The Rolex HT Explorer “Trio” is complete!  I first blogged about the *unofficial* Rolex Hillary Tenzing Explorer series when it was announced in September 2010 (see:  Rolex Hillary Tenzing Explorer Series), followed by a look in November when the first watch in the 3-watch set — a Rolex “Red” Explorer — was unveiled (see:  Rolex Hillary Tenzing Explorer Watch #1).  Now with the addition of an appropriately customized 2011 Rolex Explorer II (Ref 216570, black dial), the Rolex Hillary Tenzing Explorer set is complete.

As a reminder, just 88 sets are being produced — each set comes packed in a special handcrafted wooden crate as used during the 1953 British expedition in which Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to summit the might Mount Everest.  The crate has four drawers, each filled with custom-made items commemorating the successful Everest expedition — and of course the 3 Rolex Explorer watches!  I don’t know what availability looks like at this point, but I do see that http://www.hillarytenzingexplorer.com is still taking pre-orders.  The Rolex HT Explorer set costs about $40,000 (28.800 EUR) — probably well worth the investment if you Rolex blood runs through your veins.

Rolex HT Explorer Watches

Special “crate” the watches and custom accessories come packaged in:

Upper Left – HTE 36mm commemorating the first ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay

Upper Right – HTE 39mm commemorating “first and second generation” explorers to the top (Sir Edmund Hillary and Peter Hillary)

Bottom – HTE 42mm commemorating the two sons (Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay) of the original summiteers

Oh, by the way — set # 88/88 recently sold at auction for $104,568 (proceeds to the Hillary Tenzing Family Foundations) – so $40,000 is perhaps not as much as it seems for this very cool set!

a look at the special caseback:

custom cordovan leather straps included with the HTE set:

But is it truly a million dollar Rolex?

Hi everyone, hope you all are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend.  Just wanted to close the loop on my earlier post about the Rolex Split-Second Chronograph (Ref. 4113) that recently went up for auction by Christie’s auction house.  As discussed, there was much speculation whether this would be the first “million dollar Rolex”, and yes indeed the record setting Rolex wristwatch sold for $1,163,340.  But let me be a bit of a spoiler and note that this price included the buyer’s premium (the fee the Buyer pays to the auction house) of roughly $206,000 (~21.5%).   The actual hammer price was $956,750 — just shy of the $1 million mark.  Either way, this is the all-time high price paid for any Rolex at auction.  Here’s a close-up look at the record setting Rolex Ref. 4113:

Lot Description:  Rolex. An extraordinarily rare, oversized stainless steel split seconds chronograph wristwatch Signed Rolex, Chronographe, Antimagnetique, ref. 4113, case no. 051318, manufactured in 1942 Cal. Valjoux 55 VBR 17 2/3”’ nickel-finished lever movement, 17 jewels, silvered matte dial, applied pink gold Arabic and baton numerals, outer minute divisions, blue telemetre and black tachymetre scales, two subsidiary dials for constant seconds and 30 minutes register, oversized circular case, fluted lugs, snap on back, split seconds chronograph mechanism operated through two rectangular chronograph buttons in the band and one round chronograph button in the crown, case, dial and movement signed; 44 mm. diam.

If you want to see how the record setting Rolex sale went down, here is the 3 minute “action-packed” auction in its entirety:

[this video temporarily removed]

Actually it is quite boring, right?  But if you’ve never seen a watch auction before, now you know!

May 4, 2011, Geneva – Rolex Group reported yesterday that Gian Riccardo Marini has been appointed CEO.  Marini was previously head of Rolex Italy since 2000.  He replaces Bruno Meier, who has held the CEO title since 2008.  via:  Elizabeth Doerr/Worltempus.

From my point of view, this is an interesting development because it marks the second CEO of the world’s most famous watch brand in just 3 years.  Prior to 2008, Patrik Heiniger was the CEO — his surprise  resignation in 2008 ended almost a half century of leadership under the Heiniger family.  Such high turnover is usually not a good sign – but because Rolex is privately held and highly secretive, I have no information to support such a hypothesis.

Rolex CEO Gian Marini

The Grail Among Grails?

