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Let's face it. You are not going to be able to walk into a Rolex boutique, and walk out with any variant of the super-hyped GMT-Master II. Not likely anyway. So today, we pick of 6 excellent GMT watches which are alternatives.
Quill & Pad
Rolex And Wimbledon: there are few brands that fit so well together, emulating each other in a way – though a fully unplanned way – with their staunch holds on traditionalism and domination of their respective fields. Since 1978 they have transcended social, cultural, language, and even ideological barriers together.
Time+Tide
Welcome to The Icons, a series where we take a horological deep dive into the most legendary watches of all time. We’ll delve into the story behind the watch, its evolution over the years, famous (and infamous) wearers, the classic references, and the contemporary versions you should be checking out. This week it’s the Rolex … ContinuedThe post How the Rolex Submariner went from bulletproof tool watch to stone-cold classic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
A 1970s Rolex MilSub that had been languishing in a chest of drawers for more than 25 years has sold at auction for £155,000. The sale that took place at Bonhams, in London’s New Bond Street, comfortably smashed the estimated value of £80,000 to £120,000. The anonymous owner from Scotland, took the rare item to … ContinuedThe post Damaged Rolex MilSub smashes estimate at auction to reinforce its grail watch status appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: Between the struggle to get hold of new pieces and the deranged prizes for pre-owned prices, it’s easy to hate on Rolex. For the sake of emotional self-preservation alone, it can be easier to turn your back on the brand, muttering about confected scarcity or overcooked hype. The inconvenient truth is that Rolex … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: I did not want to like the vintage Rolex Pepsi GMT-Master ref. 1675. It had other plans. appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: Around the watch world, there was a collective “WTF” exhalation this week at the news that two colourful dialled Rolex Oyster Perpetuals had each sold at Christie’s for over CHF 50,000 apiece (read Zach’s story about it all here). Hand-wringing over the prices of such hype pieces is understandable. But if you managed … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: An owner’s guide on whether the Rolex Oyster Perpetual deserves the hype appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
I am certainly an advocate of your wrist, your wallet, your choice. I don’t ever want to “purchase shame” a watch collector. But, while I understand how the recent Rolex OP results happened, somehow they still baffle me. Discontinued plus Rolex always equals premium prices. This is nothing new. And watches like the Rolex OP … ContinuedThe post Are you kidding me? Two stock-standard Rolex OP watches each sell for over CHF 50K at Christie’s appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Karambelas is the man behind @barnfindwatches, an Instagram account that documents his watch-collecting adventures as he attempts to uncover old watches gathering dust in flea markets and thrift stores across America. Here, John shares the story of his ultimate barn find, which he randomly stumbled upon while driving through the Mojave Desert. … ContinuedThe post The ultimate Rolex barn find in the desert: “I’ve been watch-hunting for 30 years, but never found anything like this…” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
US Customs and Border Protection officers in Indianapolis have revealed they seized two big shipments of fake Rolex watches at the end of April. The custom officials seized 460 counterfeit Rolex watches that were arriving from Hong Kong and heading to Brooklyn, New York. Based on intelligence gathering and a past history of fraudulent shipments from … ContinuedThe post The fake news that’s all too real – massive haul of counterfeit Rolex watches seized appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: Eric Wind is one of the world’s foremost vintage watch experts and the owner of Wind Vintage. In this interview, he tells the amazing tale of how he acquired and restored the Rolex Explorer of rodeo cowboy and bull-riding champion, Gary Leffew – a watch that had an unfortunate run-in with a 2000lb … ContinuedThe post What happened when a rodeo cowboy’s Rolex Explorer met a 2000lb bull… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
Welcome to The Icons, a series where we take a horological deep dive into the most legendary watches of all time. We’ll delve into the story behind the watch, its evolution over the years, famous (and infamous) wearers, the classic references, and the contemporary versions you should be checking out. This week, it’s the Rolex … ContinuedThe post The Rolex Explorer could be your one watch collection for life appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
On first glance, the watch looked to be in pitiful condition. Much of the dial was barely visible due to the severity of the scratches that had ravaged the glass. Yet beyond that superficial damage, it turned out to be in surprisingly good nick. Plus, there was the small matter of the fact that the … ContinuedThe post Rolex Sea-Dweller badly scratched in a cycling accident gets shock valuation on the Antiques Roadshow appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: We recently ran the first and second parts of our Watch Confessions series in which Time+Tide interviewed members of the community to get them to share their watch-related secrets. In this latest instalment, one anonymous watch lover justifies the apparently unjustifiable and explains why he wears a fake Rolex. “The thing is I actually wanted … ContinuedThe post WATCH CONFESSIONS: “I wear a fake Rolex and don’t give a damn” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
The watch nerd that WMMT is, he rarely immediately wears his new watches, putting them aside for a few days and letting the anticipation grow. When it finally came time to wear his new Rolex, he took it out of the box and proudly put it on his wrist. And then horror struck: he didn’t feel anything, not a thing! Zilch, nada, niente! What to do?
