It ’ mho no clandestine that among luxury watches, Rolex is the one that dominates. The swiss watchmaking elephantine has produced ace timepieces for good over a century. Rolex watches ’ appealing mix of durable structure, recognizable designs, and epicurean finishes has fared highly well for the post. naturally, Rolex ’ sulfur batting order has expanded throughout its history with respective models designed to serve different tastes and purposes. today, we ’ ll be delving deep into the Rolex catalog to explain the independent Rolex lookout models so you can decide which one would suit you best. Whether you ’ rhenium researching on how to buy your first Rolex or are a season Rolex buyer that ’ second looking for some information, we ’ ve got it all covered right here .
Guide to various Rolex watch models
Rolex Oyster Perpetual
In 1926, Rolex introduced the universe ’ mho first gear truly raincoat watch called the Oyster. And in 1931, Rolex released the self-winding Perpetual motion. The motion was equipped with a “ Perpetual ” rotor that swings with the wearer ’ s lifelike wrist motions to wind up the mainspring. The rainproof case and automatic motion would finally become the key signature traits of a huge majority of Rolex watches. In fact, most Rolex watches, whether the Datejust, Submariner, Daytona, and other, fall under the Oyster Perpetual range–but this is different from the Oyster Perpetual determine model .
The elementary of the bunch together, the Oyster Perpetual model is a three-handed Rolex determine that is both water-repellent and automatic. Rolex in the first place offered the Oyster Perpetual in a range of materials including steel, gold, and two-tone, but nowadays, they are only made in stainless steel steel. There are batch of unlike sizes to choose from for men and women, in summation to an assortment of dial colors. Due to the simple time-only functionality and stainless steel sword construction, the Oyster Perpetual is considered the entry-level Rolex determine .
Rolex Datejust
The first gear Rolex Datejust vigil appeared in 1945 to mark the company ’ s fortieth anniversary. It was the world ’ sulfur first chronometer wristwatch to display the date via a window on the dial. today, the Datejust is Rolex ’ s best-selling model and most change collection in terms of metallic element, size, bracelet, dial, and bezel options. In terms of size choices, the Datejust is available with 26mm, 28mm, 31mm, 36mm, and 41mm cases. Bezel options run the gamut from smooth to fluted to gem-set while metal options include steel, gold, a mix of steel and gold, in summation to some platinum versions of the Lady-Datejust .
The Datejust is Rolex’s best-selling model One of the features of the Datejust vigil is that its date windowpane is instantaneous–meaning that the stroke of midnight, the date jumps to the following day rather than a slow conversion over a few hours. Aside from some very early models from the 1940s and early 1950s, all Datejust watches have a enlargement lens above the date formally called the Cyclops. The Cyclops always protrudes above the crystal in a bubble-like fashion and magnifies the date 2.5 times .
Rolex Explorer I
In 1953, Rolex unveiled the Explorer watch in honor of man ’ s first recorded rise to the summit of Mount Everest. The then-new Rolex Explorer was based on Oyster Perpetual watches provided to crew members of the historic expedition but featured its own typeset of design details–many of which have remained intact about seven decades late .
The design of the Rolex Explorer watch has remained relatively unchanged over its history One of the most recognizable Rolex watch models ever made thanks to its coherent purpose, the Explorer has constantly been a time-only stainless steel steel Rolex watch with a black dial, Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9, and fitted with an Oyster bracelet. For most of its history, the Explorer sported a 36mm case but since 2010, it now comes with a 39mm case .
Rolex Explorer II
about 20 years after the insertion of the Explorer for adventurers and mountain explorers, Rolex released the Explorer II in 1971 specifically for spelunkers and pivotal explorers. Unlike the master time-only Explorer, the first Explorer II not only had a date window but besides had a fixed bezel marked to 24 hours along with an excess 24-hour pass ( synched to the traditional 12-hour hand ) on the black dial. As a solution, the foremost Rolex Explorer II was designed as a watch with an A.M./P.M. index for those adventurers who spend prison term in areas with irregular day/night cycles .
Evolution of the Rolex Explorer II however, Rolex enhanced the moment generation of the Explorer II watch to include an autonomous 24-hour hired hand, thus upgrading it to a double time/GMT watch. furthermore, the choice of a black or white dial was offered. today, the Explorer II remains as a GMT watch but with a larger character, entirely available in stainless steel and with the choice of a white or bootleg dial .
Rolex Submariner
undoubtedly the world ’ s most celebrated lavishness dive watch, the Rolex Submariner made its debut in 1953 as the first dive watch rated to a depth of 100 meters. intentionally built for aqualung divers, the Submariner featured a rotating bezel marked to 60 minutes to track concentration times, a time-only dial with aglow hands and hour markers, and stainless steel construction for resistance to corrosion .