Hodinkee calls the Rolex Reference 4113 “the rarest, most valuable reference of Rolex on earth…the grail among grails for chasers of the crown”  and wonders aloud if the specimen you see below could soon be the first Rolex to sell for more than $1 million at auction.  Christies, who will put the hammer down on a Rolex Ref 4113 bearing case no. 051318 (Lot 129 of the May 16, 2011 Geneva Auction), states that “Recent research reveals and confirms that indeed only twelve examples of this outstanding chronograph were ever made by Rolex.  All cased in steel and finished in 1942, they carry individual case numbers ranging from 051313 to 051324.”   Further research indicates that just eight of the twelve Rolex References 4113 are known to have survived, and of these eight, only five have ever been offered at auction.  Seems the twelve Ref 4113′s were exclusive gifts to famous race drivers and team owners during the early 1940s, thus their obscurity (see Lot Notes, below). Indeed this is a legendary watch if there ever was one!  Stay tuned for a post-sale update on May 16. 

Rolex Ref. 4113 Split Seconds Chronograph

44mm steel case (No. 051318), circa 1942

More Lot Notes, via Christies:

Besides its rarity, Rolex’s one and only ever produced split seconds chronograph wristwatch is also impressing with its unique case shape and size. With a substantial diameter of 44 mm, reference 4113 surpasses all other Rolex chronographs by at least half a centimetre in size. Furthermore, its case design is unique in the family of Rolex chronographs with a bezel as thin as technically possible, allowing a dial size nearly as big as the entire case. The result is an impressive level of legibility which is, eventually, to the benefit of the user friendliness.

The history of reference 4113 has always been the subject of speculation and legends. In fact, since this model was never publicly available and never illustrated or mentioned in Rolex’s advertisements from the period, all knowledge of its origins was based on hearsay and auction catalogue entries following the seller’s descriptions. Interestingly, there is a clear pattern throughout all those examples known and they all lead to the world of car racing. The vast majority of reference 4113 which have returned to the market during the last thirty years was linked to Sicily, home of the famous “Giro Automobilistico di Sicilia”, with its 11,000 bands at the time the longest closed circuit race in Europe.

As a matter of fact it is thanks to Rolex chronograph 051313, sold at Christie’s Geneva on 15 May 1991 (lot 348) which was then consigned by a family member of the renowned driver Stefano La Motta, Barone di Salinella (1920-1951). The auction catalogue of the time also showed La Motta wearing his beloved split seconds chronograph.

Besides the Sicilian connection it is only England where references 4113 resurfaced. In fact, the example offered here for sale, no. 051318, was first auctioned at Christie’s London (2 October 1991, lot 361) when the seller was the widow of a gentleman working for a racing team. Interestingly, Rolex was closely associated to motor sports already as early as the 1930s and most notably sponsoring Sir Malcolm Campbell, who, with a Rolex on his wrist, set the world land speed record and entered history by exceeding 484 kilometres or 300 miles per hour in his famous “Bluebird”.

All research and conversations with family members of the original owners lead to the conclusion that these twelve watches were exclusive gifts to famous race drivers and team owners during the early 1940s. This fact further enhances the exclusivity and myth surrounding this ultimate model.

Without exaggeration, reference 4113 is broadly accepted to be the most desirable and by far most valuable model in the universe of Rolex watches. Any serious collector cannot help but desiring one and those happy few who can call one their own will likely part with most of their collection before considering the sale of their trophy, the legendary reference 4113.

Examples of reference 4113 are prominently described and illustrated in I Cronografi Rolex – La Leggenda, Pucci Papaleo Editore, pp. 144 & 145, in 100 Superlative Rolex Watches by John Goldberger, pp. 62 & 63, in Rolex Collecting Wristwatches, Mondani Editore, pp. 416 & 417, and in Chronograph Wristwatches to Stop Time by Gerd-R. Lang and Reinhard Meis, p. 174, pl. 323.

Rolex 216570. Rolex 216570. Rolex 216570….

Just a quick post to set the record straight — and correct my dopey self — the new orange hand Rolex Explorer II is Ref 216570, not Ref 216670 as I erroneously stated in a couple of my earlier posts (since updated).  One note to add – as of this time, the Rolex 216570 price has not been set but it will be based off the Swiss MSRP of $7400 — so you have a ballpark range to start saving for!

