Surprise Discontinued Incoming

[Guppydriver]

Originally Posted by dannyp

Likely. But I do believe that they’re still shipping to dealers. First, as of official discontinuation many had probably already shipped to country level distributors yet weren’t yet in the safes of dealers. And, second, there’s no actual rule saying Rolex can’t produce them anymore; it’s not like there was an official discontinuation announcement. The old 115200 survived over a year after leaving the online catalogue.

So you're there's a slight chance I may get a MKI LV????

Hope springs eternal.

[Hankman]

Originally Posted by Commandopat

Congrats!
It’s interesting to see you say the Japanese are cryptic. My AP SA emails me and tells me that X watch is available and it’s mine if I want it. Now granted I have to fly from Okinawa to
Tokyo to get it so maybe it would be different if I could just drive on over.

Regardless, enjoy the new toy in good health!

Thank you! Send me a DM next time you come to Tokyo to pick up a piece. Lets talk watches :-)

[Hankman]

Originally Posted by Guppydriver

I was going to say...

Without question it was in the safe. I'm very dubious a discontinued model arrived the day after expressing interest/ birthday. More than likely, just needed approval from someone who perhaps wasn't there.

But who knows, anything is possible! Regardless, it doesn't take away from special timing of owning this watch. Congrats OP, it's beautiful!

Egg-Zactly! Who knows, does it really matter? Nope, as long as it's on the wrist ;-)

[Kreyzhorse]

Very nice, before that 126900 Air King, that was the one Rolex that really spoke to me. I love the quirky design and color combos.

Congrats on your watch.

[CHRONOLEX]

Super lucky to get this! I missed the boat and had to go grey.

[DDPS]

Originally Posted by Hankman

Thank you for nice comment. I'm curious about your statement on the typography. I'm a little unclear on what you are comparing to. Could you please enlighten me? Thanks.

Well, let's look at the basic Milgauss models in historical order:

1) From Rolex Magazine, a display of early three Milgauss models. Take a close look at how well-balanced the kerning is between the letters in "MILGAUSS" - most especially appropriate amount of space to the left and right of the letter "I" in relation to the kerning of the rest of the name...also note the harmonious spacing between the L and the G (which was not shared in the 1019 models, not depicted here):



2) Next up are the 2007 non-GV White and Black Milgauss. Note two things: a) the too-generous kerning around the letter I; b) the unharmonious kerning between the L and G, similar to the 1019 models:





4) The original black 116400GV in black from 2012 shares the same typography (the LG might in fact be even more cramped together!):



5) Then see the original 2014 Z-Blue 116400GV edition (which I have only ever seen in Rolex photos, and never in the wild, FWIW), with fairly harmonious kerning, but in a typeface that is unlike any that the Milgauss ever saw; a little blocky and odd (and with still slightly too much space around the "I"):



6) Somewhere in the next few years, Rolex recognized that the 116400GV typography needed a return to 1950s form, and the Z-Blue edition started looking like this, with the most thoughtfully-kerned name that the watch ever saw, even surpassing the 654x series. The typeface is back to the original as well, for the first time in the modern era. Check out the tightness around the "I" which represents the highest awareness of kerning thoughtfulness, along with the well-kerned L and G:



7) And finally, there is your watch, the late-model 116400GV in black, which saw the black dial catch up to the blue dial (I find that the fact that we've only seen these for the last 2-3 years or so is an indication that the black dial sold more slowly than the Z-Blue dial, but that is anecdotal!):



And there you have it. I think that the final black & blue editions pay proper typographic homage to what is essentially a great homage watch to begin with. Congratulations again on your achievement!

[Watchsprings]

Congrats, great pick up!

