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.
While bidirectional rotating bezels may be quicker for wearers to turn to the appropriate spot, as a dive bezel it’s not the best option. If the bezel gets accidentally knocked, this could cause divers to miscalculate how long they have been underwater. Therefore, a unidirectional bezel is more prudent because accidental knocks to the bezel can only result in overestimating immersion time – it’s far preferable to start ascending to the surface earlier or spend longer than necessary at a decompression stop.Rolex began equipping the Submariner with unidirectional bezels starting with the Submariner Date ref. 16800, which was introduced around 1979. The no-date Submariner model received a unidirectional bezel with the introduction of the Submariner ref. 14060 in 1990.Like the previous generation, the new unidirectional bezels included aluminum bezel inserts. In 1983, Rolex introduced the first two-tone Submariner model in the form of the Submariner Date ref. 16803, which sported a yellow gold knurled bezel with a black or blue aluminum insert. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Submariner in 2003, Rolex introduced the stainless steel Submariner Date ref. 16610LV with a green bezel insert.In 2008, Rolex introduced the first Submariner models equipped with unidirectional bezels featuring Cerachrom inserts. Cerachrom is Rolex’s proprietary ceramic alloy that is not only resistant to scratching but also to fading. The 60-minute graduations are cut into the bezel and then the ceramic bezel insert is fully coated with either yellow gold (for yellow gold and two-tone models) or platinum (for white gold or steel models). The gold/platinum is then polished away from the ceramic surface until only the recessed numerals and markings are left with the metal filling.By 2012, Rolex had rolled out the Cerachrom bezels across all Submariner models and color options include black, blue, and green. A quick way to know the color of the bezel is to look at the letters in the reference number: LB (blue bezel), LN (black bezel), and LV (green bezel).
