VIDEO: Is the Rolex GMT Master II 126710BLNR “Bat Girl” worth the waiting list?
The Rolex GMT Master II range is incredibly sought after. Known for their jet-setting origins, they spruced up the wrists of golden age pilots who appreciated having that extra timezone information to hand. Today, the undeniable appeal for this functional luxury asset remains. Rolex have previously injected a good bit of colour into the 24 hour bi-directional bezels of the GMT line with blue and red (Pepsi), brown and yellow or brown and black (root beer), red and black (coke), and the highly debated all blue (blueberry). But the most modern of the colour duos is found in the blue and black bezels – now limited to the Rolex GMT Master II 126710BLNR “Bat Girl”. The original reference, on a satin and polished oyster bracelet, was dubbed the “Batman” due to its bezel echoing the aesthetics of the superhero detective’s wardrobe. When discontinued, the watch was not entirely removed from the Rolex catalogue. It was instead upgraded to the new caliber 3285, with a more efficient Chronergy escapement that delivers an extended 70 hours of power reserve, and paired with a more formal appearing jubilee bracelet. Collectors didn’t exactly stretch their imaginations when they dubbed the new Rolex GMT Master…
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Titanium: the strong, ultralight metal of the future. Once exclusive to Formula 1 cars and racing bike parts, now you can get hold of it in watch form for less than than $500 in a limited edition with a full titanium bracelet. The Boldr Venture Chaigo might be the world’s best value titanium watch at $499 on a bracelet. That’s a bold statement but, in fact, it’s no Boldr (sorry!) than the conclusion of our story on the regular Venture model here on its tough NATO strap. Now Boldr is stepping up their game with an unexpected and refreshing collaboration with Kenji Chai, the graffiti artist who’s street-art royalty in Malaysia with some big international commissions under his belt (check him on Instagram as @mr_kenjichai). This Boldr Venture is part a very limited-edition run of only 160 pieces, and it comes with a hand-painted collector’s action figure of Chaigo, Kenji Chai’s artistic alter-ego in the shape of the cheeky blue dog with spray can in hand. This streetwear conscious collab is the sort of thing you might find on Hypebeast and brightens up the sometimes rather stuffy world of horology. FUN is needed in 2021 so this is a sure-fire…
Editor’s note: Without a doubt, one of the hottest trends of 2020 was the sheer volume of coloured watches that were released. From pretty pastels to the range of rainbows, these colours were a welcome bright spot in a grim year. A certain Le Brassus-based brand joined in on the fun introducing the CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection in a variety of smoked dial tones. If you missed these when they were first released, let’s take a closer look at what makes them exciting additions to the range. When the CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet was released in 2019, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the brand. Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias stated the launch of the new collection was the biggest for the brand since 1972 when the iconic Royal Oak was first introduced. It was, in other words, a very big deal for AP. At launch, 13 different references were released across six different models included complications such as a minute repeater Supersonnerie, a perpetual calendar and a flying tourbillon. Despite being a new part of the AP family, the CODE 11.59 is clearly here to stay and continues to expand…
Sexy red details combined with vintage inspiration is a marriage made in horological heaven with all Big Box brands wanting in on the game. The market is chock-a-block with slim, tough divers that emulate the discrete tools of the fifties and sixties, and we can’t seem to get enough of them. Me? Guilty as charged. I love their feeling of purity and the nostalgic sense of a simpler mid-20th century life that seems so far from 2021. Admittedly, I still haven’t got the scuba gear to throw in the back of the car, but it’s more about that notion of freedom and summer vibes. The new Seiko SBDY077 Tuna x Neighboorhood inspires us to revisit the red thread that runs through so many vintage-inspired diver’s watches. Seiko SBDY077 Tuna x Neighborhood We love the evergreen Tuna with its distinctive cylindrical shape and, even after a massive Seiko Prospex launch year in 2020, this still excites as a cool, vintage take on the Tool’s Tool. Here we have a razor-sharp collaboration with the Japanese streetwear brand Neighborhood, a grey bezel, pop of red on the iconic 12 o’clock triangle, and fresh red text on the dial. It’s street-tough and still ready…
