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New Grey And Black Rolex GMT-Master II In Stainless Steel

It’s possible I have a GMT problem. For years, the idea of somehow finding a way to get a new Rolex Pepsi GMT-Master II loomed large over my head. The Rolex ref. 1675 GMT-Master was a seminal experience in my appreciation of any watch more modern than a pocket watch from 1920. I remember where I was when I handled my first ref. 1675. It was at the RRL in SoHo and when they took the watch out of the case of other antiques, vintage jewelry, and other assorted watches, they handed it to me casually. Meanwhile I felt like I was handling the most valuable watch in the world. Since then, I’ve been hooked. Earlier this year, a friend introduced me to Federico Verga, who works his family’s long-running watch retailer in Milan. As we sat and chatted about the state of modern catalogs of the major brands, he asked me what, if anything, I’d buy right now. Despite getting my Pepsi last year, my gut response was the left-handed GMT-Master II from two years ago. To have two of my nicest watches be variations of the same thing seems silly. But it’s not the first I’ve thought about a superfluous GMT-Master. I’ve imagined having a whole suite of modern Rolex GMTs, with one of the coolest being the white gold GMT-Master II with a meteorite dial. I’m the last person inclined to tell you that another variation of a GMT-Master II is bad or boring. And I’ll tell you why I still feel like it’s anything but bad. You might be surprised to hear – if you haven’t realized already – that the new ref. 126710GRNR (Gris Noir for the grey and black bezel) is the only stainless steel Rolex release from Watches & Wonders 2024. While it’s not a full-on “Patek move” the way Thierry Stern ditched the stainless steel Nautilus, it’s certainly an unusual year for Rolex. It’s also unusual in a significantly different way than the surprises from Rolex last year. The brand told us that the shocking “Celebration” and “Puzzle” dials weren’t precedent-setting for future years, but rather a moment in time to have some fun. So while the grey/black isn’t earth shattering, it’s peak-Rolex in a comforting way. Everything about the new GRNR (for lack of a consensus nickname yet) is basically like every other 126710. The stainless steel case is 40mm by 12mm, and the watch comes with choice of Jubilee or Oyster bracelet. The watch is powered by a caliber 3285 with 70 hours of power reserve, and has the independent jumping hour hand to skip time zones when you travel from place to place. That means the main difference is that the Cerachrom bezel has a very subtle black and grey gradient, and the name of the watch on the dial – as well as the length of the 24-hour hand – is in a bold green hue. Sure, it’s just a few tweaks, and while I’m not saying it’s worth jumping up and down about, more options aren’t usually bad. I love the Pepsi as an iconic color combination, going all the way back to the amazing original Rolex ref. 6542. But as someone with a more reserved sense of style, I can find the red accents quite loud. Sure, I could have asked for a “Batman,” but then the blue is pretty bold, too. Not everyone wants a watch that calls attention to itself. But until now, the only modern watch that satisfied that kind of audience was the old, long-discontinued ref. 116710LN. I didn’t much care for the monotone bezel, but a lot of the places I worked as a photojournalist were not exactly places where I would have wanted to draw much attention to my watch. But it shouldn’t necessarily stop you from having a watch that can travel with you.

The nice carryover is the green “GMT-MASTER II” text and green hand, which gives a needed bit of color to an otherwise stark release, but the gradient bezel is the biggest improvement. I don’t know how often people actually lean on the day/night part of the bezel for quick reference – if you do, let me know – but at least it creates some contrast on the bezel that alludes the original GMTs. I mentioned in my intro that this isn’t the “Coke” (black and red) bezel that many people were expecting or hoping for. I wasn’t hoping for the Coke, personally. Despite being a full-octane “Coke heavy” beverage fan, I don’t love the color combo on the GMT. The launch of this new color also didn’t result in the discontinuation of the iconic Pepsi. That discontinuation was rumored for the last six to nine months when members of the watch community reported their ADs had seen less and less Pepsis delivered as the year went on. The rumors went from discontinuation to suggestions Rolex was struggling even to make bezels (which certainly was an issue that prevented the Cerachrom bezels from being Pepsi from day one). Maybe now the more obvious answer is that Rolex was slowing down for their new launch. Another surprise was the fact that not only does the new GRNR come on both Jubilee and Oyster bracelet, but if you have the watch on one bracelet, you can also buy the other. That was kind of a not-so-secret trick that I learned from a few friends the last few years: if you went to the right AD, they might be able to help you buy the other bracelet but in some instances you probably would have to have a creative story and jump through few hoops. While it’s not clear that the new policy extends to every Rolex GMT-Master II in steel (trust me, I asked and it’s still not clear), I’m hopeful. Whether you’re a bit nutty (like me) and look at a GMT-Master and think “gotta catch ’em all” or just have been waiting for a more reserved steel GMT, you can pick up the new 126710GRNR for $10,700 on Oyster bracelet, or $10,900 on Jubilee. Hopefully, the flow of steel GMTs starts picking up steam – Pepsi, Sprite, Batman, and whatever this ends up being called.

