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Rolex has graduated from a watch brand into a seismic force to which the regular rules do not apply. While it is far (far) from guaranteed that any Rolex watch you buy will appreciate from the day you bought it, time is showing us that these models, both old and new, endure the fluctuations of the watch market very well indeed.And, in fact, buying a pre-owned model might well be the very best thing you can do in the case of Rolex. Many of the new professional models are simply unattainable without waiting an inordinate amount of time – or without paying an exorbitant grey market mark-up to skip the queue. Older professional models are available for prices below those of a new model, and present the chance to pick-up a potential classic while also expanding your knowledge of the crown.Part of the joy of the watchmaking game is getting to know the tiny ticker on your wrist. Buying modern watches because they are in vogue is all well and good, but it can sometimes be a bit of a rushed exercise (thanks to all that competition). A far nicer, and (in my opinion) rewarding way to pursue this hobby is to consciously decouple oneself from the pursuit of luxury, or status, or the latest trend, and instead put stock in the long road. Read about old models. Pore over their nuances. Allow yourself to appreciate how certain models and certain designs can somehow, almost inexplicably to a modern mind, encapsulate an era so perfectly. These wordless time capsules are worth seeking, as they can, in a single glance, remind us of a simpler time when things didn’t move so fast.My first Rolex was a Rolesor Datejust from 1985. I bought it pre-loved after finally managing to get over my thirst for Pepsi, and having hit the history books in search of inspiration. It cost me around $4,000 and it looked brand new but so satisfyingly anachronistic. Vintage is not for everyone, but before you dismiss it as an option, remember that whatever you like right now will be old someday soon. And it is only with the passing of time that we’re really able to understand what has managed to stand its test.

The earliest movement used in the Rolex Explorer II was the Caliber 1575, but over the years it was replaced with more technically advanced movements to help this watch reach its full adventure potential. The first big upgrade was the Cal. 3085 which allowed the 24-hour hand to be adjusted independently from the 12-hour hand. This meant the Explorer II no longer just indicated day and night hours, but could also be used to track a second time zone – turning it into a GMT watch. Then came the Cal. 3185 which was improved upon more with a Glucydur balance wheel that is not only paramagnetic but was resilient in extreme temperatures. The 3186 came next with a blue Parachrom hairspring that is anti-magnetic and shock resistant for even better durability. Finally, we have the modern-day Cal. 3187 which features all the upgrades this watch has gained over the years – from the GMT functionality to the blue Parachrom hairspring. It’s also notable for its high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers, 31 jewels, -2/+2 seconds per day accuracy and 48-hour power reserve.The Submariner has a much longer history, so we’re going to start with the automatic Caliber 3135, which, while upgraded over the years, has been used in all date-displaying Submariner watches since 1988. While the aesthetics of the Submariner can vary, the Cal. 3135 has remained a trusted source of power for this beloved timepiece because of its sheer reliability. Today, the upgraded Cal. 3135 movement is COSC certified, outfitted with the anti-magnetic and ultra shock-resistant blue Parachrom hairspring, and boasts an impressive 48-hour power reserve just like the Explorer II.

The green-tinted sapphire crystal fitted to the reference 116400GV Milgauss has quickly become one of the defining characteristics of Rolex’s anti-magnetic line of watches. The Rolex Milgauss was first introduced in 1956; however, it was not until 2007 that it received its now-signature, green sapphire crystal – an exclusive feature that was originally introduced as a way for Rolex to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their Milgauss line.No other watch in Rolex’s current catalog is fitted with a green-tinted (or any other color) sapphire crystal. However, at the present time, all Milgauss watches that are currently in production leave the factory with green sapphire crystals. Rather than simply being a layer or coating, the light green tint is present throughout the entire material of the crystal, and will not fade or discolor after prolonged wear and use.Rolex claims that it took them many years of research and development to master and perfect the secret procedure of manufacturing their green-tinted sapphire crystals and that the actual process of producing the crystals takes multiple weeks. What is most interesting is that despite a usual eagerness to patent their various in-house technologies, Rolex claims that the green sapphire crystal in the Milgauss is “not patented, as it is so difficult to make that no one else would even venture to try.”Rolex will never reveal their exact formulas and secrets about how they manufacture the green-tinted sapphire crystals fitted to the Milgauss; however, we do know some general information about green-colored synthetic sapphire and the production of sapphire watch crystals as a whole.There are a number of different ways to produce synthetic sapphire, all of which fall into the following general methods of production: melt growth, solution growth, and high-temperature/high-pressure growth. It is hypothesized that Rolex uses a hydrothermal method of production for its synthetic sapphire crystals, which is slow, expensive, and uses heat and pressure to imitate the conditions present deep inside the earth that is responsible for the production of naturally-occurring crystalline gemstones.