1. A Look at Perhaps the Most Expensive Rolex Ever, Once Owned by the Last Emperor of Vietnam
The particular Rolex that you see here will go under the hammer in the middle of May 2017. And when it does, it could very well be the most expensive Rolex watch ever. What you are looking at is a Rolex reference 6062. A couple of things make it so sought after. The first is that it was once owned by the last Emperor of Vietnam, Emperor Bảo Đại. Not only did he own it, he wore it frequently too. It is also one of only three known Rolex reference 6062 with a diamond-set dial. In addition, it is the only one with gemstone markers for the even hours, making it even more special. Experts believe this watch will sell for above 2.4 million Swiss francs, which will make it the most expensive Rolex ever. Take a good look at it here.
Source: Watches by SJX
2. Baselworld 2017 Round Table: What We Liked And What We Didn’t Like
Now that the dust has settled and everyone has overcome the initial hype and adrenaline of Baselworld, it is time to take a considered look back at the watches that were released this year. In this article, the folks at Quill & Pad share their thoughts on what they saw at this year’s show. If you only have time to read one Baselworld round-up article, this is the one to read. Apart from ours, of course!
Source: Quill and Pad
3. Jason Heaton picks his five favorite dive watches
Like most readers of this site, I love myself a good dive watch. I love that they are built to withstand the elements and that most of them are handsome and versatile enough to go from the beach to the boardroom. If you love dive watches as much as I do, then this list of dive watches is not to be missed. The reason is that Jason not only writes about watches, but he is an accomplished diver as well. And he often puts dive watches through their paces in real-life diving situations. These are his five favorite dive watches.
Source: Revolution
4. Hands-On – Seiko Prospex Diver SLA017 – Recreation of the 1965 Seiko 62Mas ref. 6217
One of my favorite watches from this year’s Baselworld is the Seiko Prospex Diver SLA017, which is an homage to Seiko’s very first dive watch, the legendary 62Mas. Not to be mistaken as a one-for-one reissue, the new Prospex Diver SLA017 is best described as a “faithful recreation” of the 62Mas. It retains the case and dial design of the original but has been updated to be more appropriate for today’s tastes. It also has a highly domed sapphire crystal that adds to the watch’s vintage appeal. If I could only buy one dive watch this year, this would definitely be it.
Source: Monochrome
5. Remembrance of Watches Past
The watch industry as we know it now wasn’t always this way. According to one Mrs. Renaud, the Swiss watch industry used to be “all families, not corporations.” Now, that spirit is gone. Mrs. Renaud, who also happens to be the mother of master watchmaker Dominique Renaud, turns 89 this year and spent a good part of her life working on watches. Born in the Vallé de Joux, she worked at Jaeger-LeCoultre and later Vacheron Constantin fixing hairsprings into watches, and as she did so, she saw the watch industry change before her eyes. Join her in this article as she reminisces on the past.
Source: The New York Times
6. The History of The Rolex Sea-Dweller At A Glance
One of the most talked about watches at this year’s Baselworld has surely got to be the new 50th anniversary Rolex Sea-Dweller 126600. To Rolex purists, it is a contentious watch. The larger case size, the addition of the cyclops, and the red Sea-Dweller wording have garnered lots of chatter online. Nevertheless, this doesn’t detract from the fact that the Sea-Dweller is one of most iconic dive watches in history. This is the story of how the Sea-Dweller came to be.
Source: Perezcope