Orlando Bloom's Vintage Rolex Collection

February 18, 2018

Orlando Bloom wearing a vintage Rolex Explorer II image from CrownandCaliber.com

Orlando Bloom is an English actor whose breakthrough role came as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This was followed up by The Hobbit trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean and Troy (2004). Bloom has had great success as part of historical and ensemble casts. However he has received numerous nominations and awards while creating some of the most memorable supporting characters in history. Personally, Bloom has been tied to superstar singer Katy Perry, super model Miranda Kerr (who he married), and actress Kate Bosworth.

In 2009, Orlando Bloom was robbed by thieves connected to the Bling Ring. They stole over $500,000 worth of Rolex timepieces including some of the beautiful Vintage Rolexes shown below.
Rolex Explorer II: Image from Fratello Watches
Orlando Bloom clearly has a taste for vintage Rolex timepieces.  This first Rolex is an Explorer II reference 1655.  It was introduced in 1971 and was manufactured until 1984/5, when it was replaced by the reference 16550.  

The Explorer II was developed for the Speleologists or "cave explorers" who worked day or night underground and would often lose track of time due to lack of sun exposure.  It was adopted by mountain climbers too, who admired the big Orange 24 hour hand indicating AM and PM, on the immobile 24 hour scale indicator on the bezel.  

The Reference 1655 is water resistance to 300 feet.  It has a date window and a cyclops lens.  The stainless steel Explorer II was dubbed the Steve McQueen by collectors even though the timepiece may not have been worn by McQueen.  

The Reference 1655 has an hour hand, minute hand, seconds hand and the 24 hour hand.  It has a large hour triangle marker at 12 o'clock and smaller markers at 9 and 6 o'clock.  There are smaller markers indicating the various 24 hour markers.  For example at 1400 hours, there is a marker closer to the bezel at the beginning and end of the 1400 hour.  Or specifically at 1400 and 1500 hours.  There is another marker closer to the center of the dial, indicating the middle of the 1200 hour or 1430.  These markers can be visible in dark lighting situations.  

The Reference 1655 is powered by the caliber 1575 which provides about 48 hours of power reserve.  The 1655 sells for around 17k in the after market.  The Explorer II has gone through several changes over the years.  In 1984 Rolex introduced the Explorer II 16550 which was built on the Caliber 3085, and changed many features including the hand design.  In 2011 Rolex released the reference 16570 which had a new caliber 3187 and 904L steel case with Oyster bracelet.   It is quite a stunning timepiece with the black dial, and stainless steel case.  It can take a pounding.  The 24 hour luminescent markers are quite different from the modern Explorer II timepieces, making this, particularly more useful in the darkness.

Rolex Milgauss 6543: Image BobsWatches
The second Rolex from Orlando Bloom's collection is a 1950's Vintage Milgauss 6543.  This is quite a rare fined for the famous actor since the Reference 6543 was in production for a short period of time  when it was replaced by the 6541.  It is thought that only 88 of these timepieces actually were manufactured by Rolex.  

The Milgauss got its name from the French "mille" meaning one thousand and "Gauss" referring to the German mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss who was well known for his research into magnetic fields.  The Milgauss was designed to resist magnetic fields up to 1,000 gauss.    It was marketed to research laps including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) who reportedly asked Rolex to develop the Milgauss.  It was ideal for people who work around strong magnetic fields such as researchers in laboratories, hospital employees, and power plant workers.  However, by today's standards, the Milgauss would probably not withstand the magnetic fields of some equipment and should probably be removed before handling those tools.  

It is anti-magnetic since the escapement is made of anti-magnetic alloy.  The 6543 has a honeycomb dial that over time turns a dark brown.  First manufactured in 1954, the Reference 6543 features a caliber 1065 automatic movement which provides approx. 44 hours of power reserve.  It has a 40 mm case and has dagger numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock.  The hands are luminous and it has a screw down crown, water resistant case, and a 60 unit black bezel.  The cost on this timepiece ranges from 82-144k at auction.

Vintage Rolex GMT-Master 1675
Image: BobsWatches
The third vintage Rolex from Orlando Bloom's collection is a Rolex GMT-Master 1675 which was produced between 1959 and 1980.  The "Pepsi" coloring of Red and Blue on the dial is quite popular among collectors.  This timepiece has a beautiful yellowing aged patina on the dial's hour markers which contain a large triangle at 12 o'clock, rectangles for 6 and 9 o'clock and circles for all other markers except 3 o'clock where the cyclops lens and date window are located.  The 1675 has a 40mm case and has crown-guards.  Linked to the aviation industry, the GMT-Master has grown to be one of Rolex's finest timepieces made.  

It is powered by a caliber 1575 and sports 44 hours of power reserve.  It is waterproof to 165 feet.  It was initially produced with a linked bracelet, but the Jubilee bracelet was introduced in 1968.  

The 1675 has an hour hand, minute hand and second hand.  The second hand markers surround the entire black dial.  The red 24 hour hand helps aviators and world travelers keep track of a second time zone with the rotating 24 hour bezel.  A world class actor such as Orlando Bloom could definitely appreciate having the ability to track 2 time zones as he travels from one movie set to another or hangs with his entourage, models and actresses.  His collection of vintage Rolex timepieces is quite impressive.  Hopefully the theft does not damper his enthusiasm to collect such fine representations of Rolex history.  




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