SJX Watches
One of the biggest surprises from Rolex at Watches & Wonders 2022 is the GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR – the first contemporary, regular-production Rolex with a left-handed or “destro” crown. And just to make it even more different, it is equipped with the brand’s first-ever green-and-black bezel. Initial thoughts A brand that has preserved the signature style of watches for decades, Rolex is all about incremental improvements that are often evident only in the details. That’s exactly the case with the new GMT-Master II, which retains the trademark GMT aesthetic but is rather different. In fact, it is very different, which makes it polarising – you either like it or you don’t. Initially the left-handed crown does look awkward on the left wrist; it feels off somehow. But very quickly you get used to it and it is surprisingly cool. The new ref. 126710VTNR is priced about US$550 more than its counterparts with a conventionally located crown. According to Rolex, the price difference does not result from the rejigged crown position but rather the changes to the testing equipment necessary to accommodate the new crown position. Destro Most obvious is the crown at nine o’clock, which is accompanied by a repositioned date window. It is ostensibly for the left-handed, but will surely find fans amongst right-handers who want something unusual. It is intriguing, just because it’s so different from the rest of the brand’s offering (though Rolex’s sister compan...
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SJX Watches
In a teaser before Watches & Wonders 2022, Rolex published a partial image of a watch with a smooth, fixed bezel and crown guards – a combination of features found in no current model at the time. It was the all-new Air King ref. 126900 that gained a redesigned case and dial as well as a new bracelet and an upgraded movement. In other words, an entirely different watch, yet one that has the same spirit as its predecessor. Initial thoughts Conceptually, the Air-King is very novel for Rolex (just like the left-handed GMT-Master II) since it is the first Rolex to combine both a smooth bezel and crown guards. But it is still typically Rolex in its substantive upgrades meant to improve practicality and wearability. For instance, removing the soft iron inner cage means the case is flatter and sits better on the wrist. The new reference is powered by the cal. 3230 equipped by Rolex’s proprietary blue Parachrom hairspring. This increases magnetism resistance while helping boost power reserve to about 70 hours, an upgrade from the 48 hours of the cal. 3131 found in the outgoing model. Overall, the revamp of the Air-King is more practical than aesthetic since the look largely remains intact, although the watch does feel a bit more sculpted and refined. Having had the opportunity to experience the actual watch, it looks and feels excellent on the wrist. Thoroughly updated All of the design tweaks to the Air-King serve to make it more sporty. The highlight is certainly the crow...
Time+Tide
Editor’s Note: Watches & Wonders is the biggest watch fair of the year and, with nearly 40 brands presenting, there is a ton of ground to cover. So, for your convenience, we’re offering a quick overview of each brand’s novelties – touching on each new reference or collection and their headlining points. Stay tuned throughout … ContinuedThe post WATCHES & WONDERS: Rolex drops some big surprises amongst its novelties for 2022 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Rolex is the biggest watch brand on the planet and James Dowling knows more about it than practically anyone. Known as @misterrolex on Instagram, the veteran collector and journalist is the author of The Best of Time: Rolex Wristwatches and has even been referred to as a “Rolex scholar”. That’s why he’s the ideal man to … ContinuedThe post Mr Rolex reveals! The authoritative take on what’s about to drop… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
A long time ago in a land far away (2012 / Canada), I embarked on the journey of watch collecting. I had saved enough to confidently go into the local Rolex authorised dealer and strike up a deal. Ten years ago, you could actually negotiate a discount on some of these watches, which was the … ContinuedThe post How I changed my mind about the Rolex Explorer II (and why it now rarely leaves my wrist…) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
As Michael Caine went from strength to strength in the 1970s, he was frequently pictured with a gold Rolex. I’ve written before about my love for the Day-Date on a leather strap that he wore in Get Carter. But Caine also showed his forward-thinking mindset by also snapping up this 18K gold Oysterquartz Day-Date, which … ContinuedThe post Michael Caine’s Rolex Oysterquartz Day-Date sells for £125,000 at auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Time+Tide
“This watch has generated more interest than any watch we’ve had in stock for a long, long time,” says Tom Jenkinson, a senior watch sales consultant for Xupes, the online site for watches and other collectibles. “It was originally a P.O.A piece, but we were just getting a deluge of inquiries on it to the … ContinuedThe post Who Dares Wins: Rolex teamed up with the SAS to create this unique Explorer II. Now you can buy it… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Are there special vintage watch dial variations named after notable women in a vein similar to that of the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona? Nick Gould was wondering just that and researched. Finding a photo of Vanessa Redgrave wearing a Rolex Submariner Reference 5513 with "Explorer" dial in 1966, he ruefully opines that this rare model would sound so much cooler as the Rolex "Vanessa Redgrave" Submariner rather than what collectors call it now: Rolex Reference 5513 Submariner with Explorer dial.
Time+Tide
With the introduction of the new TAG Heuer Autavia Chronometer Flyback Chronograph 60th Anniversary Silver dial, the brand bought back a classic design to one of its most storied lines. This alone would have been enough for TAG Heuer fans. However, they didn’t stop there. Instead, they doubled down on the design to give us … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The TAG Heuer Autavia Chronometer Flyback 60th Anniversary DLC appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Too often when we discuss Rolex watches, we have to mention their availability issues. Their “unobtanium” status has rubbed up many people the wrong way – earning The Crown much vitriol. Now just because you cannot buy them at retail does not mean the watches aren’t readily available. The problem is if you want one … ContinuedThe post Want a brand new Rolex GMT Master II “Batman” for $25? This charity raffle offers that chance… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: With Watches & Wonders on the horizon, the rumour mill is about to crank up again in earnest as predictions swirl as to what Rolex will release this year. That’s why we thought we’d revisit this story about a titanium Yachtmaster prototype that was recently spotted in the wild. Did that leak reveal a … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: Do I really want to see Rolex make titanium watches? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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