Blacked out, orange accented…

My one and only post about “blacked out” aftermarket Rolexes was this one about Bamford and Black-Out Concept, almost a year ago.  If anything you’ll want to read this prior post simply to see the “blacked-out” Ferrari that I included.  Was I remiss (ignorant, perhaps!) in not adding Projext X Designs to the comparison?  It seems so.  From what I hear lately, Project X Designs is “where it’s at” when it comes to blacked-out watches.  I suppose this is subject to fierce debate (depending on which one you own, hehehe). Also subject of fierce debate is the whole concept of “aftermarket” modding such as this.  As far as I am concerned I don’t know what all the fuss is about (many Rolex purists do not like these modified versions).

As for this particular blacked-out Rolex Explorer II with orange accents (bezel and seconds hand), 24 and only 24 will be made.

Each watch will feature a laser engraved caseback with individual issue number and include with the original manufacturers box and papers, a project x designs certificate of customization and guarantee card.     The orange colour used has been exclusively developed for this range of watches only, and will not be available via Project X’s “Bespoke” editions.     Price is at 7250.00GBP and orders are being taken now. Delivery is planned for Mid July 2010.

What else to say except that the black and orange work wonderfully together and I LIKE IT!

Watches, James Bond Watches…opening this month!

If you want to see some of the most in-depth and fascinating work done in the world of watches, I recommend you spend some time on JamesBondWatches.com, a site with a “Dedicated focus on all things related to the wristwatches of James Bond, Agent 007, created by Ian Fleming and brought to film by Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions.“  I also recommend the sister-site, JamesBondWatchBlog.com.  The inestimable Dell Deaton is the creator/curator of both sites and the definitive authority on the “James Bond Watch”:

Dell Deaton, the National Watch & Clock Museum’s guest curator for the exhibit, Watches, James Bond Watches

Lest you think this business of “007’s watch” (actually–watches) is just a sideshow hobby of Dell’s, I would also like to point you to the soon to be opening exhibit at The National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, PA where Deaton’s work will be on full and proper display.  The exhibit — Watches, James Bond Watches –will feature the watch that provided the inspiration for James Bond’s wristwatch:  Ian Fleming’s own Rolex Explorer.   This wristwatch was recently identified by Dell Deaton as the original, literary James Bond watch, the details of which were featured in a recent WatchTime magazine article.

Ian Fleming’s personal Rolex 1016 Explorer, which served as his basis for the personal James Bond wristwatch he described in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1963)

Credit:  Imperial War Museum

According to the NAWCC:

This is the first time that Ian Fleming’s watch has been exhibited in the United States. The watch was recently on display at the Imperial War Museum in London, featured in an exhibit on the life and work of Ian Fleming.   Fionn Morgan, Ian Fleming’s stepdaughter, states “Ian would have enjoyed the idea of displaying his own Oyster Perpetual as part of an exhibition of James Bond watches…It is wonderful to see the James Bond legacy presented through the watches that this character has worn. It is further most gratifying to see Ian’s Explorer number 1016 displayed as the origin of this long and continuous chronology. Collectors and the public will learn a lot through this exhibition.

Ian Fleming on the set of “Goldfinger,” 1964, wearing his Rolex 1016 Explorer wristwatch  Standing next to him are James Bond film producers Harry Saltzman (immediate right) and Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli (far right). Credit:  Imperial War Museum and Getty Images

Although a bit off the beaten path for some of you, I am quite confident that a visit will not disappoint.  I myself hope to make the trip sometime this summer to see the exhibit.

And my congratulations and commendations to you, Dell, on all your fine and ongoing work.  Truly amazing!

“This is Trieste. We are on the bottom of Challenger Deep. . . . Over.”

– U.S. Navy LT Don Walsh, on January 23, 1960

The watch that is water-resistant to 35,840 feet…in the metal…

Yes, that’s right — 35,840 feet deep, or about 11,000 meters — is how deep the Rolex Deep Sea Special has been.  That’s the equivalent of almost 7 miles below the surface. In fact it was to the bottom of the deepest part of Ocean — the southern end of the Mariana Trench known simply as “Challenger Deep” — that the watch and two brave souls went, 50 years ago.  It was January 23, 1960, to be precise, and the two brave souls were U.S. Navy LT Don Walsh and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard.  They piloted TRIESTE, a crude vessel known as a bathyscaph, to the “Challenger Deep” and back.  And they took a very special Rolex with them.  The feat of a human, or a watch, descending to such depths has never been repeated.

