Rolex Models That Fans of the Brand Love to Hate

.Rolex Models.
Anyone in a creative profession is aware that introducing a bold design will usually result in a mixed bag when it comes to reactions from the public. A product that appeals to one segment of the market can (and usually does) simultaneously evoke the opposite reaction from another. 

Hate will always be a part of the ecosystem, especially now that it can be expressed anonymously on the Internet. I have come across many opinions about Rolex models in my research for this blog and have noticed that there are a few model and material configurations that seem to receive the bulk of the hate from fans of the brand.

Rolex Everose Rolesor Yacht-Master II (photo: Rolex)
The model that receives the most hate, bar none, is the Yacht-Master II shown above in its Everose gold and stainless steel configuration. The reasons given range from design to color to complication. Some think the dial is cluttered with useless functions like its regatta timer. Others dislike the blue bezel with the name of the model etched on it. Like the Deepsea, its case measures 44 millimeters in diameter, but the Deepsea doesn't garner the same amount of vitriol.

Equally detested on forums and comment threads are the configurations from Rolex's Cellini range. These dress watches are the only ones offered by the watchmaker without the Oyster case. Though that isn't specified as a reason to hate them, it seems that they lack the Rolex iconography that some find important. However, many are motivated to look at the Cellini collection to find a Rolex that doesn't look like the every other Rolex.

Rolex Cellini Time (photo: Rolex)

In terms of materials, there is a contingency that loathes two-tone model configurations. Diamonds are also a polemic material choice, with some claiming they are too feminine for a man's watch (it's almost as if they forget that women buy watches, too). Yellow gold is also seen as tacky or flashy by some, but doesn't seem to invoke the same amount of hate as two tone. The 36 mm yellow gold Rolex Day-Date shown below with diamonds on the bezel and dial is a great example of a configuration that would be destroyed by Internet trolls.

Honorable mentions for the most hated Rolex models go to the 2016 Air-King, the Milgauss and the Sky-Dweller. They inspire a decent amount of bellyaching, but also have a strong core of support. They are perhaps the most polarizing models of the bunch. Another polarizing subject is case size. Fans of vintage models loath the large case sizes that have become popular in recent years while other don't think a watch with less than a 36 millimeter case size is acceptable.
36 mm Yellow Gold Rolex Day-Date with Diamonds (photo: Rolex)
Ultimately, the Rolex configurations that inspire emotional reactions, even from the biggest fans of the brand, are more telling of these people's psychological and cultural influences than the watch itself. The design and marketing teams that decide which configurations will be introduced and which will be discontinued are well aware of the haters. They are also aware that strong negative reactions are usually paired with strong positive reactions from people who don't share the same sentiments.

If there's one thing that I have learned from reading comments from haters, it's that they want to be heard. Their opinions don't tend to result in anything other than quarrels with other keyboard jockeys, but that doesn't stop them from trying to tell Rolex how to run their business. The company will likely never dignify these comments with a response, because doing so would only make the haters think even more highly of their own opinions - something that should be avoided at all costs.

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Rolex TV Spot Shown During 89th Oscars Telecast

.Arts.
As a sponsor for the 89th Oscars, Rolex created a beautiful Greenroom for celebrity presenters and winners to mingle backstage during the show. Viewers of the telecast were treated with a 60 second TV spot from the watchmaker that pieces together several cameos their wristwatches have made in cinema over the years. 

"It doesn't just tell time. It tells history," read the copy at the end. The wording itself is a bit confusing (what does it mean to tell history, anyway?), but it is just clear enough to illustrate their point. Rolex has been a part of cinematic history and chose to honor that tradition in a subtle way with their elegant advertisement. 

The spot features Hollywood legends like Marlon Brando, Faye Dunaway and Harrison Ford in scenes from classic films set to the familiar jingle heard in most of the videos on their YouTube channel. Watch the video below and visit rolex.com for more information about the watchmaker's relationship with the world of filmmaking. 


