June 6, 2023

2023 Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO “PEPSI” $23,500.00 CAD. 505-00406

Many Rolex come and go through our estate department every month. The ceramic bezel GMT-Master II has proven to be one of the most elusive, this is the first one we’ve ever had to offer. Aside from the stainless steel Daytona, the blue/red GMT Master II 126710BLRO “Pepsi” is perhaps the toughest model to find at your local Rolex authorized agent. There have been long waiting lists for this model since it was introduced in the spring of 2018. This is the latest of the stainless steel GMTs and seems to be everyone’s favorite. For several decades now all Rolex sports models came only on the basic-looking and purposeful Oyster link bracelet. The Oyster bracelet is still the only choice for every other “Professional” model Rolex offers. The stainless steel GMT-Master II is also available on an Oyster but the uber-comfortable Jubilee bracelet is the one you want. The Jubilee contours much better to any wrist size/shape, especially for those of us who don’t have massive arms. The smaller 5-segment links allow the bracelet to conform to any wrist. Its dome profile and D-shaped link sections tend only to show scuffs and scratches at their highest point leaving the rest of the link to maintain the factory-applied polished and brushed finish. Small scratches and scuffs are very obvious on the flat sections of the Oyster bracelet but go unnoticed on this style. The Jubilee bracelet also helps the GMT-Master II achieve a dressier look a Submariner could never pull off. Ceramic bezels have become commonplace for the Rolex but the 2 colour ceramic bezels are still uncommon to see. The blue/red combination on our latest estate Rolex makes more sense than a monochromatic example. The red section represents daylight hours between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm (18:00 hours), and the dark navy blue displays the night hour from 18:00 hours through 6:00 am as indexed by the handy 24-hour, red arm hour hand. The bezel is indexed for 24 hours a day and can be turned to show a 2nd or temporary 3rd time zone. Rolex promotes the GMT as the cosmopolitan watch for good reason. It is the perfect travel companion for anyone who travels through multiple time zones in different cities around the world. The long, arrow-tipped hour hand can continuously track your home time (or Greenwich Mean Time) in a 24-hour format. The “regular” 12-hour hade can quickly be adjusted to show the local time wherever you happen to be in the world. The clever system can even jump timezones that trigger a date change forward or backward. This GMT was delivered to the original owner in the spring of 2023 and was only worn about 10 times. It comes complete with the fully endorsed 5-year international warranty, instruction booklet, worldwide service booklet, green chronometer hang tag, white paper product tag with matching serial/model number, inner/outer boxes, and a Rolex shopping bag. The overall condition of the watch is practically new, only a few light scuffs can be seen on the flat sections of the buckle. These minor marks can easily be polished away. This watch has never been polished in any way. Just a quick wipe with a cloth to remove a few fingerprints and it’s ready to go. These watches have asking prices on the secondary market for thousands above our price and waaaaay more than twice their original suggested retail price. This classic Rolex is estate priced at $23,500.00 CAD. Stock #505-00406.

10kt. Figaro/rhodium necklace 24″, 18.6 grams, 4.5mm wide $1,200.00 CAD. 431-00540

This chain is about as brand-new as they come, featuring its original unscratched high-polished yellow gold. Running down the middle of the chain is a bright-cut patterned strip that has been brightly rhodium plated to increase its shine. The Italian made Figaro link chain measures 4.5mm wide by 24 inches long and is finished with sturdy end caps and a large lobster clasp. The chain is solidly constructed from 18.6 grams of sturdy 10-karat gold. Our estate price is $1,200.00 CAD. Stock #431-00540.

