Studio Shot Of The Day: Stefano's Rolex Cosmograph

...Studio Shot Of The Day...

Stefano's Rolex Cosmograph

[Reference 6239]

Pictured below is a Rolex Cosmograph brochure from 1970. Notice in 1970 that Rolex still put "Founder, H. Wilsdorf" on their collateral material. 

The Perezcope Effect: There Is A New Sherrif In Town

The Perezcope Effect

There Is A New Sheriff In Town


A Curious Case of a Missing Cosmograph

On Jake's Rolex World and Jake's Panerai World, we specialize in telling accurate historical stories as well as busting falsely perpetuated myths. Jose is a member of Jake's Rolex World team, and he specializes in separating-fact-from-fiction in the horological world. Jose is what I refer to as a Horological Forensics Investigator. Jose has eagle eyes and pays a TREMENDOUS amount of attention to detail. Jose is the real deal...

At the end of this story, I provide a link to an interview with Jose on Le Monde Edmond that was published earlier today. It is one of the best interviews I have ever read, so when you are done reading this story be sure to check it out by clicking the red text above or go read it now, then come back and finish reading this story!!!

Jose on a recent trip to Italy in front of the Villino Panerai to meet with Maria Panerai

Jose and I have been collaborating for some time now on both Rolex and Panerai history. The result of some of our collaboration are the two historical timeline posters seen below. I want to point out Jose made and beautifully laid out the posters. I contributed with historical facts, and by consulting on some of the layout elements, as well as adding subject content to better contextualize the timeframes.

The first timeline poster below covers the History of The Rolex SEA-DWELLER. If you examine the poster closely you will see on the left side, vintage Panerai watches that affected the development of the Rolex Submariner and SEA-DWELLER.

The next photo below is titled, "The Panerai Time Machine." This magnificent timeframe poster charts the REAL history of Panerai vintage watches. I highly recommend right-mouse clicking on the poster above and below, and opening them in a new window so you can check out the incredible high-resolution details.

There are many people who don't like Jose as they feel he has upset the vintage Panerai market by constantly pointing out watches that are historically and technically "incorrect." Or in other words, "It's a fugazi!" In doing so, it appears Jose has had an effect on the price of vintage Panerai watches. In case you haven't noticed, all the major auction houses have shied away recently from auctioning vintage Panerai watches for fear Jose will appear from out of nowhere and do a whack-a-mole on them. In other words, auction houses have had Panerai watches up for auction, then Jose will write a blog post on his brilliant Perezcope.com and point out the fact the watch is "incorrect," so they have to remove the watch from the auction.

Some people think this is bad for the market, but I think it is great as it stops bad actors from putting forth manipulated watches for the sake of making a fast buck. In the final analysis, Jose's horological forensics investigations result in much better scholarship for the REAL marketplace.

Despite being focused on the vintage Panerai marketplace, Jose has been quietly focused on the vintage Rolex marketplace, and he just fired his first salvo across Phillips Auction House bow. I believe Phillips is innocent and was likely deceived, but this is a serious wake-up call for ALL the horological auction houses.  

Ironically this event took place online on Instagram. Jose published the following post on Instagram yesterday:

Below you can see the actual Instagram post:

Fake “Solo” Daytona (6239, 1079777), auctioned by @phillipswatches (@phillipsauction) in Hong Kong in Nov. 2015. The 1st picture shows the altered dial with the properly removed “Cosmograph” print, the 2nd picture shows the original condition. A very easy way to make a 200% profit, isn’t it? For @hodinkee this particular “Solo” was even the best example they could find to make a point in one of their Daytona articles... @shameonwrist

A post shared by Jose Pereztroika (@perezcope) on Jan 3, 2018 at 5:08am PST

The photo below is the watch in controversy that Phillips Auction House sold at Auction in 2015, which is a Rolex Chronograph Reference Number 6239, which sold for close to $100,000.

The photo below of the watch in controversy is from Jose's database. Notice the dial has indelible identical markings (circled in red, which are unique like a fingerprint) as the watch above, with the exception, it is missing the word "COSMOGRAPH" below "ROLEX" on the dial. This watch was sold on December 12, 2011, at the Antiquorum Auction House for $27,500.

In Jose's Perezcope Instagram thread seen below, we later see Benjamin Clymer of Hodinkee.com commenting as well as Phillips Auction House response: 

The entire response from Phillips Auction House can be read below:

@PhillipsWatches Official Instagram Response

Following this post, we've examined the photos, and even without having the watch in our hands again, we agree the dial appears to have been altered at some point before it was originally consigned with us. We are in the process of reaching out to the buyer to extend our apologies and invite him to return the watch for a full refund. 

