The Pepsi challenge: 5 alternatives to the Rolex GMT-Master II at a range of prices
As we have touched on before in our story here, the Rolex GMT-Master II Ref.126710 BLRO does actually live up to the hype. And while I would love to have one in my own watchbox, the two major hurdles of availability and cost can feel rather insurmountable. So how about the alternatives? Yes, there are some very good ones out there with their own takes on what is practically a separate watch genre. So let’s pop open a few different looking cans of Pepsi and have a taste of the sweet stuff with some fresh alternatives to the GMT-Master II. The original You might find it hyped, ubiquitous and topped by a prohibitively long waiting list. But still, the GMT-Master II Ref.126710 BLRO is for many a proper grail watch and epitomises the Crown’s catalogue of sports watches. Within the confines of a sleek, comfortable 40mm case in the warmth of 904L steel alloy, the comfort is sublime. It will take you all of five seconds with it on your wrist to appreciate Rolex’s unique brand of horological evolution. This story, however, is about finding an alternative to this, no matter how (very, very) comfortable it sits on your wrist,…
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First impressions: a stealth black UFO. perhaps? And then a red pulsating zig-zag that I feel like illustrating with a comic book “ZAP!”. This is my introduction to the Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Skeleton. Fresh from being inspired by the vintage purity of the Intra-Matic chronograph we recently covered here, I was not expecting this dark futuristic visage from the Hamilton brand. Anyone conversant with watches past a certain age instantly equates the Hamilton Ventura with Elvis Presley. This, however is not a vintage reissue of his quirky triangular wristwatch from 1957 that was the first-ever battery-powered watch. Pretty damn far from it, in fact. The Elvis Aaron Presley wearing this was not born in the US of A, but in a parallel universe, on The Death Star. Yes, this is the watch worn by Elvis the Sith Lord, a wristworn dynamic sweep of a soft alien shape – no easy circles or rectangles here, son. In order to wrap your head around it and make sense of it, you have to consider the visual references of ’50s American design. Because the basic shape, one suspects, is informed by that world of chrome tailfins and UFO-shaped diners. Theorising aside, it’s a…
Wearing a Rolex will invariably attract attention. Bragging rights aside, owning a Rolex comes with a host of benefits: they can make a great impression with your in-laws, they are built to last for a very long time, they hold their value better than most luxury commodities and, of course, they tell the time unusually well. Alas where there are pros, cons are often around the corner and this proved to be the case quite literally for three unsuspecting Rolex owners in the UK. Such is Rolex’s reputation and street value, they attract cons; a flash of a Rolex, however unintentional, will alert beady-eyed criminals. It’s one thing to assume that owning an expensive watch involves getting contents insurance and a half-decent safe. But enrolling in a self-defence course, really? Sadly, the dark side of the world does exist. We’ve heard about celebrities’ mansions being targeted for robberies and ultra expensive watches attracting criminal attention. But attacks in broad daylight? Hit and runs by gangs with the sole intention of stealing someone’s watch? That’s some dark shithousery, but these things are happening – in the sleepy Norfolk town of Hingham of all places, a two and half hour drive from…
“My name is Thor, and I am a strapaholic.” It’s only a matter of time before I get pulled into some kind of intervention with friends, family and a psychiatrist. I’m surely not the only watch lover who likes to swap my watch straps on a regular basis. But many brands seem to be stuck in the strap-tech stone-age and still rely on the fiddly spring bar that hardly offers a user-friendly way to change straps. What if we coul just click’em all off and on at our leisure, changing a strap to match up that outfit in 10 seconds flat? Thankfully this vision of the future is, in fact, already upon us with some forward-thinking brands leading the way. Now excuse me while I crawl under the sofa to find that missing spring bar… Omega Seamaster Diver 300m Americas Cup Chronograph For those of you that think the standard Seamaster Diver 300M is a tad vanilla-flavoured, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph offers a brand new look in a fresh oceanic blue pepped up by flashes of red, notably for the countdown indicator at 3 o’clock. The watch introduces a slew of new upgrades we can only…
Deepfakes are a phenomenon only a few years old, but already have governments around the world very worried. In essence, a deepfake is a fake video generated by a type of artificial intelligence called deep learning, which then creates a realistic impression of someone. Just think Photoshop in the 21st century with a slight Twilight Zone edge. You might have seen Jon Snow apologise for the terrible final episode of Game of Thrones back in 2019 and thought only an idiot would believe what they saw, but deep fakes have only got better and better since then. Last month a TikTok account @deeptomcruise was created that published deepfake videos of Tom Cruise doing amusing magic tricks and tripping over himself, which was impressive viewing just to see how good deepfake technology has become over the last few years. But if you look closer you see that Tom is wearing some very nice watches. Not just any watches, but the watches of someone who is seriously into watches. So who is this deepfake Tom Cruise with such good taste in watches? In the most recent video, the actor was pretty clearly wearing a Grand Seiko SBGY003, which was released in 2019…
I’ve said it many times, but I will say it again: blue was absolutely the colour of 2020. With such saturation of the dial colour, manufacturers really had to explore varying shades of blue to have their products stand out in the marketplace. Fast-forward to 2021 and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Diamond Set collection introduces a duo of light blue dialled references alongside a familiar black toned dial configuration – all of which are cased in precious metal and set with diamonds. As Jumbo models, each of the precious metal cases are 39mm in diameter and a sporty slender 8.1mm thick. On the front facing elements of the watch, where you would typically find brushed surfaces on the case and bracelet you are instead greeted with masterfully set diamonds all throughout its externals. Each watch is set with 1,102 brilliant-cut diamonds (〜7.09 carats), and each will likely become major candidates for celebrity watch collections. While almost all of its surface area is dedicated to diamonds, the 2021 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Diamond Set collection still boasts the renowned polished bevels to the shoulders of the tapering bracelet links, eight polished facets of the octagonal bezel, brushed…
