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.
The green-tinted sapphire crystal fitted to the reference 116400GV Milgauss has quickly become one of the defining characteristics of Rolex’s anti-magnetic line of watches. The Rolex Milgauss was first introduced in 1956; however, it was not until 2007 that it received its now-signature, green sapphire crystal – an exclusive feature that was originally introduced as a way for Rolex to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their Milgauss line.No other watch in Rolex’s current catalog is fitted with a green-tinted (or any other color) sapphire crystal. However, at the present time, all Milgauss watches that are currently in production leave the factory with green sapphire crystals. Rather than simply being a layer or coating, the light green tint is present throughout the entire material of the crystal, and will not fade or discolor after prolonged wear and use.Rolex claims that it took them many years of research and development to master and perfect the secret procedure of manufacturing their green-tinted sapphire crystals and that the actual process of producing the crystals takes multiple weeks. What is most interesting is that despite a usual eagerness to patent their various in-house technologies, Rolex claims that the green sapphire crystal in the Milgauss is “not patented, as it is so difficult to make that no one else would even venture to try.”Rolex will never reveal their exact formulas and secrets about how they manufacture the green-tinted sapphire crystals fitted to the Milgauss; however, we do know some general information about green-colored synthetic sapphire and the production of sapphire watch crystals as a whole.There are a number of different ways to produce synthetic sapphire, all of which fall into the following general methods of production: melt growth, solution growth, and high-temperature/high-pressure growth. It is hypothesized that Rolex uses a hydrothermal method of production for its synthetic sapphire crystals, which is slow, expensive, and uses heat and pressure to imitate the conditions present deep inside the earth that is responsible for the production of naturally-occurring crystalline gemstones.
In my opinion, the competition between them mainly comes from two products, Daytona and Sea-Dweller Single Red 126600, which are the most popular two Rolex replicas in 2019.About Daytona, it is undeniable that Noob makes the best replica, however, about this 43mm Sea-Dweller Single Red 126600, I think both have their own advantages. Noob and AR make it with 904L stainless steel, about movement, Noob has Asia 2836 and 3235 options, while AR factory only has Asia 2824 movement option. AR factory unveiled the replica 126600 earlier than Noob, now the version of 126600 from AR is V3.Both factories make the same case size, which is 43mm in diameter and 14mm thick. However, about the case finish, I think AR factory is better. All clients of mine who bought this 126600 said that the AR 126600 gave them a real feeling when they firstly touched the case and bracelet. Every corner of the case is polished by skilled master, the case of ARF 126600 is completed to be perfect.The bezel uses ceramic insert on both factories. About bezel tooth, AR is a bit sharp, while Noob’s is a bit smooth and has a better touch. The sharp of each tooth on Noob 126600 has a rounded chamfer polishing, so these teeth feel smooth. About the bezel pearl, it looks a little greenish, while Noob’s looks more white, the bezel pearl of AR 126600 is closer to genuine. The inlaid method of the bezel pearl is also different, Noob sticks it with glue, while AR inlays the pearl into, if you check the Noob 126600 carefully, there is glue mark around the bezel pearl, while AR’s is very clean. Because the installation of bezel pearl is different on both factories, Noob’s is a bit higher than its edge around, while AR’s is correct, the same as genuine, it will also not easily fall off. About bezel engravings, AR 126600’s are deeper than Noob’s, because Noob’s bezel engravings are shallow, the platinum coating is exposed to dust and sweat on your hands, so the white coating will easily become black. While the bezel engravings on AR 126600 are much deeper, they can avoid the contact with hand sweat, so after a long time wearing, they still look very clearn. So, about the bezel finish of 126600, I think AR wins.I can hardly find difference. Both Noob and AR have made a good dial. About the letters below red “SEA-DWELLER”, AR’s are slightly plump, while Noob’s are a bit thinner. The lume coating on the dial is a little yellowish on Noob, while AR’s is very clearn.On the side of the helium valve button, Noob has a qr code sticker, while AR factory does not have. Noob makes it correct.
