Rolex 26.00 mm Swiss Replica, Replica Rolex 26.00 mm List Price

Rolex Daytona Platinum Cerachrom Ice Blue Diamonds (116506-0002)

Had the Rolex Daytona Platinum Cerachrom Ice Blue Diamonds (116506-0002) watch less than a year. Worn it only a few times and it is now losing it's color. The gold-tone is pealing away! This is not expected when you pay $70 for a watch. No more Adrienne! I want my money back!

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Jesse Scott, From Canada Mascouche

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 Red Grape (116000-0010)

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 Red Grape (116000-0010) watch is very pretty and unique. The staps are so easy to change,Very satisfied .

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Miranda Lewis, From France La Bachellerie

Rolex Sea-Dweller 16660 Comex Matte (16660 Comex Matte)

The look of this Rolex Sea-Dweller watch is great. The watch's design always gets someone to ask me what kind of watch I'm wearing. The one thing I would change however would be the watch band itself. Just a little tight.

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Adam Wood, From Greece Lavrio/attiki

The vintage watch market has been experiencing a boom over the past few years. With a multiplication in the number of distribution channels for vintage watches, which can now be purchased at auctions, from specialist dealers or on the Internet, the number of scams has increased proportionately. "The vintage watch business is a jungle, especially on the Internet," says Laurent Ponti, a watch dealer who has been established in Geneva for 13 years. It's a jungle from which you can nevertheless emerge unscathed, with a nice watch on your wrist, on one condition: you respect a few basic principles.

Pleasure above all

There is no point trying to make a good investment regardless. Any respectable dealer will advise you to buy something that you like. "We can never guarantee that a watch that a customer buys will increase in value," Laurent Ponti stresses. Taking the time to determine your own needs and desires is also important, according to Vanessa Chicha, co-founder with her husband Fabien of Iconeek, a website with a showroom in Geneva that specialises in second-hand, vintage and modern watches. "Buying a watch just for the sake of it is pointless. There needs to be an impulse, even if it has to be thought out." Aside from legendary collectors' models such as the Rolex Daytona, the Omega Speedmaster, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso or any Patek Philippe, it is not always easy to navigate your way around a mind-boggling selection of vintage watches. Getting advice from someone in the business, or an expert, is therefore undoubtedly a good idea. "A bit of surfing on the Internet may help you to narrow things down," says Vanessa Chicha, pointing out at the same time that you need to be careful not to be duped by the goods on offer.

The dangers of buying on the Internet
"Before buying a watch, people often say that you need to buy the dealer. In other words, know who you are dealing with." Laurent Ponti advises us to make sure we are well informed about the seller. If he has a storefront, his reputation will often precede him. If it is an online sale, you must be doubly cautious and above all take the time to communicate in detail with the seller. Another misconception that you are bly advised to forget about: that of doing the deal of the century. "There are no good deals on the Internet," Laurent Ponti assures us. In other words, beware of prices that are too tempting to be true. "There are many scams."

Be extra-careful with details

Whether you are buying from a shop or on the Internet, if the seller appears to be a trustworthy person you still need to pay attention to some important elements. Ideally, the watch should come with its original paperwork. This is generally the case for younger watches. For older watches, for which paperwork may have disappeared, we bly recommend that you ask for a valuation. And it is essential to get an invoice from the seller. If the watch is offered for sale by a professional dealer, he will usually check the serial number beforehand. His good relationship with the brands will also allow him to authenticate certain models. But be careful with some details: "Very often dials have been cleaned up," notes Vanessa Chicha. Just changing a single hand could change the watch's value completely. Although collectors may not fall into such traps, the humble watch lover who is drawn in by an attractive price - between 10% and 50% below the cost of a new watch - could very easily have his fingers burned. Keep an eye on the market, take your time and get help… This is the best way to avoid being conned.
 

Recent scientific research conducted by German psychologists looked at the manner in which the brands condition, stimulate and influence our brains and therefore the manner in which we perceive reality. How do brands affect our brains and how also do incorrect information on the brands in question alter our perception right into the furthest recesses of our neuronal cavity. These are the questions that were asked by researchers Simone Kuhn and Jurgen Galllinat.
Learnedly entitled "Does Taste Matter? How Anticipation of Cola Brands Influences Gustatory Processing in the Brain", their very serious experiment involved having MRI scans conducted on some 15 people (all perfectly sane, with no particular neurological or medical history, explain the researchers who also emphasise that "they were all right-handed" - doubtless because in left-handed people, the brain lobes are the other way round). Two specific areas of the brain were targeted: the orbitofrontal cortices, the home of subjective thought that given to different products one sees, and the ventral striatum, the area connected to reward and pleasure. An area which, as we will see, can "light up" at the slightest mention of a known brand, suggesting all the promises of "pleasure" that it is supposed to bring us.
 

