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Zenith El Primero Sport 45mm vs Rolex Daytona116520

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By @initialjh

 

However, it is not just about the design, of course. It is also about the movement when it comes to chronographs.

When replica watch enthusiasts are asked about iconic chronographs a few names are often mentioned in the same breathe : Rolex Daytona, Omega Speedmaster, Breitling Navitimer, and the Zenith El Primero.

What makes these chronographs iconic? Well it comes down to their designs; these are replica watches with quite individual design ‘DNAs’ have proven themselves to have lasted the test of time. In fact, the designs are so instantly recognisable that the manufacturers do not dare revolutionise the design with each upgrade, instead sticking to merely slowly evolving from the original with subtle changes.

 

In 1969 the El Primero 400 calibre was released, to widespread acclaim that the movement was the best automatic chronograph available on the market. Rolex made modifications, reducing the frequency from 36,000VPH to 28,800VPH and arguing that this would increase reliability while reducing the need for maintenance, and improve the power reserve. The date mechanism was removed, new balance and escapement introduced, and Rolex marketed this as the Calibre 4030.

For Rolex, this was a marketing and sales success. The limited supply of base movements and strong demand from the market meant these automatic Daytona rapidly achieved cult status, which also meant that it affected the perception of pre-automatic Daytona models.

The Zenith El Primero chronograph movement is arguably without peer as a chronograph design icon. Development of this fully integrated, high frequency, automatic winding, column-wheel chronograph movement started in 1962 and was realised seven years later with the introduction of the 1969 Zenith El Primero Chronograph A380.

In fact the modern day El Primero is still used by Zenith and several other major manufacturers and, interestingly, was the base movement that Rolex chose for their Daytona in 1988 with the launch of the new reference 165xx.

For a company for whom change occurs so rarely and slowly, Rolex introduced their own in-house developed Calibre 4130 in 2000. This automatic winding chronograph was designed to be easier to service. Beating at 28,800VPH, the same as the Calibre 4030 it replaced, power reserve was increased to 72 hours and a hacking-second feature added.

COMFORT

Firstly a disclaimer : my wrist is on the smaller side (6.75in), and the current fad of going big in terms of wristwatch is not optimal for me.

At 40mm the Daytona is perfect on my wrist; not too big, and not too small. An additional benefit is that the relative slimness of the Daytona means comparative ease when wearing it under my shirt cuff.

The balance-bridge was chosen over the balance-cock as found in the older Calibre 4030. What is interesting with the chronograph mechanism is that Rolex opted for a vertical friction clutch rather than the horizontal clutch system that is found in the El Primero, for the chronograph mechanism. The result? A more accurate seconds hand movement when starting the chronograph.

Putting tech talk aside, what is it like to have both replica watches as daily wearers? I was recently fortunate enough to have these two replica watches in my possession to compare on a day-to-day basis.

As for the Zenith, if I had the choice again I would pick the more traditionally-sized 38mm or the 40mm Zenith El Primero. At 45mm the El Primero Sport is too big for me when worn on the bracelet, but this can be overcome by wearing it on a NATO strap. The El Primero is an elegant replica watch, big, muscular, sporty. When worn on the NATO the size is less noticeable, and it is less heavy. However, the thickness of replica watch is evident and I found myself having to pick shirts to fit the replica watch, not the other way round. From this aspect the Zenith is more likely to be a weekend replica watch than something that I can wear 7 days a week.

So since I’m talking about the bracelet – it’s hands down to the Rolex over the Zenith. The finishing on the edges of the bracelet on the Rolex, whilst still crisp, feel smoother and less sharp to the touch than that of the Zenith.

Micro-adjustments? There is more flexibility on the updated Daytona bracelet, with a clever hidden clasp to be opened should the wrist swell due to temperature variations. The new Daytona bracelet is certainly more solid and an improvement over the older bracelet on the 165xx series Daytona.

 

The Daytona I tested is NOT a standard model. It is a stainless steel model, but the owner had the dial from the white gold model swapped over; the basic dial colour scheme is red on black. Whilst this is pretty during the day, the red hands tend to disappear into the black in low lights, which means, like the Zenith, that time telling is fine, but trying to read the chronograph totalisers in less than optimum lighting is challenging. A point to also note is that the lumed markers are brighter on the Rolex, and lasts longer throughout the night.

