Rolex Twinlock winding crown

Here’s Why The Crown is the Unsung Hero of Watchmaking and Why Rolex Wears the Crown

The crown is one of the most important yet underappreciated parts of a watch. The humble crown has played an extensive role in helping Rolex – and the rest of the watch industry – get to where it is today. Here’s why.

Behind The Lens: Rolex GMT-Master II Meteorite: Global Travel Meets Outer Space

GaryG had the opportunity to borrow a Rolex GMT-Master II BLRO Meteorite from a long-time friend to photograph and wear. This watch’s main event is the dial, a thin slice of metallic meteorite whose crystalline structure reflects the slow cooling process that took place as the meteor hurtled through space. Here he tries a variety of photographic techniques to learn which works best on the dial’s unique structures. Which are your favorites?

An Owner’s Comparison: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic vs. Rolex Explorer 36

The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic and the Rolex Explorer 36 both have automatic movements, three hands, black dials, and 100-meter water resistance. Both they couldn’t be more different as Perry Heim explains.

So, You Want to Buy a Rolex? Well, Daddy-O, I’m here to Talk you Out of It!

If you’re in the market for a new watch, Tamim Almousa’s advice is, if there’s a Rolex that you like, go for it. But if you just want a Rolex, you’re probably better off with an Omega. Here he explains why.

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona vs. Zenith Chronomaster Sport: Head-to-Head

Day One for the Zenith Chronomaster Sport was January 21, 2021. And it seemed like everyone had the same reaction: “That is one aggressive Rolex tribute.” Tim Mosso thinks that the Chronomaster Sport is a distinctive product with its own identity and takes a look here at how it stacks up against the ever-popular Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.

Omega vs. Rolex: How Omega is Reaching for the Crown

It is the old age question – Rolex vs. Omega. Which brand should I buy from? Which brand produces better watches? Should I buy an Omega Seamaster Professional 300M or Rolex Submariner? Through their histories, the two brands have been going head-to-head whether it’s on design or technology. Raman Kalra explores how Omega compares to Rolex.

Rolex Oyster Zerograph mono pusher flyback chronograph Reference 3346 from 1937

One of the Rarest Rolex References of Them All: the Rolex Oyster Zerograph Monopusher Flyback Chronograph Reference 3346

When the dust settled on the 2016 Phillips Start-Stop-Reset auction of stainless steel chronographs in Geneva, an extremely rare Rolex Oyster Zerograph Monopusher Flyback Chronograph stood out from the very strong field.

Rolex Skydweller in steel

The Golden Age of Rolex Movements Part III: Branding vs. Breakthroughs in Recent Years

The last two decades have witnessed regular Rolex engineering advances, often in plain sight and in rapid succession. Despite these developments, Rolex remains a brand defined not by movements but by continuity, model families, and the Rolex image itself. Tim Mosso thinks that the root of Rolex’s soft-pedaled reputation for movement virtuosity lies in the company’s own branding strategy. That and more in this third installment of Rolex’s history of movement technology.

2012 Rolex Sky-Dweller in solid gold

The Golden Age of Rolex Movements Part II: Rolex gets Complicated with Innovations and Patent Registrations

From the public’s perspective, Rolex’s surge into its movement revolution began with the now anachronistic-sounding Basel 2000 World Watch, Clock, and Jewelry Show. But the evidence of a long-term engineering campaign was mounting at the patent office and in the dealers’ showrooms as this article by Tim Mosso highlights.

Rolex Submariner Ref 14060

The Golden Age of Rolex Movements Part I: Sowing the Seeds of Greatness

If you want to love Rolex, but you love mechanical movements more than you love watch brands themselves, rejoice: Tim Mosso thinks that we are living in the halcyon days of Rolex movement innovation and shares a few well-illustrated technical and movement highlights right here.