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Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR

According to Rolex, the theme behind 2024’s latest version of the famed GMT-Master II is “the harmony of contrasts.” This poetic-sounding statement is indeed an inherent contradiction. Harmonious things are not by nature supposed to contrast. Though it is true that when you examine the small details, there are, indeed, examples of highly harmonious things with high contrast. Rolex does not elaborate further. So is a typical artistically intellectual opener for a Swiss luxury watch whose practical contribution to watchmaking is the introduction of gray and steel together in the Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR. It comes in two styles, either on a three-link Rolex Oyster bracelet or on a Rolex Jubilee bracelet.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR builds upon two similar models that were released by Rolex last year, offering the same watch but in an all-OysterSteel (Rolex’s own metal alloy formulation based on 904L steel) case. In 2023 Rolex introduced the GMT-Master II in all gold (reference 126718GRNR) as well as a two-tone steel and gold model (reference 126713GRNR). Both of these watches were intended to bring back a classic Rolex GMT-Master look but for the latest generation GMT-Master II case and movement configuration. The novel “tweak” was to offer something different in the bezel in the form of a two-tone black and gray bezel, as opposed to all black as was previously available in the last generation versions of these Rolex GMT-Master II watches. The black and gray Cerachrom ceramic bezels were so subtle in their contrast when matched with gold that it was frankly hard to notice that the bezel was two different colors much of the time. By contrast (just using Rolex’s chosen word of the year again), when paired with an all-steel case, the color difference between the upper black and lower gray sections of the Cerachrom bezel becomes much more visually apparent.

Last year, Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR enthusiasts nicknamed this black and gray bezel color combination the “Bruce Wayne.” I think they were just going with the Batman theme because the blue and black bezel version of the same watch is also commonly referred to by the enthusiast community as “The Batman.” I don’t know what is particularly Bruce Wayne-y about this color combination, but perhaps black and gray are simply not a particularly noteworthy color combination. Visually this is one of the most subtle “colored” watches that Rolex makes. At a glance, it almost looks like the cousin Rolex Submariner watch that, in classic form, is a much more monochromatic watch than the GMT-Master II 162710GRNR. According to Rolex, this particular set of subtle GMT-Master II watches do fill a hole in the product catalog. This watch is for people who don’t want a black and white watch, but who also feel that blue is simply too much color for them. Personally, while I admire the GMT-Master II 162710GRNR for being a beautiful classic timepiece that is impeccably made, this color combination leaves me emotionally cold. This is very much intended to be a severely conservative watch amidst a brand that is already among the industry’s most conservative.

Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR often trickles down new parts or technology starting with higher-priced gold models and then moving “down” to steel. So it makes sense that the gray and black ceramic bezel started with availability in watches with gold, and are now available in all steel versions. That Rolex is offering both bracelet options is also nice, although there is a slight cost difference between them – which Rolex has an explanation for but really they should be the same price right? Nothing else other than the bezel and green-colored GMT hand is new for this version of the GMT-Master II 126710. The OysterSteel case is 40mm wide with 100 meters of water resistance and is among the most comfortable-wearing sports watches in the world.

Inside the Rolex GMT-Master II 126710GRNR is the in-house Rolex caliber 3285 automatic movement. Featuring Rolex’s latest mechanical movement technology, the 3285 is extremely accurate to within two seconds per day and includes both COSC Chronometer certification and Rolex’s more intensive Superlative Chronometer certification. The movement features the time, date, and a second time zone via a 24-hour hand. The movement features a quick-adjust for the main time’s hour hand, given that this type of GMT is designed as a true traveler’s watch. Many people consider the GMT-Master II the world’s most versatile sports watch given its functionality, style, and overall poise. If only a little bit of green is the most color you can handle, this might be the version for you.

There is no winner between the Oyster and Jubilee bracelet options. The Oyster is going to look a bit sportier and the Jubilee is going to look a bit dressier. The deployants are different on each, but depending on your lifestyle there is no clear winner between the two. I think, for that reason, Rolex decided to offer the same watch on two bracelets – something it doesn’t really do all the time. Both watch and bracelet pairings have the same reference numbers, although as I mentioned the price is a bit different. Where does Rolex go from here with the GMT-Master II after black and gray? That is hard to say because, frankly, Rolex is in a good position with the GMT-Master II in terms of popularity, sales, and updates. Rolex has other models to focus on right now that deserve novelty and attention, so it would surprise me if there was too much more novelty in GMT-Master II for a while. That is unless Rolex believes there is yet another hole to fill in the collection.

