Over the past few months I have had the pleasure of sitting down with (read: frequently emailing) Mitch Feig, owner and founder of Ocean7 Watch co. You might remember that I had the opportunity to review two Ocean7 watches (the G2 and LM-2) earlier this year, and I walked away impressed with the high quality, reasonable prices, great customer service, and client interaction. After getting to know Mitch a little better, I feel he is yet another reason to consider buying an Ocean7. He is a successful entrepreneur who spends his time answering questions on forums, and ensuring that customer feedback never falls on a deaf ear.

JS: Have you always loved watches?

MF: Yes, I have always loved watches.  I have a degree in computer science, but I studied watch making for two years, in the early 1990’s. I am comfortable working on mechanical watches including chronographs. I have a little experience with quartz movements.

Ever wondered what the most accurate watch in the world is? It's probably not what you think.

You might guess a radio-controlled quartz watch like the Casio G-Shock Gulfman, or the Citizen Skyhawk. That's a good starting point. Atomic watches are very accurate if you can receive the radio signals. But there are large portions of the world where they don't reach (Central/South America, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the poles, out on the ocean — even plenty of places that are technically within range, but for whatever reason, not conducive to signal penetration).

Another possible answer is a GPS watch like the Suunto X9i which works almost anywhere on the globe. Unfortunately, it has very limited battery life, and doesn't sync automatically.

Conventional quartz movements are generally accurate to ±15 seconds per month, or 3 minutes per year. That's good enough for pretty much any application, as evidenced by the fact that accuracy hasn't improved much since the 1970s. More modern technology has brought a few high-accuracy quartz movements:

• The ETA Thermoline movement, as used in some Breitlings.
• Seiko 8F and 9F movements, generally good to 10-20 seconds per year.
• And today's mystery contestant: the Citizen A660.

Say hello to one of the best wolf-in-sheep's clothing watches in existence: the Citizen Chronomaster (aka "The Citizen"). The A660 movement inside the Citizen Chronomaster is the most accurate in the world right now, rated to an amazing ±5 seconds per year. There's a variety of faces and hands, but the basic watch style is a very understated men's dress watch. The cost is around $1,100 - $1,300USD at present — not bad for such impressive technology and looks.

Specifications for the model shown to the right, the The Citizen Chronomaster CTQ57-1022 (our favorite):

Today I'd like to introduce you to another maker of fine aviation watches that we think you'll like: Fortis. Meaning "strong" in Latin, Fortis was founded in 1912 by Walter Vogt in Switzerland, and has made a strong resurgence since 1987. Specializing in flight and space watches, Fortis is the official supplier to the Russian space program and the International Space Station. They have a strong design aesthetic of clear faces, instrument-themed hands, and high-contrast dials. Very functional, and with their ETA/Valjoux movements, quite reliable as well. I'd like to pick a few out of their lineup to go over in detail.

The Fortis Flieger

Probably the most iconic Fortis is their classic Flieger watch. Built around the well-known ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, it's 40mm wide (also available in a 34mm wide case) and features a screw-down crown and caseback that combine for an unusual (for an aviation watch) 200m (660ft) water resistance. The super-hard sapphire crystal is anti-reflective coated on both sides, and the hands and indices are superluminova-coated for legibility under any conditions. I've actually opened one of these and regulated it; it's well-made and quite sturdy. I was impressed, and enjoyed wearing it for a day. The orange second hand is wonderful, and I really like the uncluttered face and dramatic hour & minute hands. With a street price of around $600, it's a good price for a solid Swiss watch of high function and durability.

If you like your dive watches colorful, distinctive, and rich with history, then we think you'll like Doxa SA. Founded in 1889 in Switzerland, Doxa foundered in the quartz crisis of the 1960s, but was reopened in 1997. Although they make a wide variety of watches, they are best known for their dive watches, and their perennial inclusion in the Dirk Pitt books by author Clive Cussler.

In 1967, Doxa's research led them to use an orange dial for visibility on their Sub 300T model which was unheard of at the time. Water absorbs some colors more than others, and Doxa's work found that orange remained legible to the greatest depths. The orange dial become a symbol of Doxa, and is now an option available on almost all serious dive watches (except the Rolex Sea-Dweller which has stubbornly stuck to black). Doxa also began incorporating an adjustable bezel with a decompression table into the Sub 300T. Resold in the US, it was a tremendous success and was reintroduced in 2002 as a special edition.

Doxa watches have a distinctive "cushion" case (referring to the shape), and since 1973, the crown is located at the 4 o'clock position for comfort (to prevent it from digging into your wrist). This, combined with the unique bezel, bracelets, and eye-catching colors, makes for a watch with great presence. They're very well made, as well, utilizing Swiss ETA movements of impeccable pedigree.

Doxa currently makes four hardcare dive watches:

• Sub 5000T
• Sub 1000T
• Sub 750T (GMT)
• T-Graph Sub 600T (chronograph)

Most of Doxa's dive watches are available in multiple colors which are indicated by the names Professional (orange), Sharkhunter (black), Caribbean (blue), and Divingstar (yellow).

There is plenty more to Doxa's history and innovation (Helium escape valves, Bugatti car dash clocks, 8-day movements, ratcheting dive suit extensions, etc.) which you can find on Doxa's site. The upshot is that if you're a serious diver, or if you just want a unique watch with good legibility and an interesting history, Doxa is a very good place to look.

