Buy Rolex GMT-Master II watches

Rolex Main Page/Browse By Brand/Rolex Brand Review

The gentleman in the video down below does not work for swissdiverswatches.com, but he offers you valuable insights into the Rolex GMT Master II – the very first GMT watch. A truly stunning and legendary timepiece.

Go Shopping Below

Price range: $7,000 – $35,000. Brief information below.

All watches sold on Amazon.com come with a warranty./This is Amazon’s official policy.

Buy Rolex GMT-Master II

Brief information and technical specifications:

About Rolex:

Rolex is one of the very few independent Swiss watchmakers left in the industry.

In 1905, Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis founded Wilsdorf and Davis – the forerunner of Rolex, in London, United Kingdom. In 1908 it was renamed Rolex. Rolex moved its operations and headquarters to Geneva in Switzerland in 1919, where Rolex is located even today as we speak.

Rolex’s iconic stature

Rolex was already an established brand by the 1940s and 1950s, and became an unmatched status symbol during the 1950s and the 1960s. Rolex’s mythical and legendary prestige and reputation started in the 1980s.

In terms of production volume, fame, status and prestige, you can basically divide the Swiss watchmaking industry into two camps: Rolex, and the rest. That’s how excellent, prestigious, famous, and dominant the Rolex brand really is.

Rolex’s success has given the manufacturer and brand enormous financial and industrial muscles, and Rolex alone allegedly stands for 20% of all luxury watches manufactured in the Swiss luxury watch industry.

Outside the major corporate groups such as Swatch Group, Richemont Group, LVMH etc, Rolex is probably the only 100% independent watchmaking giant. The other independent Swiss watchmakers are dwarves in comparison to Rolex’s enormous manufacturing capabilities.

In terms of resale value, Rolex and Patek Philippe are unmatched and stand out from the crowd. Rolex has unmatched reputation, and unmatched resale value.

The manufacture of Rolex watches

Rolex makes among the very best automatic/mechanical watches in the industry with extremely accurate, reliable, durable, shock resistant, anti-magnetic and robust movements, amongst the best steel grades in the industry (904L stainless steel), and with unmatched external build quality.

Rolex’s watches are going through quality tests of such intensity and magnitude, that few brands out there can match Rolex.

All Rolex’s movements are in-house made by Rolex, and all movements are chronometer certified. The accuracy rate of Rolex’s movements is equivalent to 99.998%.

All Rolex’s movements use the so called parachrom hairspring. This technology is very particular and unusual because it is 100% anti-magnetic and 10 times more shock resistant than ordinary hairsprings! This makes all the difference because the hairspring sits inside the balance wheel, which is the very heart of an automatic/mechanical movement.

Rolex’s philosophy and approach to watchmaking

The brand is famous for its robust and water resistant steel sports watches, and that’s pretty much what defines the brand.

Rolex’s philosophy is to keep things simple, down to earth, goal oriented and focused. Rolex rarely makes movements with complications – meaning haute horlogerie (fine watchmaking or the high art of watchmaking).

Rolex’s movements are stellar but simple meat and potatoes movements, focused on the basic time functions, that most people actually need and want – meaning hour-, minute-, and second hands and a date window.

It takes Rolex a considerable amount of time – sometimes decades – to make the slightest changes in either their technology or design. Rolex’s philosophy is: “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”.

Rolex isn’t about technological revolution. Rolex is about technological evolution, and optimizing and improving the already existing technology slowly and gradually over time.

Rolex is a very conservative and exceedingly reliable brand. If you purchase a Rolex, you know what you’ll get.

Rolex’s movements aren’t decorated at all, and their movements typically use physically larger components than the ETA/Valjoux movements, which means that Rolex’s movements are typically more robust and shock resistant. Since Rolex’s movements are so robust, and typically use larger and fewer components than most movements out there, it means Rolex is capable of fixing and repairing your movement in a very short period of time.

Rolex Quality Tests:

Rolex watches have consistently proven that they can be used in the most extreme situations you can think of – including deep sea diving and mountaineering.

The bracelet and the clasp:

The famous Rolex bracelet and clasp – the oysterlock, undergoes 26 drop tests of various kinds.
The oysterlock is also submerged into tanks filled with chlorine, and salt water. Sand is added to the test hundreds, if not thousands of times – 3 times the clasp’s expected durability. The purpose is to simulate extremely harsh conditions. Every oysterlock must pass this test.

One of the most demanding tests used by Rolex:

Rolex watches are submitted to a crash test where the impact is equivalent to 5000 G (5000 G-Force) – considerably more severe than a car crash. After being submitted to this test, Rolex watches are still expected to be fully functional, to retain the highest level of movement accuracy and reliability, and to be entirely intact.

Rolex water resistance tests:

Rolex uses extreme water resistance tests – 10% greater pressure than the water resistance given on the dial, and 25% greater pressure than the water resistance level given on the dial of Rolex divers watches.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches have actually been tested to be water resistant down to at least 100 meters.

Rolex also tests their watches in order to simulate ageing and daily wear and tear:

Rolex applies advanced machinery and robots to simulate the movements done by your hand and arm for years, only this highly intense and extreme test is done in a week.

Rolex’s movement accuracy:

The Rolex movement accuracy must fulfill the criteria set by COSC. Rolex’s accuracy rate is equivalent to 99.998%.

About Rolex GMT-Master II:

Rolex has tons of legendary and iconic collections, and one of those collections is the Rolex GMT-Master II. The most iconic Rolex GMT-Master II is the one that uses a blue and red bezel, also known as the “Pepsi Dial”.

In 1955, Rolex responded to the increased intercontinenal commercial air travel, by launching Rolex GMT-Master, the world’s first wristwatch with a GMT function. The modern version of this watch/collection is called Rolex GMT-Master II which you’ll find on this page.

Rolex GMT-Master II is an excellent sports and dress watch, which can be used for water activities (swimming and snorkeling, but not diving) and frequent travels across time zones.

Movements:

Rolex in-house automatic movement 3186, with 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, and a 50 hour power reserve.

Date Function:

Yes.

Functions:

GMT-function, 24 hour indicator, and the basic time functions: hour-, minute-, and second hands.

Case Material:

The most commonly used materials are:

904L stainless steel.
18 carat yellow gold.
18 carat white gold.

Case Dimension:

D = Diameter. TH = Thickness:

D: 40mm.

Case Back:

Solid case back.

Bezel:

Bidirectional ceramic bezel.

Crystal:

Sapphire crystal.

Strap Materials:

904L stainless steel bracelet.
18 carat yellow gold bracelet.
18 carat white gold bracelet.
Combined 904L stainless steel, and 18 carat yellow gold bracelet.

Clasp:

Fold-over clasp with safety, equipped with the Rolex Glidelock system, which allows you to adjust the size of the bracelet on the fly without using any tools.

Water Resistance:

100 meters/330 feet.

Rolex GMT – Master II is suitable for swimming and snorkeling but not diving.