Monday 22 April 2013

Tag Heuer Grand Carrera - Serial No. 007348, Limited Edition 0899/1000 (Model : CAV5185.FT6020)

My Seiko Monster-Ducati accompanied me during my current Bali holiday.

I am taking a well-deserved holiday at a beautiful hotel in Bali at the moment. After a nice dinner with my parents, wife and kid earlier the night, I whipped out my Dell XPS 12 and decided to surf for just a bit accompanied by a bottle of Bintang.

 
 
 

Imagine my excitement when I came across an advert for the above watch advertised by a seller named Assamarqandi Lee (mobile no : 016-266 9586), whom stated that he had a BNIB Tag Heuer model no. CAV5185.FT6020 that he was willing to sell at RM5,000 as he needed to utilise cash immediately.


Readers would know that I have a soft spot for the Carrera series, what's more for the Grand Carrera series. I knew that such a watch would cost USD10,500.00 from the AD; so I would have to quickly verify on the genuity of the watch to make an immediate offer. Watches like this generally don't stay long at such daylight robbery prices!

Well, when things sound too good to be true, there's often a catch somewhere- after all, how often is there a real free lunch?

There are many replica watches in the market- but these would normally sell at sub-RM1,000 for a brand new copy. However, sellers wouldn't dare claim that these are genuine pieces least that the arms of law catch up with them sometime soon for copyright infringement and false representation.

So, would this advert be the real deal or just someone trying to pull a fast one on unsuspecting potential buyers?

I quickly contacted the seller to verify if it's the genuine article. He was somewhat pervasive, informing me that the watch was an AP set, which upon my further inquiry on what it meant; explained that AP watches were like AP mobile phones ie "not replica... engine and body... original part... both are same but different factory".


 


I found the explanations wanting, and decided to research on replica sets for the same type of Grand Carrera on the Net. Well, firstly, I found that you could order for such replicas at less than RM500 after currency conversion from overseas replica sites. Secondly, I found the exact same serial no and limited edition no from other sellers- only difference was that the sellers identified the watch as a replica and the prices were nowhere near what the Mudah seller was trying to sell.


I'll give the benefit of doubt to this seller that he could be unwittingly peddling a counterfeit Tag Heuer Grand Carrera for a genuine article; but if he did indeed know that he was intentionally trying to sell off such a counterfeit article at a price much, much higher than a replica's in order to mask its status, then the long arms of the law should be in motion to protect the consumers.

Friday 19 April 2013

Why the only other current Rolex worth buying is the mighty Explorer II?

The Prodigal Guide

So there it is: The Rolex Explorer is the only model in the entire current Rolex line-up we’d slap our hard earned cash (um, make that credit) for.

Except it isn’t. There is another and what a surprise that it turns out to be its younger brother: the Explorer II.
There’s never been a better pair of siblings in the history of watches, we believe. While one carries the great heritage and history of having scaled the highest peaks, the other can lay claim to being the best-looking 40mm sports piece Rolex still makes. And much of that is down to that fantastic stainless bezel and its pairing with the GMT function/dial. And the choice of black or white dials…

You see, the black bezels of the Submariner and Sea Dweller are ubiquitous. You’d recognise them from a mile away as you sought a more interesting place to rest your eyes. Now, the  Coke/Pepsi-coloured bezels of the former GMT Master II were playful, noticeable and equally anchored in history. More discerning enthusiasts would give a wink and a nod and you would then decide if they were hitting on you, or admiring your timepiece.

But the Explorer II dropped all that colour nonsense and simply said: stainless does it better. And by God do we agree. The contrast of the dark numerals against the brushed elegant bezel has us quivering while the single splash of red courtesy of the 24-hour hand provides all the contrast we could ever ask for. Once again, it’s all about these subtle tensions that the club-wielding Rolex designers of today just don’t get. Less is more.

The icing on the cake is the choice of a broody, evening black dial, or the bright effervescence of a do-it-all white dial. True, the cream-dialed Explorer IIs are the one to really go for (and I intend to have mine before the year is out), but we’ve rarely seen a white-faced sports watch burn so brightly, and so rightly.
Some of you may be aware that a Rolex publicity film was recently seen on the Internet (just before Basel) featuring a glimpse of the “new” Rolex Explorer II with orange hands, in a nod to the Steve McQueen 1655 model of the past. We understand this was eventually pulled, leaving us guessing that the current Explorer II is about to be bastardized like every model in the line-up in order to celebrate the 40 anniversary of the Explorer II in 2011. Observing the Maxi hands and dial and the rather silly looking 24-hour hand we already shed a tear for the current model.