Additional Resources:

• The Doxa homepage
• Doxa 40th anniversary book
• doxa300t.com
• Doxa entry on Wikipedia

View the Oceanus OCWM700TBA-1AV Photo Gallery.

Watch Report recently received the black Ion Plated Oceanus OCWM700TBA-1AV. Since I already reviewed its silver-colored titanium sibling (the Oceanus OCWM700TDA-1AV) which has identical functionality, I decided to use this opportunity to write an article on the process of turning metal watches black.

When deciding which materials to use for a watch case or bracelet, manufactures have to take several things into consideration like cost, intended use, desired color, and target weight. They also have to consider the drawbacks of various materials. For instance, titanium is strong, super light, durable, non-corrosive, non-allergenic (some people cannot wear stainless steel due to nickel allergies), and unlike stainless steel, it's unaffected by salt water. This combination makes titanium a great material for dive watches, however one drawback is that its surface hardness is relatively low which means it's easily scratched.

One method that can be used to change the surface properties of a material is called Physical Vapor Deposition, or PVD (you'll also see it labeled as Ion Plating, or IP, which is a variant on PVD). The PVD process involves placing the item to be coated in an inert (non-reactive) atmosphere, heating it up to 400° C or so (depending on the process), and basically spraying it with the molecules that you want to coat it with. That's the general process, however there are a lot of subtle variations like using charged ions for the ion plated variation. PVD has been around since 1838 and is heavily used in semiconductor manufacturing, automobiles, and many other places including, or course, watches.

PVD results in a coating up to a micron or so thick that's tightly bonded to the base material. It won't flake off, as the coating is interpenetrated with the underlying material which is what makes it different from paint, powder coats, or anodizing. If you hit it with sufficient force, however, you can go through the PVD and into the material below, and since it's still a coating, polishing to remove scratches is not recommended.

Another more advanced technique is Chemical Vapor Deposition, or CVD. The main difference between PVD and CVD is that the deposited material is produced via a chemical reaction instead of directly coating the surface. The titanium nitride hardening on the Citizen PMT56-2711 that I reviewed is the product of CVD, and holds up extremely well.

Better still is DLC, or diamond-like Carbon, where, via secret-sauce processes, the surface of a watch is coated with something very much like synthetic diamond! With an incredible surface hardness, this is very nearly impossible to scratch, and can been seen on some high-end Citizens like the Attesa, on the Casio MR-G watches, and on watches like the Rado V10K. DLC is also used in the engines of most super sport motorcycles, on implantable human heart pumps, and in other exotic tasks than can afford the artistry required to create it.

In the world of watches, PVD is most commonly used to produce a flat black "stealth" finish which is quite attractive. It wears better than the stainless or titanium underneath it, and is used on both cases and bracelets. There is a lot of variation in the technique used, so different brands and models will have different levels of durability; unfortunately, the relative quality is hard to discern when purchasing. Be aware that PVD cannot be re-applied, and even marquee brands like Panerai will only remove the coating if its damaged. Many people consider scratches in PVD finishes to be signs of real use, however. They feel that scratches give a "tool" watch some serious character, and wouldn't buff them out even if they could.

Say Hi to the Omega Speedmaster X-33. Introduced in 1998, this is one amazing watch. Omega literally flight (and crash) tested it with NASA and military pilots, experimenting with several design iterations before settling on and shipping two commercial versions. It was designed for pilots and space flight, and is rated by NASA for the mission to Mars. Without a doubt, this is one of the coolest and most interesting analog-digital watches ever made.

But of course, something this good just couldn't last. Unfortunately, the X-33 was made unavailable to the general public last year, and now you can only buy them if you work for NASA, or you're in the military. And if that weren't enough, rumor has it that you need to assemble an order of ten or more at once.

Features of the Omega Speedmaster X-33 include:

• Titanium case and bracelet (for light weight).
• Domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal, coated on both sides.
• Omega quartz movement developed specifically for this watch (caliber 1666), temperature compensated, rated to ± 0.1 seconds per day.
• 26-month battery with low-power indicator.
• Water-resistant to 30 meters (about 100 feet).
• 80dB alarm — incredibly loud for use in a cockpit environment. (Finally, a watch that you could actually use for an alarm clock.)
• 8 lux backlight — practically flashlight-bright.
• 42.25mm diameter case.
• Day, date, stopwatch, GMT, and a countdown timer.
• Standard daily alarm, and a second programmable alarm.
• Mission elapsed time (up to 999 days).
• Mission time alarm.
• Shipped in a box covered with spacesuit material (nice touch).
• Bidirectional 120-click ratcheting bezel for timing with the analog hands.
• Luminescent "bezel pearl" for night visibility.
• LCD "stealth" mode. (Clean up the dial by turning off the curved LCD display.)

List price for the X-33 was about $2,600, and they show up on eBay and on watch forums every now and then for about $1,500 - $2,000, depending on their condition.

Additional Resources:

• The Omega X-33 Product Page.
• A Pilot's Impression of the Omega X-33.
• Review of the Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33.

By Paul Hubbard

Sometimes all you want from a watch is the time and date in a nice, readable format. Not too fancy, not too cluttered, not too expensive. Even us gadget freaks get the urge to strap on a simple watch with a clear face sometimes. Allow me introduce the Citizen BM6400 watches, available with either a canvas strap (BM6400-00E, retail $175) or a bracelet (BM6400-51E, retail $225).