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Hodinkee Offers a Glimpse Inside the Greenroom of the 89th Oscars

.Lifestyle.
89th Oscars Greenroom Sponsored by Rolex (photo: Rolex/Line 8 Photography)
The 89th Academy Awards will take place in the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood Highland Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. Rolex sponsors the Greenroom for the event and Hodinkee posted a few photos of the 100 square meter space. This area is where Oscar winners and presenters go before or after they hit the stage during the show and the watchmaker created a chic environment for them to gather in.

In a four day buildout, their Geneva-based design team spared no expense to offer the celebrities at the event an oasis that includes natural and luxury elements. Photographs of trees line the walls behind the bar with plush grey carpets on the floor. The fabrics used for the upholstery are chartreuse and grey-turquoise colored with modern metallic accents and a Venetian glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Photos of hollywood legends - some wearing Rolex watches - line the shelves with wall clocks and screens to watch the show.

Visit Hodinkee to check out photos of the space and rolex.com for more information about the partnership with the Academy Awards.

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Yellow Gold Rolex Datejust 31 with Diamond Bezel

.Rolex Models.
Yellow Gold Rolex Datejust 31 with Diamond Bezel (photo: Rolex)
The Datejust is Rolex's most diverse model, with configurations for both men and women in several color combinations and materials. The yellow gold Datejust 31 (Reference #178288) is a wristwatch fit for the Oscars red carpet, with an olive green dial and dazzling diamond bezel. Part of their collection designed for women, it is a wonderful representation of the classic Datejust with a flare that is modern and sophisticated.

A President bracelet in yellow gold completes the elegant look of this reference, with a Crownclasp concealed beneath the links. The Roman numeral at 6 o'clock is set with diamonds for additional sparkle. Like all Datejust models, it has a date aperture at 3 o'clock with a Cyclops magnifying lens over it. The result is a regal watch with the precision that Rolex is known for. A 2235 self-winding mechanical movement powers this timepiece with a power reserve of 48 hours.

The size of the 31 mm case is just large enough to show off the gem setting work on the dial and bezel, but not large enough to feel cumbersome. Its Twinlock winding crown helps create a seal that gives it a depth rating of 100 meters. For more information on this Superlative Chronometer, visit rolex.com.

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Academy Award Winner and Rolex Mentor Alejandro González Iñárritu

.Arts.
Academy Award Winner and Rolex Mentor Alejandro González Iñárritu
Rolex has recently become the sponsor of the Greenroom at the 89th Academy Awards, but their ties to the Oscars go further than sponsorships. Their Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has coupled Oscar-winning directors with protégés in the film industry since 2004, when the program began to include film as a discipline. Alejandro González Iñárritu, the first Mexican director to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director, participated in the 2014-2015 initiative.

Iñárritu's most recent films, The Revenant and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), won several accolades that included Academy Awards. The Revenant's Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar for Best Actor for the film, a newsworthy accomplishment given the actor's multiple nominations in past years that never resulted in a win. Birdman, Iñárritu's first foray into comedy, won Best Picture in 2015 and high acclaim from critics.

The prolific Mexican director takes from life when creating his cinematic masterpieces. He traveled through Africa and Europe as a youth and later used the cultures he encountered in films such as Babel, his 2006 film. He began his career as a radio host in Mexico while studying at the Universidad Iberoamericana. He ascended the ranks to station director and made his station one of the most listened to in Mexico at the time. He later began his own production company, Zeta Films, to work on television spots and short films.

His first feature film, Amores Perros, was nominated for an Oscar as a Foreign Film entry and Iñárritu's directorial career took off after that. His films explore the intensity of the human condition in dire circumstances with vivid realism. His exceptional work made him an ideal mentor for Rolex's prestigious mentorship program. His protégé for the Rolex Arts Initiative was Israeli filmmaker and screenwriter Tom Shoval. For more information on the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, including the current participants, visit rolexmentorprotege.com.

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