Looks-wise, the watch that comes the closest to an all-steel model is now the ref. 116509, which is cast in solid 18k white gold and has the price tag to prove it.That means a delve into the archives is the only avenue still open should you want one, and it is the previous generation that is proving the most affordable. The ‘Zenith’ Daytona ref. 16520, powered by the fabled El Primero, is still the gateway into steel Cosmograph Daytona ownership.Of course, the word ‘affordable’ is all relative. Prices start at around the $20,000 mark, which is a hefty slice of anyone’s money. Yet beyond being one of the most handsome and capable models ever made, any Rolex Daytona represents perhaps the surest investments watch collecting has to offer.It’s a tough call, but the starkly austere Explorer might well be the watch that has changed the least (visually) over its 70-year run. That is even for a manufacture that updates aesthetics at the glacial pace that Rolex does. Every reference, from the prototype Pre-Explorer ref. 6150 from 1952 up to the last of the ref. 114270s in 2010, have been simple three handers, with the beautifully legible white on black 3/6/9 dials, housed in a 36mm case.Then along came the ref. 214270, identical in the detailing but the first example to grow beyond the dimensions in 58-years, measuring 39mm. It increased in size for the same reason as the Datejust – fashions demanded it – but unlike that watch, it became the only option available.That is no bad thing. The Explorer is perhaps the last of the true tool watches in the Rolex catalog. There is nothing about any iteration of the watch that is designed to look flashy or draw attention to itself, and a few extra millimeters doesn’t change that. The new Explorer is basically the old Explorer, and whichever you choose will come down to whether your wrist size suits one or the other.Its strength has always been in its simplicity, and it remains one of the best value for money prospects on the pre-owned Rolex market. $5,000-$6,000 is the buy-in point for a well set up example of the ref. 114270 or, if you fancy going the real vintage route, the celebrated ref. 1016 (personal timepiece of James Bond author Ian Fleming) starts at a little over twice that. Tough, elegant and perfectly built, the Explorer has always stayed true to Rolex’s roots.
The biggest difference between modern AquaTimer and previous AquaTimer watches lies in their bezel design. I more prefer the two color black and yellow bezel of old AquaTimer models. Here, let use be back to the replica we are discussing, it is the latest work from V6 factory, which has expanded their watch business into every Swiss brand. V6 factory published a lot of high quality replica watches in 2016, among them, Omega Spectre is the one that gained a great success. Now this IWC AquaTimer replica is made of 316L stainless steel in case and bezel, it looks very strong and tough. The bezel has grooves so it is easy for the wearer to catch even when their hands get wet. The dial has two levels, it has a great 3D visual effect. Hour markers, hands and diving scales on outer bezel are all applied luminous material.
While bidirectional rotating bezels may be quicker for wearers to turn to the appropriate spot, as a dive bezel it’s not the best option. If the bezel gets accidentally knocked, this could cause divers to miscalculate how long they have been underwater. Therefore, a unidirectional bezel is more prudent because accidental knocks to the bezel can only result in overestimating immersion time – it’s far preferable to start ascending to the surface earlier or spend longer than necessary at a decompression stop.Rolex began equipping the Submariner with unidirectional bezels starting with the Submariner Date ref. 16800, which was introduced around 1979. The no-date Submariner model received a unidirectional bezel with the introduction of the Submariner ref. 14060 in 1990.Like the previous generation, the new unidirectional bezels included aluminum bezel inserts. In 1983, Rolex introduced the first two-tone Submariner model in the form of the Submariner Date ref. 16803, which sported a yellow gold knurled bezel with a black or blue aluminum insert. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Submariner in 2003, Rolex introduced the stainless steel Submariner Date ref. 16610LV with a green bezel insert.In 2008, Rolex introduced the first Submariner models equipped with unidirectional bezels featuring Cerachrom inserts. Cerachrom is Rolex’s proprietary ceramic alloy that is not only resistant to scratching but also to fading. The 60-minute graduations are cut into the bezel and then the ceramic bezel insert is fully coated with either yellow gold (for yellow gold and two-tone models) or platinum (for white gold or steel models). The gold/platinum is then polished away from the ceramic surface until only the recessed numerals and markings are left with the metal filling.By 2012, Rolex had rolled out the Cerachrom bezels across all Submariner models and color options include black, blue, and green. A quick way to know the color of the bezel is to look at the letters in the reference number: LB (blue bezel), LN (black bezel), and LV (green bezel).
The dial has a lot things worthy of talking. First it is about the high readability. White dial has thick black Arabic numeral hour markers, the minute markers are also in black color, it is very convenient for the wearer to catch time from the dial. The big triangle marker at 12 and hour markers at 3, 6 and 9 are applied with Swiss Superlume material, so in dark condition, you will find these four markers will emit a strong green light, this improves the dial readability. There are three working subdials, they are sunken from the main dial. Each small dial works well and features a blue hand. Among them, small seconds subdial is at 9 o’clock, 30-minute chronograph counter and 12-hour chronograph counter are positioned at 12 and 6 o’clock repectively. At 3 o’clock, next to the hour marker, there are two square windows, the left window is displaying current day, while the right window is showing date, both have black font. All hands on the white dial use blue color, not only eye-catching, but also give your eyes fresh outlook.
The bezel is unidirectional rotating.The whole replica watch feels not that heavy compared with modern Submariner, maybe this is due to its small 38mm case and only 16.5mm thick. The crystal is also dome plexi plastic. The bracelet is made of solid 316 stainless steel, however when I holding this watch on hand, I found the gap between links are too large, I do not know how about the bracelet on genuine watch, but it will be better if the factory could fit the watch with a more delicated steel band. However you can not say too much when seeing its price tag.Rolex Submariner, which has been a popular watch model for decades, is regarded as a classic. And in fake watch industry, with the progress made in technology, the replicas of Rolex Black and Green Submariner are also being improved. This time, as the new generation of Submariner, V6s version only only has improvement. The V6s Black Submariner has brand-new casing and crystal, its movement is also modified, it totally meets the expectation of many Noob V6 Submariner fans. Here I am going to introduce its improvements made upon the previous V5 version.First, V6s has a better crystal, which is as flat as genuine. V5 is more convex.The markers on black ceramic bezel. V6s is silver grey, so is the genuine. And the markers engraving is deeper and thicker.The axis of the second hand is more delicate and the same as genuine.The dial is always one of the standards to tell fake Rolex, like the printing “1000ft=300” on this replica Submariner V6s, it also has a little difference with the genuine, but closer to genuine than other versions. About the V6s Noob factory released, they are fitted two types of dial, each is equipped with Super 3135 or 2836 movement, each dial version is correct.
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