Buy the Explorer and Explorer II while you can, folks. It’s impossible to tell when such a tremendous, classic pairing of watches will ever appear on the market again.
 
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BIG
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Rolex Explorer II – The 40-Year Evolution Of An Understatement

Fratello Watches

We thought it would be time to compare the new Rolex Explorer II Ref. 216570 to the much sought-after vintage Explorer II ‘Freccione’ or ‘Steve McQueen’. The Explorer II has always been a watch that sat in the shadow of the GMT-Master and Submariner models. Undeserved in our humble opinion.

Rolex Explorer II – The 40 Year Evolution Of An Understatement

Is there much to compare? Is the new Explorer II a tribute to the ‘Freccione’ (orange hand) or is it a new watch that has been influenced by the very first Explorer II that was introduced in 1971, 40 years ago?

Let’s start with some history on the Explorer II. Introduced in 1971 as ref.1655, the watch was equipped with an orange hand to be used as a day/night indicator for those who professionally didn’t see daylight for a longer period of time. During those years, minor changes have been applied to the Explorer II ref.1655. In 1974, the seconds hand got an additional luminous dot and in 1975 Rolex suddenly decided to use red instead of orange paint for the 24-hour hand. Rolex used several different dials in those years as well. All minor changes, but very important for serious collectors these days.

Rolex Explorer II – The 40 Year Evolution Of An Understatement

The Explorer II had a 40mm case for 40 years and till the end of production of the 1655 reference, they used either a caliber 1570 or 1575 movement. Yes, indeed similar to the early ref.1675 GMT-Masters.
If you look at some of the old Explorer II watches, you will see that some of them have a 24-hour hand that appears to be yellow or all white. Both the original orange hand and the later red hand tend to discolor badly. Annoying when you were the first owner in the 1970s or early 1980s, a blessing for a lot of collectors now. As we mentioned earlier, this wasn’t a very popular watch back then. With almost all things that weren’t popular at first, the Explorer II became a collector’s object and expect to pay between 12.000 euro and 15.000 euro for a model in good condition.

On to the new version that was presented during this year’s BaselWorld, the Explorer II ref. 216570. Even though Rolex only performs relatively small changes to watches, they manage to shock the watch-loving world every time again.

Rolex Explorer II – The 40 Year Evolution Of An Understatement

This Rolex Explorer II is definitely no re-edition or replica of the very first ref.1655 nor does it claims to be one. The Rolex Explorer II 216570 is the successor of a line of watches that could be considered an understatement Rolex, with its brushed non-rotating bezel. The large orange 24-hour hand is merely a wink to its 1971 forefather. With its new 42mm case, Oysterbracelet with Easy-Link system (5mm play, excellent for those hot summer days) and safety clasp, brand new caliber 3187 movement and blue luminous dial and hands, it is – to us – a perfect modern sports Rolex.

Rolex Explorer II – The 40 Year Evolution Of An Understatement

Caliber 3187 is Rolex current movement for sports watches with an extra time zone. It uses the patented Parachrome hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers. It doesn’t differ that much from its predecessor, caliber 3185.

There have been a lot of comments on other new models, like the polished center links of the GMT-Master IILN or the new Explorer 214720 with hands that are just too short. This Explorer II just seems to be good to go as it is.

Although it has a diameter of 42mm, it certainly doesn’t appear to be too big, like some are complaining about the Rolex Deep-Sea Sea-Dweller. The Rolex Explorer II will probably never become a popular model like the Submariner or GMT-Master, perhaps a reason for you to buy one. It certainly is an iconic Rolex.

Rolex Explorer II – The 40 Year Evolution Of An Understatement

Like its predecessor, the Explorer II ref.16570, this one is also available with a black and a white dial. List price is 6050 Euro / $7750 USD.

Review Of The New Rolex Explorer II 216570

Time Keeper Forum

Having owned the Rolex Explorer II 216570 since early October 2011, it's about time that I make a review of it...

