View the Rolex Sea-Dweller photo gallery.

Without a doubt, the Rolex Sea-Dweller is one of my favorite watches of all time. It represents everything I look for in a watch of this sort: simplicity, quality, functionality, and stark beauty.

The Sea-Dweller is one of the less common Rolex sport models. While the Submariner is produced in several combinations of materials and colors, there is only one Sea-Dweller. It is only available in all stainless steel, and only with a black dial and black bezel. Rolex designed the Sea-Dweller purely as a dive tool — not a fashion accessory.

Features of the Rolex Sea-Dweller:

• Guaranteed waterproof to 1,200 meters, or 4,000 feet (that's significantly higher than the 1,000 foot rating of the Submariner).
• 40mm stainless steel case which sits 14.5mm high.
• Ultra-thick synthetic sapphire crystal.
• Unidirectional rotating bezel with a corrosion resistant anodized aluminum insert.
• No date magnifier. I don't mind the "cyclops" on my Explorer II, but I prefer the cleaner look of the Sea-Dweller.
• Helium escape valve. Developed in cooperation with the French industrial diving company, Comex, the helium escape valve allows helium molecules to safely escape without popping the crystal off the watch during decompression (I told you this is a hardcore dive tool).
• Dive extension. The dive extension on the Sea-Dweller is actually nothing to write home about, but it's sufficient. This is one of the biggest improvements of the new Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA.
• Triplock screwdown crown. The Triplock system uses an additional rubber gasket (clearly visible when the crown is unscrewed) beyond the Twinlock system used on many other Rolex sport models like the old GMT Master II and the Explorer II. The crown threads beautifully, and feels incredibly robust and secure.
• Quick-change and quick-set date. Quick-change means that the date changes over to the next day instantly almost exactly at midnight (as opposed to changing gradually over the course of several minutes before and after midnight). Quick-set means that you can set the date while the crown is pulled out to the second position rather than having to change the time in order to change the date.

Some other interesting facts about the Rolex Sea-Dweller, and Rolex in general:

At BaselWorld 2008 this year, Rolex announced an update to their already amazing, top-of-the-line diver: The Rolex Sea-Dweller. They're calling the new model the Rolex Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA. The DEEPSEA has several changes from the original Sea-Dweller:

• As with the new Yacht-Master 2, it's more heavily branded. The previous Sea-Dweller was notable for its restraint; this one adds the "ROLEX" repeated around the chapter ring, additional blurbs on top of the "ringlock", and "DEEPSEA" above the center. At least there's still no cyclops (date magnifier), and thankfully, they did not add polished center links like the new GMT Master 2.
• As with the Anniversary Submariner and new GMT Master 2, the Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA gets the new "maxi-dial" which means that the hour markers are larger, and both the the minute hand and the hour hands are slightly wider.
• The depth rating increases from silly to ludicrous: 1,220m (4,000ft) on the original to 3,900m (12,800ft) on the DEEPSEA.
• The crystal goes from flat thick sapphire to domed thick sapphire.
• New super-hard ceramic bezel with platinum-filled numbers. We first saw this design on the new GMT Master 2.
• Much-improved ratcheting clasp that increases in 1.8mm increments.
• The caseback goes from flat stainless steel to a titanium/steel alloy.
• The new "Ringlock System", which is a stainless steel ring under the crystal that absorbs some of the pressure.
• New blue-colored lume on the dial and bezel dot — very cool!.
• Larger case with slightly updating styling.

As before, it has a helium escape valve, which only matters if you do saturation diving. The movement is the same 3135, but with the addition of the new antimagnetic Parachrom Blue hairspring which we've discussed before on the Rolex Milgauss.

Price was not announced, but expect it to be steep. The Sea-Dweller has always been one of their more expensive models, and these updates certainly won't make it any cheaper. (We'll update this article when pricing is available.)

I was honestly a bit surprised to see this update. Rolex is usually slow to revise or introduce new models, and they've done several in the past year or two: The Anniversary Submariner, The Rolex Milgauss, The new Yacht-Master 2, the new GMT Master 2, the Cellini, and now the Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA. While I don't always like the results, I'm delighted to see Rolex increasing the pace and updating their classic styles. Bravo!

