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.