I first met up with the crowd outside the Rolex stand,

We later gathered around James Dowling, the author of “The Best of Time - Rolex Wristwatches - An Unauthorized History” for a Q&A session involving the latest offering by Rolex. This was mostly dominated by questions with regards to the Sea-Dweller Deepsea.

Everyone kindly posed for this shot against the wall, which was rather amusing for some

At this point a lot of us were rather famished, so we headed out for some lunch…

A rare first prototype worn by James. This is akin to the watch worn by Mercedes Gleitz, who became the first English lady to swim the channel, and thereby advertising the Rolex invention: the Oyster case!

Some more snaps…

I had the opportunity to weigh my DateJust (pictured left) against Derek’s Platinum beauty (right). My DateJust weighs around 125g whilst the his ‘classic’ Platinum Day-Date weighs 220g.

I also got to try it on…

At this point, Harry and David set about snapping the ‘table shot’…

Nico had fun photographing and trying my DateJust…

I also had the pleasure of meeting Jocke,

At this point, Harry decided to pull out some Montblancs and well…I had to join in the fun…the two I had on me were placed at an angle…

It was time for me to catch my train home, so bye bye Baselworld!

I took the Docklands Light Railway to London City Airport, but a day earlier (3rd April) and flew SWISS to Geneva.

Adios, London!

Upon landing I was famished and decided it was time for some Cafe de Paris!

I spent a good couple hours relaxing, and then decided to take a stroll down Rue du Montblanc…

After falling in love with the WG Daytona on strap with meteorite dial I decided to move farther into town…

The very next morning I caught a direct train from Geneve Cornavin to Basel SBB,

I will be passing though Bienne…this should prove for some interesting shots of random buildings 8)…

I was getting a bit bored on the train, so what else is a WIS to do?

Talk about some stunning scenery! Oh what’s that? SUN..yes SUN!!!

Passing though Bienne…

Finally, at the Basel SBB…

People were being packed like sardines into the trams, akin to how the Japanese do with their trains…this was extremely amusing to watch!

He was wondering what I found so interesting inside a tram full of people. I pity the tiny Japanese gentleman who was crushed next to me LOL!

Finally! A plane trip and 2.5 hours later I arrive at BASELWORLD!

…to be continued!

Superseding the 5130 World Time, Patek introduce the 5131 with an exquisite Enamel Dial,

The World Time, one of Patek Philippe’s emblematic complications, is highly sought-after by collectors, as are the famous and very rare world time models from the 40’s and 50’s. This exclusive model in yellow gold is beautifully decorated with a cloisonné enamel world map on the dial and an engraving on the bezel. The 24 time zones on their respective disks and the day/night indicator are very legible.

Movement is the automatic Patek caliber 240HU with 33 jewels, beating at 21,600 with micro-rotor in 22kt gold, 48 hour power reserve and the Geneva Seal.

The case, in 18kt yellow gold, measures 40mm. The crystal is sapphire and it is water resistant to 30 meters. The dial has 3 zones: cloisonné enamel and gold center, disk with black transfer names of cities, 24-disk with day/night indicator – 18kt yellow gold hands and applied hour-markers.

This is probably the nicest offering by Rolex this year!

The Daytona in Everose Rose Gold.

ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL SEA-DWELLER DEEPSEA
TECHNICAL FEATURES

CASE ARCHITECTURE AND WATERPROOFNESS
A watch developed for extreme depths, guaranteed waterproof to 3,900 metres (12,800 feet), the Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA required the design of a case with a unique architecture, the RINGLOCK SYSTEM. This innovation patented by Rolex consists of a combination of three distinctive features:

• The high-performance ring
Set inside the middle case of the watch between the crystal and the case back, the high-performance nitrogen-alloyed stainless steel ring withstands the pressure exerted by water on the crystal and the case back.
The middle case is made from 904L steel.

• The sapphire crystal
To resist pressure, the synthetic sapphire crystal is slightly domed and substantially thicker than the crystals of other Oyster models.

• The case back
The case back is made of a titanium alloy, an extremely resistant stainless material. It is held in place against the high-performance ring by means of a 904L-steel ring.
The helium valve is made of high-performance stainless steel. Its size is adapted to the dimensions of the case to achieve optimal waterproofness. The helium valve is a safety feature, which, during the decompression phase, releases the gases that infiltrate into the watch during caisson dives.
Indeed, between dives at great depths, professional divers use pressurised caissons in which they breathe high-pressure gas mixtures, notably containing helium, a very volatile gas that penetrates into the watch. As the diver resurfaces, the helium valve prevents damage to the watch.
The Triplock winding crown, equipped with three seals and screwed onto the case, completes this ingenious waterproof system.

DISPLAY AND LEGIBILITY

The bezel
The Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA is equipped with a unidirectional rotatable bezel with a
60-minute graduated black CERACHROM disc that allows the diver to precisely track his dive time.
Engraved in the CERACHROM, the numerals and the graduations are filled with platinum through the use of a PVD technique patented by Rolex.
The zero marker of the graduated bezel, represented by a triangle, is visible longer at night or in the depths of the ocean thanks to a capsule containing a new luminescent material that emits a blue glow.

The dial
To enhance legibility, the gold indexes and hands are wider and partially coated with the same new luminescent material and also emit a blue colour.

The movement
The Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA is equipped with calibre 3135, known for its chronometric precision, its reliability and its robustness; it also features a PARACHROM hairspring with high resistance to shocks and magnetic fields.
Certified as a chronometer by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), the movement has a 48-hour power reserve.

The bracelet
Manufactured from solid 904L steel, the Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA bracelet can be adjusted for wear over a diving suit up to 7 mm thick thanks to a double extension system:
• Fliplock extension links,
• the new GLIDELOCK clasp, allowing fine adjustments.

A series of rigorous tests
Because deep-sea diving requires absolute reliability and safety, each Sea-Dweller
DEEPSEA must pass Rolex’s rigorous waterproofness tests. To this end, special equipment has been developed with the help of COMEX (Compagnie Maritime
d’Expertise), a world-renowned French company specialising in underwater engineering and hyperbaric technologies.

ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL SEA-DWELLER DEEPSEA
FUNCTIONING
THE UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATABLE BEZEL
The Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller DEEPSEA allows a diver to safely track his dive time thanks to the unidirectional graduated bezel featured on the watch.

At the beginning of a dive
Once in the water, before beginning his descent, the diver turns the bezel to align the triangle on the graduated bezel to the minute hand, thus indicating the start time of his dive.

During the dive
The dive time can be read against the graduated bezel.
Since the DEEPSEA bezel turns only counterclockwise, any accidental rotation can only have the effect of shortening the dive time.

THE GLIDELOCK CLASP
The new GLIDELOCK clasp allows for fine adjustments to the bracelet length, up to 18 mm by increments of 1.8 mm, without removing the watch.
1 Pull up the clasp’s safety catch.
2 Pull up the centre panel of the clasp cover. The teeth located underneath it become visible.
3 Pull gently on the 12-o’clock side of the bracelet to lengthen it, or slide it into the clasp to shorten it. Adjustments can be made in 1.8 mm increments, up to a total of 18 mm.
4 Once the bracelet has been adjusted to the desired length, close the centre panel.
5 Close the safety catch.

Thanks to James Dowling for posting this information on TimeZone.com. Originally posted here.