THE ORANGE HAND EXPLORER II

 

 EXPLORER II

ALL ORANGE

HAND

Rolex is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex Explorer II by updating the 42MM Rolex Explorer II with a new movement, thinner lugs, a wider bracelet—and on the black dial version, Rolex switched the black-and-orange hand with a completely orange hand, which looks a zillion times better, as pictured above and below. 

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Below we see all four of Rolex's new Explorer models which include the return of the 36MM Explorer in stainless as well as a new twist with a two-tone 36MM Explorer which has a very vintage looking 'gilt' dial vibe. 



The Rolex advertorial seen below was published 3 days after Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Everest.

You can learn all about the history of the Rolex Explorer by checking out my 8 Part story named "The Complete History: Rolex Conquers Mount Everest." You can also learn all about Tenzing Norgay who was the first to conquer Mount Everest.. 

1957 Rolex Mount Everest Ad

1964 Rolex Explorer

On Top Of The Matterhorn

1968 Rolex Explorer Ad

This amazing Rolex Explorer Ad appears courtesy of Adpatina.com.

1978 Dan McCullin

Rolex Explorer II Orange Hand 

Reference 1655

1997 Adrienne Vittadini

 Rolex Explorer Ad

Vintage Rolex Explorer Ad

Conquering Mount Everest

Watches & Wonder 2021: Sky-Dweller on Jubilee

SKY-DWELLER 

GETS JUBILEED

For the First Time, the Sky-Dweller Is

Equipped With a Jubilee Bracelet

 By DANNY CRIVELLO

If the GMT-Master was designed for those sitting in the front of a jet, then the Sky-Dweller was definitely meant for those sitting in the back. 2021 could be a jubilee year for passengers and air travel again after more than a year of confinements, lock-downs and closed borders. 

So why not celebrate with a new bracelet. The Sky-Dweller case hasn't changed and still houses one of the most complicated movements from the brand.

Still, this is the first time Rolex will give customers the option to wear a Sky-Dweller on Jubilee. Last September, Rolex released the Oysterflex bracelet for the Sky-Dweller in yellow gold and Everose. The Sky-Dweller line is also offered on an Oyster bracelet. 

While the BLNR just got Oystered this year, the other watch that keeps track of time across the world is being Jubileed. The size remains the same for the Sky-Dweller. At 42mm, it looks like a Datejust that has been to the gym and is ready to leave the boardroom to show off its beach bod to the world. Let's travel! 

Watches & Wonders 2021: BLNR Is Back on Oyster Bracelet

THE BATMAN

RETURNS

(AGAIN)

Your Choice of Oyster or Jubilee

By DANNY CRIVELLO

Batman and Batgirl? Batman and Robin? Batpersons? Your choice of nicknames—and of bracelets. In a first in decades, Rolex said it will offer a steel GMT-Master on both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets, something we haven't seen since the pre-ceramic GMT days.

Rolex stopped selling the 116710BLNR in 2019, the Rolex GMT-Master II with a black and blue bezel on Oyster bracelet. I was at Baselworld that year when it announced the same watch on Jubilee but with an updated movement.

The new movement is now going to the Oyster bracelet version of the BLNR. Jubilee or Oyster, both watches will have the same reference: 126710BLNR.

The new Batman's Oyster bracelet has the typical broad, flat three-piece links that equips the majority of the Professional line such as the Submariner, the Explorer, the Yacht-Master and the Daytona, and on some classic models such as the Datejust, the Day-Date and the Sky-Dweller.

To be clear, the Rolex GMT-Master II with a blue and red bezel ("Pepsi") has been offered on either Oyster or Jubilee bracelet before; but only the Jubilee bracelet had equipped the steel version while the Oyster bracelet was reserved for the white-gold model. The 2021 Batman is offered for both bracelets in steel. Starting today the Pepsi is also offered on both Oystersteel and Jubilee.

Rolex & The Masters

Rolex & The Masters

 

Update by Jake

April 5, 2021

This story has been getting a great deal of attention—and rightfully so—as Dr. Joe MacInnis' SINGLE-RED 'SEALAB' SEA-DWELLER represents 'The Holy Grail of SEA-DWELLER models'. Keep in mind, this story is ONLY a preview with the final story coming soon... 

Searching for this hyper-elusive Rolex over the past two decades was extremely complicated and tedious and often felt like I was trying to find and prove that Bigfoot exists!?!! 

This is a moment I have been waiting for a long, long, long time, and as you will see in the final article this story has many far-reaching implications as much new information has been pouring in from my global research team and other amazing sources. In other words, I believe when the new story is published in the not-so-distant future, it will represent the first time we gain a truly comprehensive understanding of the genesis of the Rolex SEA-DWELLER.

World's First

SINGLE-RED

 

SEALAB 

SEA-DWELLER 

Finally Discovered!!!!!!!!

This is such big news I had to borrow Hodinkee's BREAKING NEWS header again!!!! Since Rolex published a teaser yesterday for their new releases which we will be covering live next week, I thought I would share a teaser for an amazing upcoming RolexMagazine.com story which is a complete game-changer in the history of the Rolex SEA-DWELLER.

Dr. Joe MacInnis rocking his 1968 SINGLE-RED 'SEALAB' SEA-DWELLER Prototype (Reference 1665) back in 1985 while on a mission to the Spanish galleon treasure ship 'Atocha' near Key West, Florida which sank off the Florida Keys in 1622.