The MRI guinea pigs were given four samples of a cola drink through a tube for them to give their opinion of each sample on a scale from 1 to 8. However these samples were not anonymous - and prior to each ingestion (repeated several times in different quantities), the logo of the brand was quickly shown on a screen: Coke, Pepsi, River Cola (a cheap brand that is well-known in Germany) and an imaginary T-Cola. To reinforce the guinea-pigs' belief, they were allowed to see four large syringes, all different, duly labelled with the name of the various brands.
Unsurprisingly, Coke and Pepsi won the vote hands down, leaving the other brands streets behind. Certain participants, the study explains, even express their b preference for Coke and Pepsi and their dislike of other brands. The glitch? The four mixtures were perfectly identical, and all strictly composed of a mixture of Coke, Pepsi, River and T in equal parts.

The result of the MRI scan showed that the orbitofrontal cortex where worth is evaluated was less used in the case of well-known or recognised brands, because this worth is retained and accepted in our connections. If one transposes this into the realm of watchmaking, one could say that on the scale of watchmaking brands, the orbitofrontal cortex does not need to get involved when it hears the word "Rolex", but will work overtime at the sound of the brand "Von Graffenried & Cousins", for example.
On the other hand, the ventral striatum which is the centre of reward and pleasure becomes active at the very name of a known brand - while it remains completely "silent" when it comes to unknown brands. Brands therefore have the power to arouse those neurones responsible for pleasure, reward and satisfaction to the point of preventive titillation.
 

Continuing with the methodology used in the cola experience, could one apply the same research methods to watchmaking? This would not be about tasting an undetermined liquid, but rather for example being given a chance to discover the most recent model of a brand in an exclusive sneak preview.
We might thus manufacture a watch representing a hybrid of several different models, including for example an Omega case, with a Rolex bezel, an Ice-Watch dial, Von Grafenried & Cousins pushers and Rochat & Meylan hands...The movement, also a perfect hybrid, could be presented as a Patek Philippe or alternatively a movement made in Shenzen and the strap leather as being made by Hermes or imported from Albania.
The consumers undergoing the MRI would be told that they were going to be given an exclusive presentation of a brand new Rolex, Omega, Rochat-Meylan, Boomtime or Von Grafenried & Cousins model, a claim borne out by the logos on the watch.
What do you think the result would be? How, for example, would the ventral striatum react to the announcement of a totally new Von Grafenried & Cousins model? Probably a scientifically measurable flat encephalogram, whereas on the contrary, one might well imagine that the very mention of the upcoming discovery of a brand-new Rolex model would trigger a whole host of neurones - especially among bloggers, whose ventral striatum would quite likely start performing a belly dance!
Poor us!
We thought that only our sacrosanct "free will" determined our choices and our intimate desires, but this does not appear to be the case. Something like Pavlov's dog which started salivating and slobbering simply when it heard the bell ringing signalling its food - and even if the food never appeared again - we unconsciously vibrate and get excited at the mere thought of promised pleasures that for most of us will always be unattainable.
 

The archetype of the diver's watch, the Oyster Perpetual SUBMARINER presented at Baselworld 2012 sports a new look to complement its iconic personality. with its subtly redesigned case and its new bezel and bracelet both benefitting from recent Rolex innovations, this latest generation SUBMARINER is firmly in line with the tradition of the historic model launched in 1953. It sets new standards in terms of robustness, legibility and reliability, strengthening its status as a watch of action with timeless allure.

Ceramic bezel and long-lasting luminescent display 

The unidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated bezel of this new SUBMARINER is equipped with a black CERACHROM insert made of virtually scratchproof, non-fading, corrosion-resistant ceramic. The graduations are coated via a PVd process with a thin layer of platinum. The sleek black dial harbours large CHROMALIGHT hour markers and hands filled with luminescent material that emits a long-lasting blue glow. This exclusive display offers exceptional legibility in the dark. 

The OYSTER case, symbol of waterproofness 

The SUBMARINER's 40 mm OYSTER case, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 300 metres (1,000 feet), is a paragon of robustness. The middle case is crafted from a solid block of particularly corrosion-resistant 904L steel. The fluted case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool exclusive to Rolex watchmakers. The winding crown, fitted with the patented TRIPLOCK triple waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case in a manner akin to a submarine's hatch. It is protected by a crown guard that is an integral part of the middle case. The crystal is made of virtually scratchproof synthetic sapphire. The waterproof OYSTER case ensures optimal protection for the SUBMARINER's high-precision movement.

