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Rolex having invented the waterproof watch with their Oyster Case has always been a popular model with divers. Here is some information on what to expect from watch depth ratings.

Water resistance is always a concern when buying a watch and there are a few things you should keep in mind when examining this vital element inherent to watches. The first thing to note is that water resistance is measured in “bars” and watches are tested at different levels of bars for varying lengths of time. Obviously, people who are scuba divers or jet pilots can experience much higher levels of pressure than the average person so these occupations need special types of watches for what they do. Here are some guidelines to use when evaluating water resistance:

* 30m/100 ft – Rain Proof/Shallow Still Water

* 50m/165 ft – Swimming Activities

* 100m/330 ft – Light Scuba Diving in shallow waters

* Over 100m/330ft – Heavy duty deep water scuba diving

A Lincoln Road jewelry store was the scene of a dramatic robbery of Rolex watches on Tuesday when several hooded men walked in, ordered everyone to the ground and shattered several glass cases before making off with approximately $180,000 worth of watches, the police said.The robbery at Mayors Jewelers, 1000 Lincoln Rd., took place at approximately 8:30 p.m., while several salespeople and customers were inside. According to the police report, a group of hooded men ran into the store yelling ”Get down, nobody move,” then used sledgehammers to smash the cases holding Rolex watches. They ran out of the store and fled in two waiting cars, the police said.

”Robberies like this are very uncommon in Miami Beach, and it was committed by someone who knew what they were doing,” said police spokesman Robert Hernandez. “Criminals like these, they come a few days before, case the store, decide what they want, then come in methodically to take what they want. This was not your rookie robber.”

The Lincoln Road Mayors was also the victim of the city’s last smash-and-grab robbery in 2000, Hernandez said. The modus operandi was

virtually identical in that case, and the criminals made off with approximately $150,000 in watches, according to the police report.

After the 2000 robbery, the jewelry store hired off-duty police officers to provide security, but the management later discontinued the service, police sources said. Store representatives could not be reached for comment.

The police are looking into a possible link with a similar robbery in Coral Gables, Hernandez said.”When you have more than one of these crimes, it’s often the same people,” Hernandez said. “They use the same procedure and just go from county to county.” It is the Rolex watches that are the target.

Tags: rolex+watches, rolex, lincoln, mayors jewelry

Eddie Murphy in the movie The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) has on a Rolex Day Date. This watch actually comes up in conversation in the film. Talking to another character he says, “Oh, another Rolex, I collect these, mine is a slightly older model.” This is great visibility for Rolex and indicative of their growing status as luxury item.

In one of the year’s best films Robert Redford wears a Stainless Steel Submariner in the film,

All The President’s Men.

Great year for Murphy, Redford and Rolex.

This men’s Rolex is one of only five made in 1950. And it’s the last one in the collection of five available to buy. The five watches were the first to show the day, date and phases of the moon on a “black star” dial, in keeping with Rolex’s tradition of designing timepieces for mariners.The four other models have been sold individually for up to £300,000 to collectors in Hong Kong, New York and South Korea. The watch is being sold at the first National Fine Art and Antiques Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. Paul Meyer, of Hertfordshire based Beech Ridge Antiques, who are selling the watch, said: “It is a beautiful, stunning looking model.

“I have had so many calls from people already asking to buy it but I have said it is going on sale at 11 am and not before.”Rolex have a two-year waiting list for their current models.”They are very nice but this watch is different.”

SELLING genuine watches in China might sound like a tough challenge. The country is one of the biggest and best producers of fakes, including reproductions of expensive Rolex watches that sell for a tiny fraction of the price of the real thing.Given China’s awful record on the protection of intellectual-property rights, you might expect foreign luxury brands to stay well away. Yet Swiss exports of watches to China are growing fast, to nearly $150m last year. Last week, Omega, opened its first “flagship store” in downtown Beijing.

A few miles east of the luxury hotels in the city center where the Omega shop is located, hawkers in Beijing’s famous Silk Alley display trays crammed with fake luxury watches. A man’s Speedmaster Broad Arrow, a type that costs more than $12,000 at the new Omega shop, goes for less than $80 in Silk Alley.

While many Chinese do buy fakes, they are generally not among Omega’s target customers—the very rich. One of the most telling signs of Chinese demand for the genuine article can be found in Hong Kong, where Omega officials say that some 50% of sales are to visitors from the Chinese mainland. As Omega watches cost more than $1,000, those buyers must be members of a wealthy elite who still think the watches display their owner’s status, despite the prevalence of replicas.

