Category: Rolex Replica

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Rolex Replica

Perpetually yours : Replica Rolex’s new 2014 OysterPerpetual

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At Baselworld 2014 Rolex launched updated versions of its classic Oyster Perpetual model in 31mm and 36mm, and featuring new dials. With thanks to to The Hour Glass (Australia), I had the opportunity to see the new 36mm models during their launch tour of Australia.

Much of the modern public focus when it comes to Rolexes seems to concentrate on the sports replica watches; the Daytonas, the Submariners, GMT-Masters, Yacht-Master, Sea-Dweller etc. It is easy to almost forget or pass by the simplicity and longevity of the time-only Oyster Perpetual with its renowned waterproof Oyster case and the Rolex Perpetual movement, an officially certified chronometer known for its precision and reliability.

The Oyster Perpetual’s case is waterproof to a depth of 100m (330ft), with a middle crafted from a solid block of corrosion-resistant 904L steel and the fluted case back hermetically screwed down. The winding crown is a screw-down and fitted with the patented Twinlock double waterproofness system.

Inside the 36 mm Oyster Perpetual is the Calibre 3130, a 48-hour power reserve in-house automatic movement that is COSC certified. The oscillator has a blue Parachrom hairspring, an alloy of niobium and zirconium, patented and manufactured by Rolex. Insensitive to magnetic fields, the Parachrom hairspring promises both greater stability when exposed to temperature variations and more precision if the replica watch has to withstand shocks.

As mentioned, the case is 904L stainless steel, as is the Oyster bracelet with its folding clasp. The new 36mm model comes in three dial colours – red grape, white grape and steel, each with a sunray finish. The indices and hands are 18ct white gold appliqué and the hands do have phospherescent material applied to them.

Of the three dials released this year my favourite is the very traditional steel, followed by the purple-coloured red grape, with its retro feel. The colours of the dial seem to change a little at different angles and in different lighting conditions, almost shimmering at times.

Sure, the Oyster Perpetual is neither sporty nor rugged, but that is part of its appeal to generations of owners; that it’s a clean utilitarian style, accurate, and does the job of timekeeping well. They are not replica watches for those who prefer something hefty and with a bold wrist presence, but they form an important part of the history of Rolex, and these new colours will appeal to many.

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Rolex Replica

Replica Rolex Sky-Dweller 2014 new Collection

We’ve been dreaming of a stainless steel version of the Rolex Sky-Dweller. For obvious reasons we wanted to see this unique traveller replica watch in a more affordable edition: the ‘Sky’ is one of the most complicated (if not THE most complicated) replica watch ever made by Rolex and at the same time, certainly the smartest. Instead of a charcoal dial / steel combination, Rolex introduced 3 new gold versions earlier this year during Baselworld 2014. Recession? Sorry, that word is not to be found in Rolex’s glossary.

Clearly, Rolex is not participating to the ‘downsizing’ trend that we saw at Baselworld’s last edition. When most of the other brands are rationalizing their collections, Rolex presents several very upscale timepieces: a platinum and diamonds Daytona, a white gold GMT Master II ‘Pepsi‘ and new gold combinations of the Sky-Dweller.

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These are the three new editions:

  • Ref. 326935: everose case and bracelet, pink gold dial with a sun-ray pattern – € 39.700 Euro
  • Ref. 326138: yellow gold case, brown alligator bracelet, silver dial with a sun-ray pattern – € 30.950 Euro
  • Ref. 326139: white gold case, black alligator bracelet, black dial with a satin finish – € 32.150 Euro

These three new versions of the Sky-Dweller feature different materials and colours, but no technical changes. And we understand, why change a very good recipe? We were really impressed when Rolex presented the Sky-Dweller in 2012 for various reasons. It is the most complicated Rolex ever – except a unique perpetual calendar made by Frank Muller – and the ‘Sky’ boasts an annual calendar with a second time zone, which can be operated in a unique and very handy way. Compared to some of the Grande Complication replica watches we covered, it may be disappointing, however consider that the ‘Sky’ MAY just be the “smartest” of them all!

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Two elements in order to justify our words:

  • Its display: the way the months are indicated is so simple that no one ever thinks of it (except maybe Ludwig Oechslin, who creates similar “simple” ways to display calendar functions for ochs und junior.) A year has twelve months and a replica watch dial has twelve hours (usually that is). The Rolex Sky-Dweller simply and discreetly adds twelve apertures around the dial to indicate the current month. And it comes with an annual calendar. It may not be as prestigious as a perpetual calendar, but it’s already a very practical complication that will need only one adjustment per year (every 1st of March) as it will automatically corrects for months with 30 or 31 days.
  • Its adjustment: usually, a complicated replica watch means complicated settings and these two solutions are normally used: a three/four positions crown or not so elegant pushers in the case-band. The Rolex Sky-Dweller has a rotating bezel that turns anticlockwise in three positions, in order to set all the functions: local time, second time zone and calendar. All adjustments are made via the crown, in both directions and without restrictions of time. Smart and efficient!

