![]() Never one to rest on its laurels, in 2014 Rolex introduced yet another breakthrough in the science and manufacture of hairsprings: Syloxi. Not only non-magnetic, but highly resistant to heat and wear and up to 10 times more accurate than a traditional hairspring.īut wait … what about silicon? I’m glad you asked. While the Air-King uses the same movement and soft iron cage as the trailblazing, non-magnetic Milgauss, it’s Rolex’s proprietary Parachrom Bleu hairspring that renders it virtually impervious to magnetic fields.įorged from a new patented alloy - the result of several years research on the part of Rolex’s own physicists and engineers – Parachrom Bleu was introduced in 2000. As a writer who finds himself virtually married to his laptop, the effect of magnetism on my mechanical wristwatch is a very real concern. Rolex Air-King “Bloodhound” (photo courtesy Quentin R. That’ll get ya carted off to the looney bin quicker than Charlie Manson claiming to be the newly reincarnated 14 th Dalai Lama.īut just why, you might ask, did I buy a Rolex? Let me see if I can break it down for you … Simply look the judge squarely in the eye and tell him that your $100 recycled plastic Timex “DESTROYS” his 40 mm platinum, glacier dial Day-Date. If you ever find yourself seeking to cop an insanity plea after being charged with feeding your roommate’s bulleted riddled corpse through a woodchipper (the very same roommate who stubbornly refused to lift the toilet seat before going #1), give the “Rolex Defense” a shot. Likewise, I equally frown upon YouTube pundits who seem to pay the bills almost exclusively by posting videos explaining why their watch of the week - usually some Kickstarter micro-brand - is “Better than a ROLEX!” (Gotta make damn sure to include that word “ROLEX” in the title if you expect to get any clicks!) There’s one talking head (hands) in particular who’d have you believe the $100 Timex he’s chosen to review “DESTROYS Rolex” … and did ya know Timex is actually older than Rolex? (Take THAT, Mr. (Full disclosure: I once wrote a satirical piece about a not-too-distant future where Rolex boutiques offer to cryogenically freeze their clients while waiting for that new stainless steel, ceramic Daytona to become available.) I detest the huge secondary market premiums, snooty authorized dealers, and multi-generational waiting lists that have become a necessary - and, unfortunately, widely accepted - evil. I’m as unwaveringly neutral as the country from which the brand hails. ![]() When it comes to the subject of Rolex and its celebrated, if often wildly polarizing timepieces, I’m neither fanboy nor hater. Let me start by saying that I’ve never worshipped at the “Green ‘n’ Gold” Rolex altar.
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