1st 24-Hours: 16570 Black Dial (Review/Pics)

[Thomasm144]

So,

Yesterday I went to an AD and traded my Glashutte Sport Evo Chronograph for a pre-owned 16570. It has now been about 24 hours since I left the AD with my 16570- my first Rolex- on my wrist. (The actual trade process is something that I'll post a review of in the "Who's Who" section, as it was an excellent transaction every step of the way.)

However, on to the good stuff- the watch!

I'd like to start by giving a bit of background. I had had my Glashutte- which was my first nice watch- for about a year and a half. It got very little wrist time. When I first bought it, I mistakenly thought that, being 6"5' and 220 lbs., I would need a watch of heft and height, to complement my larger size. So I got the Glashutte- 42mm and ~13.75mm tall- a watch very hefty and very tall on the wrist. Glashutte watches, I have read, are traditionally exceptionally sturdy and thick. The Sport Evo was no exception. It felt like I was wearing a brick on my wrist. A beautifully finished and crafted brick, but a heavy brick, nonetheless. I found that I did not like wearing a large watch.

Then, I inherited a quartz Seiko from my grandfather, a watch that had been his daily beater for years, only to find that I actually enjoyed wearing a smaller watch. The Seiko he gave me is no bigger than 32mm, and to my surprise it was not too small on my wrist. I learned, the hard way, that I preferred smaller watches- anything over 40mm is likely just not for me.

When I bought my Glashutte, like many budding collectors, I knew little about movements in general. I could marvel at the aesthetics of a Patek movement, but I knew nothing about the inner architecture and engineering of a movement, which in my opinion is really what makes the watch. You can have a beautifully designed timepiece, but if the movement inside is absolute garbage, the longevity of your love for that watch will likely be seriously curtailed. I looked down on Rolex as a "mass-produced, over-rated status symbol". Then, I read, and learned.

I learned that the 3185 in my 16570 is actually far more durable and robust than the beautifully finished Cal. 39-31 movement in my GO. I learned the history of Rolex, and, by reading the accounts of various watchmakers, I learned just how marvelous the engineering inside of a Rolex really is. I learned that, more than anything, a Rolex was the watch for me. Robust, durable, and accurate, engineered and crafted to last several lifetimes, with classic and generally highly tasteful designs- Rolex just "fits", for me.

The movement inside my GO was gorgeous- but I would baby it, precisely because it was so gorgeous, and, unlike the base Rolex calibers, the Cal. 39's aren't really tried and tested in terms of durability. But, with the 16570 on my wrist, I feel very, very comfortable wearing it daily. I have no intention whatsoever of abusing it, but it won't by any means be a safe queen, either.