The various parts / aspects of the watch will get scores... here's the system:



= Excellent
= Very Good
= Good
= Average
= Bad
= Terrible


The review will be divided into the following chapters:


  1. History Of The Rolex Explorer II
  2. Case
  3. Bracelet
  4. Crystal
  5. Dial And Legibility
  6. Movement
  7. Accuracy
  8. Summary




1. HISTORY OF THE EXPLORER II

In 1971, Rolex released the Explorer II ref. 1655. This tool watch featured a 24hour hand, fixed engraved bezel with 24hour graduation and was only availible with a black dial, and only in steel. The 24hour hand always stayed syncronised to the time the watch was telling... in other words, the Explorer II 1655 was not a "GMT" watch since you could not adjust the 24hour hand independently of the hour hand.

Rather, the 24hour hand - combined with the 24hour graduated bezel - was used to tell the wearer of the watch whether the hour hand is referring to for instance 10 o' clock AM or 10 o'clock PM; particularly useful to speleologists (cave explorers) who spent a lot of their work in dark caves, resulting in the cave explorers losing any notion of whether it was day or night outside the cave.

The dial and hands design of the 38mm diameter and 13.5mm thick Rolex Explorer II 1655 was quite unique; initially at its release featuring a straight seconds hand and a a big orange 24hour hand. Due to the rather big and bold 24hour hand, the Explorer II 1655 was nicknamed "Freccione" (meaning "Arrow") by Italian collectors.

The design of the hour and minute hand was unique, too, with a matte part around the hands stack, making the hands appear to "float" on the dial... no other Rolex watch used or has been using them since in quite this form, although Rolex besides the big orange 24hour hand made a historical nod to those "phantom" hands in 2011 with the release of the Explorer II 216570 (black dial). The Explorer II 1655 also featured small square hour markers corresponding to the uneven numbers on the fixed bezel.

According to an article by Mr M. Siegel, around year 1974 / 1975, the Explorer II 1655 received to updates:


  1. The straight seconds hand got a luminous dot near the tip (1974)
  2. The colour of the 24hour hand was changed from orange to red (1975)



Mr M. Siegel also claims that the Explorer II remained in that form ("2" above) until it was discontinued in 1985.

However, more recent studies done by collectors result in the consensus that the "Red 1655 Arrow Hand" actually never existed...

Rather, for a very brief period circa 1978 the 24hr hand was a different deeper shade of orange but was quickly changed back to the standard colour and stayed that way up until the Explorer II 1655 was discontinued.

Most people assume the hand changed colour in 1975 because the 1655 brochure/booklet at that time showed a "redder" hand in the picture. This was a printing problem only.

Over the past 40yrs the orange hands have been very prone to fading - some way more than others depending on exposure to the sun.

Here are the two versions of the Explorer II 1655:

First version (1971 - 1974). Straight seconds hand:


(Source)


Second version (1974 - 1985). Seconds hand with luminous dot:


(Source)


In 1985, the Rolex Explorer II 16550 was launched. Although still being 40mm in diameter, this Rolex was radically different from the predecessor model in as much as the 24hour hand was now de-coupled from hour hand, making the wearer of the watch able to move the 24hour hand back and forth in 1hour intervals, independent of the hour hand. In other words, the Explorer II 16550 could now be used as a "GMT" watch (although only able to track two time zones at a time).

Furthermore, the design of the dial and hands was changed, leaving almost no resemblance to the Explorer II 1655.

The Explorer II 16550 now had the Rolex typical skeleton (also known as "Mercedes") hands and a red GMT hand with a smaller, red triangle. There was also an option for either a white or black dial. The satinised bezel featured rather big and bold, fairly deeply engraved numbers.

Originally, the white dial Explorer II 16550 had unpainted dot hour markers... most likely made of white gold because Rolex switched from using steel hands and markers around that time.

Later, the dots indices on the white dial version were painted black. Interestingly, some of the early 16550's had a fault in the paint mixture, making the white dial become cream with time (also known as the "Cream Dial" Explorer II). Furthermore, the dial existed in a "Rail Dial" version (both on black and white dials) where one you draw an imaginary vertical line between the "Superlative" / "Officially" and "Chronometer" / "Certified". The black dial version sometimes developed a "Spider Web" effect due to a fault in the paint mixture:

"Cream and Rail Dial" Explorer II 16550:


(Source)


"Spider Web" and "Rail Dial" Explorer II 16550:


(Source)


The Explorer II 16550 was to be manufacture for only 3 years:

In 1985 it received another update: The movement was changed from Cal. 3085 to Cal. 3185, and the model reference number was hence changed to 16570.

