Looks-wise, the watch that comes the closest to an all-steel model is now the ref. 116509, which is cast in solid 18k white gold and has the price tag to prove it.That means a delve into the archives is the only avenue still open should you want one, and it is the previous generation that is proving the most affordable. The ‘Zenith’ Daytona ref. 16520, powered by the fabled El Primero, is still the gateway into steel Cosmograph Daytona ownership.Of course, the word ‘affordable’ is all relative. Prices start at around the $20,000 mark, which is a hefty slice of anyone’s money. Yet beyond being one of the most handsome and capable models ever made, any Rolex Daytona represents perhaps the surest investments watch collecting has to offer.It’s a tough call, but the starkly austere Explorer might well be the watch that has changed the least (visually) over its 70-year run. That is even for a manufacture that updates aesthetics at the glacial pace that Rolex does. Every reference, from the prototype Pre-Explorer ref. 6150 from 1952 up to the last of the ref. 114270s in 2010, have been simple three handers, with the beautifully legible white on black 3/6/9 dials, housed in a 36mm case.Then along came the ref. 214270, identical in the detailing but the first example to grow beyond the dimensions in 58-years, measuring 39mm. It increased in size for the same reason as the Datejust – fashions demanded it – but unlike that watch, it became the only option available.That is no bad thing. The Explorer is perhaps the last of the true tool watches in the Rolex catalog. There is nothing about any iteration of the watch that is designed to look flashy or draw attention to itself, and a few extra millimeters doesn’t change that. The new Explorer is basically the old Explorer, and whichever you choose will come down to whether your wrist size suits one or the other.Its strength has always been in its simplicity, and it remains one of the best value for money prospects on the pre-owned Rolex market. $5,000-$6,000 is the buy-in point for a well set up example of the ref. 114270 or, if you fancy going the real vintage route, the celebrated ref. 1016 (personal timepiece of James Bond author Ian Fleming) starts at a little over twice that. Tough, elegant and perfectly built, the Explorer has always stayed true to Rolex’s roots.
Today, I was just back from our traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, it is time to share the latest news in our watch industry, within these days, there were a lot of new watches published in our market. For example, Noob published Super Clone 4130 Daytona V3 edition and GMT-Master II 126710 Blue/Red, OM factory unveiled a lot of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watches, VS factory made some stunning Omega Seamaster watches, etc. Among these new watches, the most attractive should belong to the GMT-Master II made by Noob factory.At the beginning of 2019, Noob only published one Rolex GMT-Master II, that is Blue/Black 116710BLNR, that is the only one GMT-Master II from Noob made with 904L stainless steel. After that, Noob put their emphasis on Daytona watches, in September, the Daytona products with 904L stainless steel and Super Clone 4130 movement have been upgraded to V3 edition, we must admit that currently Noob factory has the best replica Daytona. However, in researching and developing other Rolex models, especially GMT-Master II, Noob has fallen behind other factories like GMF. But if we look at the Submariner, you’ll notice it always has a dark face. The most common is the black dial, but the blue and green dial Submariners are incredibly popular as well. What defines the face are those beautiful rounded, lume hour plots which pop against the dark colors of the dial. To break it up, you’ll also find an inverse triangle up at 12-o’clock and down at the 6 and 9 o’clock locations, there are rectangular lume plots.Of course, over at three there is the date window under a sapphire crystal cyclops lens. And swinging around the dial are those world-famous Mercedes hands which are also outfitted with easy-to-read lume. The dial of the Submariner is quite simple yet stylish and versatile, which is what draws a lot of people to this iconic model.
