Looks-wise, the watch that comes the closest to an all-steel model is now the ref. 116509, which is cast in solid 18k white gold and has the price tag to prove it.That means a delve into the archives is the only avenue still open should you want one, and it is the previous generation that is proving the most affordable. The ‘Zenith’ Daytona ref. 16520, powered by the fabled El Primero, is still the gateway into steel Cosmograph Daytona ownership.Of course, the word ‘affordable’ is all relative. Prices start at around the $20,000 mark, which is a hefty slice of anyone’s money. Yet beyond being one of the most handsome and capable models ever made, any Rolex Daytona represents perhaps the surest investments watch collecting has to offer.It’s a tough call, but the starkly austere Explorer might well be the watch that has changed the least (visually) over its 70-year run. That is even for a manufacture that updates aesthetics at the glacial pace that Rolex does. Every reference, from the prototype Pre-Explorer ref. 6150 from 1952 up to the last of the ref. 114270s in 2010, have been simple three handers, with the beautifully legible white on black 3/6/9 dials, housed in a 36mm case.Then along came the ref. 214270, identical in the detailing but the first example to grow beyond the dimensions in 58-years, measuring 39mm. It increased in size for the same reason as the Datejust – fashions demanded it – but unlike that watch, it became the only option available.That is no bad thing. The Explorer is perhaps the last of the true tool watches in the Rolex catalog. There is nothing about any iteration of the watch that is designed to look flashy or draw attention to itself, and a few extra millimeters doesn’t change that. The new Explorer is basically the old Explorer, and whichever you choose will come down to whether your wrist size suits one or the other.Its strength has always been in its simplicity, and it remains one of the best value for money prospects on the pre-owned Rolex market. $5,000-$6,000 is the buy-in point for a well set up example of the ref. 114270 or, if you fancy going the real vintage route, the celebrated ref. 1016 (personal timepiece of James Bond author Ian Fleming) starts at a little over twice that. Tough, elegant and perfectly built, the Explorer has always stayed true to Rolex’s roots.
Compared with V1, this version has a much slimmer movement. First, the watch is made of better material 904L stainless steel, whether the lugs and clasp, there are correct engravings. There are same correct engravings on the back side of the case back and movement plates. The movement plates have Rolex SEALs, the entire movement is decorated to the lookf of genuine Rolex 4130.The dial is blue, it has special sunray patterns, the texture is high quality. I do not know how did the factory do, but it really looks high quality. All hour markers have been filled with quality Swiss lume material, they will have a strong lume light in the dark conditions.The replica is equipped with a super clone 4130 movement. It is the best quality chronograph movement in replica watch market. Compared with the movement installed in ARF Daytona, this super clone 4130 movement can achieve a full chronograph function. By the way, the replica watch comes with one pair of free short rubber strap. The following are details of the replica.Movement: Super Clone 4130, Decorated Movement Plates and Auto Rotor to Look of Rolex Calibre 4130 Case: 40mm*12.5mm, Solid 904L Stainless Steel Bezel: Black Ceramic Crystal: Sapphire with Tiny Rolex Crown Logo at 6 o’clock Dial: Blue with Working Subdials, Blue Superlume on Markers and Handsn Bracelet: Top Quality Black Rubber with Deployant Clasp Water Resistant: 30m Daytona and Submariner are two models that have been mostly replicated in recent months. Both Noob and AR factories have brought us a lot of amazing replicas during this period, I can not share all of them with you here, so I chose some representative models to review. Today, I will introduce another novelty AR factory has brought to us, it is a Daytona replica watch, which is in full yellow gold. This is the latest V2 edition, AR updated its bezel, dial and bracelet on basis of V1. There are several selling points on this replica watch, please read the following article.First, the watch is fully made of 904L stainless steel, while on the surface of case and bracelet, there is a thick layer of 18K yellow gold, which is measured to be 5 mils thick. This is one of the selling points of the replica. Based on V1, this time AR factory made improvement on the case engraving and bezel engraved numerals. The black color of the tachymeter scales on the bezel is closer to genuine. About engraving, check the back side of each lug, it has correct symbol engraving like genuine watch case.Replica Rolex Daytona 116518LN The second selling point, it is the movement. Actually I did not recommend AR Factory Daytona before, because they do not have a full chronograph function, the subdials at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock have no function, only the second-chronograph hand on the center is working. However, when I think back, although the replica does not have a full chronograph function, its movement may be more reliable. Some features are sacrificed, this makes the movement to be slimmer and more stable. We know Noob also makes this Daytona with full chronograph function, all subdials are working like genuine, but I do not think the movement of Noob Daytona is more reliable than that of ARF Daytona. Besides, the ARF Daytona is sold at a much cheaper price.
