No 255 - Rolex Submariner 14060M

Let me take you back to the spring of 2015. This is where I made my final attempt trying to find a keeper for myself.

OK, so the first true keeper attempt (the JLC Reverso that I wore when I got married) was a failure. And the Explorer II that replaced it was also sold. How on earth could another Rolex then be the answer in my search for a lifelong keeper? I remember reasoning something like "the nodate Submariner being an icon that set a standard among dive watches and that the four lined COSC version in my opinion was one of the most clean looking newer dive watches you could possibly get your hands on". And everything about is perfect. I still think so. But the fact of wearing a Rolex finally killed me. I was lost in the vast sea among all other Rolex wearers and became anonymous. I’m pretty sure I have explained this feeling writing about Rolex in the past but I had never felt it so strong before. The feeling of “being stuck” with this Submariner for life was horrible (I know, boohoo, what a silly "problem" but you know what I mean). I was of course hoping that this watch would cure me from the watch flipping madness but instead it just made me realize even more that I’m far beyond from being saved. And believe me when I say I tried. I tried so god damn hard. But it was impossible. It didn’t matter that the money from the watch was originally the money from the Reverso that my wife gave me. Keepers just aren’t for me and that’s it. No need to try anymore. A hopeless case of a kid in denial.

#255 - The Rolex Submariner nodate COSC, ref.14060M.

 

I think I really learned my lesson this time. I haven’t owned a Rolex since I sold this one back in the summer of 2016 and the thought of buying another one haven't even crossed my mind. I had it for almost 18 months and it really was my main watch during this time. I tried to spice it up with a Rubber B, which I think suited it great, and sometimes I threw it on a nato strap, but it wasn’t enough to make it more interesting. The watch said nothing about my true passion for watches. No watches beyond this point were ever bought for myself as promised keepers. Some have instead been bought as potential keepers but with the option to sell if not satisfied. Great solution, huh? I'm a frikkin' genius!

Here’s a bunch of random wrist shots from during the time that the Submariner was my number one watch.

On my way to work riding the bus.

Riding that bus again.

Guess what I'm doing here!

That's right, on the bus again! Reading Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving. Great book!

Did you know Nike made special running sweaters custom made to fit Rolex?

Out for a walk around the Royal Djurgården Park in Stockholm.

The classic ten past ten shot that you always try to score.

On a gray nato. Didn't have a Phoenix available at the moment. Would have been much better.

Really good on the Rubber B.

Taken in the car this time believe it or not.

With the camo sweater on ready to go hunting! (actually I was in the grocery store..)

I know you weren’t reading this post expecting a history lesson about the Submariner. Neither were you interested in reading about its specifications because 99% of you already know that. No, that’s not what this blog is about and you know that as well. Instead I tried to share some feelings that perhaps (hopefully!) I’m not the only one having. I hope that there’s at least a few others who can relate to what I’m describing and if so it might be nice to know that you are not alone out there. And to all of you who still enjoy reading this blog without thinking that I’m crazy, this blog is for you!

At the bus station in the fall of 2015. Had my Don Felder 70's look going on here.

A couple of days later when the long hair was gone and beard had been trimmed down.

The final picture of it before it was sold.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 236 - Rolex Air-King 114200

I guess we all have had that feeling when we just want to go down to our local AD and pick up something brand new. To some that’s perhaps what you always do, but to me, who in 99% of all my purchases go for used watches, the event of purchasing a brand new luxury watch is quite the rare occasion.

Anyway, it was in the middle of the summer of 2014 and I was sitting at home with a newborn baby boy who mostly slept through the days and when he didn’t sleep he wanted to be with mommy. That meant I had a lot of extra time looking for watches to learn more about. I suddenly felt the urge to buy a brand new watch. I figured I deserved that since I just had bought one for my son. But what to buy? The Rolex price boom had just passed and getting a good discount had become much harder. But there was one model that the stores still had in stock that wasn’t as popular as the Submariner's, Datejust's and Explorer's and that was the 34mm Air-King. To me that felt like it wasn’t even an option to consider due to the size but then suddenly I found a picture of an old Rolex advertisement showing the Air-King with the blue and orange concentric dial. BOOM! I was instantly hooked and couldn't let go. A quick google search told me the dial was discontinued. Damn! I quickly texted a friend who worked as a watchmaker at one of the Rolex AD’s in Stockholm and asked him if it was possible to somehow get a hold of that dial. He soon texted me back “I got one in the drawers right here. A customer had it replaced a couple of years ago with another dial before he purchased it because he didn’t liked it. I can install it for you in a brand new Air-King if you want”. It was like a sign from above.  I texted him back “Do it. I’ll be there in thirty!”