Thanks to the great people at Liljenquist & Beckstead of McLean VA (Washington DC), I recently had the privilege and honor to experience firsthand this Rolex Deep Sea Special.  As one of the pre-eminent Rolex dealers on the East Coast (among the many other luxury brands they carry — A. Lange, Hublot, Breguet, et al.), Lijenquist & Beckstead was selected to play host to a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the TRIESTE’s descent aka the “Deepest Dive”.

Specifically, they put on a fine event hosting U.S. Navy LT Don Walsh (co-captain of the TRIESTE) and senior representatives of Rolex USA.  And of course, the legendary Rolex Deep Sea Special was front and center.

I must say it was quite an honor to shake hands and chat with LT Don Walsh.  If you want to know what a true American Hero is like, you need go no farther than Don Walsh.  In my brief conversation with him, Don was wonderful — easy to speak with and clearly full of knowledge stemming from his lifetime of experience in and around the marine environment.  I only wish I had more time to question and listen to the stories of his achievement and adventure.  Don was gracious to make himself available for several hours at the store, chatting with fans and enthusiasts, signing autographs, shaking hands, and posing for pictures (don’t mind that non-Rolex wearing fellow on the right):

In the below photo, Don Walsh explains the TRIESTE.  The sphere at the bottom of the vessel that Walsh is pointing to is where he and Piccard were situated for the mission — about the size of a large refrigertator, according to Walsh.  And for **just** 9 hours!  Interestingly, as Walsh explained it, the Rolex Deep Sea Special was not technically affixed to the outside of the vessel  (though obviously was still exposed to the ocean elements and every bit of the pressure).  Did I just shatter a bit of popular watch folklore?

Not surprisingly, Don Walsh has been a Rolex-wearer since 1960.  And the man knows how to throw down a wrist shot:

Doing a bit of research on the topic, I came to discover that there are myriad reports of Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard’s famous journey.  For example, Jake’s Rolex Blog has extensive writings on the subject.  Thus the reason that the focus of this article is on my personal experience with Don Walsh and the Rolex Deep Sea Special and not much more.   I will, however, recommend two very recent, very nicely written articles that I came across that I think you will enjoy.

First, Navy honors officer 50 years after voyage to ocean depths, by Michael E. Ruane, The Washington Post (excerpt below):

The sunlight began to fade a few hundred feet down. Shades of gray turned to black. The steel structure groaned as the water pressure increased, and the Trieste sank toward the fabled gorge in the Pacific Ocean floor known as Challenger Deep.

One thousand feet. Two thousand feet. At 2,400 feet, the two crewmen dimmed the cabin lights to let their eyes adjust. At about 13,000 feet, they entered the abyssal zone — “the timeless world of eternal darkness,” one of them wrote later.

At 31,000 feet, they echo-sounded for the bottom. There was no return. At 32,400 feet, a thick window cracked with a bang. Farther down they went. Into the bleak hadal zone, named for Hades, the ancient Greek underworld. Finally, at 35,800 feet, then-Navy Lt. Don Walsh, 28, phoned the surface: “This is Trieste. We are on the bottom of Challenger Deep. . . . Over.”

and Deepest Dive: Geographic Honors Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, by Ford Cochran, National Geographic (exerpt below):

…National Geographic bestowed its highest honor, the Hubbard Medal, on Walsh in a ceremony at our Washington, D.C. headquarters. The U.S. Department of the Navy also awarded Walsh its Distinguished Public Service Award.

“Don Walsh is one of only two people to have visited Earth’s deepest place, and no one else has come close,” said Gil Grosvenor, National Geographic’s chairman of the board. “His accomplishment ranks along with those of our other Hubbard Medal recipients, people like Robert Byrd, Charles Lindbergh, and Robert Ballard.” Jacques Piccard died in 2008, at the age of 86.”

In summary, let me again extend my thanks and congratulations to everyone at Liljenquist & Beckstead for the fine event.  And a very special thank you also goes to freelance photographer Dunks Photo for the first class camera work.

50 years later, I and the rest of the world look back in awe and wonder on the inspirational achievement of Don Walsh, Jacques Piccard, and the Rolex Deep Sea Special!

You can see many more (and slightly larger) pictures of the event in my photo report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum by clicking here.

UPDATE: ** Full Specs / Press Release / Pics of the Entire 2010 Rolex Collection here**

Explorer is upsized to 39mm…

and that’s about the extent of my analysis for now –I know you just want to see the official Rolex pics and see the specs on the of the new Rolex Explorer—you’ve come to the right place!

