Great care goes into every aspect of a Rolex wristwatch, from the intricate movement that beats within the case to the lume on the dial and the metals and gems that decorate its exterior. It takes about a year to produce each watch that hits the market, so you can rest assured that the Rolex you are investing in is of the absolute highest quality. Gold and diamond Rolex watches are among the most coveted for their powerful and luxurious aesthetic. Today, we will take a closer look at Rolex’s collection of diamond watches, including which models offer diamonds, how much they cost, and the ever-growing risky world of aftermarket customizations.Every stone on a Rolex watch is meticulously examined and chosen for its clarity and quality. Every diamond is virtually perfect and will hold its value well. The gems are then each set by hand by an expert gemologist with the same care that is afforded to a fine piece of jewelry. This close attention to detail creates a stunning wristwatch that will stand the test of time. While it’s most common to see a diamond-set dial or diamond bezel, some watches are also adorned with diamonds on their lugs or bracelet.As modern watch tastes shift, fewer models in the Rolex catalog are available with factory-set diamonds. Sports models that were once produced with diamonds, such as the Submariner and GMT Master II, have since-been replaced in favor of less opulent references. However, there is still a great demand for diamond Rolex watches, and the brand continues to offer timepieces adorned with factory-set diamonds, such as the Day-Date, Datejust, Date, Daytona, Yacht-Master, and Pearlmaster. These diamond Rolexes are tasteful and thoughtfully designed to offer just enough opulence without appearing too flashy, a fact that has contributed greatly to their success.
The ref. 16710 is outfitted with a standard 40mm Oyster case with water-resistance up to 100 meters and a protective sapphire crystal over the dial. The bezel is equipped with an aluminum insert in either all-black, red and blue, or red and black. Depending on the year of production, the watch is also available on the secondary market with cases that have either lug holes or no lug holes, and the luminous material on the dial will vary, as Rolex made the switch from Tritium to LumiNova during the production of the reference 16710 GMT-Master II.With the release of the ref. 116710 came a brand new case design that includes the upgrade to a triple-sealed Triplock screw-down crown, a new bezel mounting system that operates on 24 clicks instead of 120, a tougher “Cerachrom” bezel insert crafted from a scratchproof ceramic material, and a “Maxi” dial topped with larger hour markers and wider hands. The 40mm case also received a larger crown guard and wider lugs, earning it the nickname the “Super Case” among collections due to its thicker and more aggressive overall appearance.The ref. 16710 is equipped with the self-winding Rolex Caliber 3185 perpetual movement, which includes a Quickset function for easy adjustment of the date mechanism, hacking, an independent 24-hour hand, and a 48-hour power reserve. However, near the very end of production of the ref. 16710, Rolex switched movements, and later-era examples of the reference 16710 were equipped with the Caliber 3186 movement. The Caliber 3186 has the same specifications as the Caliber 3185 but is now equipped with Rolex’s newer paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring and a smoother operating jump-hour hand. With that in mind, all reference 116710 GMT-Master II watches run solely on the Caliber 3186.
However, the dials of the gold Sub were not the standard black dials of their stainless steel counterparts.A few years later, around 1971, Rolex offered another colorway of the yellow gold Submariner featuring a bright blue bezel and dial. The yellow gold Submariners in blue also has the same “nipple dial” design. Particularly intriguing with the blue gold Submariner 1680/8 models is how the dials have transformed into different colors over time including lighter blues, vibrant purples, and rich reddish brown (also known as “tropical dials” in vintage Rolex terminology). Comparing the Rolex Submariner to the GMT-Master II.Two watches, perhaps the two most well-known in Rolex’s sports watch lineup, have amazing similarities, and one can be forgiven for confusing them at a distance. These two watches are, of course, the Submariner dive watch (ref. 116610) and the GMT-Master II (we’ll call it the GMT for short, but we’re talking about the current ref. 116710).The Submariner GMT Master Comparison .The individual histories of the Submariner and the GMT are well documented elsewhere, so let’s compare and contrast the two current models.First, the similarities. The Submariner and the GMT-Master II are luxury watches. Both watches are currently housed in the 40mm diameter so-called “super case” with a ceramic or Cerachrom bezel insert. This case, done in 904L stainless steel, debuted in 2007 with the GMT (the Submariner received the new case a year later). There are minute differences in the two cases, but you need to set them side by side and look very closely to see them.Both watches buckle to your wrist with the current Oyster bracelet.
Although the Yacht-Master is offered in a range of metals, the Rolesium (Rolex’s term for combining stainless steel and platinum on one watch) models are some of the best-looking options. While the Rolesium Yacht-Master is mostly monochromatic thanks to the similar hues of steel and platinum, the watch offers great texture contrasts thanks to the sandblasted platinum bezel dotted with shiny raised numerals contrasting with the mix of brushed and polished 904L stainless steel on the case and bracelet. You can go bigger with Yacht-Master 40 or smaller with the Yacht-Master 37, both of which are offered with dark rhodium dials that come alive with pops of turquoise that are as vibrant as the Caribbean Sea this time of year.If your tastes lean more towards the elegant and refined, then the Rolex Cellini Dual Time is your must-have travel watch. The recently refreshed Cellini line by Rolex celebrates watchmaking traditions of yesteryear and the Dual Time models are beautiful interpretations. From the intricate guilloché dials punctuated with slender indices and hands to the delicate fluting of the solid gold 39mm case and winding crown, every detail on the Cellini Dual Time is crafted to impeccable standards. The second time zone is straightforward to read via the 12-hour subsidiary dial above 6 o’clock, complete with an AM/PM indicator to stay on top of home time. Selecting the right Dual Time colorway to complement your wardrobe is easy, as the model is offered in a variety of configurations including white or Everose gold cases, black, silver, or brown dials, and black or brown leather straps. No matter if you’re looking for something sporty or elegant, complex or simple, colorful or muted, there are plenty of fantastic Rolex watches for women who travel.The Datejust, on the other hand, offers a dizzying array of choices from extra small to extra large cases, smooth to fluted bezels, Oyster to Jubilee bracelets, steel to two-tone, not to mention the infinite Datejust dial options. Plus, the Lady-Datejust watches even offer full gold and/or platinum models with President bracelets and gem-set bezels. Naturally, because of the smaller case size and limited style options, the Date is generally priced lower than the Datejust.The gold Submariner 1680 models were rated to a water-resistance rating of 200 meters and ran on Caliber 1575 movements. Rolex’s first Submariner gold watch was in production for a decade until 1979 when it was replaced with the subsequent Submariner ref. 16808.