Still availible with either a black or white dial, the white dial now had black hour dots right from the start. Furthermore, the numbers on the fixed bezel were now less bold and deeply engraved:






Apart from the M-series and onwards where it received the Cal. 3186 with the inhouse made Parachrom Bleu hairspring, the Explorer II 16570 continued virtually unchanged until 2011 when the Explorer II 216750 was released; one year later than expected / rumoured.



Now let's take a closer look at the Rolex Explorer II 216570:


2. CASE

One of the most striking details of the Explorer II 216570 is its bigger 42mm case. It certainly has "wrist presence" on my 7½" wrist, almost filling my wrist out in width:



The lug style has been changed compared to the broad "block" lugs of the Rolex GMT II 11671x and Submariner Date 11661x, now more resembling the old-style lugs that had more taper to them. Additionally, like on the new GMT II and Submariner Date, the satination on the lugs is vertical and finer compared to the angled and coarser satination of the 5-digit Rolex sports models:




In my opinion, like on the Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller, also on the Explorer II 216750 Rolex managed to make the larger case look more proportioned due to those tapering lugs.

Furthermore, there is slightly more curve to the lugs and case when seen from the side as compared to the GMT II 11671x and Submariner Date 11661x:



The bezel design has been changed a bit again. Still being satinised, the numbers on the bezel have become a bit bolder again, making the style resemble the Explorer II 16550 bezel font if one should compare it to earlier models. Like on the earlier models, the edge of the bezel is high-polished, making for a very attractive and elegant contrast to the satinised bezel:




The winding crown has been updated, too, now not more being a standard 6mm Twinlock crown but a larger, 7mm Twinlock, like also seen on the Rolex Milgauss 116400. Compare with the Explorer II 16570:



Although I would have preferred a Triplock winding crown on the Explorer II 216570 like on the GMT II 11671x models, in my opinion the larger Twinlock crown still looks good on the watch.

The caseback sits fairly low, in fact making the watch not much thicker than the Explorer II 16570.

Here are the case dimensions, measured with a digital caliper gauge:


  • Bezel edge to bezel edge: 41.5mm
  • Case diameter incl. crown: 45mm
  • Case Length: 48.7mm (lugs at 6 to lugs at 12)
  • Case thickness: 12.40mm incl. caseback and crystal
  • Lug width: 21mm (tapers down to the last link before clasp which is 15mm)
  • Clasp length: 35mm (including the the small protution at the springloaded tip: 36mm)
  • Crown diameter: 7mm - same size as Milgauss 116400 crown (standard TwinLock is 6mm)
  • Crystal diameter: 33.5mm*)
  • Dial diameter: 30mm (from INNER edge of rehaut to the other)
  • Width of minute hand: 2mm
  • Width of indices: 2mm
  • Weight incl. all links: 157g (same weight as Milgauss 116400)




*) Compare: crystal diameter of Rolex Explorer II 16570 which is 30.4mm:





Overall, I find the execution of the Explorer II 216570 case very elegant and stylish. It therefore gets:

SCORE:


3. BRACELET

As expected like with the other updated Rolex watches, the Explorer II 216570 got a new bracelet (Ref. 77210) with solid centre links and solid clasp, featuring the Easy Link that allows for 5mm instant expansion of the bracelet when engaged. The lugwidth is 21mm and suits the 42mm case diameter to perfection. The tapering lugs add to the wellproportioned case/band ratio:



The clasp is machined from one solid piece of 904L steel (same steel type used for the rest of the watch) and sits nicely centered on my wrist:



Unlike on the Explorer II 16550 and 16570, the Rolex coronet on the clasp now sits on the Oysterlock:



With all links installed and with the Easy Link folded in, the Explorer II 216570 sits extremely comfortably on my wrist. I believe the low-lying caseback adds to this comfort.

From the manufacture, the bracelet ref. 77210 has the following link setup:

  • 5 links on the 6 o'clock side (2 with screws) and 7 links on the 12 o'clock side (4 with screws). Easy Link is not included in the count.



Overall, I cannot but give the bracelet the following score:

SCORE:


4. CRYSTAL

I was pleased to see a bigger crystal on the Explorer II 216570!

Like on the on the updated Rolex GMT II 11671x and Submariner Date 11661x, it has an anti-reflective coated cyclops over the date aparture but (apart from its diameter), the crystal is different from the other updated Rolex watches mentioned in as much as the crystal sits higher. I have tried to capture it in this picture:



The higher standing crystal makes the new Explorer II slightly thicker than its predecessor model but also makes it look more "old fashioned"... a look which I like.

