This is the Rolex you can't believe has just been discontinued (and these comments reveal how upset you are)
Editor’s note: Earlier in the week, I wrote about ‘The Rolex that got away’ in reference to the rhodium dial OP ref. 114300. Turns out my tastes are not aligned with a huge majority of readers. We have since received more than 100 DMs, comments and emails decrying not the loss of this model, but the white dial OP at 39mm. “How could they discontinue the OP 39mm with the white dial,” asked @jonathonbrown24. @grayhayes joined in: “The white was so good.” “I was saving and looking for the 39 in white,” mourned @dnafty. “I have the white dial OP … only makes it more special now,” gloated @robflip23. “The white dial was probably going to be my next watch,” said @but_dear, ruing like me that he’d waited too long. The comments go on and on. In fact, there was such an overwhelming majority, that we thought it deserved a military funeral as well. So, straight back and stiff upper lip soldiers, let’s salute this glorious Goldilocks off in style. *Cue bugles* One of the real hits from Rolex’s 2015 collection was the Oyster Perpetual 39 (ref. 114300), a bare bones, simple steel timepiece that was still pure Rolex. Initially offered in…
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Bubble wrap was originally devised as a form of three-dimensional wallpaper. The modern treadmill was invented to harness the muscle power of idle prisoners in order to mill grain. Frisbees were created by a Connecticut pie company as a dish for their wares. Fascinating facts aside, the point here is that many things are designed with noble intentions that are promptly subverted in unexpected ways. Inevitably, that’s also proved true with the Apple Watch which, according to consumer research firm Strategy Analytics, sold more than 50 million units in 2018 and 2019 combined. The smartwatch was released in 2015 to bold headlines that it could revolutionise the entire healthcare system. But while the Apple Watch does indeed offer a multitude of health features, human nature has ensured it has also been adopted for a host of unlikely purposes as this round-up of international stories reveals … Apple Watch as sex toy Sex toys offer boundless reassurance about the creativity of the human spirit. Cleopatra reportedly pleasured herself with a papyrus box full of live bees, while today you can even put your dead lover’s ashes into a dildo. People, in other words, get imaginative in this department. It’s therefore not…
Now that Rolex has released watches and ended that dreadful rumour that they were sitting 2020 out, the important work begins. Nicknaming them. The one that has perhaps caused the most contention, is this one, the Submariner ref. 126619LB in white gold. We’re going to tell you everything you need to know about it below. But first, some data. We asked Instagram what its nickname should be. Our favourites are as follows: Sonic. BMW (or Beemer). Blueberry. Sega. Add to these a decidedly not-catchy suggestion of “I wish the stupid nickname game would stop and availability happens.” The winner, however, was overwhelmingly clear. It’s the Cookie Monster. Settled. Now let’s talk about the size. The iconic Submariner will for many always be pitch perfect at 40mm. Is the size increase as vast as we are told, and is it the end of the enthusiasts’ embrace of the Crown? The most coveted watch today becomes too large by a gut-wrenching, teary-eyed millimetre? From the vast traffic on forums, Facebook groups and Instagram, the 1mm difference is seemingly best illustrated by this monster – of a gargantuan 1mm in size, sharing its underwater habitat with the Submariner. Meet the gargantuan 1…
If you don’t like public displays of affection, you might want to scroll down to the top stories of the week, because it dawned on me today, as I prepared for an interview with the CEO of TAG Heuer, that I have a lot of people to thank at this point in time. As I’ve described probably too many times by now, my home city of Melbourne has been in a seemingly unending lockdown, treated to the harshest stay-at-home conditions on the planet we believe. I want to thank some brands in particular, because they know this – that it completely sucks to live in our part of the world right now – and they’ve done things to try and help. Small things. Big things. Quirky things. I have appreciated every single one of them, and I want to call out a few of them. TY Chopard, for the most stylish face masks in town. My wife has jacked mine, so I don’t wear it, but she does, every single day. Thank you Jaeger-LeCoultre for two things: arranging an interview with their frighteningly charming CEO Catherine Rénier (my wife would be happy if I could stop reminiscing about it) on…
Hublot is known around the world for their larger, bold designs. Some collections literally have the word bold in their nomenclature. While this reference does not, the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Green Saxem is definitely one of their boldest designs yet – both technically and aesthetically. The case Hublot has made a huge investment in the industrialisation of sapphire – a notoriously difficult material to produce. This sapphire, or SAXEM, case is a deep green that can compete with the finest emeralds, with a brilliance that comes close to that of a diamond. SAXEM, an acronym for Sapphire Aluminium oXide and rare Earth Mineral, is a unique and proprietary blend of materials Hublot has developed that results in stunning and colourful luxury watch cases. Hublot explains, “In order to obtain this unparalleled shade of green, transparency and radiance, the Hublot manufacture – an expert in the concept of fusion – mixed aluminium oxide, the basic component of sapphire, with rare-earth elements like thulium and holmium as well as chromium.” Hublot claims the resulting material is both harder than emerald (which is too soft to be machined) and has a brilliance greater than a standard sapphire. SAXEM also ensures that…