Omega opened its first mainland store not in one of the booming coastal cities but in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province in the decaying industrial north-east. The region may be struggling, but there is still money around, much of it in the hands of officials. One of the region’s biggest corruption cases involved Shenyang’s then mayor, Mu Suixin, who was noticed by a Hong Kong reporter wearing an expensive imported watch that was far beyond what he should have been able to afford on a mayor’s salary. Investigators reportedly found more than 150 genuine Rolexes stashed away at Mr Mu’s home.

Omega’s sales in China are growing by about 15% a year. The country is among the ten biggest markets for the brand. True, the rate of growth is “slowing down a bit” as China lowers import barriers (easing the entry of rival brands and other luxury goods) and urban Chinese spend more on formerly state-provided necessities such as healthcare and housing. National pride stopped Omega winning rights to be the official watch of China’s first spaceman, who orbited the earth last year. That honour went to a Chinese brand, Fiyta. As for fakes, there is no sign yet that the pirates in Silk Alley are running out of business. Fake Rolex watches are still popular with the vendors.

Tags: luxury+watches, rolex+watches, rolex, china, omega+watch, luxury

“Used Rolex watches are one of the biggest status secrets rich people keep,” says Avi Dayan, owner of a San Francisco company ithat is celebrating 17 years in the used watch business.Rolex watches – not new ones – may be one of the biggest status secrets rich people keep, says Avi Dayan whose company A&E Watches, is celebrating its 16th year in business.“Many people think the only kind of person interested in buying a used Rolex watch is someone who can’t afford a new one,” said Dayan. “My experience shows nothing is further from the truth.”Avi says that rich people want quality in all they buy, “yet they work hard not to pay top price. Rich people shop smart,”.“Just because someone amasses personal wealth,” says Dayan, “does not mean he or she manages money like Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley. Most rich people got that way because they are skillful at making financial decisions. And, one of those decisions is buying a used Rolex, not a new one.”

What do rich people know about buying used Rolex watches that the not-so-rich haven’t learned? Dayan will reveals four of the secrets:

SECRET 1: Unlike new ones, used Rolex watches don’t depreciate in value immediately after purchase. “In this respect, buying a new Rolex watch is much like buying a new car,” says Dayan. “The minute you drive it off the lot it has lost 25 to 30 percent of its value. Likewise, the minute you slip a new Rolex on your wrist, the value plummets.”

SECRET 2: A reputable used Rolex dealer provides a warranty. “Rich people wouldn’t buy a new Rolex watch without a warranty, and they won’t buy a used Rolex without a warranty, either,” Dayan says.

SECRET 3: No one can spot a used Rolex on your wrist, if it’s purchased from a reputable dealer,” says Dayan. “Used Rolex watches are not trendy; they’re not supposed to be. Rolex designs don’t change. With care and maintenance, a Rolex lasts forever. Unless you make the decision to reveal it,” he says, “no one will know you are wearing a used Rolex. Don’t think of a used Rolex the way you do used clothing or used carpeting,” Dayan says. “It isn’t that people won’t notice your watch. They will. After all, it’s a Rolex. But will they detect that it is ‘used’? Never.”

SECRET 4: There’s no risk in purchasing used Rolex watches – from a reputable dealer. “Honest dealers don’t shop their watches on street corners or in bars,” says Dayan. “Reputable dealers provide buyers with a certificates of authenticity, certificates of warranty and invoices with serial numbers. Honest Rolex dealers are happy to supply references and they never bully customers into making a buying decision.

“Why would anyone do that? The merchandise sells itself,” says Dayan. “Also, reputable Rolex dealers work out of a secure showroom and give buyers several days to look over their new purchase. If for some reason a buyer isn’t pleased,” Dayan says, “an honest dealer will take the watch back and return the money.”

Tags: rich+people, rolex+president watch, rolex, secrets, rolex+wristwatch

Steve McQueen in The Hunter (1980) wore a Rolex Submariner w/ Date. This was to be McQueen’s final film. When he showed up for the production he was booked into a luxury hotel. When he found out the crew was at more bargain hotel he checked out and

moved. This was the kind of loyalty that earned him the legions of fans that made him so popular.There are two watches, a Heuer and a Rolex, that McQueen made popular. What particular models are they? Among wristwatch enthusiasts, Steve McQueen made two particular models very famous: the Heuer Monaco and the Rolex Explorer II.

The Rolex Explorer II (ref. 1655), which was made in the 1970’s and early 80’s, is very collectable, rare, and referred to as the Steve McQueen Rolex.