[Hankman]

Originally Posted by DDPS

Well, let's look at the basic Milgauss models in historical order:

1) From Rolex Magazine, a display of early three Milgauss models. Take a close look at how well-balanced the kerning is between the letters in "MILGAUSS" - most especially appropriate amount of space to the left and right of the letter "I" in relation to the kerning of the rest of the name...also note the harmonious spacing between the L and the G (which was not shared in the 1019 models, not depicted here):

Attachment 1367188

2) Next up are the 2007 non-GV White and Black Milgauss. Note two things: a) the too-generous kerning around the letter I; b) the unharmonious kerning between the L and G, similar to the 1019 models:

Attachment 1367191

Attachment 1367192

4) The original black 116400GV in black from 2012 shares the same typography (the LG might in fact be even more cramped together!):

Attachment 1367199

5) Then see the original 2014 Z-Blue 116400GV edition (which I have only ever seen in Rolex photos, and never in the wild, FWIW), with fairly harmonious kerning, but in a typeface that is unlike any that the Milgauss ever saw; a little blocky and odd (and with still slightly too much space around the "I"):

Attachment 1367193

6) Somewhere in the next few years, Rolex recognized that the 116400GV typography needed a return to 1950s form, and the Z-Blue edition started looking like this, with the most thoughtfully-kerned name that the watch ever saw, even surpassing the 654x series. The typeface is back to the original as well, for the first time in the modern era. Check out the tightness around the "I" which represents the highest awareness of kerning thoughtfulness, along with the well-kerned L and G:

Attachment 1367200

7) And finally, there is your watch, the late-model 116400GV in black, which saw the black dial catch up to the blue dial (I find that the fact that we've only seen these for the last 2-3 years or so is an indication that the black dial sold more slowly than the Z-Blue dial, but that is anecdotal!):

Attachment 1367201

And there you have it. I think that the final black & blue editions pay proper typographic homage to what is essentially a great homage watch to begin with. Congratulations again on your achievement!

DDPS, Wow, thanks you, very impressive history lesson. This is exactly what I was hoping to learn. Thank you for taking this time to explain. It really is the little things which matter to us watch geeks. Now I have one more point to mention in my watch talk arsenal. Thanks to you!!

[TVC15]

DDPS which year/version is this? Doesn’t seem like any you referred too, thanks.

[hkgary33]

Congratulations!! This should be a great memory to your birthday! Wear the Milgauss in good health!

[usmc_k9_vet]

Originally Posted by DDPS

Well, let's look at the basic Milgauss models in historical order:

1) From Rolex Magazine, a display of early three Milgauss models. Take a close look at how well-balanced the kerning is between the letters in "MILGAUSS" - most especially appropriate amount of space to the left and right of the letter "I" in relation to the kerning of the rest of the name...also note the harmonious spacing between the L and the G (which was not shared in the 1019 models, not depicted here):

Attachment 1367188

2) Next up are the 2007 non-GV White and Black Milgauss. Note two things: a) the too-generous kerning around the letter I; b) the unharmonious kerning between the L and G, similar to the 1019 models:

Attachment 1367191

Attachment 1367192

4) The original black 116400GV in black from 2012 shares the same typography (the LG might in fact be even more cramped together!):

Attachment 1367199

5) Then see the original 2014 Z-Blue 116400GV edition (which I have only ever seen in Rolex photos, and never in the wild, FWIW), with fairly harmonious kerning, but in a typeface that is unlike any that the Milgauss ever saw; a little blocky and odd (and with still slightly too much space around the "I"):

Attachment 1367193

6) Somewhere in the next few years, Rolex recognized that the 116400GV typography needed a return to 1950s form, and the Z-Blue edition started looking like this, with the most thoughtfully-kerned name that the watch ever saw, even surpassing the 654x series. The typeface is back to the original as well, for the first time in the modern era. Check out the tightness around the "I" which represents the highest awareness of kerning thoughtfulness, along with the well-kerned L and G:

Attachment 1367200

7) And finally, there is your watch, the late-model 116400GV in black, which saw the black dial catch up to the blue dial (I find that the fact that we've only seen these for the last 2-3 years or so is an indication that the black dial sold more slowly than the Z-Blue dial, but that is anecdotal!):

Attachment 1367201

And there you have it. I think that the final black & blue editions pay proper typographic homage to what is essentially a great homage watch to begin with. Congratulations again on your achievement!