Calibre 3130, a superlative chronometer 

The new SUBMARINER is equipped with calibre 3130, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. Like all PERPETUAL movements, the 3130 is a certified Swiss chronometer, a designation reserved for high-precision watches that have successfully passed the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) tests. Its architecture, like that of all OYSTER watch movements, makes it singularly precise and reliable. The oscillator, the true heart of the watch, has a blue PARACHROM hairspring patented and manufactured by Rolex in an exclusive alloy. Insensitive to magnetic fields, the PARACHROM hairspring offers great stability when exposed to temperature variations and remains up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks. 

The OYSTERLOCK clasp, functional and secure 

This SUBMARINER is fitted with a solid-link OYSTER bracelet in 904L steel. It features a new-generation OYSTERLOCK safety clasp and GLIdELOCK extension system. The ingenious patented system, located beneath the clasp cover, allows fine adjustments of the bracelet length in 2 mm increments for a total of approximately 20 mm - without using any tools. This allows the watch to be worn over a diving suit up to 3 mm thick and provides additional comfort in any circumstance.

Rumor has it that the new Rolex Explorer II was ready for presentation in 2010, but that Rolex did not present this new face-lifted version of the sporty watch until 2011 - 40 years after the first Explorer II was launched.
For many years, Rolex has been respected as well as ridiculed for its conservative approach to case sizes: 40 millimeters seemed to be the biggest case diameter offered in the sports collection. In the last few years, we have seen more and more models with a tendency toward growth: Yacht-Master II and Sea-Dweller DeepSea both come in a case of 44 millimeter diameters, and now the Explorer II also offers a diameter of 42 millimeter.
The Explorer II has never been the most popular reference made by the famed Swiss watch brand. The Submariner and GMT models have been the favored siblings, but even these two models still offer a moderate case diameter of 40 millimeters. Maybe Rolex wanted to push needed attention towards the Explorer II, hence the extra two millimeters?
 

Large watch
42 millimeters may seem like a large watch. However, since many parts and details of the new reference have grown, the visual size does not seem that radical. The case, hands, crown and hour markers are in other words dimensionally on par with the new case diameter. Visually, that is.
Wearing the watch, however, does challenge the visual impression. The Explorer II is a large watch. Comparing this to Reference 1655 or Reference 16570, which came out even later, the size difference is almost shocking. As mentioned, this will please those who have not yet bought a Rolex because they thought the watches looked too puny on their wrists.
Inspired by the past
One of the obvious details on the new Explorer II is of course the orange 24-hour hand. "Freccione," as Italian Rolex collectors long ago named this hand, means "arrow". This is a feature taken directly from the Reference 1655 Explorer II launched in 1971. The 24-hour hand was not separately adjustable on the early version, though. It merely functioned as an AM/PM indicator. However, bezel design looks more like the bezel of the short-lived Reference 16550 that was introduced in 1985 and face-lifted already four years later.
 

Phantom hands
The hands of the new Explorer II sport a so-called phantom effect, which means the lower part of the hour and minute hand is painted black. This little detail makes the hands look like they float free of the arbor. This works well on the black dial version, and merely represents a great contrast on the white dial version.
Latest movement update
Reference 216570 is outfitted with Caliber 3187, which features the latest technical updates like Paraflex shock absorbers and the non-magnetic Parachrom hairspring, which "ensures unparallel reliability, and shock resistance," according to Rolex.
 

White dial winner
The white dial version, even if it does not correspond perfectly to the 1971 version that was only offered with a black dial, gets my vote as favorite of the two dial versions. The b, graphic black/white contrast makes it stand out as this watch brand really does not offer a lot of white-dial sports watches. Actually, only the Daytona and Yacht-Master II come with a white dial, but the GMT, Submariner and Yacht-Master models do not.
Oldies but goodies
This said, I admit to favor not only Reference 1655, but also the 16550 or even the 16570. Not only due to their case diameters of "only" 40 millimeters, but also because these earlier versions have a more tool-ish approach to horology. And this is, after all, where the Explorer II started - as an instrument watch for cave explorers.
Rolex Explorer II Reference 216570 is offered with black or white dial and has a suggested retail price of 6,400 euros.
 

b Prices for 19th Century Pieces made for the Chinese, Turkish and Indian markets A rare Chronograph Patek Philippe ref. 2499 sold for CHF 722.500 ($815.637) An 18K Gold and enamel scent flacon made for the Chinese market by Piguet & Capt circa 1807 fetched CHF 242,500 ($273,761)

Sotheby's sale of Important Watches this evening was led by a highly rare Patek Philippe chronograph which fetched CHF 722,500 ($815,637) and one of the most exclusive examples of a stainless steel Rolex Daytona "Paul Newman" with inverted lines, which realised CHF 206,500 ($233,150). With b prices for pieces made for the Chinese, Turkish and Indian markets, the sale attracted buyers from around the world and more than 300 clients had registered to participate.