Dr. Joe MacInnis

Renowned Physician Scientist,

DEEP-SEA Explorer & Author

Back in 2010, as part of my 20 Chapter series titled "The Complete History of The Rolex Submariner & SEA-DWELLER: Rolex's Conquest of the Ocean", I published Part 15 which was titled "Dr. Joe MacInnis, DEEP-SEA Explorer" in which I first identified him wearing a vintage Rolex SEA-DWELLER back in the early 1970s. At the time I had no idea he was wearing a SINGLE-RED 'SEALAB' SEA-DWELLER!?!!

The exclusive recent photo below shows Dr. Joe's previously undocumented SINGLE-RED 'SEALAB' SEA-DWELLER which features the original dial.

Dr. Joe MacInnis Single Red SEALAB SEA-DWELLER Prototype (Reference 1665) in a recent exclusive photo.

This story represents one of the most profound discoveries I have ever made in my close to a decade-and-a-half of publishing Jake's Rolex World and showcases one of the greatest missing pieces of the Rolex SEA-DWELLER history!!! I have spent many hours interviewing Dr. Joe MacInnis for this upcoming story over the past year which has been amazing!!! "Dr. Joe" as he is affectionately referred to was a member of the SEALAB III Mission and was given his Rolex SINGLE-RED 'SEALAB' SEA-DWELLER back in 1968 by Rolex U.S.A. in October of 1968 just after he joined the SEALAB III Program.

Dr. Joe MacInnis pictured above in 1968 at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco wearing his prototype Rolex SINGLE-RED 'SEALAB' SEA-DWELLER while examining the SEALAB III habitat as it sits in dry-dock before traveling down to San Diego for her mission.

U.S. Navy SEALAB 3 In The Pacific Ocean off San Clemente Island, California 

[55 Nautical Miles (102 Kilometers) Off The Coast of California]

The photo above shows the SEALAB III Habitat as she is being towed to her mission off the coast of Southern California. In the photo below we see mission divers pictured in front of the SEALAB III habitat.

The photo below features a super-cool Rolex Magazine Submariner advertisement from 1974 which features Dr. Joe MacInnis.

Jose from Perezcope.com and I put together the poster below named "HISTORY OF THE ROLEX SEA-DWELLER—Rolex's Conquest Of The Ocean", which shows the historical ark of how the Rolex SEA-DWELLER evolved from the original 1926 Rolex Oyster. 

Click image to zoom in for much more detail

Jose and I have been busy putting together many new puzzle pieces for the upcoming Dr. Joe MacInnis story which we intend to publish sometime in the next month!!!

Hodinkee Review: The Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060

Hodinkee Review

The Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060
Hodinkee's Danny Milton just published a review of his Rolex Submariner (Reference 124060) in which he offers an excellent overview of this super-classic Rolex. I think there is really something to be said for the simplicity of the Rolex Submariner (No Date) model.

Rolex & Formula 1

This Week-End

Formula 1 Season Begins

I'm excited to announce that the 2021 season of Formula 1 has officially started this weekend in Bahrain. Since 2013, Rolex has been a Global Partner and Official Timepiece of Formula 1. 

Pilots tend to be fascinated by fast moving machines and I'm no exception. I love as much NASCAR as I do Formula 1, and the Grand Prix of Monaco has always been my favorite. Maybe that's why I currently wear a Rolex Daytona in the cockpit.

...Rolex Racing Coolness...

Nico Rosberg

Formula 1 World Champion

"I have always admired Rolex’s prestigious history and involvement in sport. Rolex has long-been synonymous with excellence and has partnered with some of the greatest athletes in the history of sport. My life has revolved around timing and my racing has always come down to those final split seconds.” 

—Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 paddock when he announced his retirement almost simultaneously with his 2016 world championship win. Nico is pictured below with Sir Jackie Stewart and Mark Webber.

Proud to follow in the footsteps of many incredible sportsmen in becoming a global @ROLEX ambassador - one of the most special brands in the world 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/jlxfvMD9lR

— Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) March 24, 2018

In 2018 Nico Rosberg interviewed Formula One founder Bernie Ecclestone. They had a fascinating conversation which you can watch below:

make sure you don’t miss the race today!!! will be exciting 🏎💨 #britishGP pic.twitter.com/8PasJyvgnU

— Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) July 8, 2018

looking for some inspiration @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/rEzRhIVoKQ

— Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) June 13, 2018

good morning. it’s almost time for racing here in Montreal!!! 😜 pic.twitter.com/z2RzcIVXJA

— Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) June 10, 2018

Nico Rosberg is pictured below with his gorgeous wife who also wears Rolex watches.

Tesla Model 3 v. Porsche GT2 RS
Drag Race On Monaco Pier

Retired Formula 1 racing legend Nico Rosberg put the Porsche GT2 up against a Tesla Model 3 back in March of 2019, and the results may surprise you. Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

...Men & Their Machines...

Japanese Rolex Daytona 

Racing Leaflet

1972 Reference 6241

Rolex Daytona has always been inspired by and associated with high-performance automobiles as seen below in this Japanese Rolex Cosmograph Daytona leaflet from 1972. Ironically, we see Monaco in the background of this image. It's a small world after all...

A Vanishing Forest Is Reborn

A Vanishing Forest Is Reborn

A Fascinating Rolex GMT Overhaul

A Fascinating Rolex GMT Overhaul

Mark is a reader of Jake's Rolex World and he recently sent in an email and said:

Jake:

I recently watched this YouTube video of a Rolex restoration and found it quite fascinating.  Also the music is nice.  Your current Rolex service story made me think of this.

Take care.

Mark Rackley

Brad Norman: Stars of The Deep

Brad Norman
Stars of The Deep