It is no secret that Rolex is a cash rich company. It is not likely a huge impact for them to be buying back inventory which will likely be warehoused until future times when things are better for the luxury watch market. I would go so far as to say that it is probably in Rolex's best interest to dismantle and recycle unsold watches than to release them at below market rates (that they set). Further, you might be wondering why dealers are all selling back to Rolex in the first place rather than discounting and potentially getting more money. This would likely conflict with their authorized dealer contracts with Rolex. Plus, Rolex likely has a redemption right - that allows it to buy back stock under certain circumstances. For you, this means less chance that your dream Rolex watch is going to be discounted any time soon. Pictured is a 2009 Rolex Datejust watch with Arabic numerals.

Via WorldTempus (in French).

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Rapper, producer, designer, and tastemaker Kanye West could obviously have any watch in the world. The one he chose is a customized all-black Rolex Submariner by Swiss firm Black-Out Concept (above), on a black nylon NATO spec strap. Kanye made a decision a while back that Rolex would be his signature watch brand, but he wanted to add his own twist; Black-Out's version was perfect. "It looks hard, it looks really cool," he explained in naming the watch one of his 10 style essentials. "It's a new take on a classic watch." He also likes the fact that they take a Rolex and literally "paint it black" (coat it, actually).

Black-Out Concept was founded in 2007 by Fabrice Letellier in Geneva. An avid watch collector, racecar driver and all-round exotic car enthusiast with the means to indulge his passions, the idea was born when Letellier had some of his supercar collection given a matte black treatment, i.e. blacked-out. Next he decided to do the same with his Rolex, and soon some of his fellow car and watch aficionados followed suit. Obviously there was a market for it. Letellier contracted with one of Geneva's best watchmakers to perfect the black out process for timepieces, which is done using two low-friction, scratch-proof finishes used by the military, PVD and DLC (diamond-like carbon).

Black-Out also creates customized blacked-out cars, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley and Aston Martin; the Black-Out package on the latter (see the gallery) costs about $40,000. They do customized matte black motorcycles as well built on a Harley-Davidson base, blacked-out Vertu Ascent cell phones - basically anything you can think of that would look better in all black. In addition to the Submariner they also black out several other Rolex models, including the GMT II, Daytona, Milgaus, and Deepsea, as well as other brands like Panerai, Bell & Ross and Audemars Piguet. Letellier has his own high-end watch brand in the works as well.



Of course, Black-Out aren't the only ones to offer blacked-out Rolexes; we've written before about Bamford & Sons' $30,000 PVD Daytona and other models, as well as Jacques Picard's $18,000 DLC Deepsea. (No, we don't know who thought of it first.) Black-Out doesn't actually sell watches, however, they customize yours at a cost of €5,000, or about $7,000, which includes Fed-Ex'ing to and from Geneva, and a set of three different straps including the NATO. So you can in fact get the look of the far more expensive models for much less - if you pick up a used Submariner in the $5,000 range - yet still have a watch that's every bit as exclusive, not to mention Kanye-approved. You can contact Black-Out's U.S. representative Christian Ginet at blackoutconcept@mac.com for more info.

Steve McQueen's classic 1967 Rolex Submariner (right) sold for $234,000 - 20 times its estimate - at Antiquorum's Important Collectors' Wristwatches auction in New York Friday, setting a new world record for its reference.

In addition, McQueen's 1929 Scott Super Squirrel motorcycle, painted by Von Dutch, fetched an astounding $ 276,000 - double its estimate. And the Heuer Monaco watch that the actor wore in the 1971 racing film Le Mans sold for a world record $87,600.

"Today's auction is clear confirmation that in the current market, collectors are looking for horological rarities with noteworthy provenance, such as Steve McQueen's Rolex and Heuer," notes Evan Zimmermann, President & CEO of Antiquorum.

