LONG READ: I did not want to like the vintage Rolex Pepsi GMT-Master II ref. 1675. It had other plans.
I have had enough of vintage Rolex. Really, enough. Hyped out. Even in the darkest days of lockdown I would skip Hodinkee’s Talking Watches episodes focusing on GMT-Master references and vintage Rolex collections … bring me some carbon fibre! Why, then, do I find myself standing here outside the house of the owner of a 1969 Rolex GMT-Master 1675 feeling sick and wanting to leave? Caressing the scratched lug for the last time, trying to read the surface like braille, encoding the history within. I did not want to hand it back. A weekend with the iconic Rolex “Pepsi” 1675 I’m once again struggling to fit an objective lens for this review, with one of the icons of watchmaking on the wrist. The GMT of GMTs, the Pepsi of Pepsis, most people have an opinion on this classic travel tool from Rolex. History is richly embedded in the bracelet of this compact sports watch, a GMT-Master from around 1969. There is something special about recognising the shape and colours of a model that has been in production for more than 60 years, the same struggle with objectivity as when you sit in a classic 911. Today, the GMT-Master is bigger, bolder…
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It’s been the case for centuries. Pioneers of industry pour plenty into R&D, stretching themselves thin to find that one small breakthrough that will separate them from the rest. It’s hard to imagine a modern TV without YouTube connectivity, a modern car without ABS, or a modern phone without the world at your fingertips, but once upon a time, features such as ceramic bezels were reserved for the upper echelon of luxury goods. Now, you’ve got yourself a nice new Seiko 5 Sports, and you feel like snazzing it up a bit with a ceramic bezel. Hop on eBay, browse the colours, and you can pick one up for less than $10 Aussie. How exactly did it come to this? Well, it’s been a journey. Broadly speaking, ceramic isn’t exactly cutting-edge technology, having been used by humanity at large for the last 26,000 years or so — but in the 21st century its usage has come a long, long way from the earthenware pottery of the stone age. Its immense hardness makes it an ideal material for knives, brake discs on race cars, and extremely durable ball bearings. Jaeger-LeCoultre took advantage of this by putting ceramic bearings in an automatic…
Quartz is the middle child of the watch industry. Born between the talented mechanical genius of the first-born and the innovative technology of the new smartwatch baby. But while it may have had less attention during critical developmental windows as a child – despite being wildly popular at birth – the quartz watch is hitting puberty in the same way Matthew Lewis (who played Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter) did, successfully finding its feet and getting some mojo of its own as a grown-up. So while quartz has typically been thought of as the cheap and cheerful sibling to the serious and expensive mechanical wristwatch, in 2020 there are some wonderful pieces of high-end quartz watchmaking that come with a price tag to match, both vintage and modern. Let’s take a look at a few very special examples. Citizen Caliber 0100 This is a watch that deserves more recognition. After debuting a solar-powered quartz movement that was accurate to within 1 second per year in a pocket watch in 2018, Citizen released the same movement in a wristwatch the following year. This watch has a laundry list of features that should go a long way to articulating why quartz watchmaking…
Editor’s note: This week we are taking a look at the brand new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition that is set to hit screens on the wrist of Daniel Craig later this year, and we couldn’t help but think – how does it compare to the rest of the Bond watches? Fortunately, Nick Gould had put together a complete list of the watches James Bond has worn on-screen since the Ian Fleming books were translated onto the silver screen in 1962. We’ve also updated the list to include the most recent watch to be worn by Daniel Craig in his final appearance as 007, wearing the suavely understated titanium Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition that we are looking forward to seeing in action on Bond’s wrist very soon. We all know James Bond, AKA 007, the suave British secret service agent who has been on missions all over the world. Throughout many of the films, he has always had a wristwatch to keep track of the time and, in some cases, help him get out of a jam. Today we take a look at the watches that have featured in the films. Dr. No – Rolex Submariner Reference 6538…
The Oris Divers Sixty-Five is hugely popular, and rightly so. Any independent brand that makes a well-designed, vintage-inspired tool watch at an affordable price will quickly gain a loyal following, something Oris has done with aplomb since the collection was first released in 2015. What some don’t know, and a key ingredient in their popularity, is the sheer depth and breadth of different offerings within the Divers Sixty-Five collection. Currently there are more than 50 different references, varying in size, dial colour, bracelet and beyond to make sure there is something for everyone. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at a few of the key references within the collection that deserve your attention. Oris Divers Sixty-Five with recycled plastic strap Oris has a long-established connection with ocean conservation, making much of their packaging out of recycled materials and supporting various initiatives including World Cleanup Day. In this Oris Divers Sixty-Five reference we have a blue dial 40mm watch cased in steel, but the strap is where things get interesting. The strap is made from a special material called r-Radyarn®, which is essentially recycled plastic that has very low impact on the environment. It looks great in…
The Rolex Day-Date is the stuff of watch collecting lore. Not only has it been worn by some of the most powerful and well-known people to ever walk this earth (understandable, given it’s nickname: the President), but the sheer number of variations that it has been produced in over the years make it a goldmine of scholarship and investigation for the collection community. While it might be said the majority of changes Rolex make are glacially slow and (almost) unnoticeable in difference from year to year, the Rolex Day-Date tends to be an exception, as it went through explosive periods of new and experimental design that resulted in dials, bracelets and cases that were never seen in any other Rolex models. I wanted to dip my toe into this world of wooden dials and white gold watches (just to reference a few) and take a look at some of the more unusual variations you might not have seen before. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at a few different examples of the famous Rolex Day-Date that have appeared over time. @johnson167 Rolex Day-Date Ref.18039 “Wood”, Perfect Condition ⛹ ♂️⛹ ♂️⛹ ♂️⛹ ♂️⛹ ♂️⛹ ♂️ Not only is this a wonderful watch, but Mr…