Wow pretty cool and something I never would have observed on my own. I also learned a new word (kerning). Thanks for sharing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DDPS]

Originally Posted by TVC15

DDPS which year/version is this? Doesn’t seem like any you referred too, thanks.

That’s early series Z-Blue GV, most similar to #4, and what probably hit the real world more often than #5. I would love to see some real world #5s with known dates to help me get a better appreciation of the histories.

[ramitimeout]

cool story! congratulations

[Agamemnon]

Well done! Congrats!

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by DDPS

That’s early series Z-Blue GV, most similar to #4, and what probably hit the real world more often than #5. I would love to see some real world #5s with known dates to help me get a better appreciation of the histories.

That example is from the very first batch from 2014, June warranty card.

The font for Rolex looks thinner and more refined than the last example with the crowded I. The overall printing is different then, not just the spacing in Milgauss.

[DoctorsOrders]

Congrats OP!

[rfs]

Congratulations

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Commandopat

Congrats!
It’s interesting to see you say the Japanese are cryptic. My AP SA emails me and tells me that X watch is available and it’s mine if I want it. Now granted I have to fly from Okinawa to
Tokyo to get it so maybe it would be different if I could just drive on over.

Regardless, enjoy the new toy in good health!

I wonder if this has anything to do with the "first come, first serve" policy that Japanese Rolex dealers supposedly adhere to? Things may have changed but I seem to recall that, officially, there were no lists in Japan and it was all about who showed up first. OP's AD seems to have called him (theoretically in violation) and perhaps that's why the calls tend to be cryptic there?

Originally Posted by Guppydriver

So you're there's a slight chance I may get a MKI LV????

Hope springs eternal.

Hmm... this is an interesting situation where there's no "official" change. I think all will depend on how big the Mk I stockpile is/was, how it was distributed across production sites, and how the finished watches are allocated. I could see a scenario where one country is still receiving the original for the rest of the year but another territory receives the new one now. Again, tough to tell when officially there was no change.

[DDPS]

Originally Posted by TVC15

That example is from the very first batch from 2014, June warranty card.

The font for Rolex looks thinner and more refined than the last example with the crowded I. The overall printing is different then, not just the spacing in Milgauss.

Aha! So this reinforces my anecdotal thoughts - that number 4 is something you only see in Rolex photos.

Oh, and when comparing your specimen to nos. 2 & 3, we all see some fairly variation in letter thickness across different runs of the same model (beyond Milgauss, and beyond Rolex!), due to the ink saturation of the printing pad being used. The key thing is the letterforms and kerning. I like the thinness of your specimen, FWIW.

[MrMercedes]

Big congrats!!

[ltmgeller]

Congrats!!!

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by DDPS

Aha! So this reinforces my anecdotal thoughts - that number 4 is something you only see in Rolex photos.

Oh, and when comparing your specimen to nos. 2 & 3, we all see some fairly variation in letter thickness across different runs of the same model (beyond Milgauss, and beyond Rolex!), due to the ink saturation of the printing pad being used. The key thing is the letterforms and kerning. I like the thinness of your specimen, FWIW.

Thanks for the reply, ablogtowatch June 14 2014 has an article on the release of the Z Blue that looks to have the #4 dial, with a couple on the wrist shots. Check it out. Live pictures but almost certainly a watch Rolex sent them to review. Could be this #4 dial is a pre production sample? Interesting

[HogwldFLTR]

Great watch!!! Congratulations!!! I love mine!!!

[timepiecesnob]

Nice choice. The Scientist watch! Looks good.

[lowmandfl]

Cool watch, congrats! That green crystal is something special.

[Danny83]

Congrats!!

[The Apothecary]

Congratulations

[Demeter]

Congratulations

[callen4533]

I didn't like it when it was first released, but its definitively grown on me. Congrats.