massive blow for everyone in the industry. The accelerating fallout First, the timeline of the virus’ i...

WHO TO FOLLOW: @WatchBrisman Time+Tide
Rolex es … Hi Donald Aug 4, 2018

WHO TO FOLLOW: @WatchBrisman

Brisbane watch collector Donald has steadily established a name for himself as a prolific vintage watch lover. We dive a little deeper and find out there’s more to the Don than just vintage Rolexes … Hi Donald, what’s your daily watch and why? I really enjoy wearing my Blue WG Submariner on a daily basis. … ContinuedThe post WHO TO FOLLOW: @WatchBrisman appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

WHO TO FOLLOW: @Horonation Time+Tide
Rolex es May 26, 2018

WHO TO FOLLOW: @Horonation

Self-described ‘WIS Globetrotter’, @Horonation likes to keep his identity secret - preferring the moniker ‘Mr X’. To say he’s serious about his watches would just about be the understatement of the year. Hey mate, what is your ‘daily watch’ and why? I rotate and wear all my watches. But I find it very comfortable wearing vintage Rolexes and … ContinuedThe post WHO TO FOLLOW: @Horonation appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

WHO TO FOLLOW: @VintageRolexMania Time+Tide
Rolex Mania Lex Kittichoke May 12, 2018

WHO TO FOLLOW: @VintageRolexMania

Lex Kittichoke is a Thai businessman with a love for family, travel, and a huge passion for vintage timepieces. You might know him on Instagram under the handle @VintageRolexMania. Hi Lex, what’s your daily watch and why? I don’t have a daily watch, I change my wristwatch every day. It brings me joy to see … ContinuedThe post WHO TO FOLLOW: @VintageRolexMania appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Rolex GMT-Master II Review: The Bruce Wayne Rolex Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Aug 12, 2025

Rolex GMT-Master II Review: The Bruce Wayne Rolex

Before getting into the so-called "Bruce Wayne Rolex," let's establish some context. The Rolex GMT-Master is one of the Crown’s most popular models when it comes to the Professional line. It’s been an icon going back to its release in 1954, born out of a partnership with PanAm (in reality, it was a masterfully executed piece of marketing) that gave way to a new jet-setting, time-zone-malleable timekeeper. Since then, the GMT-Master (now the GMT-Master II, incorporating an even more user-friendly dual-time indication) has stood alongside the Datejust and Submariner as a core icon for the brand. It has also represented a platform for innovation for Rolex, being the first model line to see the brand transition to its “Super Case” format and its use of Cerachrom bezel tech. This paved the way for the introduction of a new, steel GMT-Master II in the late aughts with a black Cerachrom bezel insert, a green GMT hand, and green dial text. This stood for years as the most under-the-radar option for potential GMT-Master II buyers that didn’t feel comfortable slapping on a "Batman" or a "Pepsi." However, like many other popular models, it was discontinued. We saw echoes of its design materialize in form of the “Lefty” GMT, with its bi-color green-and-black bezel and matching green GMT hand. But the “Sprite” didn’t strike the same chord as that discontinued OG. Then the 70th anniversary of the GMT-Master rolled around in 2024, and Rolex surprised us all when it re...

Rolex Yacht-Master & Yacht-Master II: The Comprehensive Guide to the K Teddy Baldassarre
Rolex Oct 29, 2024

Rolex Yacht-Master & Yacht-Master II: The Comprehensive Guide to the K

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...

Hands-on – A Personal Take on the Tudor Black Bay Pro Polar, From a Fan of the Explorer II Monochrome
Tudor Black Bay Pro Polar May 28, 2025

Hands-on – A Personal Take on the Tudor Black Bay Pro Polar, From a Fan of the Explorer II

Here, at MONOCHROME, we write about watches. That’s our job. However, before that became what we do on a daily basis, we all shared a sheer passion for watches, with, of course, our personal preferences. Our founder, Frank, is well known to be a fan of independent watchmakers and monochromatic watches (obviously…) I, for instance, […]