The Top 5 Rolex Watches to Wear This Valentine’s Day -

The Top 5 Rolex Watches to Wear This Valentine’s Day

Flowers wilt and chocolates get scoffed. But you know what lasts forever? A Rolex.

For that reason, and many more besides, gifting your significant other with a Rolex watch on Valentine’s Day is a surefire way to make this year’s celebration of love and commitment one to remember.

Fortunately, there are any number of models within the brand’s extensive portfolio which are perfect for the occasion, and below we pick out our top 5. 

If He Lives For Adventure

The Rolex Explorer II ref. 216570

Stemming from 2011 and released to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Rolex’s most tool-like of tool watches, the ref. 216570 is the Explorer II’s fourth generation model. 

It is also arguably the most noteworthy one since its debut reference. The previous iterations had never grown beyond 40mm in diameter; these days somewhat on the small side for the type of watch. But the ref. 216570 arrived with an all-new 42mm case, and those added mils upped the wrist presence in a big way.

Another element included to catch the eye was the bright orange GMT hand. Commonly known as the Freccione, from the Italian for ‘big arrow’, the hand points out a second time zone on the surrounding bezel’s 24-hour scale. It had been inexplicably omitted from the second and third generation models in place of the same style hand fitted to the GMT-Master, and its reinstatement was certainly call for celebration.

So who wears the Explorer II? Of all the pieces in the Professional Collection, this is the one which has stayed most closely aligned with its original roots. Designed in 1971 specifically for cave divers, its dual time facility was initially meant to be used simply as an AM/PM indicator. If you’re spending days or weeks below the surface, you have no frame of reference for whether it is daytime or night-time up above. 

Today, updated movements allow the two hour hands can be set independently of each other, transforming it into a true GMT watch and so one perfectly suited for international travelers.  

But that doesn’t mean it’s gone soft. Although I’ve personally always thought the best thing about cave diving is that you don’t have to do it, the Explorer II is still probably the toughest of all the Rolex sports models. Available only in the strongest Oystersteel, there are no gold or even Rolesor options. And dial choice is literally black and white

Rolex Explorer II

The white, or Polar, dial is probably the more popular of the two, but I’ve always preferred the black. I’m a sucker for ‘phantom’ hands, where the base of the handset is painted the same color as the dial and so appear to float. 

But this is a case of being unable to make the wrong decision and gifting your loved one an Explorer II this Valentine’s means giving them something to last more than a lifetime.

If He Yearns For The Sea

The Rolex Submariner ref. 16613

There are some watches that just transcend the industry. The Rolex Submariner defines horology in the same way The Beatles defined popular music. It is hard to imagine where we would be now without either of them.

Released in 1953, the Sub was the genesis of the modern dive watch; the first to be rated down to 100m and a triumph of the sort of ageless design where form does not have to be sacrificed for function.

It was such a hit—helped on immensely by the surge in popularity of Scuba diving in the era, as well as by being the watch of choice of the 20th century’s greatest fictional icon, James Bond—that its original remit was discarded in the first few years and by the mid 1960s the Submariner was far more status symbol than dive buddy.

That in turn gave rise to a second line, outfitted with a handy date display, 0along with whole hatfuls of luxurious alternatives to the original all-steel models. The first solid gold Subs put in an appearance in 1967, although we had to wait until as recently as 1983 for the earliest two-tone example to surface.

But it wasn’t just the cases which became more lavish. Those ‘80s Rolesor models could be had with what are known as ‘Serti’ dials. Taking their name from ‘sertir’, the French word for ‘to set’, these gold or silver dials were accented with diamond and sapphire hour markers for the ultimate expression of wealth and prosperity. Additionally, the encircling bezel came in a choice of black or blue, each imparting on the watch its own particular character.

These extravagant specimens of the Submariner were, in every other respect, the same hardwearing tool watch as the standard stainless steel one, except with their opulence factor dialed up to 11; it is no wonder they are sometimes known as the Sultan.

Today, with the current trend for everything ‘80s, the Serti Subs are staging a real comeback and make the ideal Valentine’s gift for that special someone.

Rolex Submariner Watches

If He Appreciates the Simple Things in Life

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 116000

Let’s face it; men are simple creatures. It doesn’t take much to keep them happy—usually a big TV, a comfortable recliner to watch it from and something cold to drink while they do it.

And just as Rolex makes watches for those who want to dive into the depths of the ocean or the bowels of the Earth, or others who want to race cars or circumnavigate the globe, they also make watches for those who just want…a watch.

Enter, the Oyster Perpetual. This is as stripped down and back to basics as Rolex gets. There’s a classically shaped Oyster case and a bracelet to hold it on your wrist. Inside, there’s a movement which will outlive you. Outside, there’s three hands to tell the time. And that’s it. Because that’s really all you need.

The Oyster Perpetual collection is the foundation stage of every other Rolex range. An Oyster Perpetual with a dual time movement and rotating bezel is called a GMT-Master. An Oyster Perpetual with extra buttons and a chronograph movement is called a Daytona. An Oyster Perpetual which tells you the day and the date is called a, err…Day-Date.