The Rolex Submariner is the world’s most famous dive watch flying forward to the late 1960s and Rolex expanded the collection with Submariner models with date windows. What ’ s more, along with steel Submariner Date models, Rolex former added wide aureate and then two-tone Submariner watches to the range. naturally, Rolex improved the water-resistance of the Submariner over the class of its history and its 40mm case is now water-repellent to 300 meters. today, the Submariner is a change collection–the Submariner Date is available in diverse materials such as steel, gold, two-tone steel and gold, in addition to some different dial/bezel colors. On the other hand, the no-date Sub is entirely offered in steel with a blacken bezel and dial. Since the mid-2000s, Rolex replaced all aluminum bezels in the Submariner collection with Cerachrom ones, which is Rolex ’ s patented ceramic debase.
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Rolex Sea-Dweller & Deepsea
In the 1960s, Rolex had to evolve its prima donna watch offer to meet the needs of the saturation divers that worked for Compagnie Maritime five hundred ’ Expertises ( COMEX ), a french company specialized in technology and abstruse dive operations. And Rolex answered the indigence with the Sea-Dweller determine in 1967. Along with boasting a deep water immunity rat than the Submariner, the Sea-Dweller was besides fitted with a helium escape valve to release gasses that can build-up when saturation divers spend elongated periods in pressurize environments. Releasing the built-up gases prevents the crystal from popping off the determine during decompression periods .
The Rolex Sea-Dweller is fitted with a helium escape valve similar to the Submariner, Rolex besides improved the Sea-Dweller ’ s water-resistance and it rated to 1,220m deep. For most of its history, the Sea-Dweller was only available in stainless steel sword, sporting a 40mm case housing a black dial and fitted with a black bezel and Oyster bracelet. however, as of 2017, Rolex enlarged the case to 43mm and the take after year it offered a two-tone Sea-Dweller combine stainless steel steel and chicken gold .
Rolex Deepsea is water-resistant to 3,900 meters In 2008, Rolex launched the Sea-Dweller Deepsea model with a 44mm case water-repellent to an incredible 3,900m trench. While the original Rolex Deepsea model featured a classical black dial and black bezel combination, in 2014 a especial “ D-Blue ” dial version joined the lineup to commemorate James Cameron ’ s historic dive to the penetrate of the Mariana Trench in the Deepsea Challenger submersible .
Rolex GMT-Master & GMT-Master II
As commercial air change of location was flourishing in the 1950s, Pan Am airlines requested Rolex to design a determine for its fleet of pilots to track multiple time zones. And the Rolex GMT-Master watch was born. As its name implies, the watch was designed to help pilots track Greenwich Mean Time ( which was used as international aviation time during that era ), angstrom well as local anesthetic time .
GMT-Master watches have coupled hour hands The GMT-Master ’ s cagey design featured two hour hands on the dial, one traditional 12-hour hand for local meter and one 24-hour hand for reference time. The reference fourth dimension ( aka second time zone ) is read off the 24-hour bezel, which the wearer rotates to align with the 24-hour hand to set the second clock time zone. It ’ s important to note that the beginning GMT-Master reference included a bi-colored bezel to allow easy differentiation between day/night hours–a invention detail distillery available nowadays .
Modern GMT-Master II watches have decoupled hour hands and ceramic bezels In the 1980s, Rolex introduced the GMT-Master II, characterized by a 24-hour hired hand that could be set independently from the 12-hour hand. This mean that the wearer could leave the bezel in the zero stead ( triangle at 12 ) and move the 24-hour hired hand freely to the adjust time. Rolex finally phased out the GMT-Master in favor of the GMT-Master II in the late 1990s. today, all current-production GMT-Master watches have Cerachrom bezels and the models come in a variety of metals and bezel colors .
Rolex Day-Date
normally referred to as the Rolex Presidential or President, the Rolex Day-Date came onto the scene in 1956 as the brand ’ s most esteemed watch model. entirely made in precious metals ( gold or platinum ) and featuring a match of calendar windows on the dial to indicate the day and the date the Day-Date besides debuted a then-new watchband style called the President bracelet. Characterized by a three-link shape comprised of semi-circular links, the President bracelet has become american samoa iconic as the watch itself. The appoint of the bracelet coupled with the fact that some of the universe ’ s most brawny people, including U.S. President wore the Day-Date paved the way for the celebrated Rolex President nickname .
Rolex has made several versions of the Day-Date over the years. The most classic and omnipresent is the Day-Date with a 36mm case, President bracelet, and automatic motion. however, choice versions of the Day-Date have besides been fitted with leather straps and Oyster bracelets. Rolex has besides made Oysterquartz Day-Date models with angular cases, integrated bracelets, and quartz movements. furthermore, there are the now-discontinued Day-Date Masterpiece watches featuring 39mm cases and five-link Pearlmaster bracelets. additionally, there was the ephemeral Day-Date II with 41mm cases, which has now been replaced by the Day-Date 40 with 40mm cases .
Rolex Milgauss
besides in 1956, Rolex introduced the antimagnetic Milgauss watch. Named after its ability to withstand 1,000 gauss of magnetic fields, the Milgauss was absolutely suited for the burgeoning scientist and mastermind fields of the earned run average. A signature invention trait of early on Rolex Milgauss watches was the lightning-bolt seconds hired hand on the time-only dial. however, the following Rolex Milgauss watch coevals no long had this far-out design detail and the collection was finally phased out in the 1980s .