By Paul Hubbard

Christian already told you about the new Rolex Yacht-Master II and the new GMT Master II. The other Rolex announcement at Basel of interest is the new Rolex Milgauss, so named for its ability to resist a magnetic field of 1,000 Gauss.

Why should you care?

If you take a mechanical watch into a strong magnetic field, some of the parts in the movement become magnetized which causes problems; typically the watch will start to run quite fast and require demagnetization. The hairspring, made of an alloy called Nivarox, is particularly susceptible. A watch is normally considered "antimagnetic" (DIN 8309) if it can ignore 4,800 A/m. This works out to about 60 gauss, or 6% of what the new Rolex is rated for. Rolex achieved the superior rating of the Milgauss by encasing the movement in soft iron, which is known as a Faraday cage. They also introduced a new hairspring material, Parachrom-Blu, which is unaffected by magnetism. Quite an achievement!

The Milgauss model has an interesting history. It was introduced in 1954 for people who worked in environments with strong magnetic fields: power plants, research labs, etc. As you might suspect, that's a pretty small market, further crowded by the IWC Ingenieur, the Patek Philippe Amagnetic, and the Omega Railmaster, all of which had similar magnetic resistance. The Milgauss was the slowest seller in the Rolex lineup, and was sold for about 20 years before being removed from their catalog.

The Milgauss comes in the new, slightly larger case size of 40mm, with the 3131 movement. There are white and black dial versions available, both with a nifty and surprisingly modern lightning shaped second hand and 'ROLEXROLEXROLEX' around the face on the chapter ring. (As Christian noted, for better or worse, the new models are more heavily branded than their predecessors.) One difference between the two versions is that the black dial has a sapphire crystal that is slightly green at an angle, as you can see from the image gallery on their site. List price on both is rumored to be $5,900.

One word of caution: for the new model, Rolex also lists "medical imaging" as a target market, but a bit of math reveals this to be disingenuous. Current MRI systems start at 0.3T and go up to 5T. Even the smallest of those is 3 times the rating of the Milgauss, so don't take your new watch into the MRI!

I used to work in a couple of physics labs, so I like seeing reintroduction like this. Nowadays, the IWC Ingenieur and Ball Engineer are the only competition for mechanical watches designed to function in strong magnetic fields. Compared to the competition, the Milgauss adds an elegant face, first-class movement, the unique second hand, and the green sapphire crystal. I've never considered a Rolex before, but if I do, it'll be the black-faced Milgauss.

By Paul Hubbard

At BaselWorld 2007, Rolex announced a new sports watch for yachtsmen: the Rolex Yacht-Master II. When Rolex releases a sequel to an existing model, you can always expect to see impressive new functionality. Rolex made significant changes to the GMT Master movement between the original GMT Master, and the GMT Master II, the latter allowing the hour hand and the 24-hour hand to be set independently. Likewise, the Explorer II changed dramatically from the original Explorer, adopting the same movement as the GMT Master II which added a 24-hour hand and date. And now the Yacht-Master II represents another extremely important step in Rolex evolution.

I'm not a boater myself, but in my opinion, the original Yacht-Master doesn't really do much more for yachtsmen than a standard dive watch can do. The bi-directional rotating bezel can be used to track the start sequence of a regatta (fancy word for boat race), and the Triplock crown keeps the case impervious to sea spray, but that's about it. Nothing else except the name, and possibly the watch's exorbitant price, really has much to do with yacht racing.

Not so, with the Yacht-Master II. The new version has an extremely complex and innovative new movement with a countdown timer which can be programmed to start between one and ten minutes in order to accommodate regattas with varying start sequences. I use the term "program" rather than simply "set" because the value is actually remembered, and when the countdown timer is reset, the countdown hand will return to the last programmed value. For a mechanical watch, this is an extremely impressive feat. There is a tradeoff, however: the date which was present in the initial Yacht-Master had to go to make room on the dial, and no doubt to allow for the additional complication of the movement.

