Measuring time with a rotating bezel is actually a lot easier than you might think. With a unidirectional bezel, you simply spin the bezel counterclockwise so that you can count elapsed time. The added assurance that the bezel can only move one way means that even if you do manage to knock it out of place, it will only ever appear as though you spent more time underwater, not less… Read More

Normally, a Rolex doesn’t need any sprucing up. After all, it’s a Rolex and speaks for itself. But what happens if you want to add a little pizzazz or make your watch a little more flexible for your everyday needs. One idea is a rubber strap. If you’re into water sports, swimming and diving or anywhere with rapidly changing temperatures, a rubber strap might be best for you. Or, like.. Read More

When looking at a watch, most people are drawn to the face. That’s where the intricate details are shown and, most importantly, where the time is. How often have you inspected the back of your watch before there’s a problem? Watches with screw backs Screw-off case backs will have a series of edges, grooves, or threads (like the edge of a dime) around the outside edge (see image below). Some.. Read More

If you were to think up what a watch looks like, there are certain basic features. Most watches are round with a band and two hands, one for the hour and one for the minute. Easy enough. If a person were drawing a rough draft of a watch, they might go a little more broad and add the dial. Where does that go? On most watches, it’s at the 3.. Read More

Some watch brands are so famous, they need no introduction. But do you know the stories behind some of the biggest watch companies in the world? This week, we’re breaking down some of the logos from around the world. Breguet Abraham Louis Breguet founded his eponymous brand in 1775 and is one of the most significant and influential watchmakers in history, having invented everything from the tourbillon to the style.. Read More

You might know some watches by their official names, but do you know their nicknames? Or vice-versa, you may only know a watch by its nickname and not the one given to it at the factory. Here are a few of the more famous nicknamed Rolex watches. Papa Smurf: A white-gold ref. 116619 Submariner launched in 2008 with powder-blue dial and bezel. This 2010 example is up for sale at.. Read More

Every Rolex tells a story, but some of their watches talk louder than others. And those often get a nickname — something used by collectors and fans as shorthand to let others know exactly what they’re talking about. Here are just some of the most notable and amusing Rolex nicknames used to describe the company’s rich history of watchmaking. Batman Some Rolex models don’t have a great reasoning for their naming… Read More

The winding crown on Rolex watches is made up of about 10 parts, and is screwed hermetically onto the watch case. This is how Rolex, for the first time in the history of watchmaking, created a waterproof winding crown — a secure interface between the protected, sealed world inside the watch and the harmful elements of the outside world. Even with a solid case and bullet-proof crystal, the Achilles’ heel.. Read More

Until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, men who needed to know the time and who had the money to afford a watch kept it in their pocket on a chain. Women, for some reason, were the trailblazers — Elizabeth I had a small clock she could strap to her arm. It is not true that wristwatches were invented specifically for World War I, but it is true that.. Read More

I am a huge fan of science fiction movies. As a kid growing up in the ’60s, I loved all of the “Monster” movies that were popular at that time. Some of my favorites were “Jason and the Argonauts” and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad.” One of the best monsters in those movies was the Cyclops. This fierce one-eyed beast has always been one of my favorites.  So naturally the idea.. Read More