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The 18k Gold Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight On Bracelet

Sometimes you get what you ask for, and then sometimes you get a slightly different version that appeases your original desire but leaves excitement for the possibility of what’s to come. I asked for a gold BB54, got a gold BB58 with a green dial and will now patiently wait for Tudor to surprise me with a small(er) gold dive watch.
I am admittedly a new member of the 18k Gold Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight watch fandom. In fact, if you had asked me what I thought of the brand before my much deeper foray into the watch world I probably would have scoffed, “Tudor, I don’t think so, pass me the Rolex.” Then came BB54 mania. Here was a brand, traditionally far more successful amongst a male demographic, making a tool watch in a smaller size with no stylistic compromises. Its democratic size combined with sporty profile undid my stubborn refusal to pay attention to what 18k Gold Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight watch were presenting in their modern catalog. In fact it caused me to sit up and pay serious attention. If Tudor can make a Black Bay with true historical proportions then surely they are game to make other watches that myself and other 0n-the-fence Tudor spectators would genuinely be interested in.
Yesterday the watch gods (who I so often cite, and are yet to deliver me a yellow gold 37mm Sub!!) delivered me a yellow gold dive watch in a size that wasn’t perfect but was pretty damn close. I hesitated at first. A green dial and bezel? That won’t work. To be clear, the green doesn’t work for me when the watch is on a strap. But if you put her on an all gold 3-link bracelet (with a T-fit clasp) then you’re making real moves in the precious metal sports watch category.
Without circumventing the very obvious questions about Tudor making gold dive watches for $32,100, let’s set aside logic and just admire the watch in all of its yellow gold glory. The metal is brushed all over, because this is gold done in the Tudor way. Yellow gold watches are usually polished and shiny. All gold anything wants to be the loudest in the room, screaming unabashedly for attention. The BB58 18k is a subdued yellow, the kind of gold that makes sense aesthetically for the Tudor customer. The kind of gold that says, “I’m here, admire me but don’t think too much of me, I’m a subtle flex.”
Despite being recently led astray by a rose gold Royal Oak, my predilection for yellow gold remains unwavering. I was genuinely excited when I tried on this gold BB. I so badly wanted this to work for me because 18k Gold Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight watch, on paper, the specs all checked out in my favor. Yes, it was a smidge larger than I would have preferred, but it was a yellow gold dive watch and it looked at home on my wrist. It worked in that way that felt easy and self-assured. Like when you try on a sweater in the store that looks so perfect it’s as if you had picked it from your own wardrobe earlier that morning.

This gold BB58 is the sweet spot between robust tool-watch and aesthetic integrity that I am constantly searching for. No, it’s not perfect. And no, I wouldn’t pick a green dial and bezel for my personal yellow gold dive watch fantasy. But it works. The green melts into the gold, it’s a precious metal take on camo. It’s rich and warm and works perfectly alongside my daily jewelry rotation.
The 18k Gold Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight watch on a strap however, is an entirely different story. I renounce that configuration because a gold watch on a strap is just not for me. Why dilute the glamor? Bracelets change the whole identity of a watch. I am a bracelet girl through and through because I wear my watches like I would wear jewelry. That’s an admission that I am entirely comfortable with.

To be clear, I am not backing down from my original request for an all gold BB54, but I’ll take the BB58 as a symbol for what may be to come from Tudor in the coming years. I’ll be here, patiently waiting for the watch gods to rule in my favor.

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The Rolex Daytona Le Mans Ref. 126529LN

You asked for it – you got it. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the Rolex Daytona Le Mans, ref. 126529LN, from me, an owner. You know, as I write this, I am trying to remember the last time I personally reviewed a watch on the site that I actually owned. It’s been a while – so this is kinda fun for me. And maybe it’ll become a thing – A Week On (An Owner’s) Wrist? Anyway – let’s talk Le Mans.

The other day, someone on our team asked me when the last time I was genuinely excited about a new watch was (excluding any Hodinkee limited editions, for which my excitement truly never wanes). In recent memory, there are a few that made me really happy: the AP 15202 BC, the 5270P, the Lange 1815 Rattrapante, and the Cartier Normale are a few that stick out. They are each absolutely killer watches that speak to me in every way: the aesthetic, the genetic, and the technical.
But there are two watches of recent history that made me think unholy thoughts. You know the type – if you’re afflicted with the watch disease like I am. They make you say to yourself, “I would do anything for this watch. Anything.” One of them is a small, precious metal time-only watch that looks like this. The other? Well, it’s the Rolex Daytona Le Mans ref. 126529LN.
They say that important happenings in the world leave marks on you that you don’t forget. Well, I remember exactly where I was the moment the news of this watch broke. I was here, shooting clays with some friends on a beautiful early summer Saturday. I can identify the date, too, because this watch wasn’t shown at Watches & Wonders 2023 like all the other new Rolex releases. No, it was dropped quietly (or not) at the 100th running of Le Mans.
And that’s what this watch is really about: Le Mans – a century of the world’s most important endurance race. And there’s actually some fun math to be had here. Last year, 2023, was the 100th anniversary, and 1963 – the year the reference 6239 pictured above was released – was the 40th anniversary. Perhaps that’s why Rolex first conceived of what we now know as the Daytona, as the Le Mans (as seen in my original advertisement above). However, Le Mans is more historic as a race, one might argue, and Rolex has been a part of it for generations. So it would make sense that this chronograph, indeed a Daytona, but also a Le Mans, would be shown at its 100th running.

