Reviews
Tissot Heritage 150th Anniversary (T66.1.712.31)
The Tissot Heritage 150 (Reference T66.1.712.31) is a limited edition piece of 8,888. It has a 39.5mm stainless steel case that sits almost 12mm high. The dial size is 33mm and if the crown is included, it is approximately 42mm. With the brown alligator strap and stainless steel push button deployment installed, the overall weight is 78 grams.
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Rolex Explorer II 216570 Watch Review
It’s finally here. The timepiece we’ve all been waiting for since Baselworld 2011. The new Rolex Explorer II (model 216570) has finally hit stores in the United States and it is as amazing as it looked behind the display case in Basel.
The big change with this new version of the classic Rolex offering is in the size. This time around, the Explorer II has been modernized with a slightly larger 904L stainless steel case. Now stretched out to a 42mm diameter (45mm including the crown), the 216570 rests comfortably on the wrist without weighing your arm down. The thickness or height of the case is 12mm. And although it has been beefed up to an XL, the design still maintains the traditional satin brushed lugs and polished sides. The new bracelet is a heavy duty stainless steel Oysterlock featuring the 5mm Easylink extension.
The next big update, and also the first visible difference, is the new orange GMT hand. Other than the size, this is probably the biggest “wow factor” in this new version. The orange hand pops out against the white or black dial, and matches so nicely with the Explorer II font. The hands on the new 216570 are larger than the older 16570 and hold more lume for a clearer view at night. The lume is Rolex Chromalight that is claimed to last up to 8 hours after a full charge. We have not tested this, but it does seem to last longer than the 16570′s green lume which glows much brighter at first.
The arrow on the 216570 is larger and the tip has a point which extends out to the minute markers, whereas the red hand on the 16570 was longer and smaller. Another reason why the new 24-hour hand is so appealing is that the entire hand is colored orange, but the older model only featured a red shaft with a black point. The orange color is an homage to the original Explorer II which was launched in 1971.
The Explorer II is available with a white or black dial (both carry the reference number 216570). The white dials have black hands with black rings around the hours markers, and the black dial models have silver hands with silver rings around the makers. Both watches have the same orange GMT hand and orange font. The dial is protected by a scratch resistant sapphire crystal with the standard cyclops magnifying lens over the date at 3:00.
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Deep Blue Juggernaut 1000M
KeepTheTime just added a Deep Blue Juggernaut 1000M chronograph watch to the site. It has a quartz movement powered by a Ronda caliber 5040. The unique feature of this particular caliber is when using the chronograph, the first 30 seconds display a 1/10 second timer. After the first 30 seconds, it automatically begins displaying a 10 hour timer.
The heavy duty stainless steel case weighs in at 263g/9.3oz, and that’s without two of the links installed. It boasts a 46mm diameter but stretched out to about 52mm when including the main crown in those measurements. The dial is about 36mm. The crown and the chronograph pushers are screw-down to keep dust and moisture out, and the case is also equipped with a helium escape valve at 8:00.
This watch has a stainless steel bracelet with a solid feel to it… thanks to the solid links. The clasp is a push button deployment style with a safety flip lock. It also offers an extension for anyone who wants to wear it over their wet-suit.
The dark dial is not exactly black, but more like a deep charcoal gray. The three subdials, however, are black with bright orange hands. The main chronograph hand is also orange. The markers glow nicely thanks to Superluminova lume. Even the Deep Blue logo lights up. All of this is protected by a flat, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Surrounding the crystal is a 120 click, uni-directional stainless steel bezel.
This model is a limited edition piece (number 04XX) with only 5,000 produced and is sold out by the manufacturer.