The list of features is as simple as the face of the watch itself:

• Time.
• Date.
• Non-reflective mineral crystal.
• Eco-drive solar powered.
• 200m water resistant (about 650 feet).
• All stainless steel.

I really like the clarity and readability of these watches, and the prices are even lower than retail if you search a bit. An excellent watch for those times when you Just Need A Watch.

By Paul Hubbard

I created Watch Report over three years ago because there wasn't enough of the right kind of watch information available online. My goal was to produce the best and most helpful online watch publication, and to help as many people as possible find the same kind of passion for watches that I have.

It wasn't long before emails started rolling in, and over time, I found myself spending as much time responding to emails as producing and editing content. I really like interacting one-on-one with Watch Report readers, but after three years, the amount of email I get has finally become overwhelming. Rather than give up, I decided to create the Watch Report Forums.

The Watch Report Forums will hopefully allow Watch Report readers to get personalized advice not only from me, but from other Watch Report readers, as well. And the best part is that, unlike individual emails, thousands of readers will benefit from every post.

I'm really anxious to see what kind of community builds up around Watch Report. There isn't much content in the forums yet since I just launched them today, so I encourage you to go check them out and jump right in to a new or existing discussion. See you over there!

Christian

TechnoMarine Abyss

Dive watches come in all shapes and sizes, and are available at all different price points. Most watches with a uni-directional rotating bezel and the ability to fit over a wetsuit claim more water resistance then most of us will ever need: usually around 100-200 meters. But the watches I cover in this article go way deeper than your typical diver; deeper than the current 1,220 meter Rolex Sea Dweller; deeper, even, than the Breitling Steelfish which maxes out at a comparably casual 2,000 meters. There are a handful of watches out there that can literally scrape the bottom of the deepest known parts of the ocean, and I call these watches "extreme divers".

The TechnoMarine Abyss

First up is the TechnoMarine Abyss. This avant-garde brand throws down an interesting looking watch that is ready to dive. The Abyss is a 42.5mm quartz-powered stainless steel dive watch which, at $650, represents the cheapest of the extreme divers. Although suspiciously light on details, TechnoMarine claims the Abyss can withstand 12,000 meters of water, or about 39,600 feet, which is about as deep as deep gets. This model comes in a choice of dial colors (blue, black, orange, silver, and yellow), and is outfitted with a mineral crystal. Something that sets the Abyss apart from the other extreme divers is the day of the week in additional to the date. Like all the extreme divers, the case of the Abyss is filled with silicone oil to keep the pressure equalized, and it has a very prominent air bubble which will undoubtedly draw bewildered looks and plenty of questions from perfect strangers.

There are as many different reasons to buy watches as there are wearers, and today I'd like to talk about a personal motivator: engineering. Being an engineer myself, I appreciate and savor the work required to find an innovative and elegant solution to a problem, particularly in field of materials science.

So how does this related to Sinn? Sinn is a German company making watches with Swiss (ETA) movements, and their engineering is simply superb. I've chosen three of their watches to talk about, and I think that by the end of this article, you will agree that Sinn engineering is indeed something special.

The Sinn UX

First off is the Sinn UX, a seemingly standard looking quartz diver's watch with some decidedly non-standard features. Made of steel designed for submarines, and further toughened by a process called tegimenting, it sports a sapphire crystal with super-hard anti-reflective coating and 7-year battery. But that's just the beginning. The case and dial are filled with silicone oil which, having the same refractive index as the sapphire, removes reflections and makes the dial visible from all angles and avoids the underwater "mirror effect". Sinn had to use quartz here because no mechanical movement can function while immersed in oil.

But the silicon oil isn't just for visibility. In conjunction with the construction of the case, and a special gasket system, the oil allows the watch to withstand enormous pressure. For the sake of comparison, a Rolex Submariner is rated for 200-400 meters (about 650 to 1,300 feet) of depth, depending on when it was made, and a Rolex Sea-Dweller is guaranteed to 1,200 meters (about 4,000 feet). Pretty impressive. But the Sinn UX is rated to 12,000 meters or almost 40,000 feet! Or, put another way, slightly deeper than the deepest known part of the ocean. Of course, the movement will stop working around 5,000 meters, but at that depth, you have more to worry about than telling the time.

I recently had the privilege of conducting an email interview with one of my favorite watch industry icons: owner and founder of Bathys Watch Company, John Patterson. In 2005, John Patterson created Bathys, a small watch company based out of Hawaii. Bathys started out small with very limited models, but has expanded so rapidly in the past two years that in 2007, they were invited to Baselworld (one of the biggest watch industry shows on the planet). In less than two years, Bathys Watch Company has gone from a single quartz model to three separate lines of automatic watches.

Bathys specialize in a very unique line of super tough dive watches: The 100 Fathom, The AquaCulture, and The Benthic. Bathys designs and creates watches with a rare passion for quality, ease of use, legibility, and customer satisfaction. They are a wholly cool company that brings a young fervor to the ancient watch industry.

The following is an email interview with the owner and founder of Bathys Watch Company, John Patterson.

We don't usually talk about high-end dress watches, and even more rarely about custom-made mechanical pieces, so this article is a bit of an experiment for us. But RGM -- both the company and the watches -- is too unique not have some mention on Watch Report.

As amazing as it might sound, America used to be the preeminent watch maker in the world in the pre World War II timeframe. Brands like Hamilton, Elgin, Gruen, Benrus, and Illinois led the way in automated production and railroad-grade watches, producing high-quality timepieces at a broad range of prices. Their decline can mainly be attributed to the quartz revolution of the 1960s.

