Behind The Lens: Rolex GMT-Master II Meteorite, Where Global Travel Meets Outer Space – Reprise

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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?

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Gifting A Book To A Watch Lover This Holiday Season? Here’s A Selection Of Horological Tomes To Consider

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At Quill & Pad we love reading books as much as we love writing them (on occasion). Here is a selection of inspiring books published in 2022, suitable for gifting or reading at any time of year.

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Some Friends’ Rolexes as Seen at a Recent Group Lunch

Why I’ve Never Owned A Rolex – And Why I Might Yet (Update: I Do Now!) – Reprise

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Once in a while on the collector forums, a question is posed: is there anyone in the collector community who has never, ever, owned a Rolex? As a general rule, respondents to these queries tend to express disbelief that such a creature could possibly exist given the quality and ubiquity of the brand’s watches. Well, folks, GaryG is here to tell you that such people do exist, and that he is one of them. How could it be? And then what happened?

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Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Vs. Zenith Chronomaster Sport: Head To Head – Reprise

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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.

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Rolex crown

Here’s Why The Crown Is The Unsung Hero Of Watchmaking (And Why Rolex Wears The Crown) – Reprise

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One of the most important yet underappreciated parts of a watch is the crown. 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.

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Professional Diver Nigel Band And The Unusual Rolex Sea-Dweller And Oyster Perpetual Models That Plumbed The Depths And Scaled The Heights – Reprise

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Nigel Band is a professional diver with over 30 years’ worth of commercial and teaching experience. He also owns two rather unusual Rolex watches: a 1986 “triple-six” Rolex Sea-Dweller Reference 16660 and a Himalayan mountain climbing 1952 Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Put on your breathing apparatus as the fascinating stories of these two watches are told by Colin Alexander Smith here.

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The components making up the bi-directional winding system of the Rolex Caliber 3135

Which Rolex Movement Takes The Top Spot? A Watchmaker’s Comparison Of Rolex Calibers 3135 And 3235, And Which Is Better? – Reprise

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Ask any watchmaker about the Rolex 31 family of calibers and the story will be the same: it has stood the test of time. Ashton Tracy hasn’t met a single watchmaker who doesn’t love working on these workhorse Rolex movements. They are easy to service, keep great time, and stand up to abuse. Put simply: they work. So how does it stand up to big brother, Caliber 3235? Find out right here!

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Rolex Submariner Reference 114060

The Golden Age Of Rolex Movements: 4-Part Series Looking At Breakthroughs, Golden Years, And Predictions For The Future Of The World’s Most Iconic Watch Brand – Reprise

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In 2019 we ran an interesting four-part series by Tim Mosso of Watchbox fame detailing the history, present, and future of Rolex movements. Tim put hours and hours’ worth of research into this oeuvre, and now we thought it well worth drawing your attention to this series again in case you missed it first time around. Enjoy!

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Fitting Rolex balance wheel and Parachrom hairspring

Is Silicon Here To Stay In (Rolex) Watch Movements? – Reprise

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Hairsprings are miniscule. Generally no more than one centimeter in overall diameter when coiled, they are roughly 50 microns thick and 150 microns wide. Tiny they may be, but insignificant they are not. In fact, they are so significant that Rolex refers to them as “the guardians of time.” But what do silicon hairsprings bring to the table? Watchmaker Ashton Tracy explains why he went from skeptic to fan.

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Rolex Day-Date 40 in white gold

3 Reasons The Rolex Day-Date 40 Convinced Me: A Very Rolexy Rolex Discussion – Reprise

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Rolex had never called out to Joshua Munchow as a watch that he must have or that would be the pinnacle of his collection. He thinks that this is because of the downsides to it being the most widely known watch brand in the world: forgeries and overexposure abound. So what is it about 2015’s Rolex Day-Date 40 that turned him into a convert? Read on to find out.

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