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All the resources you need to get acquainted with the most important watch brand in the world. —Cam Wolf, watch editor |
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Everything You Need to Know About Rolex |
It’s a tale as old as time: Person has empty wrist. Person wants watch for wrist. Person discovers Rolex. Person becomes obsessed with Rolex, diving deep into the subterranean spaces of the internet to explore every possible avenue of historical lore and advanced statistics pertaining to the Crown.
Because there’s no such thing as just “liking” Rolex. There are only Rolex obsessives. You become an expert on all things GMT-Master or Daytona; you suddenly understand why a red line makes some Submariners so coveted and two red lines makes some Sea-Dwellers worth even more. And to help feed that unhealthy preoccupation—or to send you hurtling into it for the first time—we here at GQ have cooked up plenty of excellent Crown-related content over the years.
Just last week, I ranked the 19 most significant models in Rolex’s history with the help of some friends and experts. One major takeaway from building out that list: There are really no minor characters in the Crown’s universe. Some, like the Submariner, are more iconic than others—but even the funky King Midas played a significant role in pushing the brand’s aesthetic forward. From first place to last, virtually every single Rolex model is worthy of obsession.
As a follow-up to the list, I held a lively debate between two Rolex fanatics that underscores just how different and specific each individual collector’s obsessions can be. For watch dealer James Lamdin of Analog:Shift, the GMT-Master’s significance to the history of commercial aviation marks it as an all-time Rolex grail; for Menta Watches’ Adam Golden, however, that narrative can’t hold a candle to the Daytona’s racing pedigree.
Once you’ve worked your way through all of that, we’ve got plenty more required Rolex reading in our archives. Take a deep dive through the Crown’s most storied reference numbers: the 1016 (Explorer), 6239 (Paul Newman Daytona), and 6538 (Submariner) are good places to start. Find out exactly which Sub is right for you, learn how to get chummy with your local authorized dealer, invest in some serious literature, and familiarize yourself with the labyrinth-like secondary market. Then you can really, start digging in on the minor details, like the numerous versions of the brand’s famed coronet logo released over the years. That’s where the real fun starts. —CW
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