Modern Rolex Milgauss with a green-tinted sapphire crystal however, Rolex re-launched the Milgauss in 2007 and not only brought back the lightning hand but besides offered a special anniversary model with a green-tinted azure crystal. then in 2014, the Z-Blue Milgauss model debuted with an electric blue dial and green sapphire crystal–a model that continues to be part of the collection today .
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
Rolex released a new chronograph collection in 1963 called the Cosmograph, which promptly became the Cosmograph Daytona to emphasize the watch ’ s link with the world of motorsports. The first generation of the Daytona, which ran until the late 1980s, comprised of manual-winding chronograph topped with tachymeter marked bezels and fitted with dials that housed contrasting subdials. Rolex Daytona chronograph were not great sellers at the time, however, they are now some of the most sought vintage watches in nowadays ’ south market. This is particularly true of Daytona “ Paul Newman ” models, characterized by Art Deco style dials and nicknamed after the celebrated actor who excellently sold one .
Vintage Rolex Daytona chronographs are powered by manual-winding movements The following generation came in 1988 when Rolex transitioned the Daytona lineup into a collection of modern automatic rifle chronograph powered by Zenith El Primero-based movements. Unlike the previous generation, this one became immediately popular and established the Rolex Daytona as the must-have luxury chronograph .
The steel and ceramic Rolex Daytona is one of the most desired chronographs today In 2000, Rolex revamped the Daytona yet again, this time with an in-house automatic rifle bowel movement. The design of the watches remained largely the like and the popularity of the Daytona continued. sometime in the mid-2000s, Rolex began equipping choice Daytona models with Cerachrom ceramic bezels. The current-production stainless steel Daytona with a bootleg ceramic bezel is one of the most covet luxury watches available today .
Rolex Yacht-Master
In 1992, Rolex unveiled the Yacht-Master as an ultra-luxurious sports watch for men in wax 18k yellow gold with a rotating timing bezel and aglow time and date dial. Smaller models soon followed for women, angstrom well as two-toned steel/yellow gold and steel/platinum versions. The sword and platinum Rolex Yacht-Master watches are known as Rolesium and are some of the most popular models within the crop .
In 2015, Rolex added Everose gold Yacht-Master watches fitted with black Cerachrom ceramic bezels and a brand new watchband stylus called the Oysterflex, which combines a metal interior blade with a black rubber coat. The surveil class, two-tone steel and Everose gold Yacht-Master models were released. And in more recent years, a larger 42mm Yacht-Master in white gold joined the solicitation. The choice of sizes and metals makes the Yacht-Master the most vary Rolex sports determine collection to date .
Rolex Yacht-Master II
In 2007, Rolex released the following chapter in the Yacht-Master report in the phase of the Yacht-Master II. Unlike its harbinger, the Rolex Yacht-Master II is a complicate watch boasting a regatta flyback chronograph with a programmable countdown timekeeper ( which can be set anywhere from 1 – 10 minutes ) with a mechanical memory. What ’ s more, the bezel is called a Ring Command Bezel because turning it activates which function of the lookout to set .
The Yacht-Master II is one of Rolex’s largest and most complex watches not merely is the Yacht-Master II one of Rolex ’ s most building complex watches but it ’ s besides one of the largest and boldly designed with a 44mm casing, blasphemous Cerachrom ceramic bezel ( except on the white gold models, which has a platinum bezel ), and a punchy dial layout. The Yacht-Master II is available in steel, two-tone steel and aureate, and entire gold configurations.
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Rolex Sky-Dweller
The newest Rolex watch model and the stigmatize ’ s first annual calendar timepiece, the Sky-Dweller joined the brand ’ s catalog in 2012. available in three shades of gold, two-tone yellow gold and steel, or steel with a blank gold bezel, the Sky-Dweller features a liberally sized 42mm case topped with a flute bezel. This particular Rolex watch pairs striking style with building complex mechanics .
first, as an annual calendar, the date window and apertures adjacent to the hour markers to indicate the current month mechanically adjust throughout most of the year since the motion is able to differentiate between months with 30 and 31 days. The alone time the wearer has to manually adjust the calendar windows is on March 1st due to the 28 or 29 days of February. Along with this, the Sky-Dweller besides features a second fourth dimension zone displayed via an off-center 24-hour phonograph record on the dial. The combination of the GMT functionality and annual calendar mechanism makes the Sky-Dweller the ultimate traveler ’ south vigil. From the pared-down Explorer and Oyster Perpetual to the classical Datejust and Day-Date to the celebrated Submariner and GMT-Master to the building complex Yacht-Master II and Sky-Dweller, the Rolex catalog is satiate with iconic luxury watches that have become about as celebrated the fabled Crown that graces their dials. Simply stated, no other watch brand comes close to Rolex ’ s roll of winning watches. Whether you ’ re looking to join the Rolex clubhouse or a veteran with an already impressive collection of models, buying a Rolex watch is a limited occasion to be celebrated .
