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Why we Love It:

Sophisticated, sleek and impressive, the Rolex GMT was designed for pilots: the world’s weariest travelers.

Origins: 

As the story goes, young American airmen returned from WWII to a grand reception. Pan AM employed many veterans. With post war technology advancing at lightning speeds, aviators began to fly passengers further distances. Flight time and services improved and air travel popularity boomed. As a result, these busy pilots experienced severe and frequent jet lag.  In the 1950s, Pan AM partnered with Rolex to create the first aviators watch to help remedy the issue.

The theory behind the Rolex GMT line is that if pilots had a way to track the time in a new location as well as back home, their perception of time would balance. Aviators were better able to tell when they needed to rest in order to maintain their circadian rhythms but also stay oriented with two or more separate locations.

Styles and Changes: 

Launched in 1954, the first GMT line featured similar technology to the Turn-O-Graph, with a few minor adjustments to details and refined designs. The 6542 featured a beveled edge incandescent insert made from Bakelite. This timepiece graced the wrist of James Bond in early classic films.

The updated 1675 GMT Model was introduced in 1959 and included many of the original features, with newly added crown guards and altered GMT hand. This type was popular with pilots until the late 1960s. The earliest 1675 series watches were decorated with a pointed

Why we love it:

Prestigious, understated, elegant yet eye-catching, the Rolex Daytona is the Cadillac of men’s watches. With a deep and rich history dating back to Paul Newman’s heyday, every watch collector, businessmen and celebrity wants this piece. Due to its collectability and price tag, the Daytona is a hallmark of success. Self-made millionaires wear this piece as a proud testament to their hard work, ambition and attainment. Undoubtedly, it’s a subtle yet strong statement piece and an excellent investment.

Origins:

The Swiss watch maker Rolex is the world renowned creator of luxury watches. The Rolex Daytona line has been in existence since the 1960s, and found marketing fame through the likes of celebrity Raul Newman and is associated with elite racing. Rolex has been a sponsor of the Rolex 24 at the Daytona races, and this design line’s name was derived from the iconic Florida speedway races.

The Daytona line is highly sought after because it is rare, with time pieces from the early 1990s bought at premium rates by collectors worldwide. For nearly 50 years, this find line by Rolex has been cited for its superb craftsmanship, quality and design.

Styles and Changes: 

The 3 styles of the Daytona Rolex are quite unique to the industry. It is the only chronograph (self-winding) timepiece produced by Rolex and is arguably its most balanced watch stylistically. The supple yet strong wrist band and oyster clasp are designed with comfort in mind. Wearers often comment that it feels like an

Rolex, the premier name in luxury timepieces, began as the Wilsdorf and Davis company. This company was developed in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis, Wilsdorf’s brother-in-law. The company, which was founded in London, initially focused on importing Swiss movements by Hermann Aegler and then setting them into watch cases produced by famed maker Dennison as well as other companies. Once completed, these watches were sold to independent jewelers who would mark the dial with their own name. The only mark indicating the watch was created by Wilsdorf and Davis was a notation of “W&D” on the inside of the case back.

Three years after the inception of the Wilsdorf and Davis company, Hans Wilsdorf opened an office in Switzerland and put in a trademark for the name “Rolex”. The official company name was not registered as such until November of 1915. The origin of the unique name is just as intriguing as the sound itself. All sources confirm that the name was entirely made up, conjured by Wilsdorf as the name of the luxury watch brand he envisioned. Some believe that it is a contraction of either the English phrase “horological excellence” or the French phrase “horlogerie exquise”.  As these phrases refer to excellence in clockworks, it makes sense that these phrases would eventually evolve into the name for the world’s most revered wristwatch brand.

According to Wilsdorf, he sought out a name for his company that would be easy to pronounce regardless of the language being spoken.

Rolex is a brand known for developing innovative luxury wristwatches. This brand is considered by many to be the ultimate of status symbols, with many people choosing a Rolex watch as a gift or splurge purchase to indicate they have “made it”. Beyond the luxurious components and high quality craftsmanship of these watches, many appreciate the company for the functionality and reliability offered by their watches. The Rolex Submariner is a premier example of this innovation.

