BLNR Bezel color question

[1911 Man]

So, since the BLRO was introduced, we have seen some variation in the color of the bezel from a light pastel color to a much darker. I was just wondering if there has been any variations in the color on the BLNR, or has it been pretty consistent over the years?

[Likestheshiny]

It's been consistent. The changes in the BLRO are because the red is the "base" colour and the blue is then added to half, which has left Rolex making tweaks to perfect the colour balance. The BLNR starts with the desired blue colour and then half is made black, so the intended colours have been (relatively) easy to achieve from the start.

[fskywalker]

Wondering the same, think have seen some differences among various BLNR’s; perhaps older 116710 vs the newer 126710 model ?


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[Easy E]

I had an 11 series and now the 12, both the same in terms of bezel.

[1995akcoop]

Originally Posted by Easy E

I had an 11 series and now the 12, both the same in terms of bezel.

Good to know as I have often wondered if they were the same or not. I’ve seen so many wonderful pics of the BLNR and I swear the blue in mine isn’t as vibrant


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[Easy E]

Originally Posted by 1995akcoop

Good to know as I have often wondered if they were the same or not. I’ve seen so many wonderful pics of the BLNR and I swear the blue in mine isn’t as vibrant


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Can you post a pic?

[TeddyBallGame]

There’s also a difference in the composition of the bezels. Because of the difficulty with getting the red pigment, the Pepsi use a different type of ceramic material. The BLNR uses a zirconium oxide base (as do the black and green bezels) while the BLRO uses an aluminum oxide base. That also has an impact on the blue color we see on the Pepsi.

[SN13]

Aluminum Oxide.(Al2O3) is the chemical Composition of Sapphire....

It's the same as what our crystals are made of.

Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) is the base for many ceramics.... and in the pure cubic form, is the stuff "Cubic Zirconium" diamond looking gems are made from.

[IamJacky]

Originally Posted by Likestheshiny

It's been consistent. The changes in the BLRO are because the red is the "base" colour and the blue is then added to half, which has left Rolex making tweaks to perfect the colour balance. The BLNR starts with the desired blue colour and then half is made black, so the intended colours have been (relatively) easy to achieve from the start.

I found out that when you charge UV light on the blue/red bezel the blue part disappears entirely; whereas the black part of the BLNR does not react to UV light at all.

Rolex must have spent quite some time perfecting the BLRO bezel color; I'm guessing it could have been easier for Rolex to release a black/red coke bezel, but they chose to release a blue/red instead, which is quite commendable!

BLRO with UV:


BLNR with UV:

[Maverick_1908]

Originally Posted by 1995akcoop

Good to know as I have often wondered if they were the same or not. I’ve seen so many wonderful pics of the BLNR and I swear the blue in mine isn’t as vibrant


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Most people online just increase the saturation of the blue to make it look more vibrant.