Erik & Max are firing up for a fierce debate this week. It’s a watch battle, or rather face-off, inspired from a question we get often: 16550 or 16750? What is the ultimate five-digit Rolex travel watch for the ages? Through a wide ranging and meandering chat, we attempt to answer. We cool it with a few thoughts on what makes any watch proportional (case or dial), and how to weight ‘proper’ sizing in your collecting. Finally, a hilarious Only Wrist for a college student trying to get laid with 3K for a watch.
Links Mentioned:
16550 vs 16750:
https://hairspring.com/exclusives/rolex/16550-cream-panna-dial-explorer-ii-steel/
https://www.fratellowatches.com/matte-dial-rolex-gmt-master-16750/
Assad Explorer II
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/dubai-watches-db1901/lot.97.html
Magnum PI Coolness
https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2009/12/rolex-coolness-tom-selleck.html
Case Proportion:
Some Excellent Visualized Data on Wrist Sizes & Preferences
https://www.gq.com/story/ideal-watch-size-survey-2023-results
And a Little More Data
https://watchesbysjx.com/2019/06/ideal-watch-size-survey-mark-cho-armoury.html
https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-iwc-ingenieur-sl
https://hairspring.com/exclusives/a-lange-sohne/140-021-zeitwerk-first-generation-yellow-gold/
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/tudor-pelagos-lhd-left-hand-drive-chronometer-hands-on
Perfection
https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/patek-philippe-3940
Dial Insanity
https://hairspring.com/finds/fp-journe-vagabondage-iii-in-pink-gold/
Squinty Eyes
https://hairspring.com/finds/5396g-patek-philippe-annual-calendar/
Slightly Award Spacing
https://hairspring.com/finds/salmon-dial-5035-patek-philippe-annual-calendar/
https://bulangandsons.com/products/iwc-flieger-chronograph-3706-tritium-dial-w1713
https://hairspring.com/finds/aqualung-blancpain-fifty-fathoms/
https://hairspring.com/finds/fp-journe-chronometre-bleu/
Only Wrist:
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-week-on-the-wrist-the-tudor-heritage-chrono-blue