Fratello Talks: Does Modern Rolex Still Have The Magic?
Welcome to this latest episode of Fratello Talks. Does modern Rolex still have the magic? That’s the question that Nacho, RJ, and Thomas tackle today. There’s no question that modern Rolex watches are reliable, luxurious timekeepers. But for many enthusiasts and collectors, nothing quite comes close to the magic of the older four- and five-digit references. This is reflected in the prices that some of these (let alone rarer examples) can fetch in the pre-owned market. But what, if anything, makes these more special than current Rolex watches? Is it a mix of pop-culture presence, aesthetics, nostalgia, and rarity? And do the models sold today still have the X factor that their predecessors possess? Perhaps we’ll only know it in hindsight, but it is still a topic worth discussing. Before we answer those questions, though, let’s answer this one: what is on the guys’ wrists today?
Wrist check
Right on topic for today’s show, RJ is wearing his 1996 Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600. A five-digit classic from Rolex, it has features that the brand’s modern watches have long done away with. These include the aluminum bezel insert, folded clasp, and tritium lume. You could say that using ceramic, Super-LumiNova, and a solid, milled clasp makes modern iterations of the Sea-Dweller objectively better. But ask the folks gathered around the mics today, and they’ll all happily take this ’90s reference over the most recent.
Thomas is, once again, wearing his lovely VPC Type 37HW in the Dove Grey colorway. As mentioned last time, you can read all about the brand and the watch here. But for those who want a short explanation, this is a watch of Thomas’s making. It’s his uncompromising take on the ideal GADA watch.
Finally, Nacho is wearing his trusty Breitling Aerospace F65362. He’s enjoying it on a rubber strap from CNS Watch Bands. The strap features Tropic-style perforation but also a lizard pattern, mimicking the one Marlon Brando wore on his bezel-less Rolex GMT Master 1675 in Apocalypse Now. Because of this, CNS has named it the “Marlon Band-O,” and somehow, it feels right at home on this sketchiest of watches.
Fratello Talks: Does Modern Rolex Still Have The Magic?
We asked ourselves this question here at Fratello HQ. After it became a heated topic of discussion during a sunny August lunchtime, we decided to revisit it on the Fratello Talks podcast. It’s plain to see that there is a special magic to vintage Rolex, whether it’s early models from the 1940s or even references too recent to call them truly vintage. Even the neo-vintage watches from the ’90s and early 2000s hold a special place in the hearts of watch enthusiasts. This could be thanks to nostalgia for the watches they grew up seeing or the undeniable character that these timepieces develop due to the materials used in their creation. But do their modern counterparts hold this same magic? That’s the topic of discussion in today’s show.
We’d also love to read your opinion in the comments below. Feel free to share it, and tune in next week for a new episode of Fratello Talks!
