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1Rolex Air-King
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Often passed by in favour of the Submariner, the GMT-Master or any other of its flashier cousins, the Air-King is a wonderful watch. It is also one of Rolex’ more venerable lines, launched in 1945 as an entry-level model costing less than £100, around a third the price of a Datejust. One of many “Air” watches produced during World War II to honour RAF pilots – see also the long-forgotten Air-Lion, Air-Giant and Air-Tiger – its “King” name related to its size, a then-hefty 34mm – tiny by today’s standards. The unusual mixing of the large 3, 6 and 9 numerals and the prominent minutes scale isn’t for everyone (Rolex is known for ‘classic’ designs, cry the detractors, and this isn’t that) but we remain firm fans at Esquire. Relaunched in 2022, the Air-King now comes with a redesigned bracelet, Rolex’s latest calibre 3230 movement and a more efficient gear train, giving it 70 hours of power reserve. Bonus trivia: it’s the only Rolex that uses the brand’s gold and green colour scheme.
£6,250, goldsmiths.co.uk
2Rolex Day-Date 36 (2022)
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Known as the “Presidents’ watch” – a mixed-blessing depending on who’s in charge, Biden took office in a Rolex though has recently become an Omega man – and still a signal you’ve “arrived” for a certain calibre of consumer. The day of the week spelt out in full at 12 o’clock divides opinion among watch snobs but it was no small technical feat when it debuted in 1956. New with an ice blue dial, a feature reserved for Rolex’s ‘950 platinum’ models, the ‘fluted’ bezel is another technical masterstroke, requiring “many years of research” to achieve in platinum, according to the brand.
£53,300, goldsmiths.co.uk
3Rolex Submariner
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Anyone waiting for Rolex to release a completely new watch could be waiting some time. Rolex’s last new-new model was the Sky-Dweller (2012). Before that, the Yachtmaster (1992) and before that, the Sea-Dweller (1971). Incremental tweaks to existing watch lines are what Rolex does – a business model that seems to be working out for them. It explains why news of a retooled Submariner, arguably Rolex’s single most iconic design, was one of the biggest watch releases of 2020 – even though you’d need a microscope and a degree in horology to spot any updates, the first changes since 2008. (This one’s 1mm bigger, for example.) But the tweaks aren't insignificant. Inside, you get a new calibre (the 3230), an almost 50 per cent increase on the power reserve (up to 70 hours) and the latest escapement. In summing up: a fit-for-purpose 2020 Rolex, and a design classic that will outlive you.
£8,650; goldsmiths.co.uk
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4Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36
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Red and yellow and pink and green. Also: light blue. Rolex’s new Oyster Perpetual 36 comes in five colourful dials that represent something not always readily associated with the brand: fun. Anyone thinking Rolex has either (a) lost its mind or (b) suddenly decided to chase the youth vote needn’t worry. There is a precedent here, namely the brand’s so-called ‘Stella’ dials: poppy, hard enamel designs that appeared on its Day-Dates as the world turned rainbow-coloured in the early Seventies. They’ve subsequently become hugely sought-after. Watches at 36mm have a broad appeal, and these bright designs offer a welcome point-of-difference for anyone who finds Rolex’s more traditional line-up a tad too traditional.
£5,100; goldsmiths.co.uk
5Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Pepsi’
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A GMT Rolex is the ultimate globetrotter’s watch. Introduced in 1955 with the iconic red and white 24-hour scale on the bezel, it earned the nickname ‘Pepsi’ (this black and blue version is known as the ‘Batman’). The most recent version in steel adds a state of the art movement and a dressier ‘jubilee’ bracelet. Other than that, the design has changed little in 60 years – though you can file this under timeless, rather than vintage.
£34,200; goldsmiths.co.uk
6Rolex Explorer 1016
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Sitting somewhere between a sports and a dress watch, the Explorer 1016 was in production for almost 30 years before being retired in 1989. As the name suggests it was made for explorers, and comes equipped with Paraflex shock absorbers to give it a higher shock resistance. But it’s really all about the handsomely proportioned dial, with its period detail numerals and matte finish. Ian Fleming owned a Ref 1016.
Around £11,428; watches-of-switzerland.co.uk
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7Rolex Sky-Dweller
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There are statement watches, and then there’s the Sky-Dweller. The most complicated watch in Rolex’s arsenal, it comes with dual time and annual calendar functions. Previously available on a leather strap or an Oyster bracelet, this newer option comes on an Oysterflex bracelet – Rolex’s patented super-comfy design made up of a titanium and nickel alloy encased in black rubber. Also new is the option of Everose gold or 18k yellow gold. An upscale traveller’s watch might not be at the very top of everyone’s want list right now, but this is a stunning piece of kit to drool over, whatever timezone you happen to be trapped in.
£34,600; goldsmiths.co.uk
8Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41
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In a line-up defined by headliners – the Daytona, the Submariner, the Explorer – it would be easy to leave out Rolex’s simplest offering. But if you wanted one watch that would look right with every outfit and in every situation for the rest of your life, that was distinctive without being flashy, this would be it. Though it has been around for decades, the Oyster Perpetual received an update in 2015 that included the a new 39mm case (up from 36mm), an oyster bracelet and an run of hand-finished dials in blue, grape red and dark rhodium.
£5,400; goldsmiths.co.uk
9Cosmography Daytona
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While you’d certainly be doing well if you stumbled across a vintage Daytona (Paul Newman’s 1968 model remains the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction, $17.8m in 2017), if you’re looking for the most advanced chronograph Rolex has ever produced then this recent version is a perfect blend of old and new. The hype, the history – everyone loves this watch.
£35,800; rolex.com
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10Rolex Submariner Date
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'Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date in Oyster Steel with Green Cerachrom Bezel and a Green Dial with Large Luminescent Hour Markers'. Or, if you prefer: the Rolex Hulk. Introduced in 2010, it immediately fired the imagination of watch fans. The green isn’t just eye-catching, it’s fluid, going from bright to dark green in different light conditions.
£9,100; goldsmiths.co.uk
11Rolex Datejust
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Probably Rolex’s most popular model. Released in 1945 to celebrate the watchmaker’s 40th anniversary, it also used the occasion to debut a new kind of bracelet – the now-distinctive ‘jubilee’. The first wristwatch ever with a date that changed automatically, the name comes from one of Rolex’s trademark neologisms – the date changes just before midnight.
£6,800; goldsmiths.co.uk
12Rolex Sea-Dweller
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When you're saturation diving, down in the depths of the ocean, you've got a lot of things to worry about. You're down there in a pressurised diving bell fretting about giant squid and the like. The last thing you need is your Rolex to give up the ghost. The gas mixture such divers breathe is mostly composed of helium, and when molecules of helium get into the case they can start pushing it apart from the inside when the wearer gets back to the surface. The Sea-Dweller is a companion piece to the Submariner, and arrived in 1967 as its beefier, techier, hardier little brother. The goal was to create a timepiece which could go deeper into the ocean, and a smart helium valve in the case to release excess helium made that happen – at first it was certified to 610 metres, then in 1978 doubled it to 1220 metres.
£11,500; goldsmiths.co.uk
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