Rolex Explorer  214270  – Price:  $5,650

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
REFERENCE (CASE / BRACELET): 214270 / 77200

Case
Diameter: 39 mm
Material: 904L steel
Bezel: fixed, smooth
Winding crown: Twinlock
Crystal: sapphire
Waterproofness: 100 m (330 ft)
Movement
Calibre: 3132
Self-winding: Perpetual rotor
Oscillator: frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 beats/hour)
Parachrom hairspring with Breguet overcoil
Paraflex shock absorbers
Precision: COSC-certified chronometer
Power reserve: ~48 hours
Dial
Hour markers: luminescent Chromalight
Hands: luminescent Chromalight
Bracelet
Material: 904L steel
Type: Oyster
Clasp: Oysterlock with Easylink comfort extension link

New Rolex Explorer in 2010…

Well, I’ll take some credit (but just a little bit) for putting 2 +2 together and guessing it might equal 4.  Though with Rolex, you never really know!  Anyway, it looks like there will be a new Rolex explorer in 2010.  First look credit goes to Salon Des Montres, via Hodinkee.

Attn:  This is not a St. Patrick’s Day joke…

LOL.  Hat tip Salon de Montres via Hodinkee.  More info to come…

UPDATE:

***VIEW THE ENTIRE 2010 ROLEX COLLECTION HERE***  WITH OFFICIAL PICTURES DIRECT FROM ROLEX***

***VIEW THE ENTIRE 2010 ROLEX COLLECTION HERE***  WITH OFFICIAL PICTURES DIRECT FROM ROLEX***

***VIEW THE ENTIRE 2010 ROLEX COLLECTION HERE***  WITH OFFICIAL PICTURES DIRECT FROM ROLEX***

Below is the image now showing on the Rolex.com homepage.  I wonder – is it a subtle hint of a new Rolex model (a refresh of the Explorer I or Explorer II, perhaps?) – or even a new collection (highly doubtful) – that will be revealed later this week at Baselworld?  Or is it simply the first look at a forthcoming ad campaign (i.e. What’s Your Everest?).  I have not the slightest idea…do you?  We are just days away from finding out!  All guesses welcome!  Perpetuelle.com’s Official BASELWORLD 2010 will have all the details!

A huge treasure trove of items formerly owned by now disgraced $50 billion-or-so Ponzi scheme ringleader and provacateur Bernie Madoff will be up for auction this weekend in New York.  Sure there will be all the furs, diamonds, and sports memorabilia you can handle (and even a few vintage duck decoys) – but my interest in this one-of-kind auction is, of course, the watches.  Now, being a man of means – that is, a man of means with OPM (other people’s money) – ole’ Bernie managed to assemble himself quite the watch collection.  In fact, The Wall Street Journal reports today that:  “A collection of more than 40 watches, including some women’s watches, 17 Rolexes and several Audemars Piguets, Franck Mullers and Jaeger-LeCoultres, will be auctioned off. ”  The Journal actually singles out one of the more notable big ticket watches, “an 18-karat yellow gold, black-faced vintage men’s Rolex, the Monoblocco, valued between $75,000 and $87,500…” and went on to quote Antiquorum Auctioneers SA Watch Director and Expert Julien Schaerer as saying “It’s a pretty rare watch and it’s pretty desirable” suggesting that an all original timepiece could fetch as much as $75,000 to $100,000.  Not bad for a Ponzi-scheme’s work, eh?

After just a few minutes reviewing the lineup one will see that Madoff had an incredible collection of vintage Rolex watches (I wonder what my vintage Rolex-wearing friends at Hodinkee think?), but he also had quite a few other nice modern and vintage watches as well – Patek Philippe, Blancpain, Hublot, Frank Muller, IWC, JLC….the list goes on and on.  As for all these, I can make not attestations to their authenticity (do you really want to take Madoff at his word?), nor what kinds of prices they may fetch (but don’t expect to steal any of them at bargain prices)…and so while online bids will be allowed, I would highly recommend you preview these watches in person before making a purchase.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the lots that look interesting, shall we?

LOT 237- ROLEX:

Gents 18ky vintage Rolex O.P. “Monoblocco” chronograph wristwatch; aka “Prisoner Watch”; domed plastic crystal; black dial w/ rose tri-sticks &; Arabic numerals; gold hands; polished bezel; 35mm round case; dk brown alligator strap (tang); Model 3525; 17 jewel Rolex mechanical winding mvmt; Serial 380223 (1945).

