All good things must come to an end, and it is as true at Rolex as anywhere else. Over the years, certain pieces have disappeared from the portfolio, either replaced with an updated version or else retired completely. Rolex actually seems to make a habit of discontinuing many of their references with little or no warning, and for reasons only they understand. In some instances, the withdrawn watches are real fan favorites, and it leaves potential customers with just one option to get hold of them.Below, we take a look at five of Rolex’s most-loved discontinued models that are now only available on the pre-owned market.Rolex has a history of marking the key birthdays of a number of its icons with some kind of out-of-the-ordinary celebration, and in 2003, the Rolex Submariner celebrated its 50th anniversary. The world’s most famous luxury dive watch marked its half-century in style with the release of the ref. 16610LV, not only the first Submariner to be fitted with a black Maxi dial, but also the first to have a green bezel.Major departure that it was for the model, it became something of an opinion splitter. There had been variations on the traditional black bezeled pieces before – blue versions (although only on gold and two-tone pieces) being the most common; however, the emerald surround on this anniversary edition led to it picking up a nickname from both the ‘for’ and ‘against’ camps. Those who loved the new colorway called it the Kermit; those less keen christened it the Vomit Sub.
Rolex has been manufacturing watches with 34mm case diameters for the majority of their long and distinguished history; however, these “mid-size” models such as the Date and Air-King often get overlooked due to the multitude of options that exist in the more standard, 36mm Rolex Oyster Perpetual case size. However, Rolex has manufactured a number of excellent watches – both vintage and contemporary – that have 34mm case diameters, and their highly versatile size allows them to look at-home on wrists of virtually any gender or measurement.Although the Datejust collection has historically had a case diameter of 36mm for the standard full-size model, Rolex also manufactures a line of watches called the Date that offers many of the same design traits and features of the Datejust – even the same movement too – only in a slightly smaller overall package.One of the most “quintessentially Rolex” watches currently in production with a 34mm case diameter is the reference 115234 Date. With a Cyclops magnification lens, stainless steel Oyster bracelet, and 18k white gold fluted bezel, the reference 115234 Date checks all the same design boxes as the Datejust, just with a slightly reduced size. Additionally, since the 34mm Date and the 36mm Datejust share the same movement, the reference 115234 is in no way a “lesser” watch compared to the Datejust, just one that is 2mm smaller.Since consumer trends favored smaller wristwatches in past decades, a number of great vintage Rolex references exist with 34mm case diameters. One of the longest-running Rolex models of all time is the reference 5500 Air-King, which boasts a super clean and minimal dial design that perfectly complements its slightly reduced case size.The reference 5500 remained in production for thirty-seven years, during which time it was fitted with both Rolex’s Caliber 1520 and Caliber 1530 movements – neither of which were chronometer-certified. Due to their long production run, reference 5500 Air-King watches were manufactured in relatively large numbers and can still be purchased for very reasonable prices. Fitted with one of the cleanest and least text-heavy dials found inside any Rolex watch, the Air-King 5500 pre-dates the widespread implementation of chronometer-certified movements and represents one of the best entry points into vintage Rolex collecting.Although the Day-Date President is the classic all-gold Rolex watch, it has never been manufactured in a size smaller than 36mm. However, throughout its history, Rolex has produced a number of all-gold watches within their Date collection that have 34mm case diameters, and lack the additional complication for displaying the day of the week that is found on the flagship Day-Date line of watches.One of the more modern incarnations of the all-gold 34mm Date is the reference 15238, which stands out due to a number of characteristics that help separate it from previous iterations of Rolex’s all-gold 34mm Date watch. While earlier examples were made from 14k gold, there reference 15238 is craft from 18k – the same as what Rolex uses to manufacture their flagship Day-Date President watch. Additionally, the Date 15238 is fitted with Rolex’s Caliber 3135 movement and a synthetic sapphire crystal, which give it all the ingredients necessary to be a fairly modern watch.
Movement: Asia Super Clone 3135 Automatic, 25 Jeweled, 28800BPH, Decorated Movement Plates and Auto Rotor Case: 40mm*13mm, Solid 904L Stainless Steel, 18K Yellow Gold Plated Bezel: Blue Ceramic, Uni-Directional Rotating Crystal: Sapphire with Etched Crown Logo at 6 o’clock Dial: Blue with Blue Lumed Hour Markers and Hands Bracelet: Two Tone Style, 904L Stainless Steel, with 18K Yellow Gold Plated Water Resistant: 30m In these days, I was really tired and have not much time to write something new about replica watches, actually at the beginning of 2017, those factories seem not to release striking new models, I guess they are waiting for genuine new watches that will be published in BaselWorld. However, some factories, such as BP, are still bringing new surprise to us, this time, BP factory released a series of vintage Rolex Submariner replicas, this one Comex 1680 is one of them. Actually I remembered such type of vintage Rolex replicas were manufactured by another unknown factory, a factory that made the famous vintage Paul Newman Daytona replica, this time, not only BP made Paul Newman Daytona, it also produced this Comex Submariner. Every one who knows BP must remember their Rolex Submariner replicas have a very close quality to Noob Submariner, so now BP brings these vintage Rolex replicas to a new quality level.
The GMT Master II ref. 16710 is one of the most iconic and influential examples of the brand’s multi-time zone pilot’s watch. It brought an upgraded case and movement to the line, making it a huge success and leading to its impressive production run of almost twenty years. The ref. 16710 was then replaced by the ref. 116710 in the late 2000s as a completely new generation of Rolex GMT-Master tool watches began to make an appearance with a brand new case and bracelet design, improved materials, and a new movement.Rolex developed the GMT-Master in the early 1950s at the request of Pan Am Airlines. Its release came during the dawn of international flight. The famous air carrier required a dual-time wristwatch to issue their pilots, and the GMT-Master was born. The GMT-Master II was released a number of years later in 1983 with the ref. 16760, and brought with it independent hour hands that allow the wearer to read two time zones on the dial and a third on the bezel.The first GMT-Master II ref. 16760 featured a bulkier case and is often referred to by avid collectors as the “Fat Lady” or “Sophia Loren.” In 1989, Rolex would release a refined variation of the Fat Lady GMT in the form of the sleeker reference Rolex 16710 with a thinner case and movement. The ref. 16710 was well-received among collectors for its upgraded case and movement, and it would go on to become one of the most successful GMT-Master II models, remaining in production for nearly twenty years.A completely redesigned version of the stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II was introduced in 2007, which meant the discontinuation of the long-running ref. 16710. The Rolex 116710 is similar in design as its 5-digit predecessor with an all-steel finish, a perpetual movement with independent hour hands, and a bidirectional bezel; however, that’s where its similarities end. The ref. 116710 is almost an entirely new watch and boasts a redesigned bezel, case, bracelet, and dial, as well as the newer Caliber 3186 perpetual movement.