#236 - The Rolex Air-King, ref. 114200. Taken in the store only minutes after the dial change.

It looked awesome! That dial sure was something extra. It was beautiful and sporty at the same time and also had a great youthful feeling to it. Unfortunately he didn’t have the right hands for it so if I wanted it I had to come back later to change them. So what about the price? I don’t want to give it away but to my luck they had just announced that this was the last year when the text "Air-King" was going to be printed on the dial of the 114200 so perhaps they saw it as something they wanted to get rid of since it was being discontinued? But I can at least tell you that I didn’t had to think twice about getting the watch.

My first time removing Rolex plastic.

Time to celebrate!

So a day that had started just like any other with no plans what so ever of purchasing a new watch ended with me walking out of a store with my first brand new Rolex. Such a great feeling! But coming home and removing all the plastic was even better. Regardless its size of 34mm the Air-King wore fantastically well. The thicker lugs and the exceptional bracelet gave it such a solid impression it even felt way better than wearing a traditional vintage 36mm Datejust on a stretchy jubilee. I really must give it up to this, sometimes, forgotten model.

After the hands were changed.

Talking watches over a few beers with my friend Sebastian. From left to right: Rolex GMT-Master 16753, Rolex Air-King 114200, IWC Ingenieur 3239-06 and an 84' Omega Speedmaster Professional (which later became mine).

I wore it almost every day for two months before I sold it. So why did I sell? Heck, I don’t know. I wish I had not done it. Looking back I really regret that. The Air-King was a cool watch. Super wearable and much more unusual and fun looking than all the other common Rolex models. 

For sale pictures.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 232 - Rolex Oysterquartz 17013

Why the hell did I go and buy myself another one of those bloody loud tickers? I had promised myself not to buy another OQ but then this beauty turned up to a price I just couldn’t look away from. It had recently been given a proper gasket service and was in a great condition. I mean, who can resist the combination of blue and gold? Its stunning looks simply made me forget about the noise it gave off. This watch really meant some serious business. It was so beautiful. A perfect summer’s watch!

#232 - The Rolex Oysterquartz, ref. 17013.

I received it with no box or papers. I don’t even know which year it was from. But it was easy to sell and was gone like that when I put it up for sale. I only had it for a couple of weeks in August 2014. That was enough to once again make me realize that looks isn’t everything. It’s the inside that matters. I simply couldn’t overcome the loud movement it housed and believe me when I say I tried!

A sunny Sunday afternoon on the balcony together with my dad.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 230 - Rolex Datejust 16013

OK, so we are back on track! Sorry for my little side step there with the ZRC but it had to be done. But now let’s get back to July 2014 and watch number 230.

I love projects. I always have plenty of different ideas going on in my mind of what would be cool to put together to create something unique. There have of course been several Seiko mods in the past but eventually I started to look beyond the horizon of SKX-divers to see what else could be done and realized that the Datejust was a great model to play around with and mainly because there are so many different dial variations to choose between. 

#230 - The Rolex Datejust, ref. 16013.

Pre-make over.

Not too funny even on an ostrich leather.

When I found this 80's head only 16013 Datejust I visualized something completely else than what it was being sold as. Instead of putting it on a matching two tone jubilee I instead fitted it with a regular all-steel jubilee from a ref. 16030 to give it a cleaner look. But I still wanted it to pop, at least a little bit. The gold linen dial was nice but I wanted something a little more uncommon. I remembered that when I sold my 16233 I also gave away the three extra dials it came with when I bought it. One of those dials was really cool and I saw it as the perfect candidate for my project. The whole story about how I got a hold of the dial is told in the post about the Rolex Datejust 16233.

I think the end result of a toned down 16013 with an extraordinary dial turned out pretty great.

Post-make over. Much better and according to me a way more interesting watch!

