Live Pictures: The 2023 GMT-Master II

THE NEW GMT-MASTER II

Clément, who is a friend of mine and the host of the excellent French watch channel Clément Entretemps, sent me these pictures for publication. 

Jake's Take: I am kind of blown-away with these new All Gold and Two-Tone models as they are so Retro-Futuristic looking...In other words, they look very vintagey, like they are from the 1960s, but at the same time they are ultra modern. So basically, they are TIMELESS. What do I mean by timeless? Timeless design is when something looks like it's from the past and future simultaneously. 

Jenni Elle Responds to Watches And Wonders Novelties

 

You Know: Wowlex!

Jenni Elle Waxes Poetic on 

2023 Watches And Wonders Novelties

Jenni Elle ALWAYS offers fascinating insight and opinions on Rolex as she psychoanalyzes Wowlex! In this excellent video Jenni offers her perspective on the new novelties at Watches And Wonders 2023, and discusses many of the Rolex watch models that have been discontinued. FYI, ICYWI We have MUCH, MUCH more Watches & Wonders 2023 coverage coming up so stay tuned!!!

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Rolex Discontinues the Milgauss

 

...MILLE MINUTES OF SILENCE...

ROLEX DISCONTINUES

THE MILGAUSS. AGAIN.

By DANNY CRIVELLO

Before colors became the new black, the Milgauss was the most colorful Rolex in the collection. It was not just the anti-magnetic watch for the nerd, it was the un-Rolex Rolex for the young and cool.

First introduced in 1954, eventually discontinued in the late '80s before it was brought back in 2007, the Milgauss's death had been greatly exaggerated. A lightning orange second hand, a green sapphire crystal or Glasse Verte, it represented the watch for those who wanted to wear Rolex but were too cool to show it. In 2014, with an electric blue dial coated with Zirconium, the Z-blue made a splash at Baselworld 2014. It lived for less than a decade but it lived for greatness. 

Today's Rolex's blue Parachrom hairspring makes any Rolex more anti-magnetic than the Milgauss. The technology in watchmaking has improved. We no longer make a watch anti-magnetic by protecting the movement with a soft iron cage, but by improving the materials that make up the movement. 

As Rolex battles supply shortages, it decided to streamline the production. It made sense to discontinue the heavy case, the old 3131 movement. No word on when or if it will be back. 

In memoriam, check out the dozens of awesome pictures of the Milgauss in the Rolex Magazine library including the complete history. 

All-New Rolex.com Is a Masterpiece & Tour de Force in Design Simplicity

 

All-New Rolex.com 

Is a Masterpiece &

Tour de Force in Design Simplicity 

Rolex's new model launches at Watches And Wonders 2023 has been pretty amazing! But there is another magnificent gem hiding in plain sight, and that is the all-new Rolex.com website, which is an absolute masterpiece of design simplicity. Rolex.com has ALWAYS been one of the great websites, but this brand-spanking new model is a true work of art!!!!!

The screen grab pictured above is from the all-new Rolex.com, and the newly designed header below is a magnificent exercise in simplicity, making it amazingly simple to instantly navigate to anything in the world of Rolex!!!—almost like an iPhone in the sense you instantly know how to find everything right away, —with zero learning curve. I would go so far as to say it's more Rolexy than ever...including that beautiful new green gradient header with the gold Rolex logo. Don't take my word for it: Head over to the new Rolex.com and see for yourself!!!

Sometimes when I am writing a story a song pops into my head that seems like a perfect soundtrack for the post, and this great song named 'Soulful Strut' by Young-Holt Unlimited from 1968 seems to perfectly compliment and epitomize not only this story, but the way I feel about the entire Rolex 2023 Watches And Wonders launch!!! Enjoy this superb song and let it be your anthem for W&W 2023!!!

Rolex Introduces a New Titanium Submariner Yacht-Master Model!!!

 

"A Submariner by any other name would smell as sweet." 

—William Shakespeare ;-)

[Romeo & Juliet]

Photo credit Clément Entretemps

Rolex Introduces a New Titanium 

Submariner Yacht-Master Model!!!

Rolex just introduced a new Submariner, I mean a Yacht-Master made entirely out of Titanium. Let me be specific. In my original story titled The Complete History of the Rolex Yacht-Master I told the story of how Rolex set out to modernize the Submariner when they created their first Yacht-Master, but they renamed it as the Yacht-Master since they did not want to disrupt the design language of the classic Submariner which has been their bread and butter for may decades. Rolex put a plantium bead-blasted dial with a matching platinum bezel insert to throw everybody off, but other than those two features, the watch was basically identical to a Submariner. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not point that the Yacht-Master, just like all the SEA-DWELLER models are aquatic Submariner variants...

Well guess what!?!! Rolex just inched the Yacht-Master that must closer to being a hyper-modern Submariner as it now features a black dial and bezel with a non-polished Oyster bracelet. In other words, the Yacht-Master now features everything Rolex could do to modernize the Submariner, including a 42MM case, while leaving their classic Submariner alone, not to mention the significant weight loss from Stainless Steel to Titanium. 

If you take a close look at the photo above, it's like Rolex is knocking itself off. As we see in the photo below the all new Titanium Yacht-Master features a wider Oyster Bracelet which does not taper as much as a Submariner clasp, while incorporating a satin brushed finish, which definitely makes it a very cool new tool watch. I predict this is going to be the HOT new model that is going to be really difficult to get, and is kind of another link in the daisy-chain friendly competition between Rolex and the Apple Ultra...

Of course we predicted this 42MM Titanium Yacht-Master model earlier this year, but it is great to finally see it in the flesh, and of course a special shout-out to our eagle eyed Captain Danny!!! Below is a photo of Sir Ben rocking his prototype Titanium Yacht-Master he was testing for Rolex a few years ago...

Sir Ben Ainslie rocking his Titanium Yacht-Master

Juliet:

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo:

[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet:

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,

And for that name which is no part of thee

Take all myself.

Romeo:

I take thee at thy word:

Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;

Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

From Act II, Scene II of William Shakespeare's love story of Romeo and Juliet.