Report: new Sub-C, The Hulk and Explorer

[Cru Jones]

I just got back from seeing the new models at the rue de Rennes Rolex boutique here in Paris. The store has them for the week (Rolex is circulating them to their three stores in France). All three models were exposition models with no movements inside, but they had weights inserted to simulate the weight. Needless to say, no pix were allowed....Sorry.

OK, all those "dry" details were tough to type out, because what I really want to do right now is cartwheel, somersault and jump with excitement!!!! It was SO TOUGH to act composed while there!!

Some thoughts.....

Sub-C:

I'll be honest here, after picking my jaw up from the ground, my first reaction was....are the lugs wider? Yes, they are, but, really, in person, it's NOT shocking. It fits with the design, and, both up close and at arm's length, it looks GREAT. The salesperson confirmed that the lugs are the same width as the GMTII-C. He offered, on his own, the observation that the lugs seemed, to him, to fit better on the Sub-C than the GMTII-C (I didn't ask to see a GMTII-C to judge for myself).

Even better, it FEELS great. The weight of the watch is very nice, and it is SOLID. The bracelet is a revelation. The clasp superb. The bezel clicks so smoothly, but with authority.

I didn't think of myself as a "Sub guy" before the visit, but, man, it was awesome.....

I can also confirm that the ceramic bezel has a slightly matte finish when compared with the GMTII-C. It was my impression, and the salesperson confirmed my thoughts. It's pure class, and looks great.

The Hulk:

First and foremost, I confirm that you've got to see the watch in person. There really is no point posting about it if you've only seen pictures. The Sub-C was pretty much what I imagined, only better, but The Hulk was not what I expected (to be fair, my expectations were pretty low.....).

The boutique had the watches in a display under some pretty bright lights, and, sadly, the bezel looked pretty bad....So bad, I wasn't planning on asking to look at it. It looked creamy green, sort of like a McDonald's shamrock shake, but with a little more green....I felt vindicated. I had been right, The Hulk was awful.....But, since I was there, I asked to look at it, since the dial really did look nice....

I am so glad they pulled it out of the case and I got to see it under more natural lighting. INSTANTLY, the bezel took on a more natural color, and it blended with the dial pretty well. And that dial!!!! WOW! It's gorgeous. Dark, mysterious, it shimmers ever so slightly. It's something you could spend a lot of time staring at....The overall effect was rather fancy.

Is it for me? No. Too much green, even if it is a very, VERY nice piece. Can I see some people wanting it? Absolutely!! If you buy it, though, please, don't put it under a spotlight, .....

Explorer:

This was the last piece I saw and tried on, since another person was looking at it when I arrived. My eyes literally bulged when I saw it.....I was truly surprised by the Explorer....It looks exquisite, but, on the wrist, it JUST FITS. Don't really have any other way to explain it. I think Rolex really nailed it, size-wise. The watch has a presence and a simplicity that I found to be truly alluring.

The dial is dressy, but in a good way. I didn't miss the lume when looking at the dial, as I was too busy appreciating how the overall package fit so well together. Does it have the rugged look of the Explorer II? No, but that's okay. Does it seem like a mountaineering watch? No, not really. But, again, it's really very nice in its own way, so, in this case, ignoring the marketing is probably the right way to go.

To sum up:

Bank accounts beware.....

The Sub-C is amazing and it's going to be a hit. The doubters are wrong and should keep quiet, because the amount of love this watch will get inside and outside of TRF will be overwhelming.

The Hulk is much, much better than I thought (but, it's still green).

The Explorer was the true surprise. Perfect. It instantly felt like a part of me.

[cdweller]

Thanks for sharing!!

[2th Dr]

Thanks for the report! Something to look forward to now... (Did I just hear my bank account moan?)

[PanosI]

Originally Posted by cdweller

Thanks for sharing!!

X 2 !!

[PeteNYC13]

GREAT post, I cant wait to see the new SS Sub...!

-Pete

[Subexplorer]

Bonjour Cru Jones!!
Thank you for a wonderful report. I enjoyed very much reading it, and I almost felt transported to that beautiful Rolex shop at Place Vendome. What a lovely spot of Paris!