Three amazing Rolex watches from the collection of actor Orlando Bloom are included in Antiquorum's Important Collectors' Wristwatches auction in New York on June 11. Our favorite is this fine and rare 1973 Explorer II "Steve McQueen" model, highly prized by Rolex aficionados, which Bloom wore on a leather cuff bracelet, estimated at $10,000 - $15,000, though we expect it to fetch considerably more. There's also a black PVD-coated steel Milgauss anti-magnetic chronometer produced in 2008, estimated at $10,000 - $15,000, and a cool 1969 Explorer, estimated at only $3,000 - $4,000. All of Bloom's watches come accompanied by an autographed copy of the auction catalog, and he is donating part of the proceeds to UNICEF.

[via JustLuxe]

There are only six Steve McQueen lots in Antiquorum's Important Collectors' Wristwatches auction in New York on June 11, but they include the famed King of Cool's two favorite timepieces and as such the sale represents an extremely important occasion for any enthusiast. As we've noted in the past, McQueen's rugged sportiness, authentic masculinity and innate good taste have inspired countless fashion designers, not to mention scores of other actors who followed in his wake. His watches are style icons in and of themselves.

Foremost is his Heuer "Monaco" chronograph, which he wore during the filming of the classic 1971 racing movie Le Mans (above). The Monaco was originally launched by Heuer in 1969 in honor of the Monaco Grand Prix. It's an unusual, square convex, water-resistant, stainless steel self-winding wristwatch with chronograph and date; Tag Heuer recently released a new version in tribute to the great actor. Following the filming of Le Mans, McQueen presented the watch to his financial advisor in appreciation.

Antiquorum has set a ridiculously low estimate of $10,000 - $20,000 on the timepiece, no doubt to encourage more people to bid. As we mentioned just the other day, however, McQueen memorabilia has been fetching high prices at auction. One collector just paid $42,700 - more than four times its estimate - for an International Driver's License issued to the actor in 1964. The watch could easily fetch 10 times its estimate, if not more. Perhaps Brad Pitt, a huge McQueen fan who's said to be playing the actor in an upcoming biopic, will snap it up.

Gallery: Steve McQueen at Antiquorum

Tudor watches are relatively unknown in the United States, probably because you can't find them in the United States. That might be changing soon as the brand is revitalizing their marketing efforts. Who is Tudor? Well, think of it as a baby Rolex. That is right, Rolex-owned Tudor has been selling similarly themed watches for years, marketed toward people not quite able to afford Rolex, or who want something a bit different. The new line of Tudor watches is more sporty looking that most Rolex watches but has a similar demeanor. They feel like Rolex's baby brother brand, and it is an important niche.

Pictured is their new Grantour watch inspired by auto racing, GT racing to be exact - where stamina and distance are more important than brute power. In addition to the three-hand model, a chronograph version fills out the collection. Inside are automatic mechanical movements as you would expect. Based on the current markets that Tudor primarily serves, the sizes of the steel watches are modest at 41mm wide. Vintage themed dials do clarity and the racing theme justice, while the perforated leather strap is a nice touch. I consider this watch to be an alternative to the famous Chopard Mille Miglia. The case is also water resistant to 150 meters, while the black in the bezel is lacquer. A lot of the same polish that you get with a Rolex, but just a bit more entry-level.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com

U.S. players don't fill up the roster but for the rest of the the tennis world, the Rolex Masters Monte Carlo is a prime sports event and the start of the season on the French Riviera. It is the first big clay court tournament of the season and heralds the beginning of warm weather activities much the way the Masters does for golf.

Wealth Bulletin reports that after this grim and withering winter, Monte Carlo tennis fans are ready to indulge. A 20-seat prestige box at the Masters tournament costs 48,000 euros. The Monte Carlo Country Club has invested on expanding their facilities, adding 10,000 to the center court. The club is expecting an additional 3,000 spectators on what is one of the most gorgeous viewing courts in the game.

Monaco has been looking for increased tourism in a more aggressive way lately. Events like the Masters tennis tournament and the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix should provide an indicator of just how willing the wealthy are to continue to flock to the seaside town.

