Watches And Wonders is just around the corner and begins in Geneva, Switzerland on March 30, 2022, and will run through April 5th. If you are not familiar with Watches And Wonders, it basically replaced the Basel World trade show, which used to take place in Basel, Switzerland.
Many readers are very curious about what Rolex will introduce at Watches & Wonders and have been asking me for my predictions? I have no idea!?!!
My best guess/hope is that Rolex will introduce the all titanium Yacht-Master that Danny discovered and wrote about last year. I brought Danny's story which he originally published on September 23, 2021 back up to the top of the blog for your review as seen below. I am throwing darts at a board, but I hope to see Rolex do something interesting with the Milgauss. Also, we might see the Rolex Air-King get an updated movement and dial...
Also, my best guess is we might see Rolex dive back into its amazing history, and surprise us with a vintage/retro inspired watch model...
...THE RETURN OF THE TOOL WATCH...
A Stealth Rolex Prototype
Hiding in Plain Sight
Originally Published on September 23, 2021
Yacht-Master 42 in Titanium
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER
ROLEX MAKES A TITANIUM WATCH
By DANNY CRIVELLO
There is a famous story about André Heiniger, the CEO of Rolex from 1962 to 1992. He was once asked by a friend how things were faring in the watch business. "I have no idea," Heiniger quickly replied. "Rolex is not in the watch business. We are a luxury business."
Indeed, Rolex is well known today for being a luxury brand rather than the watchmaker of choice for the adventurers, divers, pilots and astronauts who are profiled in these pages. The introduction of the Explorer in steel and yellow gold this year is the brand's latest example of firmly claiming the luxury space regardless of history.
Sir Ben Ainslie rocking his Titanium Yacht-Master
So it's highly unusual for Rolex to take an existing model like the Yacht-Master 42 and revamp it to drastically eschew all manner of luxury, making it more dull, less complicated and with a thinner strap—all for pure practical sake.
What is even more unusual for Rolex is to request a new model to be tested by professionals in real-world conditions before its introduction to the public. This is COMEX-level watch development: In the 1970s, Rolex asked a French diving company to help perfect its Submariners and Sea-Dwellers watches by taking them on real-world dives and saturations.
In creating a watch especially designed for the most competitive regattas, Rolex approached the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie, and asked him to take the watch on real races, like the America's Cup or the SailGP.
Actual pictures of Rolex's first titanium watch are hard to come by. I've requested more pictures from Rolex, and Rolex politely responded: "We do not wish to communicate more about this model than what we already have." The cynics will call it pure marketing genius; I call it a laser-beam focus on engineering the next tool watch.
This is the first time Rolex has created a watch with a titanium case. Breitling, Omega, Grand Seiko, IWC and even Richard Mille have done it. Vacheron Constantin announced a titanium model just this week. Of course, the Pelagos from Rolex's sister company Tudor is in titanium. The lightness of a titanium case is sometimes a turnoff for customers, who equate heft with luxury.
In 2019, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Rolex at Baselworld for what turned out to be the last Baselworld. I had Rolex's first appointment on the first day reserved for the press. So I was essentially the first one to try on the white-gold Yacht-Master 42 and report about it.
The combination of perfect lighting in the Rolex press room, the brilliance and sparkle of the white gold from the case, and the piece's slightly increased size gave it an undeniable aura. Its unexpected heft added to the experience, as my brain was still trying to compute how a steel-looking watch equipped with a rubber strap can pack so much mass.
Compared to steel, titanium lacks the heft, the luster and is arguably less attractive while it is more expensive to produce. It doesn’t take to polish as well as steel either, which is why you often see titanium watches with matte or blasted finishes.
This new Yacht-Master 42 case is in "anthracite grey," according to Rolex, with a matte finish. In short, it stands at the diametrical opposite of fire emoji on the Instagram wrist-shot spectrum.
Then Rolex removes the date complication and puts it on a black NATO.
Pardon, vous pouvez répéter ?
Rolex never develops a watch to then downgrade the complication years later. To be sure, the brand offers the Submariner and the Submariner Date. But the date version of a model tends to succeed the no-date version, not the other way around. Here Rolex decided to de-complicate the Yacht-Master 42 and make it as simple as possible, improving the symetry and legibility of the dial. The movement on this new Yacht-Master, Rolex said, is its latest: the 3230 introduced in 2020.