The meaning of the moniker “Prisoner Watch” – Rolex offered similar timepieces to prisoners of war in Germany during World War II, including those involved in “The Great Escape.”

LOT 235- ROLEX:

Gents 18ky vintage Rolex Oyster chronograph wristwatch; Monochrome motif; gold dial w/ luminous sticks &; Arabics, 3 gold sub-dials; 35.1mm round case; Brown stitched Alligator strap (tang); 17 jewel Rolex Geneve mechanical winding mvmt; Case 4048; Serial 58105 (1935). Note: Professionally restored.

LOT 255 Audemars Piguet

Gents st.steel Audemars Piguet chronograph wristwatch; silver dial w/ 2 sub-dials (at 3 &; 9 positions); 38.81mm round case; brown alligator strap w/ AP deployant buckle; Automatic mvmt; Serial D99198.

LOT 253- Patek Philippe

Gents 18kw Patek Philippe Annual Calendar wristwatch; black dial w/ silver Roman numerals; date at 6 position; 3 black sub-dials; syn saph crystal front &; back; 36.95mm round case; black alligator band w/ 18kw deployant buckle; Model 5035G; 35 jewel Patek Philippe automatic mvmt, Cal. 315/198, Serial 3059777.

LOT 254- Audemars Piguet

Gents 18ky Audemars Piguet Huitieme chronograph wristwatch; crème colored dial &; sub-dials (3); date at 3 position; gold hands; 40.4mm round case; dkBrown alligator strap w/ 18ky AP double deployant clasp; Automatic mvmt; Serial C54966.

LOT 265- Jaeger-LeCoultre

Gents st.steel Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatch; Master Control Collection, Master Geographic model (discontinued); 38mm round case; silver dial, day at 3/24 hour GMT at 6/power reserve at 10; polished bezel; brown crocodile band w/ deployant buckle; automatic mvmt; Case 142.8.92; Serial No 1401

All pictures and lot information from Gaston and Sheehan.  I would also note that the auction is being conducted by Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers on behalf of the U.S. Marshal’s service (not Antiquorum), and I could not yet confirm if all the watches listed are Madoff’s or if other lots are also included (will let you know if not the case).

If you happen to go to the auction, would love to hear your thoughts.

The King of Watch Brands

Did you know that of the Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, Rolex is the only brand that is solely dedicated to luxury watchmaking?  According to BusinessWeek magazine, publisher of this annual ranking  for many many years now, the total brand value of Rolex is $4.6 Billion, down just slightly from its 2008 assessed brand value of $4.9 billion.  This puts Rolex at #68, up 3 spots vs. last year (#71).

As noted, Rolex is the only brand solely dedicated to luxury watches on the list.  Other brands that make some nice watches but are primarily focused on lother luxury goods are also on the list, including:

• Louis Vuitton – #16, Brand value $21 billion
• Gucci – #41, Brand Value $8.2 billion
• Chanel – #59, Brand Value $6.0 billion
• Hermes – #60, Brand Value $4.6 billion
• Tiffany & Co – #76, Brand Value $4.0 billion
• Cartier – #77,  Brand Value $4.0 billion
• Burberry – #98, Brand Value $ 3.1 billion
• Polo Ralph Lauren – #99, Brand Value $3.1 billion

You can check out the entire “100 Best Global Brands” on BusinessWeek’s website by clicking here.

It is always an interesting list to review!

Perpetuelle.com Moderator James Bond recently attended a splendid “Get Together” (or “GTG” as the hard core watch enthusiasts refer to them) in Boston, MA.  The watches in attendance at this GTG were phenomenal and I wish I could have been there to enjoy them (I’m sure the people were nice, too).  In addition to a beautiful Rolex Red Daytona, the lineup of vintage watches was amazing.  I am sharing a couple teasers below, but you’ll need to click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.  Partial Listing of Watches in attendance include: Rolex “Red Daytona”, Vintage Ulysse Nardin, Vintage Omega Seamster 300, Vintage IWC, Pink dial Minerva, Omega Seamaster Broad Arrow, Chopard, Breguet Type XX, Omega SMP, (Vincent?) Calabrese.

Thanks for the great GTG report, James!

Rolex Red Daytona

Photo: James Bond

“Group Shot”

Photo: James Bond

Again, click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.