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The Iron Snail
The “Weirdest” Rolex Ever Made? Let’s Speak Explorer 16570
Welcome to my Rolex Explorer 16570 evaluation. Some individuals say it’s the weirdest Rolex that Rolex ever made. I wholeheartedly disagree. I feel it’s the Sky-Dweller or the Yacht-Grasp 2. Both manner, this watch was designed for spelunkers, speleologists, cave dwellers, Arctic explorers, and the like. The query is why and the way? Additionally, hey!
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Rolex’s Absolute Market Domination
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As a way to perceive this, as we speak we’ll be dissecting why Rolex simply flat-out dominates completely all people. In 2023, their watch gross sales surpassed their prime 5 opponents mixed, and Morgan Stanley has known as this unprecedented dominance. Michael says, “That’s crazy, you guys must be so rich!”
The founding father of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, stated he got here up with the title Rolex when a genie whispered it into his ear whereas he was on a horse-drawn bus in London. Humorous sufficient, that’s precisely how I got here up with the title “The Iron Snail.”
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In case your job makes it very onerous so that you can discern whether or not it’s nighttime or daytime, and that’s very harmful, that is the Rolex for you. That is the one you need.
My 12 Years within the Watch World (For These Who Don’t Know Me)
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Additionally, this text could appear completely out of left subject in the event you haven’t been following each transfer of my profession. I’ve truly labored within the wristwatch world for 12 years earlier than The Iron Snail. I photographed watches for a man on Reddit.
Then I bought watches myself on Reddit. I edited for a YouTube channel known as Theo and Harris for fairly just a few years, after which I ended up working for Theo and Harris. Then Christian and I began to make movies for watch manufacturers and met a bunch of watch manufacturers, and I’ve been within the sticks for some time.
The Actual Secret to Rolex’s Success: Advertising and marketing Genius
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This wouldn’t be an entire Rolex Explorer 16570 evaluation with out speaking about advertising. Crucial factor that we have to perceive is that Rolex is a advertising madman, a advertising machine, they usually have been since their inception.
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Advertising and marketing is their greatest factor. Wristwatches have been stepping into trend—earlier than that, clearly, it was pocket watches—however round World Warfare I, when troopers have been taking their pocket watches and strapping them on their wrists so they may see higher as they have been capturing individuals in trenches, Rolex didn’t make the primary wristwatch.
However Hans Wilsdorf was like, “I want to make the first durable and accurate wristwatch.” And lots of different manufacturers thought that too, in fact, however he actually hit the nail on the pinnacle with advertising instantly.
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The very first thing that Rolex did was get their watches to be chronometer-certified in 1910. What does it imply? Principally, they have been licensed to be correct by an impartial firm that wasn’t Rolex.
They have been licensed to be correct in a bunch of various positions, all inside -4 to plus 6 seconds a day variance of your watch.
So that they made positive that your watch was correct, after which shortly after the chronometer certification, Rolex went full hog on making their watches waterproof.
The Mercedes Gleitze Story: Advertising and marketing Gold within the Nineteen Twenties
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That is the place the advertising is available in actually efficient and actually one of many coolest tales for Rolex, however they weren’t the primary ever model to make a wristwatch that’s waterproof—they are saying waterproof on the time- however water resistant.
There have been applied sciences on the market, however Rolex was the massive king in mass-producing it and popularizing it. And as an alternative of simply dropping their watch in a cup or one thing and being like, “Look, it’s really water resistant,” that is actually simply the place Rolex began to dominate advertising.
One in every of their most well-known advertising tales of all time includes a swimmer named Mercedes Gleitze and the Vindication swim. Mercedes Gleitze was the primary ever British lady to swim throughout the English Channel, and he or she was additionally a typist.
It was the Nineteen Twenties, so I’m assuming she simply completed typing and was like, “I’m going to try and do that today,” after which she did. However there was some controversy round her doing it. That is the funniest Nineteen Twenties story that I’ve ever heard.
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The principle purpose individuals didn’t consider Mercedes Gleitze about her unbelievable accomplishment was as a result of a girl named Mona McLennan got here out of nowhere and was like, “Uh, I actually did that. I swam the English Channel too, way faster than Mercedes.”
And the press was like, “What? Are you kidding me? Do you have any proof?” And he or she was like, “Nope, I have no proof, no one was there, I have no photos, no records, nothing. I just did it faster.” And the media was like, “Mercedes, are you hearing that?” And he or she was like, “Yeah, that’s pretty airtight.”
