What Sealed The Deal – Peter's Rolex Explorer II Ref. 216570, "when I got it there wasn't a huge amount of demand"
The Explorer II often does the rounds at the top of ‘the most underrated Rolex model’ list, and it’s not difficult to see why. In addition to many of the attractive hallmarks of steel sports Rolex models, it also has just a dash more personality – is it the pop of orange that catches your eye? The bezel? Or in this case the almost luminous white dial? Peter counts the ways he loves this model, and explains what sealed the deal for him. When did you first see/hear about it? I’ve always been a fan of the Rolex Explorer II, and for the longest time I was ready to pull the trigger on this watch’s predecessor, the Ref.16570 … that is, until I tried it on. Once I did, I quickly realised that for my larger wrists, the 40mm case was perhaps a tad on the small side. So, I decided against the Explorer and instead went about shoring up my collection with other timepieces that didn’t bear the “Big Crown”. Fast forward to 2011, and the current Ref.216570 was unveiled at Baselworld, and as soon as I read that the dimensions had swelled to 42mm, I knew I had to…
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If you haven’t yet read Part I, find the full article right here. This year, to mark its 60th anniversary, Grand Seiko has introduced two new movements, representing each of the brand’s two pillars: Calibre 9RA5 is a Spring Drive movement while Calibre 9SA5 is a traditional mechanical movement. These are entirely new movements, with every element developed and produced in-house and designed to last for decades as the foundation for a whole new generation of watches. To understand their place in the Grand Seiko story, let’s look at the genesis of each in turn. In Part I we traced the genesis of Calibre 9SA5, and here we look at the evolution of Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive movements, culminating in this year’s new calibre. To understand the sequence of movement launches better, it’s worth noting that Calibre numbers don’t follow chronological order: for example, the first 2004 Spring Drive movement, Calibre 9R65, preceded Calibre 9R01 by 12 years. What is Spring Drive? Unique in watchmaking, the Spring Drive system merges the polarised worlds of electronic movements (powered by a quartz battery) and their mechanical counterparts (where the mainspring provides an autonomous power source). In the late 1970s, a Seiko engineer, Yoshikazu…
Kayaking isn’t the sport that immediately comes to mind when you think of DOXA, given that your DOXA is most comfortable hundreds of metres under the water, not necessarily on a narrow boat above the water. But that is exactly where fellow watch writer Sophie Furley from Watchonista took two different DOXA models on quite a cold looking adventure recently, paddling out over Lake Brienz in Switzerland. On the wrists were the DOXA SUB 200 with the turquoise dial, as well as the classic DOXA orange dial SUB 200 T.GRAPH, which represent the diversity of options within the current DOXA lineup. While it wasn’t the sort of activity that Sophie had experience in, the kayaking proved to be enjoyable, with the turquoise dial of the DOXA SUB 200 perfectly complementing the milky blue glacier-fed lake water they sat atop. Likewise, the SUB 200 T.GRAPH fitted into the activity seamlessly, offering an option to track the time since they left the lake’s shore, and delivering a pop of orange that matched one of their kayaks. For a full account of the DOXA-timed journey across the lake, find the Watchonista article right here.
It’s a pretty big deal for any watch company to launch an entirely new movement – let alone two new movements at once. But this is what Grand Seiko has done to mark its 60th anniversary. The choice of year is significant: in Western culture, a 60th is not considered particularly special (half and quarter centuries are more celebrated), but in Japan, where the zodiac calendar is based on a 60-year cycle, it is hugely significant. A 60th anniversary signals renewal, revitalisation and rebirth. So, beyond encapsulating the expertise accumulated by Grand Seiko over the past 60 years, these two new movements are a strong statement of intent. They represent each of Grand Seiko’s two pillars: Calibre 9SA5 is a traditional mechanical movement, while Calibre 9RA5 is a Spring Drive movement. These are entirely new movements, with every element developed and produced in-house and designed to last for decades as the foundation for a whole new generation of watches. To understand their place in the Grand Seiko story, let’s look at the genesis of each in turn. As a reminder, when Grand Seiko was created in 1960 – Genzo Kintaro, the founder’s eldest son was Chairman of Seiko, and Shoji…
This week in Great ‘Grams I wanted to focus on the more lighthearted side of the hobby, and probably the initial reason many of us became interested in horology — it’s fun. It’s fun to learn about a totally new version of a watch you thought you were familiar with, and it’s fun to ooh and aah at a gem-set masterpiece because for some reason even though you might never own it, there is a part of you that is glad it exists. It’s also a lot of fun to meet other passionate people through this hobby: the founders of brands who are working hard to bring something new and exciting to collectors, the retailers who have a smile on their face as they share something you didn’t know before, or the fellow collectors who share their passion with you over a beer after work. So while around the world there is a pervasive mood of fear, confusion and uncertainty, let’s take a moment to focus on the fun of this wonderfully deep rabbit-hole of a hobby. And remember that if we do bump into a brand founder, retailer or fellow enthusiast, it’s best to follow Price Charles’ lead by bowing…
