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In Praise Of Pepsi And The Bright Blue Rolex | April 23, 2014 (0 comments)
Basel, Switzerland—Would you wear a blue/green Rolex with a second hand shaped like an orange lighting bolt? Or one that the international watch press immediately dubbed the Pepsi Rolex (left)?
Renowned horology writer Roberta Naas, author of ATimelyPerspective.com, believes many people will want the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Milgauss Blue Z (introduced in Basel), especially with its $8,900 retail price.
In a blog on her website, she reviews both timepieces. Here is her take on the bright blue Oyster:
“This watch is a winner. Now some may say that the blue and green combination is a bit odd, but we think it is a perfect color to take this already easily identifiable, much-loved watch to even new heights. The new Rolex Oyster Milgauss Blue Z features an amazing green sapphire crystal combined with a bold electric blue dial for dramatic appeal. The blue dial, seen through the green crystal, is powerfully attractive, offering a slightly different hue from every angle.
While incredibly forward thinking, the watch takes a lot of its inspiration from some emblematic Rolex heritage. For instance the green sapphire crystal marked a first in watchmaking when it was originally introduced on the Milgauss in 2007. The Z blue dial is a reference to the blued lightning-bolt shaped seconds hand of the original Milgauss designed in 1956. The concept of the original watch was to make an anti-magnetic mechanical watch for scientists and engineers who worked around magnetism. The COSC-certified chronometer could withstand magnetic interference of up to 1000 (“Mille” in French) gauss.
The new Milgauss Blue Z remains true to its original reason for being – fighting magnetism — in that it contains multiple parts made of specially created alloys (some patented by Rolex decades ago). It also has an inner shield to protect the movement from magnetic fields. That shield is made of the same Rolex developed and patented alloy that was in the original Milgauss (which made it THE watch for CERN scientists). The Milgauss features an escapement, oscillator and hairspring made of materials specially developed and produced in house by Rolex using micro-manufacturing (UV-LIGA) technology.
In short, this advanced Rolex Milgauss (Ref. 116400GV) 40mm 904L stainless steel superalloy timepiece is equipped with:
- Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring made of an exclusive alloy of zirconium and niobium to render it 10 times more precise than a conventional hairspring.
- Paramagnetic nickel-phosphorous escapement
- Chromalight (long-lasting luminescent) hands and markers
- Orange lightning-bolt shaped seconds hand
- Oyster three-piece solid-link 904L stainless steel superalloy
- Z blue colored dial
The mechanical watch, with bidirectional self-winding perpetual rotor is water resistant to 100 meters and — in short – is the one so-to-speak “non-complicated” watch that truly caught our eyes at BaselWorld 2014. Best of all – this Milgauss retails for an incredible $8,200."
Click here for more images of the watch and to view a video about it.
Separately, Naas also reviewed the Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT Master II watch introduced in Basel. Upon seeing the Cerachrom bezel created in blue and red, the global trade press instantly nicknamed it the Pepsi watch.
The press-given title also has roots in the original pieces made in the 1950s for Pan Am, says Naas—those were nicknamed accordingly because of the red and black aluminum inserts of the day.
Crafted from a solid block of 18-karat white gold, the watch houses the self-winding Caliber 3186 Superlative Chronometer and offers second time zone function and date display. The COSC-certified chronometer features an oscillator with a blue Parchrom hairspring that is patented by Rolex and built of an alloy of niobium and zirconium that makes it insensitive to magnetic fields. The 40mm watch features a black lacquer dial, Chromalight applied hour markers and hands and an Oyster bracelet.
The new so-called Rolex Pepsi watch, however, is a pricey drink: it sells for $38,250.