The earliest movement used in the Rolex Explorer II was the Caliber 1575, but over the years it was replaced with more technically advanced movements to help this watch reach its full adventure potential. The first big upgrade was the Cal. 3085 which allowed the 24-hour hand to be adjusted independently from the 12-hour hand. This meant the Explorer II no longer just indicated day and night hours, but could also be used to track a second time zone – turning it into a GMT watch. Then came the Cal. 3185 which was improved upon more with a Glucydur balance wheel that is not only paramagnetic but was resilient in extreme temperatures. The 3186 came next with a blue Parachrom hairspring that is anti-magnetic and shock resistant for even better durability. Finally, we have the modern-day Cal. 3187 which features all the upgrades this watch has gained over the years – from the GMT functionality to the blue Parachrom hairspring. It’s also notable for its high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers, 31 jewels, -2/+2 seconds per day accuracy and 48-hour power reserve.The Submariner has a much longer history, so we’re going to start with the automatic Caliber 3135, which, while upgraded over the years, has been used in all date-displaying Submariner watches since 1988. While the aesthetics of the Submariner can vary, the Cal. 3135 has remained a trusted source of power for this beloved timepiece because of its sheer reliability. Today, the upgraded Cal. 3135 movement is COSC certified, outfitted with the anti-magnetic and ultra shock-resistant blue Parachrom hairspring, and boasts an impressive 48-hour power reserve just like the Explorer II.
Two tone Rolex Daytona 116523, a very good watch for you to wear in daily life, however, the golden tone also lets you feel a bit luxury. The replica is the latest product of BP factory, which also makes good quality Submariner replicas and has been famous for making replica watches with goold and correct dial lume. I just got this watch from my watch supplier and took these photos for you guys.40mm in case diameter, the replica is very suitable for mens wrist, made of 316L stainless steel on base, the surface is plated with gold coating, bezel, crown, chrono buttons and the central links of bracelet all have a thick layer of gold coating being plated. Four lugs are polished while all other watch parts are brushed. The silver and golden tone of the replica mixes very well so that the replica does not look too shiny. On the dial, main black color really matches well with the golden dial details, three subdials have golden circle, hour markers are in golden and feature white luminous material, so are the hands, see the lume picture below, a strong green light and very beautiful, isn’t it?People should not doubt the chrono function of this replica Daytona, the chronograph is fully working. Modern replica watch making technology could easily achieve the chrono function, they do the best on Rolex Daytona replica, actually some AP replicas could even be equipped with Secs@12 7750 movement that are the same as genuine, so on this Daytona watch, the central second chronograph hand will start to run when you push the 2:00 button, the 4:00 button is for reset, I will take a video later to show you how to operate.The bracelet is two tone and consists of three section of links, the middle link are in golden. The two tone bracelet is the bright spot of this replica. All links of the bracelet are made of solid stainless steel, although not that high quality texture as original, the replica will have a similar weight to genuine 116523 because of being equpped with a solid bracelet. By the way, the clasp has the same structure as genuine Daytona, the engraving on clasp is sandblasted finished and feels very delicate, it is really hard to describe such texture feeling, you must have one by yourself.This Tudor watch was published in 2017 Basel, it is the first two tone watch Tudor has released. After all Tudor is a sub-brand of Rolex, it followed Submariner’s design idea, firstly, in the early development, Tudor published several Black Bay models that feature different dial color, in the second stage, Tudor started to produce some models in two tone or full gold, this is like the development track of Rolex Submariner. In my opinion, Tudor Black Bay is the cheaper version of Rolex Submariner. Today, I want to introduce a two tone replica Tudor watch here, overall, this is a high quality replica watch, and two tone style allows you to wear the watch in more formal occasions.The case is made of 316L stainless steel, bezel tooth, bezel engravings and crown have 18K yellow gold coating, which does not fade even after one-year wearing.