Since our founding in 2014, Phillips has always sold watches in good faith, and the authenticity of the watches we offer is of paramount importance. We’ve always pledged to address problematic watches in our auctions in good faith in response to any issues raised by the community. 

Outside of our own due diligence process, if a watch is proven to be of questionable authenticity before it’s sold, we respond by removing it. In the event a watch is sold and is later determined to be problematic, we back all of our watches with an authenticity guarantee to protect our buyers. We thank @perezcope for bringing this issue to our attention. 

We love watches as much as you do and are committed to strengthening this community together with all of you. We apologize to the community, and as always, we welcome your constructive feedback and look forward to enjoying this mutual passion together for many years to come.

I want to respond to Phillips statement, not on Instagram, but here on Jake's Rolex World.

When Phillips said:

"We love watches as much as you do and are committed to strengthening this community together with all of you."

I believe this is a really profound point. All of us, including you—the person reading this—are members of the online watch collecting community, which represents the future of watch collecting. Events like this help the community come together to collectively participate in meaningful discussions only the internet could facilitate. The more people know the truth around the world, the more valuable the real watches become, and I am not specifically referring to value in terms of dollars, but in terms of historical significance.

Don't Fly Solo

Now that the cat is out of the bag, one question might be, how did Jose figure out the Rolex 'Solo' had been manipulated? Jose maintains an enormous horological database that has many interesting facts and figures regarding vintage watches. Jose noticed the position of the ROLEX name printed on the dial of the supposed 'SOLO' looked incorrect. So he cross-referenced it in his Daytona Database and discovered the same watch was sold twice. Jose then compared the images of both watches and was able to make a positive ID. 

Basically, a 'SOLO' Dial Rolex Daytona is worth much more than a standard dial version that has the 'COSMOGRAPH' dial designation below the 'ROLEX' pad print on the dial. Jose said he believed some bad actors figured out how to use some kind of special solvent to remove just the 'COSMOGRAPH' pad print, which is basically painted, without affecting the 'ROLEX' pad print. The method they used is able to remove the pad printing without any traces—as if it were never there.

DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE?

So who exactly is Jose? Jose may seem mysterious to many people. What is his motivation? I know the answer to that question as I work with Jose regularly, but I invite you to visit Le Monde Edmond to investigate for yourself, in the form of an amazingly insightful and interesting interview that was published earlier today, titled, "Interview The 'truth' hunter: Jose Pereztroika." If you are not familiar with Le Monde Edmond, it is a fascinating blog written by Edmond Saran who is a famous investor and collector of fine vintage rarities. 

I am used to talking with Jose on a regular basis and he constantly blows my mind with his insight, passion for the truth, and knowledge, so it should come as no surprise in the above-mentioned interview he does it again, but this time in public. Jose's deep and meaningful research and historical knowledge is extremely remarkable, and in the future, Jose and I plan to unveil many more details that will reveal the real and true history of Panerai in a cohesive manner. All I can say is the notion that reality is often more interesting than fiction is on-point in this case.

Jose and I are also working on some really cool Rolex history projects that are mind-blowing...so stay tuned!!!

Rolex MoonPhase

Rolex MoonPhase

Instagram History Showcase

Rolex recently published these amazing historical Rolex moonphase images on their Instagram page:

The first Rolex model displaying a moonphase indicator was launched in 1949. The following year, Rolex introduced the first version with a waterproof Oyster case. The new Cellini Moonphase is a contemporary reinterpretation of timeless elegance. #Rolex #CelliniMoonphase #TBT For more details about the Cellini Moonphase see the link in the profile.

A post shared by ROLEX (@rolex) on Dec 28, 2017 at 8:59am PST

The images below show the three Rolex Moonphases from the Instagram post. Rolex begins with the Reference 8171, then shows the Reference 6062. 

The fundamental difference between the Rolex Moonphase Reference 8171 pictured above, with was from 1949, compared to the Reference 6062, which is seen below, and is from around 1953, is the 6062 features a waterproof Oyster case, whereas the 8071 (pictured above) is not housed in a waterproof case.

I have to say that seeing Rolex post these images on the web sends shivers down my spine (in a good way). I say this as it is the very first time I recall Rolex showing the original moonphase watches from the late 1940s and 1950s since the 1950s!!! This is so cool...

The image below shows Rolex's current modern interpretation of the Moonphase, which comes in the form of a Rolex Cellini version.