When using the tachymeter, I prefer the external scale on the Daytona. The internal tachymeter on the El Primero is slightly harder to read at a quick glance.

However, these are small quibbles.

LEGIBILITY

The benchmark of legibility in chronograph design, in my opinion, goes to the Omega Speedmaster; white on black means legibility is optimal at various angles. The thickness of the hands has been optimised with each iteration of Speedmasters. Reading the totalizer sub-dials is also relatively easy, regardless of ambient brightness.

The two replica watches I have here have very similar colour schemes. The Zenith a mixture of grey scales with the accent of the red chronograph seconds hand. Along with the larger and more muscular case, the hands on the Zenith are also bulked up. Time telling is relatively easy with the larger hour and minute hands. However in certain positions I found that these hands can obstruct the sub-dials. In addition, whilst I appreciate the darken markers as being uniform to the whole design of the replica watch, it does mean the Luminova is not very bright at night.

OPERATION

The operation of both of these replica watches is relatively straightforward.

 

However, the horizontal clutch system does mean the start of the chronograph is not as smooth and can jump at the start when compared to the Daytona’s vertical clutch system. Once started, the sweeping motion of the chronograph hand is smoother than the slower beat Daytona. Whether this bothers anyone is up to the individual wearer. Does it affect accuracy? Not really. After all, we are not timing the re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere…

The El Primero has other quirks, including the date setting. On the El Primero, time is set with first position of crown, and the date in the second position. In many other replica watches, position one of the crown is date, and position two is for time. This does not bother me. The Daytona has no date. One last thing is hacking second, which the El Primero movement does not have. Rolex added the hacking second with the Calibre 4130.

Kudos to Zenith with their half-turn screw-in buttons. With a quick turn, the chronograph buttons can be used quickly. Not so with the Daytona; it takes a few seconds to unscrew before the chronograph can be activated. Why have these screw in buttons, one may ask. There are many conjectures but one plausible reason is to prevent the activation of these buttons while the replica watch is underwater. Even in the unscrewed position, the Daytona is still water resistant to 100m. So why keep it? I guess the screw in buttons are part of the Daytona design, although earlier Cosmographs do not have this design feature.

What is it like to actuate the chronograph? Both of these are column-wheel movements, but that is where the similarity ends. The El Primero is a fine movement to start and stop. The action is precise, and there a delightful ‘click’ when the chronograph is actuated. The reset is also precise.

CONCLUSION

All in all, these are two iconic chronographs that I am happy to wear if given the opportunity to own. However as a daily replica watch, I would pick the Daytona over the El Primero purely based on the factors of size and comfort on my particular wrist.

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Rolex Replica

HANDS-ON : Replica Rolex Cellinitime-only

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There are, although some of you may find it difficult to believe, people who admire the replica Rolex brand but aren’t drawn to the omnipresent sports models. For them, the announcement of a re-invigorated Cellini line by Rolex this year was one that would have piqued much interest. Some of them may have noticed the Cellini model’s existence but not fully registered any of the models, as it has been somewhat neglected by all. Thank goodness that period ended.

Three new models have been released;  a time-only, a dual time, and a date model, all available in a 39mm white gold or Everose with either a black or white dial. The polished case features a double bezel – fluted and domed on top. They also have a domed (bubble) caseback. Water resistance is 50m.

This is the time-only model. With long slim gold-applied indices, minute ring, alpha-style hands and a lacquered dial (the other two models have a guilloche dial), this is an great looking dress replica watch and to my mind, a  option that is worth seriously considering in comparison to other popular Rolex models that people commonly wear as dress replica watches e.g. the ragingly popular Datejust.

Inside is an automatic movement, COSC-certified, with 48-hour power reserve and a Parachrom hairspring. The exact calibre of the movement doesn’t appear even on the Rolex website, but some believe it to be from the 31xx family.

Coming on alligator straps of black (for white gold cases) or brown (for Everose) with a gold pin-buckle, these conservatively-styled but elegant and versatile replica watches are my personal favourites of Rolex’s releases for 2014.