I'm explaining a bit of history to give you some idea of how unusual RGM is. Roland G Murphy, based in Lancaster PA, makes and sells high-end and custom mechanical watches for prices that are a lot less than the Swiss marques. Moreover, many of his creations are available with vintage American movements such as the Hamilton 921, making for a beautiful watch that is truly American made.

His company is called RGM (his initials), and is known for impeccable hand craftsmanship and the use of unusual techniques like rose-engine guilloché (an interwoven, ornamental pattern). As a small company, you can actually talk to Roland himself, which is not exactly an option with most watch companies. RGM also specializes in one-off custom pieces, so you can call up and get exactly the watch you've always wanted. That's not to say it'll be cheap, of course. From the RGM history page:

Bell & Ross came to the market in 1992 determined to offer high quality Swiss timepieces to professionals in extreme working environments (see Bell & Ross: Watches for Professionals). Now with the instantly recognizable square design of the Instrument collection (the cases literally look like gauges lifted directly off of fighter jets or submarines), Bell & Ross may have found the individuality it needs to keep competing with better known and long-established brands. Bell & Ross continues to push forward with a Breitling-like passion for professional timepieces, and a combination of avant-garde style and Swiss watch making tradition.

All the watches in the Bell & Ross Instrument collection have automatic ETA movements, anti-reflective sapphire crystals, luminescent hands and markers, and are water-resistant to 100 meters (about 330 feet). There are 11 different models available with the following complications:

• No date.
• Small date.
• Big date.
• Chronograph.
• Power reserve.

Across these five basic versions, you can get all kinds of variations, including:

• Stainless steel, black carbon finished steel, pink gold, or titanium cases.
• Leather, canvas, rubber, or alligator straps.
• Limited edition orange or blue accents (blue version pictured here).
• Diamond encrusted with mother-of-pearl dials.

The Instrument Collection has become the symbol of the company's brand image, and will likely be their calling card for many years to come. While Bell & Ross may want you to believe that their Instrument collection is for serious professionals, I believe that these watches will be very intriguing to the enthusiast who appreciates style and passion over brand and history. The cornerstone of this business is quality and character -- something that Bell & Ross seems to have come to understand very well.

By James Stacey

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

Panerai Radiomir

Panerai is a company that every watch fan should know a bit about. Panerai is a small Florentine watch manufacturer that commands a big presence, both on your wrist and in the industry. The brands instantly recognizable features are the product of over 70 years of watchmaking experience. When Panerai first opened in 1860, the Florentine business made precision tools for sailors in the Royal Italian Navy. It was not until 1936 that they designed and built the Radiomir, a wristwatch named for the luminous material used to make it legible in the dark. The design ethic of the watch is nearly identical to the Radiomir available today. While the watch may have remained superficially frozen in time, the internal workings have not. In 1997, the company was taken over by Richemont and the watches moved upscale.

Panerai currently has two standard models, the Radiomir and the Luminor, that come in bevy of different collections but are all based on the same design ethics. The Radiomir is unique in its cushion-shape style and rung type connection between the strap and case. The Luminor is appreciated for its unique crown guard and classic Panerai sandwich dial. With Richemont at the helm, the production value increased greatly and Panerai watches garnered new respect in the industry. Unfortunately, for many years the movements were still not produced in-house and Officine Panerai relied on other franchises like Rolex and Jaeger-LeCoultre for the heartbeat of their watches. The company matured under leadership from Richemont, and in 2005 releases the calibre p.2002, a hand-wound mechanical movement with a GMT complication and an 8-day power reserve. Panerai began to be recognized by its peers and the purists in the market. The brand has grown very quickly in the past decade and commands a definitive presence in the watch community.

If you swim for fitness, finding a watch to keep track of lap times is difficult. Most general-fitness watches are cumbersome to use underwater, and often have displays that are hard to read. But there are a couple of innovative products out there that attempt to solve this problem.

The Zoggs Lap Pro is a fairly standard looking digital watch with a large LCD display and a face that acts as one large button which you press to register a lap. Simple, easy to use, and, at $50 online, reasonably priced.  The drawback is that you still have to touch your wrist with your off hand at the end of a lap, which you don't normally do while swimming, but it's better than trying to press a tiny button.

Speedo has a watch called the Fastskin with a large digital readout which is slightly tilted to make it easier to read at a glance. However, other than the display, the fact that it has a stopwatch, is water resistant to 50 feet, and bears the Speedo brand, I'm not sure how this qualifies as a swimming watch.

And then there are the Casio Baby-G Dolphin and Whale models with a couple of interesting features like a dive log and the time at 10 popular dive sites around the world. As it turns out, though, it appears that the Baby-G Dolphin and Whale line is more about saving marine animals than swimming with them since part of the proceeds from each sale goes to environmental protection initiatives. Still, not bad looking Baby-Gs.

Speaking of Casios, the G-Shock GW-400J is a reasonable choice for the water. The vibrating alarm was designed for water sports like swimming, surfing, and water skiing where it's difficult or impossible to hear the typical faint beeps of most alarms. It also sports some interesting water-related features like a tide graph and a thermometer that measures both air and water temperatures.

