Tag Archives: Rolex

Thoughts on the astounding results from Christie’s Rolex Daytona “Lesson One” Auction

Like many vintage Rolex enthusiasts, it’s taken me some time to fully digest the incredibly high results from Christie’s November 10th auction, “Rolex Daytona ‘Lesson One’: 50 exceptional examples of the world’s most celebrated chronograph wristwatch”, held in Geneva. When I say incredible, I mean it literally: the prices achieved by the majority of these Cosmographs really did defy belief. Some examples…

Right out of the chute, Lot 1’s lovely pump pusher 6239 with Underline and double-SWISS markings and slightly “Tropical” brown sub registers hammered for $296,250.

Lot 1, ref. 6239

Previously, I would have said that the estimate of $44-$88k was spot on with $88k being very ambitious.

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Something special: A Chocolate Rolex GMT-Master

Every once in a while, you come across a watch that really gets your juices flowing, just like when you started out and everything was new and fresh. A special piece is exciting to find in the wild and it’s one of the thrills of the hunt when you bag one. I should add here that I am often excited about a lot of different watches I come across because, well, I’m a shamelessly promiscuous watchaholic. But there are flings and then there are the love affairs that last. And for a guy like me who has always had a special place in his heart for the classic Rolex reference 1675 GMT-Master, this one really put a charge in me.

Do not adjust your monitor–that dial really is that brown. A deep, dark chocolate brown in fact. Now, we know that the early meters-first matte dials for the Red Submariners are famous for their tendency to turn a pleasing “Tropical” brown. But for whatever reason, we see this less on the first series of GMT matte dials. It’s not unheard of, of course, I’ve seen it a few times prior. But it definitely seems more unusual. And to find a dial like this one that is evenly toned and essentially flawless is really a rare thing…

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The Fascination of Vintage Rolex, Pt. II — Wearability

Perhaps the best part of collecting vintage watches is that you get to wear them. They can augment your look, make you feel like a million bucks and express your unique personal aesthetic. Whether you are a one watch kind of guy or a polygamous collector like yours truly, odds are you will find more personal expression in a vintage piece that you have had to learn about, hunt and capture than something you can just walk into a retail store and buy brand new. Not that there’s anything wrong with a new watch and for some the risks of a vintage piece may outweigh the rewards. But once you strap on an older watch that displays its subtle out-of-time qualities so attractively–its years of use, its patina, its wabi-sabi–I think you’ll see the attraction.

Gilt Explorer ref. 1016, ca. 1963

And, while I definitely wear all of my vintage watches, there is arguably no better vintage watch to wear on a daily basis than a Rolex Oyster. This may sound like snobbery but in fact what I’m talking about here is toughness and suitability to the demands of day-to-day activities and exertions. Continue reading →

Watch Collector’s Notebook: The Fascination of Vintage Rolex

Rolex is at once one of the most innovative companies and also one of the most deliberate. Because of Rolex’s conservative approach to changing their watches over the decades you can trace a straight line from the last of the plastic crystal Explorers in the 1980s, for example, back to the Oyster watches they produced in the 1940s. The designs are really quite similar even if some cosmetic things like the dimensions of the watches changed over time.

Speedking ref. 2280, ca. 1942

Explorer ref. 1016, ca. 1985

A Datejust from the 1950s looks relatively similar to a Datejust from the 60s, 70s or 80s.

Datejust re. 6605, ca. 1956

Datejust re. 1603, ca. 1971

And this creates a very comforting and satisfying continuity, the shared heritage of a Rolex Oyster’s ancestry always being present in the next iteration. But–and as a vintage collector this is what hooked me–despite the similarities, there are myriad very small differences. Learning about these subtle changes, sometimes as small as the font on a dial, is the fascinating part of Rolex collecting, as well as often being crucially important to the value and authenticity of a given example. Continue reading →

Blog of the day– Jake’s Rolex World Magazine

If you want to get heavy into Rolex ephemera, pop culture and the wonderful personalities who wore Rolex throughout history, Jake’s Rolex World Magazine is a fine place to while away the hours. From the brand’s founder Hans Wilsdorf to the ultra cool ambassadors like James Bond, Jackie Stewart, Steve McQueen and (believe it or not) Martin Luther King, Jr., Jake has a passion for rooting out the many tales in Rolex’s storied history and the pivotal players who wore the watches. We’re not sure where he gets the time or the energy for such a massive amount of well done posts but our hat’s off to him–way to go, Jake, you’ve got a real cool blog!

The Rolex Explorer–A watch for all seasons

Rolex Explorer reference 1016–Matte Dial
The most versatile and cleanly designed model in the Rolex Sports/Tool line is the venerable Explorer. Originally christened shortly after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully summited Mt. Everest in 1953 with a great many men on the team wearing Rolex Oysters (there is some mystery as to whether Hillary actually wore a Rolex or a Smiths), the Explorer has been in the Rolex repetoire ever since. And with good reason. Not only does it possess the toughness and water resistance you’d expect from an Oyster Perpetual but it has an elegant simplicity and low profile that make it perfectly suited to any occasion.

1963 1016 with Gilt Dial

With its black face and instantly recognizable military-style luminous “3” “6” “9”, the ultra-legible Explorer goes perfectly with anything you might be thinking of wearing, from hiking attire to formal wear. (Let’s face it: James Bond may be able to pull off a Submariner with a tux but you probably shouldn’t try it.) With no prominent rotating bezel like the Sub or GMT-Master, as well as a thinner case, the Explorer fits under a French cuff as easily as any dress watch in the Oyster line. But it still looks tough and ready for action.

Modern 36mm ref. 114270

Yes, all it does is tell time. But it does that beautifully, accurately and with unmatched versatility. While Rolex has lately upsized the Explorer to a beefier 39mm, I strongly prefer the traditional 36mm diameter. Don’t mess with a classic.

For more great reading on the origins of the Explorer, check out this terrific post over at Vintage Rolex Forum from one of the big Dutch collectors. It’s a truly great read.

Vintage Watch Collecting: The Rolex GMT-Master

First let me say that I am definitely biased: My first Rolex was an old reference 1675 GMT-Master from the late 1960s that I won on eBay before I knew anything about vintage watches in general or Rolex history in specific. But I was lucky because the watch turned out to be both A) genuine and B) a totally awesome choice for a noobe. Here’s what it looked like…

And here’s why it’s a great choice for the guy who just got his first really good payday or bonus: Continue reading →

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