I´m eagerly looking forward to see the new Submariners. Being a fan of Subs, and specially of vintage models, anyway I feel that a specimen of the nw model would be a nice addition to a Sub collection, in order to complete the development of this model.
Thus, I feel I will definitively buy one when available here.
I feel a bit enthusiastic about the Hulk version, though I really need to see it in my hands (or on my wrist!) to be able to decide.
If it doesn´t convince me enough, or if I don´t dare to show such a gaudy green monster on my wrist, I will plunge on the black bezel one.

Regarding the new Explorer, I already own the 36mm model, and feel very, very happy with this one, and don´t feel the 2 additional mm, plus the little changes in the dial, will justify the change, nor they were really necessary.
The 36 mm case is in my personal opinion very classic, and a good compormise for a dress and sport model like the Explorer.
Welcome anyway!

Thank you again for your very nice writing and sharing your thoughts!
Very cordially (from a France lover)
Abel

[Speed]

Thanks! Great post!

Question: Did tge Explorer hands seem short to you?

Lots of comments on that from the Basel pics. Wondering if they were not the final hands???

[NutNut]

Excellent report.

Can't wait to see it for myself.

[jlopicco]

Thanks for the info. I am getting pretty excited about the new Explorer!

[Lion]

Thanx for your views and observations.....it will be great when they are finally in the AD's for sale!!!

[t e x]

Originally Posted by PanosI

X 2 !!

Originally Posted by PeteNYC13

GREAT post, I cant wait to see the new SS Sub...!

-Pete

Exactly my thoughts Cru. Best regards

[MagedMS]

Thank you for sharing your detailed observations ...

[kcmo]

Nice report!

[Cru Jones]

Thanks everyone for the kind words.....It was 100% my pleasure to share. I had such a great time, and am still so excited from my visit to the store.

I was told this "tour of new models" was the first time Rolex had done this (at least in France). I think it's a very good innovation, especially since they're not expecting to see examples in the store until autumn!

Originally Posted by Speed

Thanks! Great post!

Question: Did tge Explorer hands seem short to you?

Lots of comments on that from the Basel pics. Wondering if they were not the final hands???

I had every intention to examine the hands, but I forgot to study whether they were the same length as in the photos.

Maybe that in and of itself says something? That it wasn't shocking or strange? No matter what, the watch has some many positives going for it, I just don't think it's an issue. We'll see. Sorry.....

[multimedia]

Big THX for sharing!

Yeah, I have had my eyes on that Explorer ever since they reveled it at Basel.

Cheers,
Joe

[psv]

kudos!

I also would like observation on the Explorer hands - does the minute one seem short IRL?

[Kapture1]

Thanks for the report. Very informative.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by Subexplorer

Bonjour Cru Jones!!
Thank you for a wonderful report. I enjoyed very much reading it, and I almost felt transported to that beautiful Rolex shop at Place Vendome. What a lovely spot of Paris!

I´m eagerly looking forward to see the new Submariners. Being a fan of Subs, and specially of vintage models, anyway I feel that a specimen of the nw model would be a nice addition to a Sub collection, in order to complete the development of this model.
Thus, I feel I will definitively buy one when available here.
I feel a bit enthusiastic about the Hulk version, though I really need to see it in my hands (or on my wrist!) to be able to decide.
If it doesn´t convince me enough, or if I don´t dare to show such a gaudy green monster on my wrist, I will plunge on the black bezel one.

Regarding the new Explorer, I already own the 36mm model, and feel very, very happy with this one, and don´t feel the 2 additional mm, plus the little changes in the dial, will justify the change, nor they were really necessary.
The 36 mm case is in my personal opinion very classic, and a good compormise for a dress and sport model like the Explorer.
Welcome anyway!

Thank you again for your very nice writing and sharing your thoughts!
Very cordially (from a France lover)
Abel

Many thanks, Abel....

Yes, trying on The Hulk before putting down a deposit is the recommended course of action, LOL. Unless you're an elf? Sorry, I shouldn't make jokes about The Hulk anymore. It is, as I said in my intial post, exuisite. Particularly in natural light. It's just not for me...

You seem ready to go for the Sub-C. Believe me, once you see one in the flesh and try it on, you will buy one.