So what is the watch, really? It’s basically a latest generation Daytona (easily identifiable by the metallic bezel ring first seen here at Watches and Wonders 2023), but with what some would call an “exotic” dial, or, in layman’s terms, a “Paul Newman” dial. Beyond that, you have an open caseback like the 2023 platinum watch, and I think, most importantly, an entirely different caliber (4132), which features a chronograph with a 24-hour counter instead of 12. It is a simple change but a meaningful one, and again, proof that Rolex isn’t resting on its laurels… ever. There are so many things to discuss on this watch – and that’s why you have a 20-minute video up top of me rambling about it. But let’s quickly run down some important points. First, there’s the open caseback, which makes the watch feel a bit thicker than my other Daytonas. But notice I said feel, and that’s because when I actually measured how thick the watch is, it’s not any thicker. So the whole “sapphire back = thicker profile” is a bit misguided, and my feeling is just that: a feeling, not fact.
The other thing to note about the caseback and the gold rotor is that this caliber really looks very, very nice. Does it compare to a hand-wound Patek or Lange chronograph caliber in terms of finishing? Certainly not, but that’s not the goal, nor are they priced the same. I think there is an assumption that Rolex calibers look industrial because that is how they are made, but as I told you almost 10 years ago when I went inside Rolex, you would be shocked at how much handwork is done on these movements. And the 4132 looks really good, as you can see here. You have deep Geneva stripes on the base plate, and the yellow-gold rotor is also finely finished.

And about that movement – the 4132 is a new caliber number, and indeed, it does do something different than the 4131 caliber found in every other Daytona –counting 24 hours instead of 12. Rolex says it needed seven additional components to accomplish this – which is to say, not a lot, but the deviation is significant for a few reasons. New Rolex calibers don’t happen often, and they also didn’t need to do this. Sure, it only took seven components to make that hour counter jump from 12 to 24 hours, but that should be commended – because Rolex is about efficiency, and it speaks to the quality and ingenuity of a Rolex caliber to be able to create what I believe to be one of, if not the only mechanical chronograph to count an elapsed full day (however I’d kindly encourage anyone to check us on this fact).

A 24-hour counter doesn’t seem like a big deal, and perhaps many will say no one else has made it because a 12-hour counter plus the human brain makes for a decent 24-hour counter – but the simple truth is that the same could be said for just about anything in high watchmaking. And Rolex did it, and they did it with a real purpose behind it – with an authentic connection to a 24-hour race in Le Mans. It’s also easy to write off the 24-hour counter as a diminutive contribution to watchmaking, but when you really consider how difficult it is to make chronographs, your mind might change a bit. As an example, look at the Patek Philippe catalog, and you won’t find a chronograph with any hour registers. The 5172 and 5270 – arguably among the finest chronographs in the world, top out at 30 minutes. Patek’s more utilitarian caliber in the 5905 tops out at 60 minutes of elapsed time. The Datograph? 30 minutes as well. You get the point.

Also, I am reminded of the Baselworld 2018, when many said the rainbow bezel was a trivial contribution to gem-setting in watchmaking (well, not Cara, she said the opposite), and look at the world now. As such, mark my words; we will see a few more 24-hour chronographs in the years to come. But like these other Rainbows, none will compare to the original in this Daytona. Another other thing to note here is that this dial is not the rich, almost glossy black you’ll see on a steel Daytona, but it’s almost metallic grey. There is a sheen to it I did not expect to see at all. It doesn’t make it better or worse, but it’s a detail you only see with the watch on your wrist – not often in photographs of it on the Internet. And as for the dial itself, we are really talking Paul Newman style here, with small square markers at the end of each totalizer’s hash marks in a way that I don’t think any of us saw coming.
Now, it’s important to know where the “Paul Newman” style dial lives in the lore of Rolex collectors because it’s something that gets thrown around a lot. First, as anyone will tell you, these special dials are fraught with challenges, but there is something undeniably cool about them. So much so that even today, years after watch collecting has entered the mainstream, they demand such a significant premium over a normal, non-exotic-dial Daytona. This can be hard to understand, particularly because we have no way of knowing which watches were born with which dial. But in the world of Rolex, so much of the value lives within the dial that it almost doesn’t matter. The most expensive Daytonas in the world, almost without fail, are those with this style of dial in them, and I wasn’t even referring to that $18 million Paul Newman Daytona. So it only makes sense that when Rolex finally brings out a contemporary Cosmograph with this style dial, the world would pay particular note. Of course, this watch is 18k white gold – not steel – in hopes of, perhaps, elevating the price point out of the realm of possibility so as to not exacerbate the already challenging supply issues (relative to the remarkable demand that Rolex watches