Seiko didn’t exactly have a slow 2020, but they might just have saved one of the best for last. Or did they drop the ball in the final yard? In their final release of last year, we saw the all new King Seiko KSK SJE083, a reissue of a watch from 1965 that is highly collectible – the King Seiko ref. 44-9990. The 1960s is a decade of the Japanese watchmaker’s history that isn’t as widely known as it should be, and that is one of the things that makes this release compelling. Because while you almost certainly know the present day behemoth that Grand Seiko is, you might not have heard of King Seiko before. King Seiko was established in 1961, the year after Grand Seiko, to create competition within Seiko as they pursued mechanical watchmaking perfection. That’s right, King Seiko and Grand Seiko competed against each other within the organisation, as well as on the world stage at various chronometry competitions. After the advent of the first quartz watch, however, (also a Seiko achievement), both King Seiko and Grand Seiko were put on hold as the firm focused its attention on the new technology they had pioneered. This…
Why does this seem like a natural combination, while all my logical senses tell me it’s wrong in so many ways? The Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 126603 is methodically over-engineered in every functional capacity and yet, if we compare it to the similarly butch Omega Ploprof, it feels like the polar opposite, somehow managing to still exude an elegant, raffish air. With this Rolesor yellow gold version, make that an air of caddish insouciance, as it flaunts its capabilities as a tool watch by bringing the gold. To be honest, as a two-tone watch Rolex does the best job in the business imbuing the models (Rolesor? Not a proprietary alloy, it simply means two-tone) with an added zest of colour. It somehow feels completely natural, and more of a celebratory colour for their tool watch prowess. It may look like a watch designed for pure business attire and party flexing, but the Sea-Dweller is still very much a tool watch ready for action. While personally I do feel that 43mm is on the large side – its mere presence puts me one the edge of nervousness – I love the juxtaposition of badass tool with the polished silky smooth centre links…
Most owners of a platinum Rolex would be fearful of tampering with such an insanely valuable watch. One false move, after all, could eventuate in scratching away thousands of dollars of value from that frightfully expensive platinum Oyster bracelet. But Jack Wong is not most owners. The Singapore-based collector – whose stunning array of watches can be viewed at his Instagram account @jackwongyf – was meddling with the bracelet of his diamond-studded Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona when he made a startling discovery. Inadvertently, Jack stumbled upon the hitherto unknown fact that within the platinum links of the bracelet, Rolex inserts minuscule ceramic tubes. These are designed to increase the bracelet’s longevity by protecting the precious metal. As Jack reported in his Instagram post on this horological revelation, “When the bracelet moves … it reduces friction as the ceramic tube ensures that the metal pin does not grind the metal bracelet especially when it’s dirty, with grime and dust acting like sandpaper. Great innovation and I have not seen this being used in other brands.” Time+Tide caught up with Jack to hear more … T+T: What instigated this chat are the fantastic macro shots you put on Instagram of this widely…
H. Moser & Cie. is a watch brand and manufacturer known for having fun and exploring a wide spectrum of colours and materials to fabricate their creations. But now they are taking a moment to get serious through a gorgeous green duo of timepieces. The new H. Moser & Cie. Cure ALS Pioneer Collection is a partnership between Moser and Duke University. As brand CEO Edouard Meylan explains, “Time is a precious, yet finite resource; we are thrilled to present these today to help find a cure for ALS.” The watches were designed in collaboration with Loy Stewart – a US businessman who owned Detyens Shipyards, one of the largest commercial shipyards in the world. He was diagnosed with ALS (a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function) in the early 2000s, after which he set out to find a cure. According to Moser, “An inspiring entrepreneur and avid watch collector, Loy was ecstatic to work with his close friend, George Wendt, and H. Moser to design a watch to raise funds for a disease that robs too many of their mobility, speaking ability and eventually life.” Unfortunately, Loy is no longer with us today. Wendt explains,…
While I deeply enjoyed writing the story about unlikely grail watches on rubber straps, let’s be honest. Most of them are far out of reach for most mortals even with a serious budget, given the watches’ limited supply. So here is a look at some more accessible examples that are tough, fresh and, most importantly, readily available on the comfort of rubber. From monochromatic diver’s watches to vintage candy-coloured options, take your pick of the best sports watches on rubber straps. Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Omega show there’s nothing dull about a white dial in this carefully honed evolution of the Seamaster Diver 300M. The rubber strap is supremely comfortable as you’d expect from the big O and hugs the wrist with pleasing tactility. It’s marked with a discreet twin-stripe relief pattern and delivered in black to underline the strong monochrome vibe. Twisted lugs with a broad sweep of polished bevel create dynamic shape-play in the distinctive case while the glossy ceramic bezel frames an icy cool dial. The skeletonised hand set, tough black in this case, together with the wave patterned dial may be divisive. But in this graphic context it brings life and added detail to what is…