Wrapping it up with a wrist shot.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 225 - Rolex Yacht-Master 16622

I used to think the Yacht-Master was one of the weirdest watches Rolex ever came up with. It was so shiny and so round. No edges. I really didn’t understand it. It was ugly. I felt it was only addressing old men.

But in May 2014 all that changed. I was about to turn thirty and was putting together a playlist for an upcoming party. During the spring I’d been listening to a lot of 80’s soft rock like Hall & Oates, Toto, Bryan Adams, the solo albums by Don Henley and Glenn Frey, Doobie Brothers and similar bands like that. When putting together that list I came across a playlist called “Yacht Rock” and all my favorite songs just happened to be on that list. I had never heard the term before but I instantly pictured myself sitting on a big yacht in Miami, sunglasses on, hearing Don singing in the background about the Boys of Summer, a cocktail in my hand and a Yacht-Master dangling on my wrist. It all felt so right.

"Excuse me! Please repeat that last part! A Yacht-Master? Seriously?" Yes ladies and gentlemen, a Yacht-Master was what I saw in my vision and right there and then my mind had gone from hating it to loving it and I just had to have one.

#225 - The Rolex Yacht-Master, ref. 16622.

I got a hold of a full set from 2005 in an excellent condition. It was delivered with its original platinum dial, but Rolex had just announced their new upgraded version, the 116622 which had an incredible blue dial, and I managed to get a hold of a new blue dial for my watch. With the blue dial installed it just became so damn good! I loved it. I practically felt like a yacht owner just by wearing it.

With the new dial just installed.

But I knew the love wasn’t going to last forever. I knew that toolwatches is what turns me on and what I like the most and to me the Yacht-Master was the complete opposite from being a toolwatch. Perhaps if I was a rich yacht owner it could serve as a perfect beater but unfortunately I’m not. Not yet. But then I'll probably go for a solid gold version with MOP-dial.

Out having lunch with my wife, June 2014.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 200 & 219 - Rolex Explorer II 16570

I got my first Explorer II 16570 in November 2013. Watch only. It was an A-series with the Swiss-only luminova dial and non-SEL bracelet. I actually hadn’t been a big fan of the Exp2 and it was mainly due to the red GMT-hand. I always visualized it to be orange just like on the original Explorer II 1655. My plan when I got the 16570 was actually to have the GMT-hand painted orange but instead I learned to like it. 

#200 - The Rolex Explorer II ref. 16570. The first picture I took after unwrapping it.

Essentials when taking a batch - Something to read, an ice cold beverage (in this case Chardonnay) and a waterproof watch.

In March 2014, three months after I sold the first one, I bought my second one. This was a P-series which means it had all the features I prefer; lug-holes, SEL and superluminova. Besides that it was a full set in pretty much NOS condition (except for a tiny mark on the bezel at 4 o’clock). This was the watch I traded my Jeager Le-Coultre Reverso Grand Taille for. I had somehow come to the conclusion that this was probably the best watch you could wear if you we’re going to be a one watch guy. My belief that this was right decision for me was so strong it made me give up my wedding watch. Well, the Reverso was never used anyway and I was sure that the Explorer could be used for everything. It ended up failing me on one point and one point only; it lacked a rotatable bezel. Jeeez… I will never be an OWG. There's always something...

The second one stayed with me for a couple of months though and got to witness some other activities than just the daily desk diving.

#219 - My second Explorer II.

Watch workshop. From left to right: Rolex Datejust 16013, Rolex Submariner 16610LV and my Explorer II. The 16610LV in the middle just received a black insert.

Captured during a walk around Djurgården in Stockholm, March 2014. Go Bears!

A rewarding beer later the same day.

Resting on top of my old Fender '62 Custom Telecaster.

Out pike fishing in the archipelago in mid-May 2014. I was so sick that day. The fever was killing me!

My first encounter with the Rubber B. Never liked it.

On my way to a business meeting.

Hanging out at my in-laws.

From left to right: Rolex GMT 16753 serti, Tissot Visodate and the Explorer.

We were later joined by a Breitling Superocean Heritage 42.

I never had any thoughts of ever getting an Explorer II with white dial. It wasn’t until I had sourced one for my mom and put it on my wrist when I realized how good it was. It actually looked much more interesting and eye-catching than the black one. I'll definitely borrow it from her many times!

Borrowing my mom's white dial Explorer II for a quick wrist shot.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.