But if your focus is strictly lap swimming, another solution is a finger-mounted timer like the SportCount. The smaller display is harder to read, but the button is easier to press since it's located right next to your thumb. Like the Zoggs Lap Pro, the SportCount provides fastest, slowest, and average stats, plus a lap counter and total time elapsed. The only problem is that we're watch fanatics, and as such, we'd prefer a wrist-mounted solution like the Zoggs any day of the week.

By Paul Hubbard and Christian Cantrell

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.

The Breitling Emergency has got to be one of the most unique watches I've ever seen. Breitling primarily makes watches for aviation professionals, and therefore outfits them with appropriate functionality like chronographs, circular slide rules, multiple time zones, etc. But these are all features designed to keep you in the air, on course, and on time. What about a feature designed to offer pilots and crew members assistance when they encounter the unexpected? That's where the Breitling Emergency comes in.

The most salient feature of the Breitling Emergency is its ability to broadcast an emergency distress signal. Unscrew the protective cap on the right side of the case, fully extend the antenna, and the Breitling Emergency will broadcast on the 121.5 MHz aircraft emergency frequency for a full 48 hours. The range of the transmission is about 100 miles, which seems reasonably impressive for a watch. An interesting technique might be to outfit an entire crew with these watches, then in the event of an emergency, spread out to create a combined coverage area of several hundred miles.

Be careful when showing the Breitling Emergency to your friends, however. Apparently, the FAA will slap you with a $15,000 fine if you broadcast a false distress call which will probably result in you having to sell your expensive watch.

For more information, check the Emergency out on Breitling's site.

Omega and James Bond have had a long and mutually profitable relationship. It used to be a Rolex Submariner that Q modified with non-standard complications and handed over to Sean Connery to get him out of tight situations, however starting with Pierce Brosnan in Golden Eye the Omega Seamaster became the choice of British spies. Omega seized the opportunity to not only make James Bond a brand ambassador, but they also created the special James Bond Omega Seamaster.

Now that there's a new Bond, Omega has taken the opportunity to outfit him with a new tool: the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. I've written about the Planet Ocean and handled several under the watchful eyes of jewelry store clerks, and they are truly majestic watches -- very fitting of Bond, and an excellent choice for a fresh beginning of the Bond franchise.

What I find interesting, however, is that to my knowledge, Rolex never made a limited edition commemorative James Bond Submariner while Omega has released a couple Bond Seamasters. I'm guessing the idea of soldering a "007" to the end of a Submariner second hand, or adulterating the dial with some Hollywood inspired action graphic made the folks at Rolex swoon. Frankly, I'd have to be a pretty big James Bond fan to drop that kind of money on a movie souvenir, but I suppose if you're a collector, there's nothing like the phrase "limited edition" to get you on the phone with your favorite authorized dealer.

When Tutima calls the DI 300 "the sports watch for active yachtsmen," they are apparently willing to put their money where their mouth is. Last year, during the Nord/LB Baltic Spirit Cup, the Tutima racing yacht (appropriately named "TUTIMA") pulled an orange-dial Tutima DI 300 behind it for 2,000 nautical miles (or about 2,300 regular miles for us landlubbers). I think they made their point that the Tutima DI 300 is water-tight, corrosion-resistant, and has an extremely robust bracelet and clasp.

The specs on the Tutima DI 300 go something like this:

• Titanium case.
• Solid titanium bracelet.
• Screw-down titanium crown.
• Unidirectional rotating bezel.
• Sapphire crystal.
• Automatic movement with day and date.
• Water resistant to 30 bar, 300 meters, or almost 1,000 feet.
• Available with an orange or black dial.

I don't know much about Tutima watches, however I am suddenly compelled to learn more. Hopefully I'll be posting a hands-on review in the not-too-distant future.

My regular readers know that I love four features in watches: solar, atomic, countdown timers, and vibrating alarms. The first three are relatively easy to get these days, but a vibrating alarm is a far less common feature, and often means ordering a watch from Japan, and/or spending a fair amount of money.

But now Timex has three nice and inexpensive solutions: the 41731, 41701, and the 41741. All are simple, nice-looking, affordable analog watches with easy-to-set vibrating alarms.

The Timex Vibrating Alarm line actually has two types of alarms: the over 60-minute alarm, and the under 60-minute alarm. The over 60-minute alarm will vibrate twice per day, 12 hours apart, at the desired time, and the under 60-minute alarm will vibrate once per hour on the desired minute. Both can be set using the crown on the lower right-hand side of the case, or simply by rotating the bezel.

The full feature set of the Timex Vibrating Alarm watches includes:

• Two types of vibrating alarms.
• Ability to set the alarm using the alarm crown or the bezel.
• Date.
• INDIGLO illumination.
• Water resistant to 50 meters, or about 165 feet.
• 4.5 year battery.

According to this press release (translated), Seiko Instruments has developed a very interesting Bluetooth watch prototype. With the addition of software installed on your Bluetooth-enabled phone, the watch can do all of the following:

• Alert you with a sound or by vibrating when someone calls.
• Show you the name of the caller.
• Allow you to mute the phone's ring.
• Allow you to reject the call and forward to voice mail.
• Indicate that you have new mail on your phone, and display the subject of the message.
• Inform you if the Bluetooth connection between the watch and your phone is broken.
• Use the phone to calibrate the watch's time.