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RADO True Round Open Heart

Since the launch of the Diastar, the world’s first scratchproof watch made from ultra-resilient tungsten carbide in 1962, Rado has become a byword for high-tech materials, especially high-tech ceramic. In tune with the latest trend for skeletonisation, Rado has issued a host of openworked models, ranging from golden oldies like the Captain Cook and Diastar to more contemporary models like the True Square Open Heart. Four models of the brand’s True Round high-ceramic collection are the next in line for treatment and roll into surgery for an open-heart operation. Unlike its predecessors, the surgery is far less invasive, resulting in a dial that has not compromised legibility in the name of skeletonisation. Four models, including a limited edition, represent the new True Round Open Heart sub-collection. All four models share a monobloc 50m water-resistant high-tech ceramic case with a diameter of 40mm and a thickness of 10.4mm.
Before we look at the watches, a brief word on high-tech ceramic. Lighter but harder than steel, high-tech ceramic is exceptionally resilient to scratches, is lightweight, and has a cool, silky texture that makes it very comfortable on the wrist. It is also a much more complicated material to produce, and as Robin points out in his in-depth article, a ceramic component takes at least two weeks to complete from start to finish. Ceramic can also be finished to a matte or mirror-like polish and will retain its impeccable lustre for years to come. If you’re interested, the weight of the True Round Open Heart is just 110.7 grams. Two of the non-limited models come in polished black or white high-tech ceramic cases, while the third is made of high-tech plasma ceramic. This is an even more complicated material to produce and is fired at temperatures of 20,000 ºC that alter its structure to create its liquid-metal sheen.
The Rado True Round Open Heart Limited Edition of 888 pieces also has a polished white high-tech ceramic case and bracelet but features a unique dichroic sapphire crystal over the dial. Dichroism is a term used in gemmology to describe the phenomenon of two colours emitted from different angles of a gemstone. The dichroic sapphire crystal over the dial changes colour under different lighting and viewing angles.
As far as skeletonised dials go, the Rado True Round Open Heart approach is less radical than the operations practised on the models mentioned in the first paragraph. This less invasive approach makes it easier to consult the time and might prove more attractive to those who are not big fans of skeletonised dials. Unlike the parallel bridges spanning the dial of the True Square, the Rado True Round Open Heart features a slightly off-centred figure eight cutout. Regarded as a symbol of infinity and a lucky number in China, the figure eight is supported by horizontal bridges and rests its top and bottom on the chapter ring.
To consult the time, the rose gold-coloured indices on the chapter ring and the tips of the hour and minute hands are treated with white Super-LumiNova. Compounding the sleek monochromatic look, the chapter ring matches the case colour. To draw the eye into the movement, the cutout areas on the dial are highlighted with rose gold-coloured bevels. The signature Rado moving anchor symbol hasn’t been left out and appears on the lower bridge. All four models have matching high-tech ceramic bracelets with a triple-folding titanium clasp.
The R734 automatic movement, with its sunray guilloché-style finishing and perlage, is visible on the dial side and also through the sapphire crystal on the titanium caseback. Based on the ETA Powermatic 80 calibre, this automatic movement has an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring and a beefy 80-hour power reserve thanks to the reduced frequency of 3Hz and a reworked kinetic chain.

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Longines Hydroconquest GMT 43 Stainless Steel

Next to the vintage-inspired Legend Diver collection, the Longines HydroConquest GMT 43 is a more utilitarian, robust, classic diver, with water-resistance up to 300 metres, a unidirectional, external rotating bezel, a screw-in crown and a screw-down caseback. Following the introduction of the practical, versatile and mostly visually appealing Longines HydroConquest GMT 43 last year in a 41mm case, Longines now launches a larger 43mm version available either with a green, black or blue dial, and with several strap/bracelet options.
Essentially, this new version of the Longines HydroConquest GMT 43 shares all the characteristics of the 41mm version we saw about a year ago. The main change is related to its diameter, which now sits at 43mm. On one hand, this new, additional, larger watch feels a bit unexpected at a time when smaller watches are coming back in vogue. On the other hand, it is just an additional choice that will find its fans – Longines explains to us that there was demand from certain markets to have a larger diameter. And interestingly, it slightly changes the proportions of the case, making it visually thinner and more balanced, as it is still 12.90mm thick.
The stainless-steel case is still water resistant to 300m thanks to its screw-in crown and screwed caseback. The unidirectional rotating bezel, which is here equipped with a 60-minute scale, is fitted with a ceramic insert and a luminous dot. As such, the HydroConquest GMT lives up to its double vocation of a traveller’s and diving watch. Three dial options are available for this new 43mm size. The sunray-brushed dial is offered either in green, black or blue – the brown dial is exclusive to the 41mm edition for now. The indexes and hands are generously coated with Super-LumiNova for easy reading in all conditions. The date is displayed through the window at 3 o’clock.
Inside the watch (not visible under the solid back) is the automatic calibre L844.5. Exclusive to Longines, It is a true GMT (also known as a flyer or traveller’s GMT) movement as the local hour hand can be individually adjusted through the crown in one-hour increments. It beats at 25,200 vibrations/hour and boasts 72 hours of power reserve. It is fitted with a silicon hairspring and other anti-magnetic components to make it as reliable and robust as possible.
The Longines HydroConquest GMT 43 watch comes on a robust H-link steel bracelet. Just like the 41mm version, it is fitted with a safety folding clasp with a quick-adjust system/wetsuit extension. There is also a rubber strap option for the black and blue dial variants.