Talking about watches and inspiration can spawn some pretty interesting debates, and for good reason – especially in the dive watch category. Of course, early dive watches weren’t “inspired by” anything; dive watches were tools created with a very distinct purpose. That said, as the years went on and the dive watch category moved away from practical utility towards desirable daily-wearers, design inspiration soon came into play. Today we’re looking at luxury watches inspired by the ocean, and digging into the stories behind the creation of each piece and how they relate to the big blue beyond.As mentioned above, there is no reason to go into a Rolex Submariner history lesson here; however, the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea with D-Blue dial (a variant of the original Deepsea that was first unveiled in 2008) has a very distinct connection to our world’s deepest waters.The origins of this piece come from Rolex’s involvement in (read: sponsorship of) James Cameron’s deep dive into the Mariana Trench. Though not limited in production, the piece is commemorative of the 2012 dive, and features a gradient blue to black dial that mimics the loss of light as one descends into the ocean’s depths. Additionally, the green chosen for the DEEPSEA text on its dial is matched to the color of Cameron’s Deepsea Challenger Submarine that took a prototype Rolex watch all the way down into the trench affixed to one of its robotic arms.The legacy of Jacques-Yves Cousteau is unparalleled in the world of underwater exploration, and many years ago (back in 2004 to be precise), IWC decided to become a partner of the Cousteau Society – a non-profit organization looking to continue the initiatives set out by Jacques-Yves several decades prior. From the onset of the partnership, IWC has included special limited-edition Aquatimer models in their collections, with a portion of the proceeds of each watch headed towards the organization.Of their bigger undertakings, Cousteau’s famed research vessel (named ‘Calypso’) was raised from the sea floor after sinking on account of an incident in Singapore in 1996. Progress on Calypso has been slow-going, and a fire on the ship while docked in Turkey two years ago has slowed things further. Naturally, there are rumors swirling that a redesign of the IWC Aquatimer line across the board will appear in conjunction with the vessel’s unveiling.
Two important IWC watches are just published by ZF factory in our market, they are from Pilot chrono series of IWC, Top Gun IW389001 and IW389002. Both watches use ceramic case and military-style nylon band. They are good choices for military watch fans. Here I post specification of these two watches.Movement: Asia Valjoux 7750, Real Chronograph Function Case: 44mm*17mm, High Quality Imported Black Ceramic Crystal: Sapphire with Swiss Standard AR Coating Dial: IW389001 with Black Dial, IW389002 with Green Dial. Green Superlume on Markers and Hands Bracelet: Nylon Clad Calf Leather Strap with Deployant Clasp Water Resistant: 30m Both replica watches have black ceramic case that is brushed, whether in the front or sides, the entire case is brushed, both chronograph buttons are also brushed with polished round edge. The case diameter is up to 44mm, because of ceramic material, the case feels heavy. Case back has correct engravings in brushed surface, there are “TOP GUN” sculpture and other engravings.
The biggest difference between modern AquaTimer and previous AquaTimer watches lies in their bezel design. I more prefer the two color black and yellow bezel of old AquaTimer models. Here, let use be back to the replica we are discussing, it is the latest work from V6 factory, which has expanded their watch business into every Swiss brand. V6 factory published a lot of high quality replica watches in 2016, among them, Omega Spectre is the one that gained a great success. Now this IWC AquaTimer replica is made of 316L stainless steel in case and bezel, it looks very strong and tough. The bezel has grooves so it is easy for the wearer to catch even when their hands get wet. The dial has two levels, it has a great 3D visual effect. Hour markers, hands and diving scales on outer bezel are all applied luminous material.