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MUSIC
Ben Frost (Australia) chosen by mentor Brian Eno (United Kingdom)

Australian composer, producer and musician Ben Frost, 30, is recognized for his music that is at once compelling, mystifying, disturbing and beautiful. In 2005, after receiving a degree in fine arts in Melbourne, Frost relocated across the world to Reykjavik, Iceland, where he co-founded the Bedroom Community record label.
His genre-defying work, influenced as much by Classical Minimalism as by Punk Rock and Metal, includes three emotionally powerful and critically acclaimed albums: Steel Wound (2003), Theory of Machines (2007) and By the Throat (2009). Frost's multidisciplinary collaborations linked him with renowned choreographers Gideon Obarzanek, Erna Ómarsdottír and Wayne McGregor, and with artists as diverse as Amiina, Tim Hecker, Nico Muhly and Björk. He is currently composing the score for the forthcoming massive multiplayer online game, World of Darkness, and working on several commissions for film and dance, including a reworking of Tarkovsky's Solaris and music for the new Random Dance production, Flesh in the Age of Reason.

"In my works I celebrate being South African. I look at my ethnic identity, gender identity and colonial heritage," says 34-year-old visual artist Nicholas Hlobo. Since graduating with a degree in Fine Art from the then Technikon Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, in 2002, Hlobo has demonstrated the singularity of his artistic vision at group and solo shows from Cape Town to Rome and Boston. "The ideas he explores are as deliberate and dense as the stitches he uses to unite his signature materials - rubber, gauze and paper," observes Kerryn Greenberg, assistant curator at London's Tate Modern where, in 2008, Hlobo exhibited four works, entitled Uhambo, at the Level 2 Gallery for emerging international artists.
The distinctive use of evocative materials is a hallmark of Hlobo's sculptural installations and performances, which are rooted in his native Xhosa culture and language. Among his most recent successes, he won the prestigious 2009 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Arts.

A naturally gifted dancer and fledgling choreographer, Lee Serle, 28, is a much sought after performer in his native Australia. Since receiving a bachelor of dance degree from Melbourne's prestigious Victorian College of the Arts in 2003, he has contributed to the work of several, mainly Melbourne-based, companies, notably Lucy Guerin Inc and Chunky Move, with which he has performed both nationally and internationally.
His choreographic credits include A Little Murky, a small-scale piece that experiments with subtle characterization and showcases his powerful and theatrical style, and I'm in Love, for the Next Wave Festival in Melbourne. Serle relishes the Rolex mentorship as a "oncein- a-lifetime opportunity" of extending himself under the tutelage of such a "seminal influence" as Trisha Brown. "The chance of becoming a dance artist in New York is a personal goal," adds Serle, whom Brown describes as a dancer of "tremendous promise", ready to expand his horizons internationally.

Annemarie Jacir, 36, a visionary, Palestinian film director and poet living in Jordan, was named one of Filmmaker magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Cinema in 2004, a year after graduating with a Master's in Fine Arts from New York's Columbia University.
Co-founder of the Dreams of a Nation project, dedicated to promoting Palestinian cinema, Jacir deftly incorporates a nuanced analysis of cultural and political issues in her films, including like twenty impossibles (2003), an Official Selection of the Cannes Cinefondation. Her widely acclaimed debut feature, Salt of this Sea (2008), the first feature film by a female Palestinian director, premiered at Cannes and was an Academy Award submission for Best Foreign Language Film. It also won the FIPRESCI International Critics' Prize. Currently working on a new feature, Jacir cites Zhang Yimou's Raise the Red Lantern as a source of inspiration. "Films that I find the most inspiring are about the human spirit," she says.

For over a decade, Lebanese actor, writer and aspiring director Maya Zbib has been impressing critics with her subtle portrayals in widely diverse roles. The multi-genre work of the 29-year-old bridges theatre and performance by marrying the two practices through a variety of techniques.
Having acquired a Master's in Performance Making in 2007 from Goldsmiths, University of London, Zbib has created and performed in solo work, including The Music Box, a performance-installation staged in people's houses and showcased at international festivals. She currently comanages Beirut's Zoukak Theatre Company and Cultural Association, which she co-founded in 2006, and also teaches at Lebanese University's Institute of Fine Arts. In 2009, she was invited to participate in the British Council's Cultural Leadership International programme. Dedicated to theatremaking that has an impact on society, Zbib says: "I am very inspired by Mr Sellars' advocacy of theatre as a force for change."