Underpinning all of them is the humble OP, the watch that transformed the industry in the 1930s through Rolex’s twin innovations of the waterproof case and the self-winding caliber. It has been in constant production ever since, encompassing a literally uncountable number of different sizes and dial options, ranging from the extravagant to the studiedly simple.

Take the ref. 116000 as just one example. Launched in 2008, this 36mm steel piece is the epitome of reserved chic, a model for those who want a watch that will last forever first and a Rolex second. Available with a selection of dials, a personal favorite is the silver-faced piece with the Explorer’s 3/6/9 numerals. 

An outstanding watch for anyone not bothered about standing out, it remains an enduring classic.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual

If His Time is Precious

The Rolex Oysterquartz ref. 17013

A mechanical watch movement is a beautiful thing to behold. All those gears and springs working together, the escapement parceling out the energy in unwavering increments, hundreds of components held in place by exquisitely finished bridges until the entire thing looks like one miniature work of kinetic art.

The idea that something like that, with so many tiny moving parts reliant on tolerances measured in the micron, can keep time to within two seconds a day is almost unbelievable. But what if that just isn’t good enough?

Before the arrival of the Smartwatch, and before even the arrival of the digital watch, we had quartz watches. These, in essence, used electricity and a vibrating crystal to produce timekeeping accuracy orders of magnitude more precise than even the best traditional movements. On top of that, they were far cheaper than conventional watches and those two factors together came within an ace of wiping out the mechanical industry altogether in the 1970s. 

Happily, Switzerland rallied and the days of the so-called Quartz Crisis are now a bad memory. But they did leave us with some fantastic models, and Rolex’s contribution, the Oysterquartz stands with the finest of them.

There were two families of quartz watches produced by Rolex, based on their pair of bestselling dress pieces; the Day-Date and Datejust.

Of the two, the latter has become one of the vintage market’s most enticing bargains—a fabulously 70s styled watch complete with integrated bracelet and sharply angled case which, thanks to Rolex’s class-leading homegrown quartz engine, keeps time to within 50 seconds a year.

As with the conventional Datejust, the Oysterquartz version was available in a number of different options, but for the most authentic experience, the ref. 17013 must be the way to go. The classic yellow Rolesor, with steel for the case and yellow gold used in the fluted bezel, the crown and the inner links of the modified Jubilee bracelet, it came with dials in either white, black, blue or silver. But most popular of all is likely the champagne, flawlessly matching the precious metal elements to leave a cohesive whole.

Best of all though, stunning examples of this superb watch can be had for as little as $6,000.

Rolex Oysterquartz

If He’s a Born Leader

The Rolex Day-Date ref. 118239

Rolex has always cast their net wide, crafting stunning timepieces for as all-encompassing an audience as possible. However, every brand has its flagship piece, the one destined only to be worn by the chosen few and, with Rolex, that title goes to the Day-Date.

Since its inception in 1956, the model sometimes more commonly known as the President, has been the number one destination for every captain of industry, chairman of the board, magnate, tycoon and oligarch on the planet.

The first waterproof, self-winding watch ever made to display both the date and day of the week spelled out in full, the Day-Date has remained at the top not so much for what it can do but for what it represents. Seeing one on the wrist tells you more about the wearer than just about any other watch there is. 

Like its stablemate, the Datejust, the only thing more comprehensive about the President than its status is its options list. Through the years it has been issued in a bewildering array of different metals, dials, bezels and bracelets, all designed to appeal to a huge assortment of tastes—with one exception. Beyond a few rumored prototypes, stainless steel has never played a part in the Day-Date’s story, neither all-steel or even Rolesor.

So which one out of the countless number would make the best Valentine’s Day gift? Obviously, that is all down to your chosen recipient’s own sensibilities, but fortunately, you may not have to spend as much as you might think. 

Rolex pretty much had the aesthetics of the Day-Date nailed down by the end of the 1950s, so each subsequent generation has looked fairly similar. All the biggest changes went on inside. That means a reference from decades ago will have the appearance of one fresh off the line to anyone short of an expert, but will sell for much less.

A great example is the white gold reference ref. 118239. Released in 2000 and lasting for nearly 20-years, it has every major convenience of its modern day counterpart (18k case, double Quickset date functions, uprated bracelet and clasp) but whereas the current model retails for between $50-$60k, you can pick up the ref. 118239 for less than $30k.

Go back further and you can save even more. The ref. 18038 (1977 to 1988) with its all yellow gold makeup and single Quickset can be had for around $14,000. Want an endorsement? Warren Buffet wears this one!

Basically, one of the finest creations from the most famous watchmakers of them all could be well within your reach, and when it comes to Valentine’s gifts, it is one that will never be beaten.

Rolex Day-Date

Featured Photo: Mixed art by Oriol Mendivil for BKT Archive.

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