This line of watches is referred to as the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner. These
watches were specifically designed for divers and are admired for their incredible resistance to both water and pressure. Technically a subgenre of the Oyster Perpetual line, the first Submariner was produced in 1953. It was introduced into the market the next year at the Swiss Watch Fair and was immediately received as an instant classic.

Two Submariner models were put into production in 1953. Though given distinct case reference numbers, 6204 and 6205, the two models are essentially the same, with only very minor differences nearly undetectable by those not specifically looking for them. In fact, despite the chronological order of the reference numbers, it is actually not known which model was the original production model.

Those familiar with the modern incarnation of the Submariner will note obvious differences between the Submariner wristwatches of today and the original models. For instance, the hands of the generations of watches are very different. Though today’s Submariners are characterized by cathedral hands, also

Rolex is the single most recognizable name in the world when it comes to luxury timepieces. Developed over the course of decades, this reputation for timeless beauty, elegance and luxury has now spanned more than a decade and continues to expand as many perceive ownership of a certified Rolex watch as the ultimate mark of achieving financial and social success.

The value of a Rolex goes well beyond its precious metals and stones, unparalleled craftsmanship, exquisite detailing and innovative function. Much of the perceived value of a Rolex watch is due to the history and cultural significance of this brand of timepiece. Rolexes have been presented to and worn by some of the most powerful and influential figures in the world throughout the history of the brand. From the mysterious presentation of the 100,000^th certified timepiece to an illustrious gentleman spoken of by the president of the company as “one of the greatest” men of the time who has never been officially identified, but rumored to be Winston Churchill, to the offering of a special Thunderbird model to Air Force pilots coming home from combat in the mid-50s, to special designs being innovated for incredible feats such as breaking the sound barrier and climbing Mount Everest, Rolex has been at the forefront of some of the most incredible cultural and social events in recent history.

One of the most meaningful links to US history, however, is the tradition of offering a Rolex Day-Date to each new President as he

In 1945, for the company’s 40^th anniversary, Rolex launched a new luxury wristwatch model, the Datejust. The Datejust was built on the same basic platform as the Bubbleback, but with modifications to style and function that quickly earned the watch the position of premium Rolex watch, a position that it held for 11 years. Marked my elegant beauty and timeless style, the Datejust also has a past veiled in a bit of mystery. Two years after its official launch, the brand celebrated its 100,000^th officially certified chronometer. This 1947 achieved was marked by Hans Wilsdorf presenting that specific Datejust to a gentleman Wilsdorf spoke of as being “one of the greatest figures of our time”. Despite this meaningful presentation, the actual identity of this illustrious gentleman is still unknown.

Referred to officially as the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust, when this timepiece was released it was the first wristwatch to feature a date function. The date wheel was positioned at the 3 o’clock position and originally featured numbers in alternating red and black. This wristwatch is officially certified and features a self-winding chronometer construction.

One of the major modifications to the design of the wristwatch when developing the Datejust was that the watch featured a coin-edged bezel, meaning the bezel featured notches along the perimeter as are seen on the majority of coins. This design would later evolve into the fluted bezel that is common on luxury wristwatches today. The original Datejust model was released with a 36mm bezel

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If you don’t know who Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are, you should since they were the first climbers on record to reach the summit of Mount Everest.  So what does that have to do with Rolex?  Well they just so happened to both be wearing Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometers which later inspired the Rolex Explorer watch line.

Hilary and Tenzing were even recognized for their achievement with a limited collection of Rolex Explorers which paid tribute to them.  They were honored across the world for their brave accomplishment including recognition by TIME Magazine as two of the 100 Most Influential People.

If the Rolex Explorer can survive the brutal elements faced when climbing the most intimidating mountain in the world, imagine what it can do for you?  Browse the GoldWatchCo.com selection of Rolex Explorers.