Testing My GMT Master II with Kello For The iPhone
Nov 22
I recently downloaded Kello from the iTunes App Store and thought I’d share my experiences with this iOS application. Jon Edward’s Kello is an app for measuring the accuracy of a mechanical watch and show you many seconds per day your watch is gaining or loosing. I first became aware of Kello back in July – apparently the app was first released earlier this Summer, but...
Restoration of a Rolex “Double Red” Sea-Dweller 1665
Nov 15
Restoration of a Rolex “Double Red” Sea-Dweller 1665 By: John B. Holbrook, II August 10, 2009 Over the past few years, I’ve gained an appreciation for vintage Rolex sport watches, and have enjoy finding and restoring several reference 1680 “Red” Submariners. Even more rare and valuable than the Rolex Red Submariner 1680 is the “Double Red” Sea-Dweller...
Who Makes a Better Movement – Rolex or Omega?
Nov 14
Who Makes a Better Movement – Rolex or Omega? By: John B. Holbrook, II March 1st, 2009 For years, rabid enthusiasts in both the Rolex and Omega camps have hotly debated which of the two companies makes a better movement. In fact, it was one such debate topic posted in the Omega Forum of WATCH TALK FORUMS which prompted me to write this article. It would be arrogant of me to assume that...
Sending Your Rolex For Factory Service Redux: A Warranty Service Testimonial
Nov 13
Sending Your Rolex For Factory Service Redux: A Warranty Service Testimonial By: John B. Holbrook, II July 8th, 2009 Back in 2005, I had occasion to send my Sea-Dweller to Rolex USA in NYC for some warranty service work. I did a small article and testimonial about the experience which you can read about by click here. Fast forward to June 2009, and I once again had need of some warranty service...
Modifying and Upgrading Your Rolex
Nov 12
Modifying and Upgrading Your Rolex By: John B. Holbrook, II September 29th, 2008 In many cases, when people buy products (cars and computers immediately come to mind), they like to made modifications to those products. In some cases, people want to personalize their possessions, making them unique to themselves. In other cases, they wish to upgrade certain components of a product to enhance...
Completing The Package: Accessories For a Vintage 1680 Submariner
Nov 11
Completing The Package: Accessories For a Vintage 1680 Submariner By: John B. Holbrook, II May 5th, 2008 While I consider myself to be a collector of modern Rolex pieces, the lure and appeal of some vintage models is hard to ignore. Now, locating an example of the vintage Rolex model you’re interested in at an affordable price point is challenge enough. But it’s truly rare to...
An In-Depth Examination Of My 1970 Rolex Red Submariner 1680
Nov 11
An In-Depth Examination of My 1970 Rolex Red Submariner 1680 By: John B. Holbrook, II November 21st, 2007 Followers of the ROLEX REFERENCE PAGE will recall that back in February of 2007, I purchased a model 1680 Red Submariner (vintage 1972) that was in poor condition, and I completely refurbished and restored it. It was a fascinating process, and I did a two part article about it (click for...
The Restoration of a Rolex “Red” Submariner 1680 – Part II
Nov 11
The Restoration of a Rolex “Red” Submariner 1680 – Part II By: John B. Holbrook, II February 16, 2007 When we last left off, in Part I of my little restoration project, I had dropped off my 1680 to my local watch service shop for a polishing of the case and bracelet, replacement of the acrylic crystal, and a complete service on the movement. I had also ordered a new bezel insert...
The Restoration of a Rolex “Red” Submariner 1680 – Part I
Nov 11
The Restoration of a Rolex “Red” Submariner 1680 – Part I By: John B. Holbrook, II February 6, 2007 This week I had the fortuitous opportunity, quite unforeseen, to buy a vintage Rolex Submariner, model number 1680. The particular 1680 Submariner is a very rare “Red Submariner” – so named due to the red writing on dial. Relatively few were made between about...
The New Rolex Service Guide
Nov 10
The New Rolex Service Guide By: John B. Holbrook, II June 13th, 2007 As you may recall from my Travel Page article on my trip last month to New York, I was invited to tour Rolex USA’s headquarters and service center in Manhattan. The experience was an honor I will not soon forget. During the visit to Rolex USA in New York, I was provided with a copy of the new Rolex Service Guide – a...
