The Oyster case was an innovation of its time when it was developed by Rolex in 1926. It ushered in a brand new era of durable, everyday watches that could be worn during almost any activity without damaging the internal movement. The Submariner takes the design of the Oyster case one step further and increased its waterproofness up to 300 meters/1,000 feet.The ref. 16613 features a standard 40mm case in highly corrosion-resistant 904L stainless steel. An 18 karat yellow gold screw-down crown and unidirectional bezel accompany the case, giving it a desirable two-tone design. The dial and bezel set are most commonly available in either black or blue, with some examples of the gem-set “Serti” dial (either champagne or silver in color and set with diamonds and blue sapphires) also available on the secondary market. Depending on the year produced, the ref. 16613 also features either a holes or no holes case and either Tritium or LumiNova used for the luminescence on the dial and hands.Regardless of the year of production, all two-tone Rolex 16613 Submariner watches are powered by Rolex’s trusty Caliber 3135 automatic movement. The 31-jewel movement beats at a rate of 28,800bph and includes a date complication, a 48-hour power reserve, automatic winding technology, and a sophisticated Breguet overcoil balance-spring. The movement has been a fixture in many Rolex wristwatches for more than three decades, and for a good reason. The Cal. 3135 has proven itself to be an accurate and robust movement, which can deliver decades of reliable performance if properly maintained.
Before introducing this replica watch, I want to tell you guys a bad news, I think that most of you have heard this in some forums, that is Noob factory has been down for more than twenty days. Some people told me that they are on holiday, but it seems this is not true, the truth is that their workshop was raided months ago. So, if you guys still have orders in Noob factory, you need to wait, they are not able to be back and can not make your watches currently. I also do not know when they will be back.
Then there’s the much more subdued fixed stainless bezel of the Explorer II which matches the case and features a 24-hour marked scale. This feature was specifically built for explorers who need to distinguish day from night – think cave explorers or polar explorers in the height of summer when the sun never sets.For decades, the durable and waterproof Oyster case on the Explorer II measured 40mm, but upon its redesign for the 40th anniversary of the collection in 2011, it was enlarged to 42mm. However, while Rolex produces a precious metal version of the Submariner, the Explorer II is exclusively offered in 904L stainless steel, and there have never been any solid gold or two-tone models ever produced. The current Explorer II is only offered on a steel Oyster bracelet with a Oysterlock clasp, but to be honest, when it comes to the Explorer II, collectors are much more concerned with what really makes this watch: the face.The dial of the Explorer II is iconic for a few reasons. The most notable being the colored 24-hour hand which circles the face. First there’s the iconic orange 24-hour hand, originally designed to help polar and cave explorers distinguish night from day, that gained its cult-status from the original “Steve McQueen” reference. Rolex eventually brought back the bright orange hand with much fanfare. Then there’s the red 24-hour hand which graced the dial for decades – it’s distinctly different than the orange hand with a skinnier body and smaller luminous triangle at the tip. The dials with a red 24-hour hand are far less punchy than their orange counterparts, but still make the Explorer II standout from the rest of the Rolex lineup.Then there are the dial colors – available in effortlessly-cool black and the coveted ‘polar’ white. The polar dial is totally cool and clean, the white face outfitted with white lume plots and Mercedes hands outlined in black. The black face on the other hand has a totally different appeal. While it boasts the same features, the darker face really highlights the stainless steel bezel, lume hour plots and lume-filled Mercedes hands (this time in white gold rather than finished black). It’s a punchier look, and the colored 24-hour hand – especially the orange one – shines against the black a little brighter.