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Longines Mini Dolcevita 21.5

Today, a few rectangular watches seem to get all the attention. It’s fair enough, especially when the Cartier Tank and Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso are legitimate icons. But before the circular shape gained a chokehold on the modern wristwatch thanks to soldiers during the World Wars, rectangles were popular ’round the world. Ask old dealers, and they’ll even tell you that way back in the ’80s, rectangular watches from Patek Philippe, Hamilton, Longines, and others were the hot thing for collectors to have. Enthusiasts would buy ’em buy the bushel, a different shape for every day of the week. Art Deco and elegant, they evoked glamour and old Hollywood. But soon enough came the Rolex Bubbleback trend, then sports Rolex, and the rising tyranny of the round case. Longines began making rectangular watches in the 1910s. By the 1920s, it had dozens of different case and dial designs. A favorite of mine is the Longines “Zulu Time,” a small rectangular Longines Mini Dolcevita 21.5 watch with a second hour hand to track another time zone. Just a few have appeared recently, but Longines says it serves as inspiration for its modern (and round) Zulu Time collection. Since 1997, the Dolce Vita has been the singular collection carrying the mantle for rectangular watches at Longines. Longines has introduced various watches to the Dolce Vita collection, often with additional Art Deco design queues: sector dials, Roman numerals, or ornate hands.

This year, Longines has introduced the new Longines Mini Dolcevita 21.5 collection. It’s a slightly different shape compared to the existing collection: Not only smaller but also with smoother brancards that do away with some of the stepped and decidedly more Art Deco design choices of the Dolce Vita. The stainless steel case measures 21.5mm x 29mm (6.75mm thick) and uses a quartz movement. Longines offers 11 variations of the new Dolce Vita, some with diamonds, and some without. The best of the new references features a white dial with contrasting surfaces, painted Roman numerals, and a sunken subseconds. Perhaps the best part of the release is a new five-link, brick-style bracelet with a butterfly clasp. Not only is it a well-made and comfortable bracelet for the price, but it’s also a bit of an Art Deco touch, fitting for the roots of the rectangular watch.

The updates to the Longines Mini Dolcevita 21.5 do away with some of its distinctiveness to make it look more like a Tank. With Jennifer Lawerence leading the campaign for the Mini Dolce Vita, it’s obviously a watch aimed at women, and adding a bracelet will also make it competitive with other similar watches.

The Longines Mini Dolcevita 21.5 is just the latest in a long line of rectangular releases over the last few years. We may have the Apple Watch to thank for this four-sided shift, by far the best-selling watch in the world. But the rising popularity of Cartier’s designs seems to have also emboldened brands to look past the curvilinear. At Watches & Wonders this year, Jaeger-LeCoultre focused on its Reverso, releasing a new small seconds, the Tribute Chronograph, and a Reverso Tourbillon. Among smaller brands, the aggressively stepped “Art Deco” from Impossible Watch Co. and English brand Fears’ Archival 1930 are favorites. Theses watches all look to the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s for inspiration. While I understand the commercial appeal of smoothing out the edges of some of these designs in the new Mini DolceVita, I do hope the continued popularity of non-round watches pushes brands to continue to try bolder shapes. In the archives of many of these brands are so many sculptural cases with stepped lugs, more architectural than many of the simple, stamped cases we see today. Meanwhile, if you want a vintage Art Deco Longines, the brand offers that option too. Look in its Collector’s Corner and you’ll see this amazing variety of square and rectangular watches on display. Vacheron, JLC, and other brands have also placed a recent emphasis on sourcing, restoring, and selling their own vintage watches, and it’s exciting to see brands embrace their history. While the Mini Dolce Vita might not be a particularly exciting release for hardcore enthusiasts, Longines Mini Dolcevita 21.5 was able to place it in the context of its historical rectangular designs.

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GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL Serenade Luna

In honor of International Women’s Day 2024, Glashütte Original has unveiled a new women’s watch collection featuring an in-house movement and a moonphase on the dial. The brand new Glashütte Original Serenade Luna watch is available in four variations (but if you consider strap and bracelet options, there are actually seven references to choose from) including two unadorned steel versions, one in steel with diamonds, and one in red gold with diamonds.
Regardless of the material, all of the new-for-2024 Serenade Luna watches have petite 32.5mm round cases, which measure a slender 8.9mm in height. The polished bezels are either left as is or set with 48 diamonds. In addition, the diamond models include a rose-cut diamond set into the crown while the non-gem-set variants have a moonstone cabochon instead. Both sides of the cases are furnished with sapphire crystals and the Glashütte Original Serenade Luna watch are water-resistant to 30 meters.
The stainless steel Serenade Luna watches are available with either sunray blue or white mother-of-pearl dials. In contrast, the steel and diamond model is exclusively paired with a white mother-of-pearl dial. The most lavish of the new Glashütte Original Serenade Luna watch collection is the 18k red gold and diamond model, home to a golden green sunray dial. All of the Serenade Luna dials include white-gold applied hour markers embellished with 20 brilliant-cut diamonds. At the 6 o’clock position is the framed circular moonphase display — a specialty complication of Glashütte Original — where an iridescent mother-of-pearl moon rises into a star-studded night sky.
Driving the moonphase display, and the trio of hands at the center of the dial, is a brand-new movement designed especially for this timepiece, Caliber 35-14. The Caliber 35-14 is a self-winding movement that ticks away at 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz) and supplies 60 hours of power reserve to the Glashütte Original Serenade Luna watch. According to Glashütte Original, up to 95% of all of its movement components are produced in its workshops in the Saxon town of Glashütte, Germany. The beautifully finished movement can be viewed via the transparent caseback, dominated by the dramatic 18k red gold rotor (a first for the brand) engraved with a fine shell pattern.
The stainless steel models are offered with matching polished stainless steel bracelets or blue Louisiana alligator leather straps whereas the red-gold Glashütte Original Serenade Luna watch is fitted with a green Louisiana alligator strap that matches the golden-green dial. The watches benefit from a quick-change mechanism for easy strap switches.
Although these are all clearly dressier watches, I do like the variation in formality; the all-steel version with the blue dial and three-link bracelet is on the sportier end of things (my personal pick out of all of them) whereas the golden green execution is unabashedly opulent and ready for a swanky night out on the town.

