1929 Mercedes Benz Wins Rolex Best of Show Award at Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance

If you are a car lover as well as a watch lover, then you know that this past week was filled with exciting motorsports events, including the famed Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and all of the gatherings, tours, races and exhibitions that take place around it. Easily one of the most prestigious auto events in the world, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance takes place on the 18th Fairway of the famed Pebble Beach Links Golf course — with a rich Pacific blue ocean backdrop.

For the event, Rolex — a brand we are proud to carry — is the Official Timepiece and is also the title brand for the Rolex Best of Show award, which is given to only one car out of a couple of hundred on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event. While there are awards given for best of each category, only one car — the one judged to be restored with the most authenticity and style — can win Best of Show. The winner this year was the 1929 Mercedes Benz S Barker Tourer in blue and silver owned by Bruce McGaw. McGaw also received a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 watch in gold and stainless steel for the win.

Additionally, during the week, Rolex sponsored the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at the 11-turn Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where more than 400 cars converged for four days of ultimate racing on a challenging course with hairpin turns and bold changes in elevation. In fact, that raceway celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. A few famous drivers — also Rolex brand ambassadors — were on hand for that classic car racing event, as well. Sir Jackie Stewart, a three-time Formula One World Champion, attended and Tom Kristensen, nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was a featured speaker.

Rolex also had a grand presence at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering and at the Tour d’Elegance. Rolex’s relationship with the world of automotive sports is a long and storied one that reaches back to the Daytona races more than half a century ago. We invite you to stop in any time to see our collection of Rolex watches and maybe even talk about cars.

All photos Courtesy of Rolex.

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The ABCs of Watch Terminology, Part 2

In an earlier post, we reviewed some basic watch terminology that refers to the outside of a timepiece — from the case to the bezel, dial, crown and lugs. Today, we take this to the next level, where we identify some of the other features/functions you may find on a watch.

Subsidiary Dial/Subdial. Often, instead of having three hands to tell the hours, minutes and seconds, a watch may have only the hours and seconds shown using hands, and may have a smaller subsidiary dial (subdial) — usually at 6 o’clock — to show the only the seconds. This is generally an added aesthetic feature.

Minute track. Some watches have an outer track on the dial that is used to measure minutes. It looks like a tiny railroad track running along the outer portion of the dial. It is designed to make reading of the minutes even easier.

(The image, above, shows both a subdial and a minute track on the outer edge.)

Push pieces. Especially on a chronograph (a watch that times events), a watch case will feature push pieces. These are added pushers (usually above and below the crown on the side of the case) that activate the added function. In the case of a chronograph, the added push pieces start and start the timing of the event. There are some other functions that can have push pieces, as well. Generally, whenever a watch has a protrusion on the case side other than the crown, it has some added function.

Tachymeter. Often sport watches will have a scale on the bezel that enables the wearer to calculate speed based on travel time, or to measure distance based on speed. The scale is inscribed with numbers and spaces that are proportional so the wearer can convert elapsed time to speed, etc. There are also a host of other types of meters a watch can have, but that is a subject for another post. Stay tuned.

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The ABCs of Watch Terminology, Part 1

We often have customers ask us questions, such as “Is it a dial or a face?” or “What do you call the stem on the watch at 3 o’clock?” The truth is, watch terminology can be daunting, and while many connoisseurs and watch lovers have the terms down pat, newbies to the art of loving watches may not. For this reason, today we bring you a simple glossary of terms that define the “look” of a watch.

Photo courtesy of Wostep (Watchmaking School) shows case, dial, hands and crown.

A complete watch consists of a case, hands (sometimes), dial (sometimes), crown, glass or sapphire cover, case back and a movement inside. Sure, there are more parts, but these are the basics.

Case. The outer metal casing (usually in steel, titanium, ceramic or a noble metal) that holds the watch movement inside, along with the dial, etc. This may seem obvious, but some of our customers call it the “head of the watch,” while others call it “the actual watch.”

Crystal. This is the clear protective covering that enables one to view the time. Most crystals are made of hardened mineral glass or sapphire, but in inexpensive watches, there is also a plexiglass or plastic material for the crystal.

Bezel. On some watches, the outer ring that surrounds the dial is referred to as the bezel. Sometimes the bezel is made of the same material as the case, but often, especially in sports watches, it is created of different materials, such as aluminium or ceramic. Some bezels may indicate dive time or some other measurement — and they are usually able to rotate either unidirectionally or one way, depending on the function of the bezel. In dress watches, the bezel is often adorned with diamonds or gemstones.

 

Caseback. Every case has a back. That back is usually made of the metal that the case is made of, or it is made of the material the crystal is made of. In luxury watches, transparent sapphire casebooks allow for viewing of the complex mechanical movement inside.

Crown. Often referred to as the stem, the crown (typically, but not always, at 3:00 on the case) is used for winding a mechanical watch and for setting the time and date (if there is one).

Lugs. Lugs are the part of the case watch that protrude from the case and attach it to the bracelet or strap. Often referred to as case-to-bracelet attachments, lugs are sometimes integrated into the case.

Strap/Bracelet. The word strap is generally used to refer to fabric, leather, rubber, canvas, silk or other material. The word bracelet is usually used to refer to a “strap” made of metal. So, the steel, gold, titanium, etc., that wraps around the wrist is a bracelet. Most bracelets are made of multiple rows of links, or are woven mesh designs referred to as Milanese.

Dial. Often called a face (and not incorrectly), the dial of the watch is where the numerals, markers hands and sometimes other information is placed. Not all watches have a dial. Skeletonized watches, for instance usually skip the dial and display the hands in an unobtrusive way so that one can see right through the watch and into the movement.

Hands. The hands point to the hours, minutes or seconds. Not all watches use hands to indicate the time. In the luxury watch world, some watches display time linearly, through apertures or via satellites.

These are the basics of every watch. There are a host of other terms we can explain, but we will hold that post for a later time. In the meantime, stop in any time to talk watches with us.

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