Lengthy story brief, although, this swim, the Vindication swim, was a BFD. It was an enormous deal swiftly as a result of this lady, Mercedes, was attempting to show that she, in truth, was the best swimmer and did that unbelievable feat, however the climate was manner worse, and it was colder.
So she lubes herself up in lard and simply dives again within the water, however earlier than she does, Hans Wilsdorf runs over to her with a necklace and locations a Rolex Oyster round her neck proper earlier than she swims.
Mercedes truly didn’t full the swim—it was too chilly, she was fading out and in of consciousness—however in probably the most Nineteen Twenties trend of all time, they have been like, “Wow, that was so—you are so impressive that there’s no way Mona is telling the truth.”
Additionally, upon additional thought, she actually offered no proof. After which Mercedes pops out, flexes her Rolex to the world, increase! Rolex is an icon.
Two Recreation-Altering Improvements (That Rolex Didn’t Really Invent)
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The way in which Rolex marketed their watch with Mercedes type of turned the brand new manner of doing issues for Rolex. They have been attempting to symbolize the head athlete, the head of human achievement, probably the most correct wristwatches—they have been forward of all people.
That was their factor. So the proper storm type of occurred the place persons are pondering, “Okay, I’m going to get a wristwatch. I don’t need my pocket watch. I need one thing that’s correct and sturdy.
I do know that one model that’s very easy to say had their watch licensed to be correct, after which I noticed that factor with that lady who swam with it within the water, so it’s actually sturdy. I’ll get that one.”
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And that core, that first advertising push—mainly Rolex simply went off without end. They simply needed to sustain the achievements.
Forty-five years in any case of that and 11 years after Hans Wilsdorf handed away, now we have the introduction of the Rolex Explorer 16570. However within the meantime, two crucial issues occurred in watch world historical past and likewise Rolex historical past.
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The very first thing is—this can be a prime instance of what I used to be saying—Rolex popularized one thing, they didn’t invent it.
Rolex truly acquired in hassle for type of implying that they did invent this, and John Harwood truly invented it.
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Rolex, in an effort to make a extremely really water resistant watch, has to cut back as a lot person error as doable.
The largest space {that a} person can mess up in is after they need to unscrew the crown of their watch to wind it, they’ve to recollect to screw it again in in order that manner it’s locked and water can’t are available in, however clearly, individuals aren’t good, they usually overlook, so then the water goes of their watch and breaks it.
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The answer to this can be a watch that’s powered by the motion of your wrist. So once I transfer my wrist, a weight spins round contained in the watch, tightening the spring and holding the watch ticking.
The unique model of this was known as a bumper motion, so the burden inside didn’t spin all the way in which 360° round—it bumped on two springs forwards and backwards.
The Rolie Polie Olie model stated, “Hey, what if we fix that? What if it didn’t bump and it was smooth, and we called our watches Rolex Oyster Perpetuals?” One other nice title acquired to offer it to them for that.
So it took off and folks beloved it, and Rolex was like, “We invented that!” And John Harwood was like, “What the heck is going on here?”
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The opposite factor Rolex did throughout that point that was very good was that they’d the primary automated altering date. So it used to both—there was a bezel on the surface, otherwise you needed to put a pin on the aspect of the watch to click on the date ahead, otherwise you needed to transfer the crown.
Now, with the automated motion and the ability from it and every part like that, click on—this may simply click on at midnight very satisfyingly.
Basically, Rolex was doing each single doable factor that they may do to stay on the tippy prime. They usually have, by market share, remained on the prime without end. They usually did that by continuously attempting to maintain their watches because the primary—what can we innovate and what can we alter?
And on the similar time, who can we companion with that’s doing one thing nice? How can we get to the head of achievements? How can we get a watch on individuals’s wrists which might be doing that?
And actually, each nice human achievement since Rolex got here out—they’ve been there. Aside from the moon. Didn’t get to the moon, did you, Rolex? That goes to Omega. The Rolex CEO sits down at one other board assembly and it’s like, “Full moon today, guess Omega stock is going up.”
The Actual Downside: Telling Time When There’s No Solar
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The largest drawback that Rolex needed to tackle was that in the event you’re in a cave or in the event you’re within the Arctic or someplace the place the solar doesn’t set, it’s onerous to know whether it is daytime or nighttime simply by taking a look at your watch, and you’ll overlook, and that’s harmful.
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As you realize, the clock’s minute hand goes quick, the hour hand goes gradual, however it goes round twice.