Here is a pretty cool aftermarket line of timepieces based on the new Rolex DeepSea Sea-Dweller watch. To be clear, these watches are not affiliated with Rolex, but merely are an aftermarket modification. These Jaques Picard SingleRed DeepSea limited edition of 86 piece watches take the new Rolex DeepSea watches, add a red colored DeepSea title (similar to very rare vintage models of the Rolex Submariner with red text), cover them in a diamond like carbon (DLC) coating, and place a special engraving on the caseback. There is also a special case, NATO strap in addition to the DLC coated steel metal bracelet and a book by Jacques Picard ( who was a prominent Belgian ocean explorer and researcher).

The 86 piece run corresponds to how old Jaques Picard was when he died. A portion of each SingleRed DeepSea watch sold will go to the preservation of the "Jaques Picard Archive." The reason I discuss this interesting limited line of modified Rolex watches is because it is for some people, the perfect Rolex Sea-Dweller watch. DLC is a popular ultra-hard coating that is incredibly scratch resistant and retains a healthy sheen on its surface. Applied over the new several mile deep diving Sea-Dweller, you have a bona bide holy grail Rolex for watch lovers world-wide. Price is 12,900 Euros, shipped from The Netherlands.

Via SingleRedDeepSea.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Once again in the lawsuit follies, eBay is the victor. Bloomberg reports that the world's largest online auctioneer won a German court ruling in a case brought by Rolex over sales of counterfeit watches on eBay. The decision showed that Rolex could not find any similar counterfeit goods were offered on eBay after the company after the company was alerted to the possibility of counterfeits. Ulrich Egger, the spokesman for the court said that eBay's filter program detects sales that wold violate trademark rights.

Next up for eBay, a suit in London against L'Oreal. So far, eBay's lawsuit results have been mixed. It won against Tiffany & Co. last year in New York but lost to LVMH and Hermes in France. Rolex first sued eBay in 2001 over counterfeits but the original ruling in Dusseldorf for eBay was overturned in part in 2007 by the Federal Court of Justice which said eBay couldn't be held liable for damages and had to monitor its site to prevent fakes from being sold. Judges determined eBay is doing enough to police its site.

UPDATE: Blogging Stocks reports that eBay shares are at a seven-year low, partially due to concerns over the sales of counterfeit items on the site. Although eBay is spending millions to monitor its sellers, the problem of fakes continues to be one that plagues the site and damages its reputation.

Stockholm-based Jameslist.com has just launched the "world's first truly transparent luxury marketplace", allowing buyers to find and compare high-end cars, watches, boats, yachts and aircraft from dealers around the world. The site features some 20,000 listings, including rare watches such as the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona, hard-to-find cars like the Maserati MC12 and Ferrari Superamerica, and magnificent 120+ ft. yachts from Palmer Johnson. The 350-plus global dealers on JamesList range from high-end custom builders such such as Project Kahn Design (their Bentley GTS Mulliner, above) to "traditional dealers with exceptional inventory" such as ExecuJet and Lamborghini Stuttgart.

"Given the recent roller-coaster of currency and market fluctuations, we saw an opportunity to give serious buyers the tools they need to find premium goods at the best possible price, regardless of where they are in the world," says JamesList CEO Noam Perski. "We have brought together the world's best dealers, from Alain Class Motors in Dubai to International Yacht Collection in Monaco, to offer international buyers a complete marketplace." Important functions for international deal making such as currency and unit conversion are built in to the heart of the platform, as well as language translation.

It is well known that actor Owen Wilson suffered a suicide attempt in 2007. He later remained reclusive for a period of time during his recovery after slitting his wrists. It's not clear what causes celebrity depression, though it is theorized that extreme media attention combined with drug use, and Hollywood break ups - typically pushes the already edgy, over the edge.