I think this is a hugely interesting experiment, especially considering the fact that a lot of people I know have replaced their watches with their mobile phones. And why not? In many ways, mobile phones make better timepieces than most watches. The time is always correct, they automatically adjust for daylight savings and time zone changes, they usually have built-in alarms and calendars, most of them can be configured to vibrate rather emit annoying beeps, and most of us have been trained to keep our phones charged and with us at all times. Glancing at a phone isn't quite as convenient as glancing at a watch, but for many of my friends, phones seem to be convenient enough.

I just got back from a trip to Seoul and Hong Kong where I did quite a bit of watch shopping. I've spent a lot of time in Japan, and I learned very quickly that both fine and high-tech watches are a much bigger priority in many parts of Asia than they are in the US, so finding jewelry stores and watchmakers was not difficult, especially in Hong Kong.

I picked up the two watches pictured here as gifts. The one on the right is a Casio G-Shock GW-1100J which is very similar to one I reviewed almost a year ago. The only differences are the colors of the LCDs, and the red accents on the newer one. This is a great, feature rich watch (atomic, solar, countdown timer, five alarms, world time, automatic backlight, etc.), and has a bold, tough look. I got it at a G-Shock store that happened to be right across the street from my hotel in Hong Kong. Their selection actually wasn't as extensive as I'd hoped. In fact, there are several new Casios available in Japan that they didn't cary yet or even know anything about. Their atomic selection was a little sparse, as well, most likely because there is no atomic clock within range (the nearest two are both in Japan). Clearly the best place in the world to shop for Casios is at their source: Tokyo.

The other watch I picked up is the Seiko Sportura SNA481. I've written pretty extensively about the Sportura line, and recently reviewed the SNJ005 World Time. These are neither pricey nor rare watches, but they are very well made, and have a distinctive, sporty look -- especially the line with the black leather straps, in my opinion. The SNA481 is the alarm chronograph. The chronograph uses the large orange hand to track seconds, and the subdial at the 12 o'clock position to track up to 60 minutes. The subdial at the six o'clock position is used for setting the alarm, or for tracking the time in a second time zone.

I've determined that the king of watches in Asia is not a Japanese brand, however. Clearly it's Rolex. Walking through the shopping districts of Hong Kong at night, you see the word "Rolex" in neon all over the place, and everyone who can possibly scrape enough money together seems to have one. There are no bargains to be had on Rolexes in Hong Kong, however. I came across a very rare white dial, all stainless Rolex Daytona for well over $10,000 (US), which I believe retails for thousands less here. The problem, however, is finding one stateside. The only one I've ever seen in the US was a 1998 model with a Zenith movement in a pricey shopping district in San Francisco for $14,000. Price-wise, it makes my GMT Master II look like a Timex.

When I arrived home yesterday, I was pleased to find several packages from all over the world waiting for me. Watch for reviews in the coming weeks.

John over at The Wrist Watch Review got his hands on one of the new Fossil Atari Asteroids watches. These things look like a lot of fun, especially if you used to be an Atari 2600 junkie, like myself. The watch isn't playable, unfortunately, but it is animated, which means the asteroids (blobs) and the ship (triangle) do actually move. The Fossil Atari Asteroids watch runs $125, and is available on Fossil's site. If these types of watches appeal to you, don't wait because this is a limited edition of only 5,000 pieces total, and only 2,000 slotted for the US.

Similarly geeky watches from Fossil include the:

• Clone Wars watch
• Darth Vader watch
• Droids watch
• Superman Street watch
• Batman Legend watch
• Lord of the Rings watch

All are limited editions, for better or for worse.

View the Automatic Swatch Jelly Fish photo gallery.

In the 80's, where I went to elementary school, the more Swatches you owned, and the more you wore simultaneously, the cooler you were. I wasn't very cool because I only had one, but the one I had was, and still is, an undisputed Swatch classic: the Jelly Fish.

I don't remember what happened to my Jelly Fish, but I always loved that watch, and I've often wished that I'd kept it. In fact, about a month ago, while in a particularly nostalgic mood, I decided to see if I could find a used Jelly Fish to add to my collection. Not only was I lucky enough to find a brand new Swatch Jelly Fish, but amazingly, the one I found was automatic.

My new Automatic Swatch Jelly Fish is by far the rarest watch I own (which doesn't translate into the most valuable, mind you). Swatch never made an automatic Jelly Fish, so I imagine there are only a few of these in existence. It was pieced together by someone in Belgium, and he did an excellent job. I think the band is new (meaning not original), but the case, hands, and the dial are all original 1985 Swatch Jelly Fish in perfect condition. The Swatch automatic movement also appears to be brand new, and works flawlessly. Through the clear plastic back, you can see the words "Swatch Automatic," "Swiss," and "23 JEWELS" etched into the rotor. I think I'm just as excited about my new Swatch Jelly Fish as I was about the original my mom bought me from Macy 20 years ago for $35. And this time, I'm keeping it.

View the Automatic Swatch Jelly Fish photo gallery.

I always say that you should pick the right watch for the job. And if the job at hand is running or speeding walking, the Timex OVA (Optimal Viewing Angle) looks like it could be the right watch.

First of all, if you're looking for a heart rate monitor, you won't find one in the Timex OVA (check out the Suunto n3i or the Nike HRM Triax Inspire instead). But if you're looking for a comfortable, simple, and inexpensive watch to wear on your long runs or walks, then the Timex OVA might be one to consider. The primary feature of the Timex OVA is that it is designed to ride on the side of your wrist as opposed to the top which puts the watch into your natural line of site while running. Additionally, the large digital numbers are slanted to further improve the viewing angle, and the band is lightweight and breathable.

