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.
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.
