No, I’m not talking about the Submariner and Explorer II’s famously good looks – we’ll get there in a minute. Both timepieces have a pretty long history with Rolex, and over the years, they have been worn and beloved by many famous faces.The Submariner is famous for its James Bond appearances, author Ian Flemming writing, “He could not just wear a watch. It had to be a Rolex.” Over the years, Sean Connery’s 007 wore a Submariner ref. 6538 and Roger Moore sported a ref. 5513. And as one of the most popular Rolex models ever, we often see the Submariner sported today on the wrists of celebrities and dignitaries alike – whether they’re scuba divers or not.The Rolex Explorer II has graced its fair share of celebrities and famous explorers too. Hollywood actor, Jason Statham can frequently be spotted at red carpet events sporting a vintage ref. 1655 – the very first Explorer II reference. Meanwhile, Prince Harry prefers the modern version of the watch, and owns the 42mm Explorer II ref. 216570 with a white “Polar” dial.This is where the differences between the Submariner and the Explorer II become very apparent. First up, the Submariner has a colored unidirectional timing bezel that today is available in black, blue or green. And before Rolex started using modern, scratch-resistant Cerachrom (aka ceramic) bezels on the Submariner in 2007, it featured an aluminum bezel. The bezel is really one of the main selling points of this watch, as its color really adds some great personality to the wrist, and is one of the defining characteristics of the Rolex Submariner collection.The waterproof Oyster case on the Submariner clocks in at 40mm, and along with the bracelet, can be either constructed from Oystersteel (904L stainless steel), solid 18k yellow gold, or Rolesor (two-tone steel and gold). This is another big selling point for a lot of collectors, as the combinations of alloys and bezels really allow for a lot of style and creativity. And before I forget: the Submariner has always featured an Oyster bracelet, but in recent years was updated with the improved Glidelock clasp, which allows for tool-free adjustment for a perfect fit.
The chemical composition of synthetic green sapphire includes copper and aluminum oxide, with the copper being the element that is ultimately responsible for its signature green hue. The process of synthetic sapphire production is an expensive and exacting one; however, the additional obstacles that accompany the addition of copper – and the precision required to achieve the right amount of green tint without compromising the strength or clarity of the crystal are likely responsible for its exclusive use on the Rolex Milgauss line of watches.When synthetic sapphire is manufactured, the material has to “grow” over the course of a period of several weeks. Particles attract to one another, forming layers that fuse together to create a dense and ultra-hard substance. The end result of production is a “boule” – a solid piece of synthetic sapphire shaped like a chunky cylinder, which is then cut and shaped to its necessary dimensions.Due to the high costs of production, most watch crystal manufacturers cut their synthetic sapphire boules in a perpendicular fashion, as to maximize the number of crystals that can be created from a single boule. Although this is entirely unconfirmed, it is rumored that Rolex cuts the boule along a diagonal axis to maximize the clarity and strength of the finished crystal. In addition to complicating the cutting and shaping process itself, cutting the boule along a diagonal axis significantly increases the amount of waste, which further adds cost to an already expensive manufacturing process.Despite not making an appearance until just over ten years ago, the green sapphire crystal has quickly become one of the defining characteristics of the Milgauss line. Its pale green tint possesses no functional advantages over a traditional, clear/uncolored synthetic sapphire crystal; however, the green crystal that is exclusively fitted to the Rolex Milgauss 116400GV is one of the primary reasons that individuals seek out this particular reference. The green crystal is something entirely unique to the Milgauss collection and is not something that is found on any other Rolex watch, past or present.
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