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Rolex Replica

PEPSI MAX : the 2014 Replica Rolex GMT-MasterII

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The good news from Rolex at Baselworld 2014 was that there was a Pepsi bezel for the 2014 GMT-Master II. The bad news was that Rolex decided to use it on a 18 carat white gold version first, rendering it slighlty difficultly priced for those who wanted it most.

Since the fist Rolex GMT-Master appeared in 1955, it has become one of their most recognisable and enduringly popular models, with varying sizes, calibres and detail changes in that inimitably Rolex way. One of the most distinctive sports replica watches in the world, the original red and blue bezel is affectionately referred to as the ‘Pepsi bezel’, in a non product placement reference to the soft drink. Ever the brand of incremental changes, they are also the band of unexpected choices, as recently evidenced by the use of Syloxi initially in a woman’s replica watch and of putting this new replica watch in a white gold case.

Developed in cooperation with Pan Am pilots, the GMT-Master became the airline’s official timepiece, allowing pilots to read the time in two time zones, and with the contrasting red and blue key for legibility.

The first GMT-Master bezel inserts were made of transparent Plexiglas painted half red and half blue on the underside. In 1959 the Plexiglas insert was replaced by one in anodised aluminium. Various other combinations have made appearances but for the majority of purists, the Pepsi bezel has always been the only one worth thinking about.

The Ref. 116719, as this new model is called, is 40mm and contains the Rolex in-house Calibre 3186 movement that was also in last year’s blue/ black Cerachrom-bezelled GMT-Master II. The GMT/ second time zone function of the name is operated via the usual independent hand.

The patented red and blue Cerachrom’s manufacturing process involves a red ceramic bezel inlay being made and then modifying half of the insert to a blue colour by a process of changing the chemical composition of the red grains. At 1600°C the ceramic reaches both its hardness and blue/ red colouring. The 24 hour scale is engraved in the ceramic and then coated with platinum via a PVD process. The platinum is then diamond-polished until only the platinum inside the numerals and graduations remains.

For those unfamiliar with Cerachrom, let’s go back a bit.

Patented and developed in-house to be used for bezels, it was unveiled in 2005 via the black insert of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II. The portmanteau name is a combination of ‘ceramic’ and ‘chrom’ from the Greek for ‘colour’, but the range of colours is restricted by the manufacturing process. The colours are created by adding mineral pigments that can withstand high temperatures before it is fired.

Making a Cerachrom bezel begins by mixing basic ceramic powders made of very fine zirconium dioxide or aluminium oxide powder which are mixed with pigments and a binding agent. The resultantpaste is shaped into a bezel blank by high-pressure moulding. A first stage heat treatment eliminates the binding agent. Next, the substrate is impregnated with a metalised chemical solution. The insert is then heated, as mentioned above, to 1600°C to create a solid single insert piece. As the ceramic is so hard, both inner and outer circumferences of the insert must be precision-machined using diamond tools, after which the numerals and graduations are engraved into the ceramic.

In 2013 Rolex unveiled the first two-colour Cerachrom insert bezel, in blue and black, but the red and blue of 2014 is more important to collectors and enthusiasts. So what is it like ‘in the metal’? Well first things first – this is, remember, a white gold case, so there was a feeling of caution when handling it, something that would not be an issue if it were stainless steel.

The red and blue colours are strong and vibrant and it looks and feels like what it is – an expensive sports replica watch. For those who are familiar with last year’s model, as referred to earlier, it will all look pretty similar. As with all Rolex Cerachrom bezel inserts, it is exceptionally resistant to scratches and corrosion, and Rolex states that the colours are unaffected by ultraviolet rays and therefore, won’t fade. Whether this is a pro or a con will depend on to what degree you enjoy, perhaps, the variations in Pepsi bezel colour that time has brought to the old models.

My thanks to The Hour Glass Sydney for access to the Rolex GMT-MASTER II and Rolex Baselworld 2014 releases.

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Rolex Replica

Replica ROLEX : Syloxi and the Oyster Perpetual Datejust Pearlmaster34

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It’s funny sometimes.

I was at The Hour Glass in Sydney looking at some of the Baselworld 2014 releases from stylish replica Rolex when three blindingly shiny replica watches came into sight. Now it’s no secret that replica watches-with-more-stones-than-I-can-count-on-all-digits are an exception rather than a rule at Horologium, and that by and large those that do make an appearance have precious stones as part of a broader artistic sensibility in the form of an image, or where the stones are a discreet part of the bezel, or something unusual. It’s rare that stone-bedecked replica watches show their dials here.

