Blog posts from Andy Callan

Rolex’s reluctant flirtation with the world of quartz technology was not as short lived as the number of pieces it produced would suggest. Starting with the special edition ref. 5100 Beta-21 in the early 70s, a more or less prototype model powered by a consortium-built movement, the brand soon split from the syndicate known as […]

There are a number of experts in all things horology who are drawing a direct comparison between the modern threat to fine mechanical watchmaking posed by the massive Smartwatch invasion, and that of the 1970s quartz crisis. Although those dark days of the past were relatively short-lived, the damage they wrought decimated the Swiss industry […]

The story of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona is a story almost dominated by its movements. The original Daytona was Launched in 1963 and powered by a manually wound caliber from Swiss ébauche manufacturer Valjoux. This was possibly the closest Rolex had ever come to experiencing failure. The buying public was well used to the convenience […]

It’s a very rare occurrence when Rolex gives in to peer pressure. Over the years, critics have poked fun at their overriding design ethos of slow and gradual evolution, rather than launching radically revamped versions of their trademark pieces or entirely new models altogether. But their steady progression in developing their central core of watches […]