Sticking with undersea operations, the Oris ProDiver collection is an interesting one, given that Oris is one of the few watch companies that remains actively engaged in dealings with commercial divers. More specifically, Roman Frischknecht is a commercial diver that has been an Oris ambassador for some time, and rather than simply being an ambassador in name, Roman has played a crucial role in the development of the ProDiver collection ahead of its launch in 2009.It was his insight that led to the creation of the brand’s bezel locking system, known as a Rotation Safety System. Given the level of safety and security protocols involved in his line of work, Roman knew that if he was to be using a conventional dive watch in a modern dive environment, there could be absolutely no room for error, thus a locking mechanism (as seen in other divers like the Omega Ploprof, among others) would be mandatory.Although the roots of the Yacht-Master II relate to activities on the water’s surface rather than deep below, its unique functionality is perfectly suited to this category. After all, the Rolex Yacht-Master II is what is often referred to as yachting timer – a countdown chronograph that can be used to properly measure the start time of a regatta, also known as a sailing race.Arguably the most complex watch in the present Rolex collection, the Yacht-Master II uses an interesting combination of bezel position, crown position, and pusher action in order to set its countdown duration between 1 and 10 minutes, with the chronograph capable of flyback (or fly-forward) functionality to the pre-set time with a single activation of its lower pusher. While many Yacht-Master II wearers are unlikely to ever use this highly specific function for its actual intended purpose. being able to run a countdown like this isn’t shy on practical daily-life applications… grilling timer, anyone?
The subdial below red word “DAYTONA” at 6 o’clock is for displaying small seconds, 30-minute chronograph counter is working at 3 o’clock, 12-hour chronograph counter is set at 9 o’clock. Hour markers and Rolex crown logo at 12 are three-dimensional looking. Hour markers, hour hand and minute hand are applied with Swiss grade blue superlume.Inside case back, the movement is Super Clone 4130, it is the world’s first slim clone 4130 automatic movement with full chronograph. Most previous Rolex Daytona replica watches were equipped with Asian Valjoux 7750 movement with working chronograph. The clone 4130 movement made by AR factory does not have full chronograph. Now Noob factory modified it to the outlook of real Rolex Calibre 4130 and developed its full chronograph function. This is really a great progress. The following I show you photos of other three models.Since the beginning of 2018, AR factory has published a lot of amazing replica Rolex watches, which include Rolex Submariner 116610LN, 116610LV and some Daytonas. These replica Rolex watches have one common big selling point, that’s the 904L stainless steel used on case and bracelet. Yes, AR is the first factory to use 904L stainless steel, now other factories like Noob and VR also followed AR’s pace to use 904L stainless steel on their replica Rolex. Today, I want to introduce a super replica Rolex Daytona watch that features a special green dial. It was produced by AR factory and made of 904L stainless steel, its case has 18K yellow gold coated, case polishing is superior and dial details are very close to genuine, so the replica not only uses top quality watch material, its finish is also in top grade. However, about this Daytona replica watch, there is one place I am not satisfied with, that’s the faux minute and hour chronograph counter. If you know what I mean. This is the common fault among all replica Rolex Daytona watches from AR factory.The Daytona 116508LN replica watch is equipped with a slim chronograph movement, we call it clone Rolex 4130 movement. This is the first slim 4130 chronograph movement cloned in our watch market. It was made by AR, but this factory did not make this movement to be perfect. I mean its functions are not complete. Check the dial, the central second-chronograph hand works for real, but two subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock do not have functions. While in previous Daytona replica watches with Asian Valjoux 7750 movement, the subdial at 3 o’clock is for minute chronograph, the subdial at 9 o’clock is for hour chronograph.
This replica watch has elegant temperament and simple appearance as a whole. It still with the classic dial style of IWC, which may have ultra big diameter, yes, it has 44.5mm. Its case was made of solid stainless steel 316. There are steel rail-mounded minute scales on the black dial. The hour hand was steel leaf hand which was the representative of elegance. The slender hands help us to read time clearly. What’s more, it has set a seconds sub-dial at 6:00 position. The transparent sapphire crystal was so clear and can be wear resistant. Correspondingly, the case back also used this crystal. This considerate design gave us a precious opportunity to observe the operation of movement clearly. This replica matched with a black leather strap, even its stitch was also black. Along with the black dial which has steel hands inside. I think it can highlight your shrewd and capable temperament obviously when you wearing this wrist watch. The thickness of case only has 11.5mm, really thin in shape, which may be more fit for wrist with comfortable wearing experiment.