The other tradeoff is that the Yacht-Master II is a tad complicated to operate. For watch aficionados, a single demonstration will probably be a sufficient lesson, but I'm sure the Yacht-Master II will be worn by plenty of yachting types who appreciate the aesthetics much more than the functionality, and for whom it will be enough of a challenge to keep the time set correctly. For a very good demonstration of how the Yacht-Master II works, check out the Yacht-Master II home page on Rolex's site, and specifically, the operational tutorial.

I found the reaction from the hardcore Rolex fans out there to be mixed. I think most of them were so accustomed to looking at more or less the same Rolex styles for so many years that the new Yacht-Master II really caught them off-guard. The two biggest complaints I heard focused on the surprisingly prominent "YACHT-MASTER II" branding on the bezel (for better or for worse, the new generation of Rolex watches are much more heavily branded), and the fact that you have to unscrew the crown in order to set the countdown timer, leaving the watch more vulnerable to moisture, of which there tends to be plenty around yachts.

Whether you like the new Yacht-Master II or not, there is no denying that it represents a major new innovation in the world of watchmaking. In many ways, Rolex is the Apple (as in computers) of the Swiss watch world. They are arrogant and secretive, they end up setting most of the trends, and they command an extremely loyal following who sometimes complains, but in the end, always comes around.

The new Rolex Yacht-Master II is rumored to start appearing this summer. It will be available in yellow or white gold, and is expected to retail somewhere around $30,000 (no, that's not a typo -- the theory is that if you can afford a yacht, you can afford a Yacht-Master II).

Last year, Rolex introduced the 50th anniversary edition of the GMT Master II. The improvements over the older style GMT Master II (which I reviewed about a year ago) seemed substantial, but there was one major problem: it was only available in two-tone (18k gold and stainless steel). For two-tone lovers, it was a dream come true, but being a pure stainless steel man myself, I decided to hold off even writing about the update until there were other options.

At BaselWorld 2007, Rolex finally made the announcement I've been waiting for: an all stainless steel version of the new GMT Master II. I haven't seen one in person yet, but judging from all the pictures I've seen, it's one of the most beautiful Rolexes ever produced.

I have a particular affinity for the GMT Master II because I think it's one of Rolexes most practical watches. For a detailed breakdown, read my review, but just to summarize, it basically does four things, and it does them perfectly:

1. Tells the time in your time zone.
2. Tells the date in your time zone.
3. Tells the time in a second time zone.
4. Allows you switch between time zones and move the date forward or backward extremely easily.

If you're looking for an elegant but durable travel watch, you won't do any better than the Rolex GMT Master II.

So how did Rolex manage to improve such a well designed watch? As I said, I haven't been able to get my hands on one yet, but from what I can gather, these are the major changes:

I can't deny that I'm a big Rolex fan. But for a watch enthusiast to love Rolex is a little like a basketball fan saying he loves Michael Jordan. It's sort of unoriginal, and even a little pedestrian. But I make no apologies for my tastes. I think Rolexes are some of the best made and most beautiful watches in the world.

I have a GMT Master II and a Sea Dweller (review coming soon), but the quintessential Oyster Professional Rolex is the Submariner. I'm hoping to make one large watch purchase in 2007, and I'm trying to decide if it's going to be an Omega, a Breitling, or the Submariner. And if I do go with the Submariner, should I try to pick up the commemorative 50th anniversary model? While doing some research on the "Kermit", I came across some interesting Submariner history:

• Rolex introduced the very first waterproof watch in 1929 called the Oyster.
• Rolex started development on the Submariner in 1952, and the first model was introduced in 1953.
• While the Submariner was being developed, a prototype was subjected to 132 dives up to depths of 60 meters over 5 months, and came through it all perfectly.
• The Submariner was the first watch in the world to have a rotating bezel.
• The luminous triangle at the 12 o'clock position was initially intended to be red, however red is the first wavelength to be lost underwater, so testers asked that it be made white instead.
• The codename for the Submariner while under development was Frogman. Other names that were considered were the Deep-Sea Special (isn't that a dish at Red Lobster?) and the Nautilus.
• Initially waterproof to 100 meters, the depth rating was increased to 200 meters in 1954, then 300 meters in 1979.
• The first Submariner with a date complication was launched in 1969, along with the first gold model.
• In 1979, the plexiglas crystal was replaced with the nearly scratch-proof synthetic sapphire crystal still used today.
• In 2003, Rolex released the 50-year commemorative model with a unique green bezel and a redesigned dial.