After beginning his recovery in August of 2007, Owen Wilson made no media appearances until he finally showed up at a benefit event sponsored by the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative in New York City in November of 2007. Wilson is a well known Rolex fan, wearing his Rolex Submariner watch in his personal life, and often adorning a Rolex watch on the screen. The Rolex Mentor Protégé Arts Initiative is a philanthropic organization with an interesting mission. It takes current masters (the mentor) in the worlds of film, literature, theater, visual arts, dance, and music, and sets them up with a protégé who is an up and comer in the same industry. Many press releases and media opportunities ensue. It's not clear whether Owen Wilson has been chosen to be a mentor for the initiative - perhaps a protégé.

Rolex is clearly happy that Rolex watch lover Owen Wilson chose the Rolex philanthropic event to return to the spot light. Clearly it must be his love of watches that gave him the strength to...keep on ticking.

Via MelroseJewelers.com.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

A couple weeks back we mentioned that the world's finest collection of Rolexes will go up for auction in Italy this spring. If you're thinking of acquiring some of the incredible timepieces on offer, you should probably get a copy of an amazing new book called 100 Superlative Rolex Watches first. Edited by renowned Rolex expert John Goldberger, it comes in a green leather slipcase (like Rolex's famed watch boxes) and contains full details and photos on 100 of the finest and rarest Rolex watches ever made, including examples that belonged to the Sultan of Oman, the Emperor of Vietnam, and Elvis Presley. The book is priced at $200, while most of the watches pictured inside are worth hundreds of thousands.

At Antiquorum's important watch sale in NYC on Dec. 10 and 11 there are the usual passel of megabucks Patek Philippes, but we're focusing here on some of the rare Rolexes which have been much discussed lately and which represent an undeniably solid investment in this uncertain economy.

The top-priced Rolex in the sale is a Comex Sea Dweller that was formerly the property of Theo Mavrostomos, the world's deepest dive record holder, estimated at $75,000 - $95,000. From a purely aesthetic point of view we're very fond of the rare pre-Daytona black dial chronograph (right) made in the 1960's, est. $60,000 - $80,000.

Also among the rare Rolex offerings: A 1956 "James Bond" model Submariner, est. $70,000 - $90,000; a 1972 British Royal Navy military issue Submariner, est. $70,000 - $120,000; and a 1973 "Paul Newman" Cosmograph Daytona, est. $60,000 - $90,000. See the gallery for pix.

Omega may now be the official watch of the James Bond films, but offscreen, nouveau 007 Daniel Craig is a diehard Rolex fan. In the original books, Bond creator Ian Fleming wrote that "[Bond] could not just wear a watch. It had to be a Rolex." In the early Bond films, Sean Connery sported a Rolex Submariner, and Craig has said in interviews that he favors the identical model. Over at the Rolex Blog, Jake Ehrlich has done some impressive sleuthing into the James Bond / Craig / Rolex connection, examining quotes, photos and other clues.

In a 7-part series of posts, he determined that Craig usually wears a Rolex Submariner on a NATO spec, striped nylon strap (sold as the "James Bond" model). It is in fact not exactly the same as the one Connery sported in Goldfinger, as his was on slightly different regimental stripe strap. Most recently, Craig has been spotted wearing an understated stainless steel Oyster Perpetual (above), so he obviously has more than one Rolex in his arsenal.

One of the world's finest collections of rare vintage and classic Rolex watches will take place in Milan in March. The collection, amassed by Italian Rolex enthusiast Davide Blei, is not the largest Rolex collection in the world but may well be the finest, on account of its unprecedented level of quality and exclusivity.

Blei acquired only "exquisite, rare and unique" examples of Rolex models, stressing quality over quantity and buying only the very best. The auction will be conducted by the newly formed Patrizzi auction house, and a preview is being held at Asprey in London next week.

The highlight of the sale is a pink gold "Stelline" Oyster Perpetual Chronometer with star indexes, estimated at $ 260,000 – $320,000.
Another standout is this stainless steel "Paul Newman" Cosmograph Daytona with white dial, black subdials and applied gold indexes, estimated at $58,000 – $87,000.

[Patrizzi via Hodinkee]