The Rolex Caliber 3135
Nov 09
The Rolex Caliber 3135 By: John B. Holbrook, II November 9th, 2010 Rolex is a name which needs no introduction in or outside the world of horology. Rolex is also renowned for historical innovations in horology, such as the water-resistant Oyster case (1926), and the Perpetual automatic winding system (1931). Rolex has continued to develop significant innovations, as evidenced in what is...
An Examination of What’s Changed When You Buy A New Rolex
Nov 09
Understanding The Changes: An Examination of What’s Changed When You Buy A New Rolex By: John B. Holbrook, II November 18th, 2007 Over the past 3-4 years, Rolex has made more changes in their watches and packaging than they have in nearly twenty years previous. The changes have in some cases been abrupt and without warning, and left many people with questions – questions most...
The Mystery of the Rolex GMT Master II 16710-3186
Nov 08
The Mystery of the Rolex GMT Master II 16710-3186 By: John B. Holbrook, II June12th, 2008 In recent months, I’ve been seeing reports online regarding some interesting variations on the GMT Master II 16710 (for more information on the GMT Master II, click HERE) which have been showing up at dealers, in the last remaining number of models which exist. For those not aware, Rolex officially...
The Evolution of the Modern Era Rolex Daytona
Nov 08
The Evolution of the Modern Era Rolex Daytona By: John B. Holbrook, II April 20th, 2008 Even though the modern era Daytona (which I define as those which have the 4130 movement inside) has only been with us since 2000, many do not realize that the Daytona has several different variations for which Daytona collectors should be aware. I call the first variation of the modern Daytona the...
An Adventure in Vintage Rolex: My 1984 Rolex Datejust 16013
Nov 06
An Adventure in Vintage Rolex: My 1984 Rolex Datejust 16013 By: John B. Holbrook, II April 27, 2006 This story begins not with the purchase of my 1984 Rolex Datejust model 16013, but rather with the purchase of my wife’s 69173 Datejust as a wedding gift (we were married just a few months ago on 1/28/06). She absolutely loves the watch, and I love to see her wearing it. She still has a...
Removing Scratches From The Polished Center Link Of A Rolex Oyster Bracelet
Nov 06
Removing Scratches From The Polished Center Link Of A Rolex Oyster Bracelet By: John B. Holbrook, II March 19th, 2006 Anyone who owns a Rolex with an Oyster bracelet that has polished center links (like the three I own – the two-tone Submariner, Yacht-Master, and Daytona) knows how readily the center link shows scratches. In fact, many people shy away from buying a Rolex with polished...
Sending Your Rolex For Factory Service: Instructions & Testimonial
Nov 06
Sending Your Rolex For Factory Service: Instructions & Testimonial By: John B. Holbrook, II September 22nd, 2005 As good as Rolex watches are, occasionally they will need to go back to Rolex for service. In the case of my F Series 16600 Sea-Dweller, it simply needed a timing regulation performed – it ran 8-10 seconds fast for the entire year I’ve owned it. And over that 1 yr....
Skinny vs. Fat Hands Versions of The Rolex Daytona
Nov 06
Skinny vs. Fat Hands Versions of The Rolex Daytona By: John B. Holbrook, II September 17th, 2005 A question which seems to repeatedly come up from Rolex fans interested in the Cosmograph Daytona is, “what is meant by skinny or fat hands?” Mid way through the F series production, Rolex made a slight change to the Daytona. Specifically, the hour and minute hands were replaced with hands...
The Change in Rolex Packaging Circa 2005
Nov 02
The New Rolex Box & Packaging By: John B. Holbrook, II September 20th, 2005 If you’ve purchased a new Rolex since about January 1st 2005 or after, then you may have been mildly shocked to learn that Rolex made a big change in the packaging and box which comes with their watches. It’s hard to say when exactly Rolex instituted this change – some say it was in January, while...
The Infamous Rolex Submariner & Sea-Dweller Anchor
Nov 01
The Infamous Rolex Submariner Anchors By: John B. Holbrook, II September 21st, 2005 Sometime in 2005, a long standing Rolex tradition came to an end: Rolex stopped shipping the famous Rolex Anchor as an accessory with the Sea-Dweller, Submariner and its variants. For many years, Rolex included a small key-ring like, miniature anchor with every Submariner. Much has been written about these...
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