Will Rolex ever do another manual wind Oyster?

[dannyp]

I know they have some manual Cellini watches, but what about another Oyster? Why not have the next Air King be manually wound? After all, now that the AK is COSC certified and available with jazzier dials, what really differentiates it from the 34mm OP?

I, for one, think that this would be a good way to get more people who already own at least one Rolex to buy another. It's not gimmicky the way some of the other recently released models are, and it would have a great vintage feel, sort of the way IWC's Vintage Collection pilot model does.

[cody p]

Originally Posted by dannyp

I know they have some manual Cellini watches, but what about another Oyster? Why not have the next Air King be manually wound? After all, now that the AK is COSC certified and available with jazzier dials, what really differentiates it from the 34mm OP?

I, for one, think that this would be a good way to get more people who already own at least one Rolex to buy another. It's not gimmicky the way some of the other recently released models are, and it would have a great vintage feel, sort of the way IWC's Vintage Collection pilot model does.

the OP is now 36mm.

imo, it's just not very practical to have a manual wind with screw down crown - hence the advantage of the 'perpetual'.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by cody p

the OP is now 36mm.

imo, it's just not very practical to have a manual wind with screw down crown - hence the advantage of the 'perpetual'.

And why ever not there are thousands upon thousands of manual wind watches in this world with screw down crowns.I used to have two OPs from late1960s early 1970s my sons wear now.But still running fine without any problems whatsoever.Think today the true fact we have all got too lazy to
have to wind our watches almost daily.Manual wind watches are far more simpler than a auto wind and far less to wrong.And don't forget before Perrelet invented the first self winding mechanism around 1770.And a few years later Breguet improved it and called his winding system perpetuelles.

Now perhaps this is where Rolex got the idea to call there automatics Perpetual.Now a guy called John Harwood from the Isle of Man UK around 1923 took out a UK patent for the very first ever automatic winding watch.Now he went on with backing to produce many thousands of these watches.But mainly owing to the depression in the mid 1920s to 1930s in the UK he went bust.Now old Hans of Rolex being a very clever but very shrewd man heard about this and bought and took up this patent for the Rolex Watch Company.

And in the very early 1930s incorporated it into the oyster design case another one of Hans acquired patents,and also with the newly acquired waterproof screw down crown patent.And with the Oyster case and this acquired patent auto wind mechanism that only wound around 300 degrees.But Rolex improved the design by the help of Hans brother in-law.Who made it more efficient by winding a full 360 degrees,and a power reserve then of around 36 hours.After the auto watch and the oyster case Rolex really took off the rest is just pure marketing genius by Hans.But there
is still room for manual wind watches in this world today IMHO

[harlansmart]

They should.... an auto isn't the best in a fire fight.

[The GMT Kid]

Originally Posted by harlansmart

They should.... an auto isn't the best in a fire fight.

Why not?

[harlansmart]

Um - flappin' steel ain't desirable..... in fact even better than an an auto or even (faaar better still) than a manual wind and what most of us use in situations as decribed is a quartz movement - the most durable, most accurate, most reliable, most dependable

Originally Posted by The GMT Kid

Why not?

[Czechman]

I like the idea, but it probably wouldn't be a commercial success.

[ROLEX MAN]

For years now I have said: bring back a manual daytona "PLEASE"

[Chuck317]

Originally Posted by padi56

And why ever not there are thousands upon thousands of manual wind watches in this world with screw down crowns.I used to have two OPs from late1960s early 1970s my sons wear now.But still running fine without any problems whatsoever.Think today the true fact we have all got too lazy to
have to wind our watches almost daily.Manual wind watches are far more simpler than a auto wind and far less to wrong.And don't forget before Perrelet invented the first self winding mechanism around 1770.And a few years later Breguet improved it and called his winding system perpetuelles.

Now perhaps this is where Rolex got the idea to call there automatics Perpetual.Now a guy called John Harwood from the Isle of Man UK around 1923 took out a UK patent for the very first ever automatic winding watch.Now he went on with backing to produce many thousands of these watches.But mainly owing to the depression in the mid 1920s to 1930s in the UK he went bust.Now old Hans of Rolex being a very clever but very shrewd man heard about this and bought and took up this patent for the Rolex Watch Company.

And in the very early 1930s incorporated it into the oyster design case another one of Hans acquired patents,and also with the newly acquired waterproof screw down crown patent.And with the Oyster case and this acquired patent auto wind mechanism that only wound around 300 degrees.But Rolex improved the design by the help of Hans brother in-law.Who made it more efficient by winding a full 360 degrees,and a power reserve then of around 36 hours.After the auto watch and the oyster case Rolex really took off the rest is just pure marketing genius by Hans.But there
is still room for manual wind watches in this world today IMHO

I actually enjoy winding

Good point about Harwood It was only when they went bust in 1929 that Rolex stepped in.

[acce1999]

Originally Posted by dannyp

I know they have some manual Cellini watches, but what about another Oyster? Why not have the next Air King be manually wound? After all, now that the AK is COSC certified and available with jazzier dials, what really differentiates it from the 34mm OP?

I, for one, think that this would be a good way to get more people who already own at least one Rolex to buy another. It's not gimmicky the way some of the other recently released models are, and it would have a great vintage feel, sort of the way IWC's Vintage Collection pilot model does.

It's a good idea. I wouldn't mind a manual wind Oyster, and I can imagine several alternatives:

* A simple model with small seconds (like the old veriflat).
* A sturdy larger model with a thick plexi glass for maximum sports and simplicity reasons.
* A model with double main springs to allow for a week of power reserve (with an RDM indicator perhaps).

I can think of more... I also like the idea of getting the manual wind Daytona back (with plexi ;-)

Best,

A

[sparky]

Had one (Precision date) in the '70s- wore it all over Asia and the Middle East-great watch, wound it the same time every day (like the Hamilton chronometers in the chart house on the ship) and set it to WWV. keept as good, or beter time that what I have now!

[cody p]

Originally Posted by padi56

And why ever not there are thousands upon thousands of manual wind watches in this world with screw down crowns.I used to have two OPs from late1960s early 1970s my sons wear now.But still running fine without any problems whatsoever.Think today the true fact we have all got too lazy to
have to wind our watches almost daily.Manual wind watches are far more simpler than a auto wind and far less to wrong.And don't forget before Perrelet invented the first self winding mechanism around 1770.And a few years later Breguet improved it and called his winding system perpetuelles.

i don't disagree with a lot of what you say. and i like manual winds myself, but just not with a screw down crown - who makes a manual wind with screw down crown these days? (i can think of panerai, maybe) it's a thing of the past because it's more trouble than it's worth (a recipe for early case tube destruction). as for rolex doing it again - it would be a step back, they want the word 'oyster PERPETUAL' on the dial - it's their claim to fame.

n.b. and there's nothing stopping you from winding your rolex every day if that's your thing, fill your boots!!!

[rolexBuddy]

How about quartz Rolex - now that would be cool!
- to all naysayers!

[dannyp]

Haven't technology and materials improved enough that the watch could maintain 100m water resistance and have a non-screwed crown? I've had a number of watches over the years with that level of protection but no screw-in crown.

I'd love to see a manual wind Air King available on some kind of Pilot strap as a special edition.

[Cato]

I doubt it: even the manual wound Cellini is walking on thin ice.