Still, with this new Yacht-Master, Rolex has reclaimed its roots as a tool watchmaker: the watch is made of a metal that weighs around half as much as stainless steel. Pound-for-pound, titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any known metal. And for the first time, a Rolex NATO is provided with the watch, keeping it secure in case of spring bar failure. The NATO, according to Rolex, combines Cordura with "high-performance elastomer." The NATO has a Velcro, which allows for easy adjustment whether on the wrist or over technical clothing.
I reached out to Sir Ainslie and he told me he never takes his titanium watch off, which might be the lightest Rolex has ever made. "Every little bit of weight that we can save helps us to go faster," Sir Ainslie said.
"Best watch I've ever worn, says it all," he finally told me.
One more thing...
When I discussed the article with Jake, he said that the lack of a date complication on the Yacht-Master in titanium gave it a vintage tool-watch vibe. Then he added: "Do you know what this looks hearkens to? A Mil-Sub." He is right!
The first race of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship takes place this weekend on Sunday 20 March at Bahrain International Circuit. This year the sport undergoes a technical revolution with the largest update to its regulations in decades.
It also marks Rolex’s 10th season as a Global Partner and the Official Timepiece of Formula 1. Rolex chose to partner with Formula 1 because it is the pinnacle of motor sport through every transformation, advanced engineering, timeless appeal and world-class competition.
Two legendary Rolex ambassadors in one shot: Australian Mark Webber is rocking a Rolex Daytona in white gold and blue dial while the "Flying Scotsman" Sir Jackie Stewart is seen with a gold Day-Date on a beautiful green leather strap.
Sir Jackie Stewart with his Day-Date on Rolex-green leather strap. Next to him is pro golfer Ian Poulter. Stewart has worn a Rolex watch for over five decades.
Sir Jackie Stewart on Rolex's 10th year in Formula 1:
"This year marks 10 seasons of Rolex’s partnership with Formula 1. Since the beginning both have embodied ground-breaking technology, precision and ingenuity at every level, while having a mutual appreciation for magnificent craftsmanship, style and, ultimately, the importance of timing."
Rolex said of Sir Jackie Stewart:
"One of the most celebrated drivers of the last 50 years. Born in Scotland in 1939, Sir Jackie Stewart is undoubtedly an emblematic figure in contemporary motor racing. His achievements make him one of the most celebrated Formula 1 drivers of the last 50 years. His commitment to driver safety has revolutionized the face of motor sport. He has also gone on to achieve one of the greatest reputations as a sportsman in the media world. Sir Jackie Stewart took part in 99 Formula 1 Grand Prix races, winning 27, carrying off three world championships (1969, 1971 and 1973) and finishing 43 times on the podium. He has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1968."
Below: Sir Jackie Stewart (right) standing next to Emerson Fittipaldi in 1973.
The 2022 pre-season testing, which ended last weekend in Bahrain, highlighted how Formula 1 continues to push the boundaries: The new regulations have resulted in significant changes to the design of the machines. A return to ground-effect aerodynamics, low-profile tires and wheel covers aims to promote closer racing between the 20 drivers. In addition to creating a tighter field, the rules embrace the target to achieve 100 per cent sustainable fuels by the middle of the decade and the comprehensive cost cap means the 10 teams are operating under different circumstances.
Rolex just published this magnificently regal and beautiful equestrian video and said: "The Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters is one of the four equestrian Majors that form the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping and is one of the most prestigious Grand Prix on the international circuit. Re-live the excitement of this competition at the world’s leading venue, as the finest riders compete for this prestigious title.
William Hurt was one of the great actors of our time and he unfortunately passed away today at age 71. Hurt is perhaps most famous for his 1980s roles in iconic films like Altered States (1980), Body Heat (1981) The Big Chill (1983), and Broadcast News (1987).
William Hurt pictured above in Broadcast News
Hurt won the Academy Award for Best Actor in the 1986 movie titled, "Kiss Of The Spider Woman." He was also nominated for Best Actor in 1987 for Children Of A Lesser God, and again in 1988 for Broadcast News. He also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2006 for his role in the movie named, "A History Of Violence."
