Wristwatch Videos
Pierre DeRoche Watches (pics + video)
Here is a quick example of some exquisite offerings from a family-owned watch company known as Pierre DeRoche. These pics are from their booth at Baselworld 2011. The 47.5mm beast shown above is the TNT Royal Retro Steel (ref: TNT10005ACTI0-001CRO). The machine inside is an exclusive 58 jewel Dubois Dépraz caliber automatic. This watch is a limited edition with only 201 of these bad boys in the world! Retails for > $26,000.
The other pictures include:
- Two-tone TNT Royal Retro Pink Gold 5N (ref: TNT10005ORAC0-002CRO) retails for about $50,000
- GrandCliff Double Retrograde Skyscrapers (ref: GRC10004ACI0-001CRO) retails for about $18,000
- Diamond bezel GrandCliff Milady Royal Retro (ref: GRC10006ACI1-001CRO) retails for around $26,000
The video below will give you a fascinating glimpse into how the six retrograde second hands function on the TNT Royal Retro. Also in the video is a GrandCliff Chrono Retro Hour (ref: GRC10001ACI0-001CRO) that is not displayed in the photo gallery.
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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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