What do I think about the current Rolex Cellini Moonphase? I think it is a great step in the right direction, but I also think there is tremendous room for improvement. In my opinion as a designer, it has way too much going on the dial and lacks the Day and Month aperture windows. In the image below I superimposed the Day and Month aperture windows on the current Moonphase, which I think makes it look way better. Also, I would replace the sword hands with the original Dauphine hands seen which came standard on the Rolex moonphase reference 8171 and 6062. 

I am working on a story titled, "The Complete History of The Rolex Moonphase", which I will go into great detail on these magnificent Rolex watches. I have been saying for a long time that Rolex should bring back the complicated Rolex Moonphase models, so when they recently introduced them at BaselWorld I was happy to see the return of the moonphase.

Just for the sake of illustrating my point, I put the 8171 dial in the new Cellini Moonphase case, which I believe perfectly makes my case...

Just for fun, on the image below, I put the new style Chellini Moonphase disc on the 8171 dial, and it looks interesting. I still prefer the old-school vintage 8171, but I think this shows there is almost unlimited potential for Rolex to evolve this model in the future...

Macro Nature Shot Of The Day: Snow Flake Magnified 40 Times

...Ever Wonder?...

Macro Nature Shot Of The Day

Snow Flake Magnified 40 Times

Ever wonder what a snowflake looks like really close up? Pekka Honakoski of Jonkajarvi, Finland took this amazing macro shot of a snowflake magnified 40 times and it is really amazing!!!!!!

Rolex Hotness: Victoria Secret Models...

...Rolex Hotness...
Victoria Secret Models

Stainless Steel Rolex Daytona

Casey Neistat on How He Broke His Rolex..

Top Influencer

Casey Neistat
How He 'Broke' His Rolex
The world is changing very quickly, and some of the most influential personalities are YouTube vloggers. "vlogger" stands for Video Blogger, and last month Danny Introduced us to Logan Paul who is a 22-year-old vlogger, who recently bought his first Rolex. Today, if you are not already familiar with Casey Neistat, I am happy to introduce you to him. Casey is one of the top vloggers with 8.5 million followers on YouTube. It is pretty difficult to shatter a Rolex synthetic sapphire, and I certainly never have, but in this video, we witness how Casey shattered his. This video is from September 9, 2016 and already has 3.5 million views! Also, in this video, Casey mentions he had just passed 1 Billion video views, and a little more than a year later he has passed 2 Billion View...



Rolex Christmas Gift
"A day without laughter is a wasted day." —Pablo Picasso
Speaking of 3.5 million views and Logan Paul, he published a vlog on YouTube less than 24 hours ago, and it already has had close to 3.5 million views!!! In the video below, Paul and his brother Jake gave their mother $10,000 in cash for Christmas as well as a ladies Rolex Datejust.  Logan Paul's approach to vlogging is really high in energy, quirky, silly, emotional, funny and in many ways, he is like a modern Benny Hill on steroids. This video may not be safe for viewing at work :-0

Since we are on the subject of Logan Paul and Rolex, Logan's brother Jake (not me ;-) is also a top vlogger. Jake has had over 4 billion video views to date, which is also remarkable. Yesterday, Jake gave his mother her first Rolex watch, which you can view in the video below that already has close to 2.5 million views. Jake's vlogging style is very similar to his older brother Logan, and once again, this video may not be safe for viewing at work.

It's interesting, at the end of this video Jake and his mother do the Ayo & Teo "ROLEX" Dance

Two-Tone Rolex Submariner

...Rolex Macro Shot Of The Day...

Two-Tone Rolex Submariner

Hard-to-find: Green Submariner "Hulk"

Hard-to-find Rolex

Looking for a

Green Submariner?

(Try the Police)  

 By DANNY CRIVELLO           

The photo above appears courtesy of Scott Shafer.

There are very few current Rolex models that are selling for more money on the used market than the full retail price. The stainless-steel Daytona, of course, is one of them.

Over the past few months, the Rolex Submariner Date 116610LV, unofficially nicknamed "The Hulk" because of its green dial and bezel, has joined this exclusive group of Rolex watches that are less expensive when bought brand new from an authorized dealer—if you can put your hands on one, that is. 

Good catch: the Rolex 116610LV.

The Submariner Date LV is one of the hottest watches on the market today, with a full retail price currently listed at $9,050. But due to scarcity, they have recently shot up in value on both the grey and used market, from $8,000 just six months ago to well North of $10,000, a few standing at $12,000. 

Dialing up demand for one of the hottest watches on the market today.

Though sales figures in the used market are hard to come by, price listings are a good indication of where the market for Hulks is trending. 