Full list of features :

• Optimal viewing angle (hence the name). Even the digits are slightly slanted for better readability.
• Flexible and breathable plastic band.
• Large, easily accessible button below the face for operating the timing functions.
• Stopwatch with 75 laps, best lap, and average lap time.
• Two interval timers.
• Repeat countdown timer.
• Three daily alarms.
• Water-resistant to 100 meters (about 330 feet).

I was in New York for a conference last week, and I ran into a girl wearing a big, dorky (in a cool way), very intriguing watch which turned out to be a Seiko AirPro. I'd never seen one before, and when she told me she'd bought it in Japan, my first thought was that it was a GSM mobile phone watch that had somehow slipped passed my Japanese wrist technology radar. But instead of being a speaker or a microphone, the big contraption below the face is actually a pump which can be used to inflate a small chamber under the case to make the watch fit snuggly against your wrist, kind of like the old Nike and Reebok basketball shoes. I'm not exactly sure why it's useful (the girl wearing it was a designer, and I think she was more attracted to its unique looks than its functionality), but I suppose if you were running, or playing tennis, or otherwise engaged in the type of activity that would send your watch bouncing up and down your arm, it might be nice to cinch it down by pumping a little air into it.

I can't explain why, but for some reason, I liked the watch enough to do a bit of research. I don't know if Seiko is still making the AirPro, but I do know for a fact you won't find one at your local authorized Seiko retailer. I found references to the Seiko AirPro as early at August of 1999, so we're definitely talking vintage technology here. I even found references to a version which actually spoke the time which I'm sure wouldn't get old for your co-workers and cube-mates at all.

Although sometimes the search for a watch can be just as much fun as actually buying it, there's also something to be said for getting exactly what you want, when you want it, and not paying for anything you don't need. If you're the type who knows exactly what he wants and is accustomed to getting it, you might consider buying a custom watch from 121TIME.

121TIME allows customers to customize their own Swiss-made watches using their online Design Studio. In a little over five minutes, I built myself a very nice Challenger Automatic with a stainless steel bracelet and bezel, black dial with Arabic numerals, and sapphire crystal, all for $644. I have never owned a 121, so I can't vouch for their quality, but assuming they are well made, that's a fairly reasonable price for something custom built and Swiss.

Like my colleague Robert over at Fratello Watches, I recently received an email from 121TIME co-founder Daniel Morf letting me know that as of this month, 121TIME is offering ETA 2824-2 automatic movements as an option for almost all their watches (it looks like the Speedster is only available in quartz, but the Grand Central, Metropolitan, Challenger and Centurio are all available with automatic movements). Although I love high-tech digital watches, I believe a watch like the 121 is far more appealing as an automatic. Nice move, 121.

In 1969, Seiko introduced one of the most disruptive technologies in the history of watchmaking: the quartz movement. Quartz movements are more accurate than automatic or mechanical movements, generally less temperamental, and are far cheaper to produce. Since then, the Japanese watchmaker has continued to innovate and help the industry evolve with inventions like the kinetic watch, the kinetic auto relay, and now, the Spring Drive.

To understand the significance of the Spring Drive, it probably helps to have a little background on more conventional watch movements.

Mechanical Watches

Mechanical watches contain a main spring, the tension from which drives the watch. The main spring is wound by hand (usually by twisting the crown), at which point it slowly unwinds at a regular rate over the course of a couple of days. Mechanical watches use devices call escapements which provide the friction necessary to cause the main spring to unwind at a rate consistent with units of time (otherwise the main spring would simply unwind all at once). Escapements are the most intricate, delicate, and expensive components of mechanical and automatic watches.

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.

I drive a black Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and I'm obviously a watch fanatic, so a collection of Jeep watches certainly seems like a good idea to me. It looks like there are about 14 different styles with a nice variety of functionality ranging from rotating bezels to digital or analog chronographs to compasses built into the straps. It appears they all have dates, and colors are primarily "earthy" with some yellows thrown in (yellow is a very popular color for Wranglers). Straps are either rubber, or a leather and nylon combination. Jeep watches are water-resistant to 50 meters or 165 feet, and seem to go for between $100 and $200, give or take.

I'm not usually one to go for car-related accessories or apparel. I once saw a man get out of a red Testarossa wearing a black Ferrari jacket, and the whole ensemble just seemed to scream "midlife crisis". I don't mind Porsche Design watches so much, although I think the PTC 911 box set with miniature 911 models (aka toys) is pushing it a bit. That said, I don't think the Jeep watches are bad. Keeping in mind they are inexpensive quartz watches (you almost always get what you pay for in the world of watches), if you simply must have something other than your vehicle that says "Jeep" on it, and a key chain just won't cut it, the Jeep watch might not be a bad way to go.

The folks over at SpotStop picked up on a new article on howstuffworks.com which does a pretty good job describing how SPOT watches work. It's a good and thorough orientation because it starts out describing SPOT (Smart Personal Object Technology) at a high level, and ends by actually dissembling an Abacus SPOT watch and labeling all the components. Here's a taste:

SPOT works using FM broadcasting, like the kind picked up by a radio, to deliver Web-based data to Smart objects. Smart Watches receive more than 200 channels of information that are broadcast on a radio spectrum leased by Microsoft.