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The Rolex ‘Hulk’ Submariner Ref. 116610LV

For every watch enthusiast or watch lover, there are always two points in time worth remembering. The first point is when you were a normal functioning human being who just so happened to have an intellectual or emotional curiosity in watches. Maybe you wore the same Timex or G-Shock every day, maybe there was an heirloom Rolex, Omega, Cartier, Hamilton, Tissot, or Seiko in your life that meant a lot to you. Perhaps you cherished that watch and figured you knew a thing or two about these horological objects.

Then comes the point where that curiosity turns into a slow-building obsession. You began coming to sites like Hodinkee with increasing frequency. You started reading about watches called Ressence, MB&F, Urwerk, and Greubel Forsey and soon realized, “Shit, there’s a lot more to this than I thought.” But your own taste in watches always maintained as the obsession grew.

Since many of us are so far down the rabbit hole that it’s hard to remember who we were before we became that guy at a party quick to give a tip to a friend who absentmindedly muttered the word Rolex. “You definitely want to look at [insert watch here]. This watch has [insert historical anecdote here]. The truth is there’s just a ton of value with this one, you’ll never lose money on it – it’s better than the stock market!” We can’t help ourselves.

Okay, so maybe you don’t take things that far. But for some of us, we remember the days before watch enthusiasm crossed into the mainstream before our tastes were shaped by the sheer fact that a watch was unattainable – back in the days when we could freely have independent taste unshackled from the group think on Instagram and beyond.

One specific memory that comes to mind for me is a trip I took to Paris with my family in 2014. My father, who lived there as a teenager when his father was in the Foreign Service, was celebrating his 50th high school reunion. I was in my mid-20s and had firmly crossed the line into watch obsession to the point where my own selfish preparations for the trip involved scouting watch boutiques and vintage watch dealers just to see all the models I had only read about in the pages of Hodinkee.

What I was really after at that time was a Rolex GMT-Master II with blue and black bezel – what would go on to become the Batman. It had only recently been released art Baselworld a year earlier and I had my heart set on at least seeing one. It must have been the first or second proper day of the trip and I found myself in a Rolex AD, where I asked about the GMT. Bear in mind, this was just before the Rolex frenzy properly began. But a watch like the Batman was still new enough and popular enough that my efforts were in vain.

“I am sorry but we do not have this in the store, but hold on one second, I will show you something,” the specialist said to me. She returned with what many call a “coffin,” which is basically the plastic case that Rolex watches are delivered into the ADs. They are then removed from plastic and styrofoam before being transferred to the showcase or a box if someone ends up purchasing it.

She shows me this box, with a Rolex watch tightly concealed beneath the plastic. “Do you know what this is?” she asked me almost tantalizingly. And I did know. It was a Rolex Submariner ref. 116610LV, also known as the Hulk because of its bright green bezel and matching dial.

I think about this moment a lot because the watch world has changed so very much in the 10 years since that moment took place. Within three years from then, waitlists and grey market shenanigans became commonplace as secondary market pricing would turn objects of affection into that of investments.

Had I walked into that store circa 2019, would my reaction have been different? It’s honestly hard for me to say. I mean, I do know myself and I never would have purchased a Submariner with intentions to turn around and sell it. But I cannot be sure that I would not have purchased it in place of a Batman simply because I understood the scarcity.

But in 2014, I was guided by nothing more than what I was after. And I would eventually track down and purchase a Rolex GMT-Master II Batman (you can read my story about that watch here). I write all of this preamble and personal meditation because I distinctly remember a time in Rolex fandom when it was basically Hulk vs. Batman when it came to hype models in the broader collection (sure the ceramic Daytona too, but that was effectively unobtanium from the jump).

I had a good friend who owned the Hulk, and there was a time when I had my own obsession with it. The Submariner is a model near and dear to my heart. As I have covered several times here on the ‘Dink, my father’s 1982 5513 was sort of the archetypal watch in my memory. Then at a very young age I came into possession of my grandfather’s ref. 5513 Submariner (which is on my wrist as I pen this essay). There was something different enough about the Hulk that I could make it make sense to own it and my 5513: green dial, green bezel, and date complication.