Rolex added a crimson 24-hour hand, and naturally, the bezel is a 24-hour dial.
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Then Rolex up to date their actions so the 24-hour hand and the 12-hour hand weren’t linked collectively, so you possibly can change the time independently, which means one minute if I’m touring, for instance, and I’m going from California to the East Coast, I can click on the hour hand of my watch 3 hours ahead and the 24-hour time doesn’t change.
That’s, in fact, very handy in case you are strolling in a cave so huge that you’re crossing time zones and also you’re like, “This California better change my watch”.
How the Explorer 2 Advanced: From Orange Palms to Polar Dials
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Whereas we make our manner again, although, I’d like to go over the adjustments that have been constructed from the unique 1655 to fashions after that. The very first thing is we don’t have the massive fats orange hand anymore.
I’ve learn a bunch of the explanation why this variation occurred. A few of the adjustments have been as a result of it slot in with the remainder of Rolex’s line a bit bit higher—they needed to distinguish the motion and the massive adjustments that got here with the watch.
I feel it’s only a type replace, and it makes the watch a bit bit extra simply digestible for the mass market, so that they don’t have this huge fats orange hand.
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The opposite factor they did was cowl their dial in lacquer so it’s very shiny and never matte anymore. This was accomplished for just a few causes, one in all them simply being it does make the watch look higher and fancier and cooler and all that stuff.
However the different is that this lacquer coating is meant to make the dial extra sturdy, look extra good over time, and be extra immune to solar harm.
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And the opposite factor and the very last thing and a very powerful factor is that they launched the polar dial, which is why this watch is exploding in worth, or was exploding in worth. Rolex doesn’t usually do white dials, very, very hardly ever.
Once more, the rationale that they did that is to get much more visibility so you possibly can see the time if it’s getting actually darkish in the event you’re within the Arctic and the solar isn’t up for a extremely very long time in the event you’re in a cave—you need as a lot mild to bounce off your dial as doable so you possibly can see what time it’s however both manner, that’s how we acquired right here to the design.
The Beginning of Fashionable Cave Exploration (And Why Rolex Needed In)
The query is, why? The unique Rolex Explorer 16570 got here out in 1971, and as we all know, many, many issues within the out of doors world got here out within the Nineteen Seventies and Sixties as a result of nylon was exploding in reputation.
We have been getting a bunch of loopy applied sciences like Gore-Tex, however examine this out: “In 1968, Bruno Dressler requested Ferdinand Petzl to construct a rope ascending device, as we speak often called the Petzl Croll.
Pursuing these developments, Petzl began within the Nineteen Seventies as a caving gear producer known as Petzl. The event and evolution of mechanical ascension methods prolonged the observe and security of vertical exploration to a wider vary of cavers.”
Caving lights are getting higher, and caving security gear, the ropes, the instruments, the ascension methods—all of that’s coming collectively. Rolex, clearly—the Explorer One existed, however they’re like, “This is a totally new generation of explorers. This is like the second generation from the mountains now to the caves.”
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Somebody can discover one thing loopy, and in the event that they do they usually stroll out of a cave holding one thing like Poseidon’s trident, they usually flip to the press they usually’re like, “Yeah, this is Poseidon’s trident,” increase!
Look what’s entrance and heart in human achievement—a watch particularly designed for that actual function.
Watch This Overview
The Actual Genius: A Look ahead to Each Human Achievement
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They primarily have a mannequin for each dream, each human accomplishment that you possibly can presumably have, and their entire aim is to make a watch that’s match for that state of affairs and get it on the winner—it must be on the winner.
And when cave diving and cave exploring have been beginning to explode and get increasingly widespread, Rolex was like, “Okay, let’s make the watch, let’s find the winner.”
Okay, thanks very a lot for studying my Rolex Explorer 16570 evaluation. See you all subsequent time!
This text was tailored from Michael Kristy’s video on The Iron Snail, with edits from Fashion, and was reviewed by Michael to make sure the integrity of his unique content material. Watch the total video right here.
The Iron Snail is a males’s trend vlog (and now article collection!) starring a younger man named Michael and that includes a snail no greater than 1 / 4. The 2 are set on taking up the world of trend by making a clothes line to finish all clothes strains. Till then, we’re right here to let you know EVERYTHING it is advisable find out about one of the best clothes on the market, from the very best high quality uncooked denim denims to the warmest jackets to the sturdiest boots…the Iron Snail has acquired you lined.