• Rolex 216570 Orange Hand Explorer II,
• Rolex 216570 Live Pics,
• 2011 Rolex Collection,
• New Rolex Explorer II Orange Hand

As an aside, if the Rolex Ref 216670 becomes mysterious and/or famous, you’ll know it was me

The new Rolex Yachtmaster II (Ref 116681) you see here is the third and last noteworthy new Rolex for 2011.  Rolex lover’s can welcome this model as the first Professional watch in the Oyster collection to be available in Everose Rolesor– Rolex’s proprietary combination of its own 904L steel and Everose gold.  The look of the new Rolex 166681 is praise-worthy — the colors and contrasts are crisp & clean — in a word, SHARP!  First launched in 2007, the Yacht-Master II is most distinguishable for its exclusive “Ring Command” bezel which commands the regatta countdown programming.

Rolex 116681 Yachmaster II

44mm polished Everose Rolesor case,  bidirectional 90° rotatable “Ring Command” bezel in Everose gold with blue Cerachrom insert featuring pink gold numerals, 100m water resistance, Rolex Caliber 4160 Chronograph movement with column wheel and vertical clutch (COSC),

The watch comes on a matching Oyster bracelet with three-piece solid links polished in the center, satin-finished for the outer links and
polished edges (Bracelet Ref 78211) for all.

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Thought you might like a couple live looks at the new Rolex 216570 orange hand Explorer II.  You can see my original post on the Rolex 216570 (lots of pics) HERE.  You can see the entire 2011 Rolex lineup HERE.   As an aside, if you have a Rolex you want to sell, please jump over and check out our new pre-owned marketplace, the watchXchange, which offers Guaranteed Authenticity and Payment protection for Buyers and Sellers.  Enjoy!

2011 Orange Hand Rolex Explorer (Ref 216570)

42mm 904L stainless steel case, fixed bezel, cyclops lens over date, 100 meter water resistance, Rolex Caliber 3187 (COSC)

Credit for pics -  R-L-X Forums.

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Can’t say that I’m a fan of this new Rolex Daytona Ref. 116516LN, but it has a few interesting aspects  that Rolex die-hards may desire more than I seem to.     Launched in 1963, the Rolex Daytona is broadly linked to speed and automobile sport.  The new Ref 116516 shows off a monobloc black CERACHROM bezel and is powered by Rolex’s Caliber 4130.  Cerachrom is a Rolex innovation — an advanced ceramic virtually impervious to scratches, corrosion-resistant and non-fading.  Rolex indicates that the black bezel on the 116516 is reminiscent of that of the 1965 Daytona model.   The COSC calibre 4130, introduced in 2000, is a column wheel chronograph with vertical clutch, entirely designed and manufactured by Rolex.  The watch is also available with an ivory-colored dial with gold hour markers, but Rolex has not yet released photos of this particular variation.  You can read the Official Rolex Press Release HERE>>>

Rolex Daytona Ref. 116516LN

40mm EVEROSE gold Rolex Oyster case, chocolate brown or ivory coloured dial with gold
hour markers; black alligator strap with matching gold folding clasp

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Here it is Watch Fans, the new Rolex 216670 216570 aka the orange handed Rolex Explorer II.  Everything about this watch is spot on, at least for an armchair Rolex guy like myself. The Rolex 216570 Explorer II marks the 40th anniversary of the original Explorer II.  The case is enlarged to 42mm and houses the NEW Rolex caliber 3187 which is entirely designed and manufactured by Rolex.  The Caliber 3187 includes recent Rolex innovations such as Paraflex shock absorbers and parachrom hairspring. The bracelet (77210) features a new Oysterlock clasp with safety catch and Easylink extension link.  On the dial, the 24-hour hand has returned and the orange colour of the original 1971 model.  The luminescent hour and minute hands are broader and more legible, and, on the black-dial version, their black base blends with the black dial to create a “phantom effect”.

Update: Live pics added, here.

Rolex 216570 Orange Hand Explorer II

42mm 904L stainless steel case, fixed bezel, cyclops lens over date, 100 meter water resistance, Rolex Caliber 3187 (COSC)

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Presenting the new 2011 Orange Hand Rolex Explorer II.  Available in black of white dial.  Full details coming, but it is safe to say now that this is about as big as it gets in terms of a new product announcement!

Rolex Explorer II Orange Hand White Dial

Rolex Explorer II Orange Hand Black Dial

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