On watchrecon.com, which aggregates for-sale listings from most watch forums, the Submariner Hulk easily reaches five figures. A listing that advertised a Hulk for $10,900 last week, for example, is now closed because the watch has sold. (Though we don't know the final sale price, a deal reached in just six days is a good indication it sold for close to the asking price.) 

I used to own a Rolex Submariner LV, which I had bought brand new at an AD on St Patrick's Day 2017 (my watch, below). I fell in love with the watch—like many—and wanted my name on the warranty card with the date showing 03/17/17. I sold it a few months later, but I enjoyed my time with it and would still recommend the watch.

It's unclear why almost no authorized dealer has the green Submariner in stock today and why very few dealers have any sports stainless-steel Rolex left. One theory is that demand for Rolex watches has surged in the past year, outpacing supply.

Another theory is that Rolex is about to upgrade its line of Submariners with new movements, similar to the new Sea-Dweller's 3235, which has a 70-hour power reserve and is anti-magnetic. But the new Submariners may not hit your local AD until next May.

So, what is a Rolex prospective buyer to do during the holiday season? One option: turn to the police. 

Yesterday, a police department in New Jersey auctioned off a Rolex Submariner Hulk, as well as a new-reference, two-tone Submariner. They were seized during a narcotics operation, according to the police, along with a Rolex Yacht-Master 116822. The watches were part of the contraband. (Every Rolex tells a story!)

While the bids for the two-tone Submariner and the Yacht-Master closed below retail price, at $8,000 and $7,000, respectively, the Submariner Hulk managed to reach $9,500 after no fewer than 27 bids. The terms of the auction require the winner to go to the police station to collect the watch. The actual watch auctioned yesterday is pictured below.

The fact that buyers are now willing to pay above retail price at such auctions—for a watch that comes with no Rolex warranty card—is the latest sign of the Hulk craze. Still, the closing bid is one of the lowest prices on the market. And there are no buyer's fees.

So, is it simply watch lovers fighting over a beautiful Rolex, or pre-Baselworld jitters when speculations are flying high? Maybe both. I was always impressed by Rolex as a watchmaker. But every year, I'm more and more impressed by Rolex's marketing genius.

Adieu Johnny: A French Music Legend Dies

Music Legend Dies

Adieu, Johnny!

'French Elvis' Honored 

 By DANNY CRIVELLO

           

In a career that spanned more than six decades, he recorded more than a thousand songs, sold 100 million records and earned more than 60 gold and platinum records. Jean-Philippe Smet, whose stage name is "Johnny Hallyday," was dubbed the "French Elvis" because he is credited for bringing rock 'n' roll to France. He passed away last week from lung cancer at the age of 74. And France is mourning.

Fats Domino, left, Johnny Hallyday and Sugar Ray Robinson

Johnny was also a lover of watches (top picture, with a Cartier Tank) and a Rolex wearer. He wore a two-tone Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date in the 1980s (next two pictures). Later in life, he owned a Rolex Daytona black dial 116520 (last picture). 

I grew up in France listening to his music. For me, he was more of a French Johnny Cash mixed with Bruce Springsteen — a combination of raw masculinity, rebellion and hard work — and I shed tears when I learned of his passing a week ago. His funeral brought 800,000 French to the Champs Elysées Saturday. This weekend the Eiffel Tower was lit with letters that said, "MERCI, JOHNNY." And French President Emmanuel Macron gave a speech.

He was married four times and had a four-year relationship with Nathalie Baye, above, a French actress who played in "Catch Me If You Can." Below, Johnny wearing a Daytona.

Finally, I love this video of him with Sammy Davis Jr. 

Festive Finland 100 Submariner

Festive Finland 100 Submariner

Jouni is a reader of Jake's Rolex World and he recently wrote in from Finland and said:

Hi Jake,

Hope you've had a good year.

Got my five-digit Submariner back from service about four days ago so decided to finally snap some photos of it - because of the time of the year that it is, and it being Rolex's official color I used a green Christmas ornament as the "backdrop" for the watch.

I also thought it was very fitting to have my blue-dial Submariner back right on time for the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence - so this is also a bit of a tribute to my homeland; some Green for the festive season and Rolex, some Blue & White for Finland.

I'm not a professional photographer but you can use the photos on your site if you wish - I noticed there aren't too many shots of the blue-dial 16613 in there so maybe they'd be a nice change for all the shots of the more modern Rolex watches. No need to use all of them but maybe you can sneak in a photo or two to give an "old" 16613 (and Finland) some love.

Also added a couple lume-shots.

Take care,
Jouni