Monday, June 03, 2019

Rolex Dial Comes To Apple Watch




 Rolex Dial

 Comes To

 Apple Watch



Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery

Want an Apple watch with a vintage Rolex Dial? Well things have come full-circle now! Today Apple held its World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California, and they showed off WatchOS 6, which now includes a "California Dial"option as seen below. Rolex patented this dial design in 1942.


The supreme irony, at least in my own mind is that the design language of the "California Dial" is the essence of the Submariner, SEA-DWELLER, GMT-Master & Yacht-Master as Rolex incorporated the upside down triangle marker at 12 O'Clock as well as the three rectangular markers at 3, 6, and 9 into those afore mentioned dials respectively. 




The Perhaps not so obvious question is whether or not adding this "California Dial" is a nod from Apple to Rolex, or just an unintentional nod that Apple thinks is cool since the dial design is commonly referred to as "California" dial? Part of the irony is that Rolex originally referred to this style of dial as an  "Error-Proof Radium Dial with Error-Proof Radium Hands." If you read my story titled The Complete History Of The "California Dial", you can learn all about how this dial style became associated with California.





Rolex Patent Application


California Dial

June 15, 1942

In the past, I have written extensively about the art deco Rolex California Dial. The significance of this dial  is it is the basis of the dial on the Rolex Submariner, SEA-DWELLER and GMT-Master.



The 1943 Rolex ad below shows a Rolex with what is now commonly refered to as a "Califorinia Dial."








One More Thang


At Apple's WWDC event today, they also showed off the all new Apple Mac Pro with a 32 inch Pro Display XDR, which you can see in the photo below with Apple CEO, Tim Cook.



On of the things I noticed about this new Apple Pro computer and monitor is their price-points are far higher than they have ever been in the past. In my mind it's almost like the new Apple Pro equipment is very Rolex like...In other words, it is highly functional, made out of stainless steel, but intentionally over-engineered with a dramatic yet tasteful timeless jewelry style.



The Apple Pro Display XDR pictured above is $6000 with the stainless steel stand pictured above. The Mac Pro, begins at $6000 for the base model and goes up from there..






Speaking of Rolex and Apple, below is a photo of Apple's World Wide Marketing Vice President Phil Schiller from 2006 rockin' his Rolex Submariner:



Below we see Apple executive, Dr. Dre wearing his Rolex Day-Date masterpiece. Dr. Dre sold his brand, 'Beats by Dre' to Apple for $3 Billion.