The Pearlmaster is the ultimate luxury-oriented Rolex timepiece. Sitting somewhere at the crossroads of watchmaking and jewelry, the Rolex Pearlmaster is exclusively craft from precious metals and always adorned with expertly set gemstones (either diamonds, sapphires, or rubies). Although the Pearlmaster is easily the most lavish and gem-encrusted line of Rolex watches, relatively little media coverage surrounds it, as its sheer opulence places it outside the reach of many consumers.The Pearlmaster was originally introduced in 1992 as a new and slightly larger interpretation of Rolex’s Lady-Datejust line of watches. Over the course of the last quarter of a century, the Pearlmaster has grown in size and evolved in concept to become an entirely separate collection of ultra-premium Datejust watches that blurs the lines between a wristwatch and a piece of jewelry. The “Pearlmaster” name actually comes from the watch’s unique bracelet design with rounded five-piece links and a concealed Crownclasp, which to this day, is specifically reserved for Rolex’s crowning jewelry watches.Today, the Pearlmaster is manufactured in 34mm and 39mm case sizes and is exclusively craft from solid 18 karat gold (yellow, white, or Everose). As far as internal mechanics, the Pearlmaster 34 is powered by Rolex’s Caliber 2235, while the Pearlmaster 39 receives the Caliber 3235. Despite the difference in movements, both watches boast Rolex’s “Superlative Chronometer” certification, which guarantees timekeeping performance to a maximum variance of -2/+2 seconds per day (after casing).
YL factory makes good quality replica IWC watches like Z factory, while YL is not as popular as ZF because they do not make other brand replicas like Panerai, Tudor and so on. This IWC Big Pilot watch is introduced in the latest 2018 SIHH, it integrates all functions you want in a watch. Some people said there are too many windows on the dial, which have destroyed the balance of watch beauty, but I think it is more practical with these functions. On the replica, it has the same functions as real watch, month, date, week, power reserve, they are all real. By the way, the 7-day power reserve is working the same as genuine watch, but the replica does not have that long power reserve, the clone movement only offers 3-days power reserve capacity, but that has already been amazing for a replica, because in the past it is not able for a watch factory to make such a replica with a long power reserve due to technology limited.
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.
Rolex has graduated from a watch brand into a seismic force to which the regular rules do not apply. While it is far (far) from guaranteed that any Rolex watch you buy will appreciate from the day you bought it, time is showing us that these models, both old and new, endure the fluctuations of the watch market very well indeed.And, in fact, buying a pre-owned model might well be the very best thing you can do in the case of Rolex. Many of the new professional models are simply unattainable without waiting an inordinate amount of time – or without paying an exorbitant grey market mark-up to skip the queue. Older professional models are available for prices below those of a new model, and present the chance to pick-up a potential classic while also expanding your knowledge of the crown.Part of the joy of the watchmaking game is getting to know the tiny ticker on your wrist. Buying modern watches because they are in vogue is all well and good, but it can sometimes be a bit of a rushed exercise (thanks to all that competition). A far nicer, and (in my opinion) rewarding way to pursue this hobby is to consciously decouple oneself from the pursuit of luxury, or status, or the latest trend, and instead put stock in the long road. Read about old models. Pore over their nuances. Allow yourself to appreciate how certain models and certain designs can somehow, almost inexplicably to a modern mind, encapsulate an era so perfectly. These wordless time capsules are worth seeking, as they can, in a single glance, remind us of a simpler time when things didn’t move so fast.My first Rolex was a Rolesor Datejust from 1985. I bought it pre-loved after finally managing to get over my thirst for Pepsi, and having hit the history books in search of inspiration. It cost me around $4,000 and it looked brand new but so satisfyingly anachronistic. Vintage is not for everyone, but before you dismiss it as an option, remember that whatever you like right now will be old someday soon. And it is only with the passing of time that we’re really able to understand what has managed to stand its test.