Regarding the Explorer, there's no question that the 36 mm is iconic. But, as someone who hasn't owned an Explorer, I found the new 39 mm to be great, too....Compared to the new Sub or even my current Explorer II, the new Explorer has a certain cleanliness and purity that speaks volumes...with a slightly bigger size to make it stand out just a tad more.

Also, just to tell you, the boutique I went to is on rue de Rennes near Saint Germain des Prés, and not Place Vendome. While not quite the same setting as Place Vendome, I think I prefer the Rolex boutique in the 6th over the Dubail store....Maybe you'll have to fly up some day from Argentina and check it out??

Take care.

[MortgageGuy]

Thank you for all the info, now I am even more excited to see them in person. I as well very much enjoyed reading your post

[Gerardus]

Thanxs fpr sharing but i think it will not change my idea for the imho (ugly,ugly,ugly) HULK.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by Gerardus

Thanxs fpr sharing but i think it will not change my idea for the imho (ugly,ugly,ugly) HULK.

Fair enough.....But, just please study it in-person when you have the chance....I think that you will find it's not an embarrassment to the Rolex name (which was my first, knee-jerk, reaction in March), and actually quite interesting (but, probably not "pretty").

[cujo]

Thanks for sharing a great report. I wonder if Rolex is going to display their new models at various AD's in the US?

[dalip]

Fantastic report...thanks
Funnily I was at my AD today and they were drooling over my pepsi...wondering why rolex stopped producing them...they suggested the new models had some great features but didn't have the innovation or zing of the old.....

So let's see....

[ocwatching]

awesome report..and great write up...great job!
Thanks for sharing...you almost made me want to run out and get on a list for the SUBc..and not the PAM list...

I need to see them in person..but your report was the next best thing!

[TempoKing]

Looking at a white gold ceramic sub you can pretty much see
the similar proportions, I will definately buy the steel Sub
and I have it on order already.

The Green sub leaves me cold and the explorer although different
I will not be buying.

All in all Rolex has lost some of the imagination in creating a rugged
sport watch that made them leaders in their class plus I get the feeling
lately that they are trying to immitate Panerai and Breitling.
...like an old woman... trying to be 18 again.

[Dr. Robert]

Very cool report....merci beaucoup.

[rolexnovice]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Some thoughts.....

Sub-C:

I'll be honest here, after picking my jaw up from the ground, my first reaction was....are the lugs wider? Yes, they are, but, really, in person, it's NOT shocking. It fits with the design, and, both up close and at arm's length, it looks GREAT. The salesperson confirmed that the lugs are the same width as the GMTII-C. He offered, on his own, the observation that the lugs seemed, to him, to fit better on the Sub-C than the GMTII-C (I didn't ask to see a GMTII-C to judge for myself).

Even better, it FEELS great. The weight of the watch is very nice, and it is SOLID. The bracelet is a revelation. The clasp superb. The bezel clicks so smoothly, but with authority.

I didn't think of myself as a "Sub guy" before the visit, but, man, it was awesome.....

I can also confirm that the ceramic bezel has a slightly matte finish when compared with the GMTII-C. It was my impression, and the salesperson confirmed my thoughts. It's pure class, and looks great.

Great review! Merci!

[mike]

Great report.

[Subexplorer]

Hello Cru Jones!
Thank you for your kind response.

Yes, I feel it is a good idea to check the green Sub on my wrist before taking the plunge!

I don´t know why, but I imagined you talked about the Place Vendome Rolex shop.
I´m well acquainted with Paris as my daughter lived there from 2003 till ends of 2008, and this gave me a nice excuse to visit her and your beautiful Country several times (arount 8 trips I guess, during those years)
Having a good French translator and living in Paris, gave me a good chance to increase my love for Paris and for France.

I had the good chance of visiting many places of your most beautiful Country, and as I´m also a knife collector, getting to know, Thiers, Laguiole and many other beautiful places. Impossible not to fall in love!! Nice land, nice people!
Not to speak about the Great French cheese!! More than 350 varieties to try!!

Of course, Paris has many elegant stores to search for watches, both new and vintage.
I love Paris!! Need to say more?

Thank you again for your kind reply and your report on new Subs!!
Very cordially, Abel.

[DanP]

Thanks for the info :)