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And now that we know that the Sky-Dweller will never exist in stainless steel, we will treat you on some more ‘photoshoped dreams‘ before Baselworld next year: a platinum case with a sky blue dial? Why not! We’ll find out more next year at Baselworld 2015, when Jean-Frederic Dufour, Rolex’s new CEO, will present his first new Rolex collection.

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Rolex Replica

The Replica Rolex Ref. 5513 MkIV With Oversized Crown

Having already blogged about the Ref. 5510</a? and the Double Red Sea-Dweller (Ref. 1655), today’s classic replica Rolex is the Ref. 5513 Mark IV. To read about the beginnings of the Rolex Submariners, go to the Ref. 5510 link above, but as was mentioned there by TonyC the 5510, which had a short production run (est. third-quarter of 1958 until late 1960), was replaced by a larger cased 5512/ 5513 (COSC/ non-COSC).

The 5512 and 5513 were both fitted with the oversized crown which became a standard feature of the Submariner line, and came initially with a pointed crown guard, but later changed to the more rounded crown guard. Sometime in the early 1960s, Rolex discontinued the use of radium paint for the indices, switching to the safer Tritium.

The 5513 was produced from 1962 through until approximately June 1990. It used Calibres 1520 and 1530, and the latter appeared in both the 5513 and 5512 for a time. Early dials from the 5512 and 5513 had what is called a ‘gilt’ dial, referring to the fact that the colour of the text was gold.  Around 1965 or 1966 Rolex discontinued the use of gilt dials on the Submariner replica watches and switched to white printing.

This is 5513 MK IV ‘maxi dial’ with a 7.9mil serial, from about 1983. The bezel is sharp, the dial and indices in remarkable condition.

What is a ‘maxi dial’? Well the term was first used by Rolex at Baselworld 2003 to describe the larger luminous dots on the Reference 16610LV. It was then appropriated retrospectively by vintage Rolex collectors for vintage Royal Navy Submariners, and then taken back even further, chronologically, to refer to older Submariner models. A close examination shows that the post-1975 maxi dials share two characteristics: larger lume dots and generally bolder text, especially for the depth rating and ‘Submariner’.

The Type IV shown in these photos is the second-to-last known style of matte dial for the 551x reference, showing up on Subs with high 6 million case serials until around about the late 7 millions.

Even if you’re not an old-school Rolex fan, you have to admit that this is in pretty damn good condition, and a classic versatile replica watch.

So … have we turned you into a possible vintage Rolex sports replica watch enthusiast yet?

[with thanks to TonyC and initialjh]

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Rolex Replica

Hands-on with the Rolex ExplorerII Replica

One of Rolex’s most talked about announcements at Basel World 2011 was an updated Explorer II (Ref. 216570), with a 24-hour arrow hand in orange, harking back to the original 1971 Ref.1655 Explorer II, which was an addition to the Explorer model released in 1953.

After the release of the Ref. 1655, it wasn’t until 1984 that Rolex introduced a new Explorer II, Ref.16550. Changes included the sapphire crystal, the calibre 3085 movement, the shape of the hands (the 24 hour hand changed from a small red-orange arrow shaped hand to a long red 24 hour hand with a white arrow at the end), and a new white dial version. The 16550 is also referred to as a transitional model, transitional to the Ref. 16570 introduced in 1989.

Recently, I got to have some hands-on time with the latest Explorer II.

Available in black or white, at 42mm and 12mm thick it is bigger than the 1655. The white model has black hands with black rings around the hour markers, and the black version has silver hands with silver rings around the makers. The dial is covered by a scratch resistant sapphire crystal with the standard magnifier over the date.

The Ref. 217570 is powered by the in-house automatic Calibre 3187, which beats at 28,800, has a blue Parachrom hairspring, Breguet overcoil, and is protected by Paraflex shock absorbers. The date is an instantaneous jump at 12, the 24-hour hand independently adjustable to display a second time zone. There are 31 jewels and the cal 3187 has a power reserve of 48 hours. The crown is a Twinlock screw-down, and the replica watch has a water resistance of 100m or 330ft. The lume is said to last up to 8 hours after a full charge.

This is very much a modern replica Rolex, not a homage to the Ref. 1655. It’s big but not too much so, sitting comfortably on the wrist, the bracelet with the “Easylink” feature which allows the wearer to fine-tune the fit to within 5mm.

I really like the orange hand, which looks great against the white dial. In comparing it with its immediate predecessor the Ref.16570, my personal preference is for this current model. I like the larger size and for me, the orange hand is a nice nod to its origins, but also thoroughly contemporary in its colour and how it has been realised, with the matching orange text on the dial. What I realised is that this is a replica watch that has to be seen in the flesh; it’s actually a lot more engaging than I had expected it would be. If you’re in the market for a Rolex or a solid sports replica watch of this type, the Explorer II is worth taking a look at.