June 5, 2023

2022 Rolex Explorer II 226570 42mm $17,475.00 CAD. 505-00376

Rolex is a company steeped in tradition and history. They are very slow to change marketing practices and style directions. They rarely introduce new models into the lineup, preferring to slowly incorporate style tweaks and technical improvements to existing models. The original Rolex Explorer II was introduced in 1971 as an adventurer’s watch that was built a little more rugged than a standard Oyster, Oysterdate, or Datejust. It featured an innovative orange second hour hand with an outer bezel that displayed the time in a 24 format. With a 24-hour display, the wearer could easily distinguish between am and pm hours. This was an actual marketing directive used by Rolex targeting speleologists (cave explorers). While never as popular as the wildly successful Submariner series, Explorer IIs have a dedicated following of enthusiasts who appreciate this very specialized piece of equipment. The current style Explorer II was introduced for the 40th anniversary of the original in 2011. This was only the second style change in 40 years. The watch now measures a full 42mm and brings the model squarely into the 21st century. The regular (smaller) hour hand can be independently adjusted to display any time zone in a 12 format while the larger orange hour hand slowly circles the dial once per day. This is a great feature for the world traveler or pilot who needs to keep track of universal time or any local time from around the world. All this can be accomplished without affecting the seconds minutes or date. The complicated mechanical automatic movement calibre 3285 has an autonomy of 70 hours and has been independently certified to chronometer accuracy standards. Our latest Explorer II has the preferred and slightly less common white dial with luminous hands and hour markers that are most effective in low light/no light situations. The watch was purchased from an authorized agent in early 2022. It is showing no evidence of use of any kind and has never been polished or refinished in any way. The fiendishly difficult to refinish radial textured bezel is absolutely perfect. An optically correct synthetic sapphire crystal is also 100% without the slightest nick or scuff. The watch comes complete with original inner/outer boxes, instructions, an endorsed warranty card, a cardholder, and the green chronometer hang tag. Sporty professional watches are very difficult to find at Rolex stores these days. Many models are only available if you want to get on a waiting list. Including the balance of the factory’s 5-year international warranty, this Explorer II is estate priced at $17,475.00 CAD. Stock #505-00376.

June 4, 2023

Platinum diamond eternity ring 0.40ct. VS-H 5.2gr. sz. 5 3/4. $1,540.00 CAD. 121-00157

I think a platinum eternity ring might be the only one worthy of the name, as platinum worn with care can last several lifetimes while gold wears out in one. This petite eternity band measures a perfect 3mm wide and features a high dome profile and comfort fit interior. The 44 round brilliant cut diamonds that stretch the circumference of the band have been protectively channel set. They equal approximately 0.40 carats together of very good VS-H quality, allowing them to sparkle brightly despite their modest size. The like-new band measures a finger size 5 3/4 with a tiny amount of room to adjust. Estate price is $1,540.00 CAD. Stock #121-00157.

June 3, 2023

2022 Breitling Endurance Pro X82310 44mm quartz $2,980.00 CAD. 515-00072

Breitling’s line of ultra-light sports watches reminds me of Tag-Heuer’s first Formula 1 watches from the 1980s. The Endurance Pro X82310 comes in yellow, orange, red, white, and blue.  The Tag Heuer F1 was an incredibly successful venture that arguably saved the financially struggling company with a lower priced mass-market sports watch. Breitling is riding a wave of success and the Endurance Pro is no low price, entry-level watch. They show a suggested retail price of $4,250.00 on the Breitling website. This price point gets you a very large composite black case measuring 44mm in diameter yet the watch only weighs 53 grams including the Breitling embossed rubber strap. The watch was designed with athletes and adventures in mind who don’t want to be bogged down by a bulky watch that can interfere with movement. The exact composition of what Breitling calls “Breightlight” is a company secret. This mystery material has been around for several years and appears tough and resilient under the demanding conditions you’d expect a Breitling to be subjected to. The Breitling calibre B82 is thermally compensated and should be accurate to a second or two per month with a battery life of around 3 years. The movement features a 30-minute, 3-register chronograph with a lap timer 1/10 of a second display. In keeping with its athletic design, a heartbeat pulse calculating scale can be found on the dial’s chapter ring. For someone who likes high-tech, ultra-accurate, low maintenance, sports watches, the Endurance Pro should be considered. An anti-reflective coated, sapphire crystal allows easy time interpretation of all the dial information.  Instead of a ratcheting timer bezel, which is made somewhat redundant by the chronograph feature, the Endurance Pro comes with a rotating compass heading bezel. The compass heading allows direction calculation in collaboration with the analog hour hand. Instead of the typical tachymeter scale on the chapter ring, the Endurance Pro features a heartbeat scale calculator. This watch has only been worn a handful of times and is in perfect condition without even the slightest blemish. It comes complete with all documentation, packaging, and the balance of Breitling’s 2-year warranty valid until November 2024. Estate priced at $2,980.00 CAD. Stock #515-00072.