I should note that the change in the anniversary model's dial is not to be taken lightly as Rolex puts an immense amount of consideration into their designs (which is why they are so classic and widely replicated). The anniversary Submariner has what is referred to as the maxi-dial which means that the hour markers are larger, and the minute hand is slightly wider (making it more visible, especially in the dark since it holds more luminescent paint). It is speculated that other Oyster Professional Rolex models (the GMT Master II, Explorer II, and the Sea-Dweller) will adopt the maxi-dial which seems to have been pioneered by the Yacht-Master.

View the Rolex GMT Master II photo gallery.

The Rolex GMT Master II is a great looking and very functional high-end Swiss timepiece. It's a beautiful watch which is sophisticated in both appearance and operation, yet it somehow manages to present itself as understated and modest. The Rolex GMT Master II has a long and interesting history, and is certainly one of the most popular Rolex Professional models.

The big feature of the Rolex GMT Master II is the additional 24-hour hand which tracks hours against the bi-directional rotating bezel in "military time" as opposed to standard 12-hour time. It was originally created for Pan Am pilots back in the early days of transatlantic flights. Pan Am pilots used GMT time, so they wanted a watch that would allow them to monitor both GMT and local time simultaneously. The watch's movement became more sophisticated over the years, and now allows the standard hour hand and the date to be set independently of the other hands which makes moving from one time zone to the next very smooth and simple.

Features of the Rolex GMT Master II include:

I already told you the story of my father's Rolex. It's a 1965 Rolex Oyster Perpetual that he received from his father as a high school graduation present. Apparently a new Rolex cost all of $125 back then, which is about $750 today. Anyway, now it's time to tell the story of my mom's Rolex.

First of all, lest you think I come from a wealthy family where all the children wear little Rolexes and are raised by European nannies, I'll start off by saying that my mom's Rolex was actually free. I'll further qualify that statement by saying that it was also not stolen.

We moved a lot as I was growing up. Probably every two years, on average. My parents were in banking, real estate, and building, and my dad eventually got his real estate license for the sake convenience, and to avoid having to pay agents commission. A friend of the family needed to buy a couple of office condos for a new business he was starting, so as a favor, he did so through my dad. Turns out the builder was giving away a Rolex to any agent who could sell two units within a certain amount of time. My dad came home ecstatic one day with the news that he was getting a second Rolex, though he was swiftly corrected by my mom. The result was a very nice ladies' two-tone Rolex Oyster Datejust.

Rolex and crime seem to go together like Red Bull and vodka. This evening, via the Courier Mail, we learn of two Australians teenage boys who inadvertently aroused suspicion by casually counting out 6,000 $5 bills at a Denver jewelry store to pay for a $30,000 Rolex. Sensing that something might be amiss, the sales assistant asked the boys to leave, and told them she was calling the police. After later confessing to robbing a nearby bank with air pistols and photographing themselves in a McDonald's with the $170,000 they stole, the boys explained that they were attempting to convert the cash into jewelry in order to avoid suspicion. They probably would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for that meddling sales assistant.

Tune in next week while we continue to examine the twisted and complex minds of the criminally inane.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is, by any measure, a timeless classic. The one pictured on the right was my first Rolex, given to me by my father, and given to him by his father in 1965 as a high school graduation present. I wore it in high school myself, unaware at the time of the social connotations associated with Rolex watches. I knew Rolexes were considered good watches, and I knew I got a lot of comments on it, but to me, it was simply an unobtrusive, simple, accurate, dependable, and very tough watch with a little bit of family history.