William Hurt pictured above and below in The Big Chill
Congratulations to Tiger Woods who was just inducted into the World Golf of Fame which is a tribute to his amazing career in which he won 15 Majors and 82 PGA Tour titles.
Tiger Woods heartfelt acceptance speech can be seen below.
Tiger Woods daughter gave an amazing speech in recognition of his amazing lifetime achievement which made him cry.
I bought the Rolex Air-King in December 2016, the year the watch came out. Though it was my first new Rolex, I waited until January 13, 2017, to put it on my wrist. I woke up that morning in a Hilton downtown Portland, Oregon. And I opened the watch box. The plastic protective cover was still on the shiny bezel. In an hour, I would be picked up from the hotel and driven to PDX airport.
I waited until that day because I'd be crossing the Pacific for the first time in my life as the First Officer of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767. I had flown to Honolulu multiple times before, but this 10h46 flight from Portland to Tokyo would be my first transpacific, the crossing of the largest ocean in the world. And the first flight for my Air-King. I strapped it on my wrist, and smiled.
As I review my logbook today, I can see that we pushed back at 1202 local and landed at 1548 on January 14. I then flew from Narita to Singapore after a 24-hour layover in Tokyo, a flight that took 7h52. My rotation lasted 10 days. I would cross the Pacific many more times with an Air-King on my wrist before I'd decide to switch to the Atlantic theater and its many beautiful European destinations.
The Air-King is an important tool watch for a pilot: The Air-King has a minute dial, which is a very rare find on a watch. It is the first Rolex with such a dial. Those dials were usually found in ships, particularly in the radio rooms for wireless operators and in the cabins of early military aircraft.
For an airline pilot, whose departure time changes with every leg, the Air-King is a great piece of equipment. A departure rarely starts exactly on the hour. If our pushback time is at minute 26, we can easily spot it by looking at the 5, 10, 20, 25, etc., markings of the dial. The Air-King makes it so easy to spot minute 26 that there will be no errors... it is a precise indication. And it is very useful when you fly multiple legs a day with different departure times.
No watch emphasizes the minute marking like the Air-King. And for pilots preparing for departure and arrival times, that is key. We need to spot quickly where we are in the departure sequence. From check-in to preflight to the loading of fuel, cargo and the boarding of passengers, every departure is a ballet orchestrated to the minute.
The dial's white-on-black contrast, which is typical on all military pilot watches, also helps with excellent readability as I fling my wrist to look at the time between checklists, flight plan and weather reports, aircraft and systems configuration manuals. In the departure sequence, every minute counts and should be easily spotted.
After we push back, we are often assigned an Expected Departure Clearance Time (EDCT), or "wheels-up" time to the minute. That slot is our sequence in the crowded controlled airspace, and I pace my taxi accordingly. It means we have to be at the end of the runway ready for takeoff before that minute or we lose our departure clearance.
In short, to complain that the Air-King's dial is too busy is to not understand the Air-King. It would be like complaining that the Submariner's dial has no numbers. Still, if you look at the 12, 3, 6, 9 of the Air-King, it is also an hour watch.
Finally, as cockpits today are no longer equipped with round dials but are filled with electronics that tend to create magnetic fields, the Air-King is as anti-magnetic as the Milgauss. My Rolex Submariner 16613 was magnetized twice in the cockpit. I never had a problem with the Air-King; it has the most anti-magnetic properties available by Rolex.
The Air-King is a unique piece of horology, the kind of purpose-driven tool that has helped cement Rolex's reputation in the past. In this pilot's opinion, it is the best innovation and the best tool watch to be made by Rolex in the last 20 years. And once my destination reached, the watch's 100m water resistance is perfect for a quick swim in the Pacific!
Historically Rolex has always been extremely secretive and discreet, and no journalists in the past have ever been invited "INSIDE ROLEX" to explore and report on all four Rolex Manufacturing faclities in Switzerland.
In November 2013, this changed when Rolex invited Jake to take an unprecdented journey into the heart of Rolex to learn and report on everything he witnessed and learned.
This Super-Detailed 3 Part Story is a "MUST READ" story for anybody who wants to understand what really makes Rolex tick.