However, something about the sheer weight and strong presence of this trio grabbed my attention that day. I thought to myself that even if these aren’t, aesthetically, something that I would select, not to mention how hyper-aware one would have to be  from a practical standpoint with stones on the bracelet, the thought crossed my mind that Rolex does incredibly well with women’s replica watches, and with bejewelled women’s replica watches, so it was important for me to acknowledge this and to feature it.

It was only after I started to write this that I realised something. I had unknowingly chosen to take photos of three rather significant replica watches whose announcement at Baselworld 2014 had somehow passed me by.

I realised that these Oyster Perpetual Datejust Pearlmaster 34s weren’t ‘just’ bejwelled women’s replica watches, but that their release heralded an important breakthrough by Rolex. Why they chose to do this via these replica watches, I can’t guess, but for those who are wondering – these are the timepieces in which the almighty big R chose to unveil its first commercially available replica watches equipped with a silicon hairspring called ‘Syloxi’, developed in-house after decades of research.

The ‘Syloxi’ name derives from ‘silicon’ and ‘silicon oxide’, and the new hairspring is made in-house by a process known as deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) developed by the Centre Suisse d’Electronique et Microtechnique (CSEM) which, with the backing of Rolex, the Swatch Group, and Patek Philippe, has researched the use of silicon in replica watchmaking.

A replica watch’s oscillator comprises of a hairspring and a balance wheel. Minimising disturbances to it from temperature variations, shocks, magnetism etc is critical. Silicon has been increasingly used by replica watch brands in their movements, and in instances such as this, where it is covered by an oxide layer, it has the added bonus of being thermo-compensating.

What makes the Rolex Syloxi different is its (patented) shape and geometry. It is flat, and its pitch and thickness varies along the hairspring. The inner coil of the hairspring is flexible and its other end is rigid and fixed to the balance bridge at two points.


So we come to the ‘unassuming’ Datejust Pearlmaster 34 which features the Syloxi hairspring courtesy of the automatic Calibre 2236. It is vailable in 18 carat yellow, white, or Everose (TM) gold, with a number of precious stone options including diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies.

The three shown here are amongst a number of options :

1. Yellow gold model with a bezel set with twelve baguette-cut pink sapphires and twenty-four baguette-cut light-pink sapphires. Its dial is 18 ct yellow gold paved with 455 diamonds, the hour markers and hands are 18 ct yellow gold appliqué. With this, you can have either an 18 ct yellow gold bracelet or an 18 ct yellow gold bracelet with 186 brilliant-cut diamonds, as per the photos in this post.

2. White gold model with a bezel set with with twelve baguette-cut blue sapphires and twenty-four baguette-cut light-blue sapphires. Its dial is 18 ct white gold, rhodium plated, and paved with 455 diamonds, hour markers and hands are 18 ct white gold appliqué. This is naturally also available with either an 18 ct white gold bracelet or one with 186 brilliant-cut diamonds if you’re feeling fearless.

3. Rolex’s trademarked Everose alloy model with an 18 ct white gold bezel set with thirty-two brilliant-cut diamonds. Its dial is 18 ct white gold, rhodium plated, paved with 455 diamonds, hour markers and hands are Everose appliqué. Bracelet-wise it’s available in a choice of either 18 ct Everose gold or 18 ct white gold set with 186 briliant-cut diamonds.

Not that most of those wearing these is likely to find themselves in this position, but their waterproofness is 100m.

Would some have expected this innovation to have made its first appearance in a men’s replica watch? Or if a women’s replica watch, a more sedate model? Perhaps, but with four patents exclusive to Rolex and a fifth for the material itself shared with Patek Philippe and the Swatch Group, it will make its way into men’s replica watches as well. In the meantime, Rolex movement geeks will have to be satisfied with these groundbreaking women’s replica watches, which start at CHF37,000 and go up to a hefty six figures depending on your replica watch/ bracelet combination.

ADDENDUM : with thanks to the replica watchnerd, who did some investigating, for those who are interested, this appears to be the Syloxi patent.

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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

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.