The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative
The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative is an international philanthropic programme devised by Rolex and run by a team at the company's headquarters in Geneva. It seeks out highly talented young artists from around the world and brings them together with great masters for a year of creative collaboration in a one-to-one mentoring relationship.
History and objectives
The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative was launched in June 2002. It runs biennially and is now beginning its fifth cycle (2010-2011). Its objective is to help perpetuate the world's artistic heritage. In keeping with its tradition of supporting individual excellence, Rolex is giving emerging artists time to learn, create and grow.
Programme format
Rolex invites masters in dance, film, literature, music, theatre and the visual arts to provide individual guidance to gifted young artists. In six disciplines, a senior artist (the mentor) agrees to foster and counsel a young artist (the protege) for one year. Each pair decides the most effective way of interacting.
Selection of mentors
Every two years, a new Advisory Board of distinguished artists and arts practitioners suggests and endorses potential mentors. Once the mentors have been approached and have agreed to take part, Rolex works with them to establish a profile of the protege they would like to work with.
Selection of proteges
Then, six Nominating Panels - one panel per discipline - are assembled. The panels are made up of experts qualified to identify suitable potential proteges. To ensure that the process is impartial, panel members remain anonymous during the selection period. Artists do not apply directly to the programme. Each Nominating Panel recommends potential proteges, who are then invited by Rolex to submit applications. The Nominating Panel studies all the applications and recommends three finalists. The entire process has an invaluable spin-off, as it allows the panellists to become aware of about 20 talented young people in their field. Rolex then arranges for the mentor to meet the finalists and choose his or her protege.
Year of mentoring
Mentors and proteges spend a minimum of six weeks together, though many spend considerably more time sharing knowledge and experience. The place and time of these interactions are arranged by mutual agreement. The form of the interaction is flexible, ranging from a protege being granted access to a master at work, to mentor and protege actually collaborating on a work. During the year, Rolex keeps in contact with the mentors and proteges to provide logistical support as required.

Protege grant
Each protege receives a grant of US$25,000 during the mentoring year, in addition to money to cover travel and other major expenses. Proteges are also eligible to receive a further $25,000 after the year is over. This is offered specifically towards the creation of a new piece of work, a publication, a performance or public event.
Documentation
To help give exposure to both the proteges and the programme, Rolex documents the year of mentoring in a publication and a film. A website - rolexmentorprotege.com - also describes the programme.
Outcome
After the mentoring year is over, Rolex continues to keep in touch with the proteges, following their careers with interest. The outcome for proteges varies: a new novel, a new stage production, a dancing career with the mentor's company and a collaborative artwork with the mentor are all examples of proteges' achievements through the programme. However, Rolex is aware that the full benefits of the programme for many of the young artists may continue far into the future.

Global creative community
Since the launch, in 2002, of the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative, 256 artists, arts leaders and other cultural luminaries have participated in the programme. This includes 67 advisors who have helped select mentors and 147 nominators who have identified potential proteges. Programme participants contribute from across the globe, building a Rolex community of artists spanning more than 40 countries that grows in depth and scope with each mentoring year.

WORLDTEMPUS - 22 June 2010

A world's first—this was the remark from Rolex's management when Danish Rolex retailer, Klarlund, invited a few select journalists from Scandinavia, Germany, and Switzerland to salute the "King of Le Mans," Tom Kristensen.
Danish driver Kristensen has no less than eight Le Mans victories listed on his automotive resume, which is two more than legendary driver Jacky Ickx, who ended his career with six Le Mans wins.

Kristensen's position as a natural choice to enter the exclusive club of Rolex testimonials moved Klarlund to stage the intimate gathering celebrating his new official position as ambassador.
Rolex has never before made an official announcement when "knighting" an ambassador, which is the reason for the remark from the Rolex management. Klarlund was only able to convince Rolex to celebrate this occasion in the presence of the press thanks to the retailer's long-standing relationship with the Genevan watch brand.

"Not only are we proud of Tom Kristensen's victories, we are also very proud hosts of such a rare and special occasion," Klarlund managing director Stig Andersen told Worldtempus after presenting the new ambassador with a Rolex Daytona Everose, one of Rolex's gifts to its new sporting face. The other Rolex that Kristensen will receive is a Milgauss outfitted with a green sapphire crystal. These watches not only suit the "King of Le Mans," they are also timepieces fit for an icon of our time.