Just another point on the sizes. A lot of the modern Rolex are actually a different to size to that which is marketed. Would be interesting to find out the caliper measurement on the 36mm new Explorer.
That was exactly my feeling when trying on the 39mm Explorer a few years ago. I wasn't really 'Rolex aware' at the time, perhaps because it had a lower profile then, but wanted to try the Explorer. I was wearing an IWC Mark XV, which I thought was a pretty smart watch, especially on the bracelet, but it looked very plain against the Explorer. I was really surprised by the shiny bling factor and didn't really understand the watch as a result - it didn't feel like one thing or the other. Now of course I think that bling factor is there in pretty much all modern Rolexes.
A point well made. However I’ve come to the conclusion that a watch that fits well is one that looks good from both close up and from a distance. You should never have to think, ‘It looks a bit too big when I’m checking the time but that’s because I’m close to it, it’s probably fine from over there’. If checking the time puts a smile on your face and seeing it in a full length mirror does too, then it fits.
Of course, I agree that how it looks from 10cm away through the distorting wide angle lens on a phone is completely irrelevant.
I note that the EXPLORER text has been moved up the dial. Hmm.
So interestingly I've now managed to build 'you can buy a Rolex now' status with WOS. In the past 4 months I've bought 2 Grand Seikos and Speedy Pro and I was today offered the new Sub Date.
I declined it (hopefully more brownie points) as I don't like the cyclops and buying it knowing I'd sell it is just suicide for that relationship however I thought it might be interesting to share what I'd bought. I don't know if WOS have data on the Goldsmiths and Tag Heuer Boutiques (run by Goldsmiths) as in Sept I have a Tag 120th Anniversary from TH Boutique and 2 weeks ago the King Seiko release from Goldsmiths. Maybe they have line of sight on that and it all 'counts'? Not a single Rolex purchase and I'm supposedly blacklisted by Fraser Hart (which got taken over by Mappin and Webb (part of the WOS group) for the Rolex side) for the Danpd fiasco
Now that is interesting. I've been wondering if buying other brands counts towards becoming more of a preferred customer (obviously this whole concept rankles but hey ho that's life). I'm aiming for a polar Explorer 2 later this year, so I've been weighing up: buying a Seamaster from the nice AD in Bath vs getting one from a grey dealer. Obvs cheaper from the grey dealer, but if it gets me closer to the Explorer 2 it might be worth the extra few hundred quid.
I'd have thought that someone who just buys SS Sports Rolexes isn't an ideal customer at all as the AD could sell those watches to anyone. Someone who buys a range of brands at RRP (or minor discount) is probably who they want as they represent 'incremental' revenue to the AD whereas when I turned that Sub down yesterday it would have gone to the next person in the queue. Probably can't say the same thing for one of the Grand Seikos I bought.
Obviously if you splash the cash on a gold Day-Date etc that's another story etc but if your buying history is Sub, GMT2 and Deepsea it is doubtful you fit their ideal customer profile and will no doubt be classified as in 'allocation debt'. Think about it, you are paying £7k for something that is straight away worth £12k so they are in their eyes 'doing you a favour'. There is no risk to you the consumer at all and you aren't giving them money they would not obtain elsewhere straight away.
You're right of course but there are other things to consider -- the chances of you flipping and getting them into trouble, where you're at in your 'buying career' at the AD, and the rumoured 3 models per year limit.
A friend was recently told a two tone SkyDweller he bought counted towards his "3 per year as that is now a hot piece". He thought buying that would help him get a steel model and wishes he didn't bother now.
Nonetheless, the result is a wrist shot with a watch that appears not just larger and overhanging, but also cartoonishly bulbous. You could say the woman in these photos isn’t distorted by the wide angle lenses on the bottom right, she’s just shot from close up, but the effect is that she looks distorted, with a strangely narrow face and large nose. Of course there’s also the barrel distortion of some wide angle lenses, but that’s another story, I agree this (mostly) isn’t what’s causing the effect.
Yep thanks, makes sense. The dynamics of these transactions take a bit of getting your head around, but they're just a thing to be figured out. If I can get a decent discount on a SMP, I'll buy it at the AD & attempt to leverage that down the line. I've got job & age milestones coming up as well, so that might help a bit as well.
'Clap for Carers' = 'Rolexes for Registrars' :)
My experience with WOS group is buying any luxury watches gives you a history. That’s how I got my SD43 - my history had withered and I wrote to HQ to highlight my past - they indeed dug it out and must have waived it under the nose of the AD as he apologised as an oversight - I admitted I hadn’t spent so much in new watches thx last few years, but they were fine with me.
Since then bought a Tudor GMT which I sold and they told me recently I’m on the allocation for a ND sub.... so just keep trying all aspects if it’s what you want I guess.
For what it’s worth I think the new Tudor panda dial looks an outstanding watch - trumping many of the Rolex sports models
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I was asked to visit the store last year “ to register my interest “ at my regular AD with I’ve got a long standing history.
Two problems,
1) my history didn’t make any difference to complying with “ company policy “.
2) We were ( are ) in the middle of a pandemic where unnecessary travel had to be avoided.
Despite my to me valid reasons for not travelling , they still insisted to which I refused, then they pointed out customers had travelled up to a hundred miles to register.
Utter madness.
The NHS obviously pays a lot better than the media would have you believe.
I've just see my first pic of the "gardening Rolex" in TRW. Not bad but I suspect the design may tire after a while.
David
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
That’s a cracking ladies watch, I can’t see it on a mans wrist tbh. The tiny ladies models look very old fashioned (not in a good way) imho. I always think any traditional ladies watch looks like a ‘granny watch’ although I don’t with ageing eyesight any granny can tell the time in them! - this size and dial seems very ‘modern but feminine’ to my eyes
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After a 37 days wait I eagerly went to Goldsmiths this evening to pick up a gold/steel Explorer. I turned it down and walked out with an Omega Aquaterra instead. Looked small, felt small and “skinny” bracelet, all imo of course. Wears smaller than new 36mm Datejust and smaller than the old 36mm Explorer I think but it’s donkeys since I had one of those.
That size aspect is a little shocking to read, was expecting it to be the same as the other Rolex 36mm watches.
I got mine yesterday. I had a Daytona on before putting it on and I was very shocked by the size. Thinking it’s probably me going from 40mm to a 36mm made me feel that way.
I’ve had it on all day today to get used to it and it just kept bugging me. From the size it just looked small. So I took out my vintage Datejust and did some comparisons. Then I saw it, the bracelet taper. It kind of makes it look like a 34/31mm watch with that taper.
Exp1 vs DJ 1601
It’s a shame as the head of the watch is perfect. I’ll see if it still bothers me after a few days otherwise I might give to one of my siblings.
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Interesting to get honest opinion here on this, TRF is just full of fluff.
Will be glad to see one of these for myself, hopefully soon.
No doubt this sets the scene for the addition of an oversized Explorer next year, giving us the choice of too small and too large I’ve come to expect. I’m not surprised you walked out with the Aqua Terra, I’m guessing the perfectly proportioned 38, which IMO is exactly the size the Explorer should have been.