Speaking of which, I have done a good deal of emotional and philosophical explication without really digging into the nuts and bolts of the Rolex Submariner ref. 116610LV. Let’s first get into its origins. The watch was released at Baselworld 2010, when Rolex completely revamped the Submariner Date line in steel to match some major aesthetic changes it had made to the watch in both full gold and two-tone executions. This is when we saw Rolex do away with its classical proportions in favor of the “super case” with new maxi dial and use of Cerachrom for the bezel.

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The Reverso That Revived The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso didn’t make a Reverso from the 1940s until the early 1970s.

It’s hard to imagine now, with JLC recently celebrating the Reverso’s 90th anniversary and even hosting an entire exhibit dedicated to its unique reversing watch in New York last year. But for decades, it sat as a mostly forgotten footnote in the manufacturer’s history.

This changed in 1972 when Giorgio Corvo, then Jaeger-LeCoultre’s agent for Italy, visited the manufacturer in Le Sentier. “My grandfather [Giorgio] Corvo went to the manufacturer,” says Jacopo Corvo, the grandson of Giorgo, who now operates GMT Italia, a retailer and distributor of high-end indies in Italy. According to lore, Grandpa Giorgio opened a drawer in the manufacturer and stumbled upon a stash of 200 Staybrite steel (an early stainless steel alloy) Reverso cases, forgotten since JLC ceased production in 1948.

“My grandfather said, ‘we need a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso ,’” explains Corvo. “It was very common at the time for markets to ask a maison to make something.” The Royal Oak, a request from Audemars Piguet’s Italian distributor, is perhaps the most famous example of this. “Imagine the scene,” Corvo said. “It’s 1972, full quartz crisis. Swiss brands were falling one by one, going out of business. Everyone’s buying quartz Seikos.”

Especially after World War II, rectangular watches like the Reverso fell out of favor with buyers, so JLC stopped production in the late ’40s. But after discovering those old cases, Corvo kept pushing Jaeger-LeCoultre to bring back a Reverso for him to sell in Italy. JLC was resistant, especially because it knew how difficult the flippable Reverso case was to manufacture.

“Corvo took one or two cases back to Italy,” explains Matthieu Sauret, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Product & Heritage Director. Corvo had watchmakers and technicians for after-sales service, so he put them to work. After a year, these watchmakers created a movement holder to fit a JLC caliber 840, a small oval-shaped movement, into the old Reverso cases. Corvo then brought this prototype contraption back to the Valle de Joux. “The Swiss watchmakers were a bit mad that an Italian watchmaker figured out something and they didn’t,” Sauret said. From there, Jaeger-LeCoultre industrialized Corvo’s system so that it could produce a run of Reversos using the 200 cases that had been found in Le Sentier.

A new dial was also designed for the “Corvo Reverso”: a beautiful white or grey dial signed “Jaeger-LeCoultre,” with Roman numerals, 100 of each color. The Roman numerals, in particular, set the grey dial apart from most other Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso .

“We managed to sell all 200 Reversos in less than three months,” Jacopo Corvo said. For perspective, Jacopo told me that just a few years prior, Corvo sold only about 200 JLC watches in an entire year. There are legends that some of the most prominent VIPs in Milan bought a Corvo Reverso, including Gianni Versace and Gianni Agnelli (though I’ve never seen photos to prove this). After the success of the Corvo Reverso, Jaeger-LeCoultre soon got to the work of relaunching the Reverso worldwide. The Corvo was produced by 1975. Over the next few years, Jaeger-LeCoultre worked to manufacture a new case for the Reverso – more complex than the original, and also waterproof.

The real Reverso boom came in the 1980s with the introduction of the larger “Grande Taille” Reverso case.

The 1990s then became the golden age for the Reverso. To celebrate the Reverso’s 60th anniversary in 1991, JLC began adding complications to the Reverso for the first time. First came the 60ème, a Grande Taille Reverso with a power reserve indicator and date that featured a gold movement.

“The 60th anniversary is my favorite Reverso – it’s the one that changed everything,” Jacopo told me. Through the rest of the decade, JLC produced six limited-edition Reversos for each of six “traditional complications” – power reserve, tourbillon, minute repeater, chronograph (upon which last year’s Heritage Reverso Chronograph is based), geographique, and perpetual calendar. Each limited to 500 pieces, this run of complicated Reversos was a hit, especially in Italy.

“Italy was the first market in the world for many watch brands, and the Italian market helped many brands become what they are today,” Corvo said. “It’s a very mature market. People started to collect watches here in the 1940s and ’50s. And it wasn’t just for telling the time, it was fashion. They were predecessors of today’s watch collector.”

During this entire time, Jaeger-LeCoultre was home to many master watchmakers. First, it was Philippe Dufour; then, legends like Eric Coudray and Max Büsser, with Günter Blümlein leading the way for much of this period. This era of the rebirth of the Reverso is worth a separate article.