Cometh the crisis, cometh the man. Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, has grown in stature yet again over the last six months as Bulgari has taken a militant stance against COVID-19. Whether it’s delivering Bulgari hand sanitiser to hospitals to assist in their fight against this deadly virus, or delivering a fair with 16 of his friends in Geneva in the absence of Basel and SIHH (Geneva Watch Days, or GWD from here), the permanently tanned and uncannily youthful Babin has been even more active than usual. Which is why, when it was decided that we would attend GWD with a little help from our friends Mike Christensen and Marcus (the European-based videographer guru behind practically all of our best videos) we requested a sit down. But in the age of COVID-19, a sit down is a stand up. So Mike Christensen, our man in Europe (who you might know from his time as Editor of GQ Australia), stood up and put some tough questions to the man in charge. On the brands that didn’t join Geneva Watch Days, including Rolex “A lot of brands that decided not to participate saw we had 17 brands here, and strangely and conservatively…
As you may have seen here and here, we have been taking a closer look at the latest chapter in the TAG Heuer Carrera collection that sees a total redesign of one of the brand’s most historically important families. But within this new collection, the TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph green dial catches the eye differently. Both the boldness of the dial colour and the restrained bezel execution see this watch stand out in a refreshing light, and make it a different proposition from the rest of the collection. In the new TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph green dial you’ll find the same specs as the rest of the collection. That includes the 44mm steel case, that will sit just over 15.3mm off your wrist. As we covered in our collection review, those dimensions might be a little daunting on paper, but thanks to the redesigned case, it wears very comfortably on the wrist despite those larger numbers. You still get the same iconic Carrera lugs that can be recognised for the sharpness of their lines, and their natural flow from the case, but they have been shortened slightly. This, along with their gentle curve downwards to match the contour…
My dad once told me to never spoil a good story with the facts, and that’s a sentiment that seems to be well-loved within the watch industry. Whether it’s a Rolex reaching the summit of Everest, or the friendly tale of a hiker named Daniel Wellington, every watch is made just that little bit more special knowing it has some sort of associated mythology. When it comes to Cartier, these stories are no less exciting, and quite a few of them are actually true. The origin of the Cartier Pasha, however, is a little more murky, but we’ll come to that later. Back in April, which may only feel like a few weeks ago, Cartier revealed the return of the Pasha at the online edition of Watches & Wonders 2020. The watch had always blurred the line between sporty and dressy, providing utilitarian features such as a rotating dive bezel, date display, and a screw-down canteen crown with 100m of water resistance, all while maintaining a look of exuberant elegance and art-deco influences. These new watches honour that philosophy, though the removal of the dive bezel is the most obvious step towards the making of a more streamlined timepiece. The…
Bulgari has revived a late ’90s classic with the new Bulgari Aluminium collection this year. A great blend of daily and luxury wear, these lightweight watches pack a heavy punch. While watch designs can be quite homogenous in a traditional industry, the new Bulgari Aluminium 2020 models are welcome revivals with their distinct Bulgari aesthetic. The case(s) These new models are fabricated in a great everyday material: aluminium. While aluminium is not considered a luxury material, when done right, it can provide a luxury experience on the wrist. The lightweight aluminium makes for an elegant yet sporty and smart-casual aesthetic. Bulgari, an expert in original design, has made it clear this is a Bulgari watch. The brand name can be found on the dial and twice on the surrounding text of the bezel, making this case triple stamped proudly with the name of the master Maison. It’s also embossed on the first rubber link of the strap on both sides of the case. However, given that the bezel and strap are in black matt materials, these branded elements are less obvious, and less blingy than they sound. The crown guards protect the crown from shearing during physical activity. Both cases…
There is an endless succession of fads, curiosities and sensations on social media. @horomariobro is not one of them. And if you need to stop now and follow him, we’ll forgive you. His extraordinary macro photography and videography, coupled with insightful commentary on what his lens has captured, has hit Instagram with the force of a revelation. When it comes to dropping the knowledge, Mr Mario speaks in frank layman’s terms that any fan can understand. Sometimes he’s awed. Sometimes he’s disappointed. But always, he’s interesting beyond belief. Every single post is a must-read. It’s not over the top to say he’s become a conscience for the industry, seeing through the hype to the #details that reveal which of your most revered brands are truly obsessive about perfection. Therefore, in a few short months, he has become legend. And he is in a company of one when it comes to posting eagle-eyed, truth telling vignettes that will make you feel differently about all kinds of brands. Want to know if your Grand Seiko polishes the underside of its hands? Want to watch ultra slo-mo of your flyback chrono returning to zero? @horomariobro is here to help. And sometimes, to harm the reputations of generally unimpeachable brands. Patek? Lange? Journe?…