Latest in timepiece headlines

I ranked the modern Rolex GMT-Master II lineup, and I already know some of you are going to disagree with me. 😂

The Bruce Wayne? D Tier.

Its a great everyday Rolex, but after youve owned a few, the black and gray just doesnt do much for me anymore.

Meanwhile, the two-tone Zombie? S Tier.

Something about the yellow gold, steel, and black-and-gray bezel just works. It looks far better on the wrist than youd expect.

And the Tiger Iron Root Beer? Easily one of my favorite modern GMTs Rolex has produced.

Heres how my rankings turned out:
🏆 S Tier: White Gold Sprite, Tiger Iron Root Beer, Two-Tone Zombie, Meteorite Pepsi
🥇 A Tier: Sprite, Pepsi
🥈 B Tier: Two-Tone Root Beer, Full Gold Zombie, Yellow Gold Tiger Iron Zombie
🥉 C Tier: Batman / Batgirl
💀 D Tier: Bruce Wayne

Thats what makes the GMT-Master II one of the most exciting collections Rolex has right now.

You can go from a relatively understated steel sports watch to a full precious-metal piece with a meteorite or stone dial, all within the same family.

But Rolex still needs to give us two things.

A modern Coke and a Blueberry GMT.

Those would be killer.

I broke down all 11 watches in our latest YouTube video.

You can watch the full ranking on the DMW Assets YouTube channel. -> https://lnkd.in/gxzmqj53

Now here's the debate:

Which GMT did I rank WAY too high, and which one deserves more respect? 👇

Telling time is one thing.

Racing against it is something else.

Audemars Piguet partnered with Alinghi in the early 2000s as the Swiss sailing team competed in the America’s Cup.

That relationship eventually produced one of the coolest Royal Oak Offshore families AP ever made.

Two of the standout references were:
26062FS forged carbon
26062OR rose gold with a forged-carbon bezel

And these weren’t just cosmetic collaborations.

They used a flyback chronograph with a 10-minute regatta countdown designed around yacht-racing starts, along with Alinghi-inspired dial details and red accents.

The carbon model is especially interesting because this was still early in AP’s use of forged carbon, a material that would go on to become a huge part of the Offshore identity.

It also fits into a much bigger connection between luxury watches and sailing.

Panerai has Luna Rossa.

Omega has long been tied to Team New Zealand and the America’s Cup.

Rolex has decades of involvement in competitive yachting.

But the Alinghi Offshores feel different.

They came from a period when AP was really willing to experiment with materials, complications, and design.

Between these two, I’m taking the rose gold.

The combination of rose gold, forged carbon, rubber, and a purpose-built regatta complication is ridiculous in exactly the way a Royal Oak Offshore should be.

When was the last time you raced against the clock?

You never see this IWC.

This is the IWC Aquatimer Chronograph IW376905, a 44mm Aquatimer in 18k rose gold.

And it’s one of those watches that makes a lot more sense once you actually put it on.

Rose gold. Black rubber. Black dial. A proper dive-watch layout.

It sounds obnoxious.

Instead, it just works.

Inside is IWC’s caliber 89360 automatic flyback chronograph movement, with roughly 68 hours of power reserve. Flip it over and you also get an exhibition caseback, which makes the watch even cooler.

But what really makes this one interesting is how rarely they seem to surface.

You don’t see IW376905s constantly circulating, and clean examples tend to stand out immediately when they appear.

That’s part of the appeal.

Founded in 1868, IWC is already one of the major names in Swiss watchmaking, but this isn’t the IWC most people picture.

It’s heavy, sporty, comfortable on rubber, and completely different from the usual Pilot or Portugieser.

Had you ever seen this Aquatimer before? What do you think of IWC?

People hear Royal Oak and assume that automatically means the safer or more desirable AP.

Not always.

The reference matters more than the name.

The Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore share the same DNA, but they wear completely differently. One is slim, refined and understated. The other is thicker, louder and built around wrist presence.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Summer Edition leans all the way into that second personality:

Rose gold case.
White Méga Tapisserie dial.
Navy subdials.
White rubber strap.

It shouldn’t be subtle and that’s exactly why it works.

And on the secondary market, certain Offshore references, colorways and configurations can be far more interesting than buyers realize. Buying the “right” AP isn’t as simple as just choosing a Royal Oak.

Royal Oak if you want understated and iconic.
Offshore if you want presence.

I break down the difference in the video.

Which are you taking: Royal Oak or Offshore?

P.S. We currently have this Summer Edition available. DM me if you want details

Sure, everybody knows the steel Sky-Dweller.

But the gold models have developed a cult following of their own.

And I get it.

The Sky-Dweller is already Rolex’s most technically interesting watch, with an annual calendar and dual-time display. Put that movement into a full-gold case and bracelet, and now you have a genuinely exclusive Rolex that feels completely different from the steel version.

The market reflects that difference too.

On Chrono24, yellow-gold 326938s are currently being listed mostly in the low-to-high 40s, while current Everose 336935s are commonly listed from the mid 50s into the 90s depending on dial, bracelet, and condition.

And depending on the configuration, the gold version may be easier to get from the AD than the steel.

If you want a Sky-Dweller that feels way more special than the standard steel piece, the gold models deserve a serious look.

Which one are you taking: yellow, rose, or white gold?

Rolex will never make this.

Same idea with Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet.

There’s a niche corner of the watch world built around companies like Bamford, Blaken and AET REMOULD taking watches you already recognize and turning them into something the original manufacturer would never produce.

Blacked-out Daytonas.
Bright turquoise dials.
Sapphire cases.
Gem-set bezels.

Combinations that don’t exist in the normal catalog.

That’s what makes them interesting.

The watch engine can still be a Rolex, Patek or AP, but the customization makes it far more unusual than the factory version.

Bamford was one of the names that helped popularize this category, particularly with blacked-out Rolexes. Today, its business has shifted toward collaborations with brands such as TAG Heuer.

These can be incredible watches, but I’m picky when buying them pre-owned.

DLC coatings can show wear, modifications need to be inspected closely, and condition matters even more than usual.

But if you want something nobody else in the room is wearing?

These are hard to beat.

Would you wear a customized Rolex, Patek or AP or should luxury watches stay factory-original?