I think I can safely attribute my obsession with automatic watches (as opposed to digital quartz watches, which are an entirely different obsession of mine) to this particular Rolex. It doesn't get a lot of wrist time anymore primarily because it's a little on the small side for a men's watch these days, but I still throw it on occasionally, and after a little bit of winding, it keeps time every bit as well as my much newer Rolex GMT Master II. The bracelet could stand to be replaced, and the acrylic crystal is plenty banged up from the all the punishment I threw at it in high school, but mechanically, it's perfectly sound.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual sold for all of $125 in 1965, or at least, that's what my grandfather paid for it. That's about $750 in today's dollars. A new comparable model (another Oyster Perpetual or a Rolex Air-King) would sell for about $3,000 today. Despite steady price increases, Rolex watches are in such demand now that you're likely to pay full retail for a new one, and you may even have to order the exact watch you want.

So why do I use the cliche "timeless classic" to describe the Rolex Oyster Perpetual? There are three things about Rolexes that make them timeless.

• Quality. Rolexes are one of the highest quality watches in the world. Although there are plenty of comparable and probably even a few superior brands out there, in a fair fight, a Rolex can hold its own against just about anything.
• Design. Other than the size of the Oyster Perpetual, I'd say it's just about as fashionable today as it was in 1965. The look of Rolex watches doesn't change much over time which means they will not only function for additional generations, but they will still look like relative modern automatic watches rather than ancient family heirlooms.
• Brand. Whether you like Rolexes or not, there is no denying their popularity. Rolex is one of the most recognized and sought after brands in the world. Although their demand is what makes them expensive and often difficult to get, it is also what makes them sound investments.

Although I'm an obvious Rolex fan, I always encourage people who are considering purchasing one to consider other brands, as well. There are several other comparable brands out there which are much less expensive and that will serve precisely the same purpose (unless you're shopping purely for the Rolex brand). In the end, though, if you are sure you want quality, craftsmanship, tradition, beauty, and brand, you can't go wrong with a Rolex.

Casio recently had their brush with terrorism -- now it's Rolex's turn. According to this Reuters article, items like fake Rolexes and counterfeit designer handbags (in other words, things you buy on the street rather than in stores) may fund terrorism.

Apparently there is evidence that counterfeiters in New York have sent money to Hamas and Hezbollah, groups considered by the US government to be terrorist organizations. So far, there have not been any direct links to al-Qaeda, but don't let that sooth your conscience. That money is very difficult to track, so there's no telling where it actually ends up.

The article outlines several reasons why buying items like fake Rolexes is a really bad idea:

During tonight's installment of International Rolex Thievery, we learn of a man in Milan who took advantage of Italy's new non-smoking laws to make off with a $37,000 Rolex. After browsing the merchandise long enough to dispel any suspicion, the man told the shopkeeper he was ready to make a purchase, but wouldn't you know it, he only had foreign currency on him. At that very moment, he began to casually light a cigarette at which point he was told that due to the new Italian anti-smoking laws, he must enjoy his tobacco outside. The shopkeeper, in the meantime, would telephone the bank and pursue the matter of the foreign currency. In retrospect, his mistake was clearly failing to ask the man to return the watch before walking out of the shop completely unsupervised and unattended. However, when neither the customer nor the Rolex returned, I'm sure the shopkeeper was able to appreciate the fact that he had just learned a very important lesson.

• Read "Thief in Italy Snags Rolex Thanks to Smoking Ban"
• Read "Rolex Watches Can Help You Elude Capture"

An English language Greek newspaper tells of three men who robbed a Rolex store in Athens yesterday. The gang posed as customers, then one man produced a gun while the other two stuffed their pockets with fistfuls of Rolexes. The three discriminating thieves took off on foot, however the shopkeeper hastily enlisted the assistance of a pedestrian who bravely pursued one of the men. Fortunately for our hero, he picked one of the two thieves who had Rolexes in his pocket rather than the one with the gun, so instead of getting shot, the poor guy had Rolex watches thrown at him. The ploy worked, and all three thieves managed to escape. (Something tells me if it were Timex watches getting lobbed through the air, at least one of these guys would be in custody right now.) The article does not mention whether the pursuer was injured, or whether he is currently at large, as well, though the moral of the story is clearly to keep a few Rolex replicas on hand during your next heist.

Read Thief Makes Time Fly in Rolex Heist Escape.