I'm a pretty big SPOT watch fan myself, and I wear one often (usually the Swatch Paparazzi). I have extremely eclectic tastes in watches, and I might start the day wearing a Rolex or an automatic Seiko, and finish the evening wearing a Casio G-Shock or some sort of SPOT watch. It all depends on what I'm doing. The SPOT watch actually suits my lifestyle well as I live in San Francisco, and I'm constantly on the move. SPOT watches give me access to vital information like weather, stock quotes, and soon traffic conditions at a quick glance (as opposed to having to pull out my cell phone and navigate through several menus and screens) -- something I tried to accomplish years ago with my Timex Internet Messenger, but never quite got right. SPOT watches are actually very feature-rich digital watches, as well, even without the data service, incorporating alarms, a countdown timer, chronograph, and other digital watch essentials into a good, intuitive interface.

The other reason I really like SPOT watches is that, with the exception of Casio, I think the SPOT watch manufacturers (Fossil, Tissot, Swatch, and Suunto) are really the only folks out there pushing the boundaries of digital watches right now. Mechanical and automatic analog watches are endlessly fascinating with their complications, features, and designs. We need things like atomic, solar, and SPOT to keep digital watches interesting, as well.

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.

I came across an interesting site recently called timeanddate.com which has answers to pretty much any and all time/date related questions. Among their many articles and resources, I found an extremely thorough explanation of Swatch Internet Time, including a tool for converting Internet Time to "standard" time in about 130 different time zones.

I wrote about Internet Time in my review of the Swatch Paparazzi (watch pictured at right). Internet Time is to time what the metric system is to measurement. It was invented by Swatch, and as far as I know, isn't much more than a marketing gimmick at this point, although I personally think it's a pretty interesting concept. Internet Time does away with time zones, and with the basically arbitrary units of 60 and 24. The day is divided into 1000 "beats" with each beat equaling 1 minute and 26.4 seconds. Since there are no time zones in Internet Time, the time is the same all over the world with the reference point being Biel, Switzerland, the location of Swatch Group's headquarters. This "new meridian" is referred to as BMT, or Biel Mean Time. Internet Time is expressed by the number of beats proceeded by an "at" (@) symbol. For instance, 2:27 PM in San Francisco is expressed as @997.

I really like the concept of Internet Time for two primary reasons:

1. It has the same kind of intuitive logic as the metric system.
2. You don't have to worry about time zones. I often work with people all over the world, and doing the conversions can be a pain.

Of course, time zones do serve a very valuable purpose. They allow us to relate more easily to other parts of the world. For instance, if I schedule a meeting at @997, and I'm expecting people from all over the world to join, I have no way of knowing if @997 is in the middle of the night, early in the morning, or right smack in the middle of the day for the other attendees. Time zones, on the other hand, allow me to get a relative sense of time so I can schedule meetings at times that are convenient for all parties.

Check out the article on timeanddate.com for a much more thorough analysis of Internet Time.

Over the last three weeks, I have been in the process of moving from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. Although I've been very busy with housing, hotels, commuting, working, and coordinating my relocation, I'm never too busy to do a little watch shopping.

I picked up a Tissot T-Touch primarily for the compass function to help me get oriented in the city. I've been to San Francisco dozens of times, but I've always taken cabs, so now I'm having to adjust to finding my own way. I have a terrible sense of direction, but fortunately, the T-Touch has a pretty good one. I wrote a very thorough review of the Tissot T-Touch a few months ago, but I wasn't able to keep the watch I reviewed, so I ordered a new one with a black rubber strap. I typically go for watches with stainless steel or titanium bracelets, but the black rubber strap and the black dial of the T-Touch make a great combination.

I stayed in a hotel right on Union Square (the historic Westin St. Francis, for those of you familiar with the area) for about a week while I waited for my household goods to arrive, and I found a little watch store nearby that had a Seiko Sportura SLQ017 in the window. The SLQ017 is a limited edition Kinetic chronograph which is one of the most unusual and striking chronographs I've ever seen. Seiko only made 1,500 of them, and only 400 of those made their way to the US, so I was thrilled to come across one in person. I visited the SLQ017 a few times during my stay on Union Square, tried it on a few times, and even started negotiating on the price, but in the end, in the spirit of trying to control moving costs, I ended up not buying it. I hope I don't regret it, but I probably will.

I found a Tourneau watch store in a mall on Market Street that had a decent selection of Rolexes, among other brands. In the used watch case was an 8-year-old white-dial Rolex Daytona for almost $14,000. I learned that the movements in the older Daytonas were actually made by the Swiss watchmaker Zenith which surprised me because Rolex is known for making their own movements (the newer Daytonas have Rolex movements). It was an extremely beautiful watch, though overpriced. New Daytonas go for about $7,000, but they are in such high demand that when retailers are not bound by Rolex's pricing policies (as in the case of used watches), they often can't help but partake in a little price gouging. I asked the manager about putting my name on a waiting list for a new stainless steel Daytona, but I was told in a very snobby tone that only customers with excellent purchase histories could be put on the list (meaning customers who had bought Rolexes for Tourneau before). Apparently, Daytonas are in such high demand that poor slobs like me aren't even allowed to wait for them. Maybe if I'd been wearing something more respectable than jeans and a t-shirt, and if I'd bothered to shave sometime that week, I would have gotten different results.

So what am I wearing on this particular rainy San Francisco Saturday morning? None other than a Casio Atomic Solar G-Shock. I'm about to head over to a friend's place to help him paint his new house, and an inexpensive but tough plastic G-Shock is the perfect watch for the occasion.

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.