SCORE:


5. DIAL AND LEGIBILITY

Like the Explorer II 16550 and 16570, the new Explorer II 216570 comes with a choice of either a white or a black dial. I chose the white dial since I find it easier to tell the time from and because I simply prefer the white dial on the Explorer II which also is a nice change to the black dial of my Daytona 116520.

Another reason as to why I opted for the white dial Explorer II 216570 is that (as stated earlier) Rolex made a tribute to the first Explorer II 1655 by adding "Phantom" hands on the new model 216750. However, in my opinion the blackened parts should have been matte instead of glossy which does not match the matte (Rolex calls it "satin finished") black dial of dial. Furthermore, the hands of the black dial new Explorer II have unequal amounts (i.e.: not the same length) of black pain on the hour, minute and GMT hand which spoils the design in my opinion.

Here compared with the Explorer II 16570 where you also get a feel of the size difference:



Like the "Phantom" hands on the Explorer II 1655 were re-interpreted, the big orange "Freccione" hand was re-introduced on the new Explorer II as a historical nod. This even seems to be emphasised on the booklet that accompanies the Explorer II 216570:



The big orange 24hour hand looks beautiful together with the orange "Explorer II" writing, although I must admit that I the orange writing on white dial could have been made bolder like seen on the black dial version:



On the predecessor model 16570 (white dial) you could often notice poor quality control of the black painted hands. Notice how the sides of the hands are not painted perfectly:


(Photo by Jocke).

With the new Explorer II, Rolex seems to have paid more attention to this quality control issue:



The hands, markers and GMT hand are now "Maxi" style and emit the "Cerachrom" blue lume like on the new Submariner Date, Deepsea Sea-Dweller and Explorer 214270. The lume is fantastic and lasts all night (8+ hours), although not as intense as seen on this photo where I "charged" my Explorer II under the sunlight:



SCORE:


6. MOVEMENT

Rolex manufactured a new movement for the Explorer II 216570:

The Cal. 3187, featuring the inhouse Paraflex shock protection system and Parachrom Bleu hairspring.

The Cal. 3186 in the GMT II 11671x also has the inhouse Parachrom Bleu hairspring...

Now, the question is: Both featuring a GMT feature, is the Cal. 3187 identical to the Cal. 3186 apart from use of the inhouse shock system instead of using the outsourced (SWATCH Group) KIF system?

Answer is Yes... and NO.

Thing is, that the main plate of the Cal. 3187 is bigger than the one of the Cal. 3186:

  • Cal. 3186: 28.5mm
  • Cal. 3187: 30.97mm



Where most other watch companies introducing a bigger watch model would simply use movement spacers to make a small movement fit into a big case, Rolex did not compromise:

They made the movement bigger, too! This is what makes Rolex so special!

One could argue that the Deepsea Sea-Dweller is 44mm, yet it still has the Cal. 3135 (with the blue hairspring) inside. So why did the Deepsea not receive a bigger movement? Because - combined with the Ring Lock system and Titanium caseback, the Deepsea also has a thicker case (more "meat") around the movement to cope with the 4,875 metres it's tested to withstand under sea-level.

The Cal. 3187 has got to receive the following score:

SCORE:


7. ACCURACY

I have owned various Rolex watches with the inhouse Parachrom Bleu hairspring:

  • Rolex Daytona 116520 (x 2)
  • Rolex GMT II 116710LN
  • Rolex Milgauss 116400GV
  • Rolex Explorer II (M-series with Cal. 3186)
  • Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller 116660 (x 4)
  • Rolex Submariner Date 116610




ALL of the above ran slow (typically minus 2-4 seconds/day) straight from the box.

The Explorer II 216570 that I own now has been gaining .5 seconds since day one! Consistantly! It does not get much better than this, so it has to get this score:

SCORE:


8. SUMMARY

To summarize, the Rolex Explorer II 216570 got the following scores:

  1. History Of The Rolex Explorer II
  2. Case: SCORE:
  3. Bracelet: SCORE:
  4. Crystal: SCORE:
  5. Dial And Legibility: SCORE:
  6. Movement: SCORE:
  7. Accuracy: SCORE:
  8. Summary



Evidently, it got a 99.99 positive score. Only slight gripe I have is the (in my opinion) too faint orange "Explorer II" writing on the dial.

In my opinion, the Rolex Explorer II is the best executed model that Rolex has released for a long time! It's an instant classic that I can recommend highly!