First world problem complaining about BLNR

[ct.matt]

I've owned the watch for 2.5 years now and enjoy it for the most part. Just wanted to share some weak points that prospective buyers might not be aware of as, imho, the watch is held to a higher standard here than it deserves:

- Lug edges are pointy and sharp, feel unfinished

- Chamfers on top of lugs are almost non-existent. I always liked shiny chamfers on my Rolex

- Brushing of mid-case on top of lugs is straight, no longer brushed diagonally toward the midlinks

- Quite frequently, the crown gets stuck in 2nd position when trying to pull out to 3rd position/hacking the movement. This has been widely discussed on this forum. It has not 'loosened' up over time so far. Usually winding it a few more times helps. Will have this addressed when it's going in for service in a few years.

- Lume is fairly weak, only bothers me when I'm flying overnight and the lights are off in the cabin
- In addition to the above, the GMT arrow is extremely hard to find when it's dark. It virtually disappears when lume is faint and whenever sits on top of an hour marker.

- Date doesn't exactly switch at midnight. Just shows laziness of whoever assembled it. Correct me if i'm wrong. Afaik all it requires is that the minute hand has to be installed immediately after the hour hand was moved to switch over to the next date and future date switches would occur when both hour and minute hand point at 12. Again, not a big deal but would add to level of perfection that is expected at this price point.

- ROLEX engraving on rehaut is now just laser etched. A single line for each letter. Previously it had the outline of the letters deeply engraved into the rehaut which I much preferred. The single line letter looks somewhat cheap to me.

Having said all that, it's a great watch at the end of the day but, ceramic bezel and better bracelet aside, older Rolex sport models seem more finished and refined than this one.

[Runnin' Rebel]

I love the 16710 as much or better, I like that the 16710 feels and fits perfect, I like the ratty bracelet, the insert change and the no PCL. And the BNIB price of 3750.00.. deciding on to put the SS Super Jubilee in the 16710 or the 116710. 🤔

[maton12]

Whilst not the most popular opinion here, much prefer maxi case and six digit improvements

Think that PCL are the only negative



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[oldsalt]

Originally Posted by ct.matt

I've owned the watch for 2.5 years now and enjoy it for the most part. Just wanted to share some weak points that prospective buyers might not be aware of as, imho, the watch is held to a higher standard here than it deserves:

- Lug edges are pointy and sharp, feel unfinished

- Chamfers on top of lugs are almost non-existent. I always liked shiny chamfers on my Rolex

- Brushing of mid-case on top of lugs is straight, no longer brushed diagonally toward the midlinks

- Quite frequently, the crown gets stuck in 2nd position when trying to pull out to 3rd position/hacking the movement. This has been widely discussed on this forum. It has not 'loosened' up over time so far. Usually winding it a few more times helps. Will have this addressed when it's going in for service in a few years.

- Lume is fairly weak, only bothers me when I'm flying overnight and the lights are off in the cabin
- In addition to the above, the GMT arrow is extremely hard to find when it's dark. It virtually disappears when lume is faint and whenever sits on top of an hour marker.

- Date doesn't exactly switch at midnight. Just shows laziness of whoever assembled it. Correct me if i'm wrong. Afaik all it requires is that the minute hand has to be installed immediately after the hour hand was moved to switch over to the next date and future date switches would occur when both hour and minute hand point at 12. Again, not a big deal but would add to level of perfection that is expected at this price point.

- ROLEX engraving on rehaut is now just laser etched. A single line for each letter. Previously it had the outline of the letters deeply engraved into the rehaut which I much preferred. The single line letter looks somewhat cheap to me.

Having said all that, it's a great watch at the end of the day but, ceramic bezel and better bracelet aside, older Rolex sport models seem more finished and refined than this one.

This is the main reason I got rid of mine...a nice watch...not a great watch.

cheers

[aquatimerfla]

Dont want to burst anyones Rolex bubble but Rolex is not AP PP VC etc. They may be the top watch brand in the world but far from the top watchmaker on the planet.

You get robust watches not highly finished watches.

In Rolexes price point for example IWC and Grand Seiko offer much better 'finished' cases dials etc.

[The Libertine]

Originally Posted by ct.matt

older Rolex sport models seem more finished and refined than this one.

[Muzz]

Completely subjective. Most of your points are in relation to a personal taste.

The reference to me destroys it’s predecessor with the upgrades. But that is my personal taste.

[FTX I]

Interesting post. Thanks for sharing. The absence of a glidelock clasp puts me away from it as I can't travel with a travel watch without adjustable clasp. This is the only real problem for me.

[joli160]

I like the fat case, you can polish forever

[Etschell]

why did you buy this watch? sounds like you dont like it.

that said im not a huge fan of the gmt 2

[Rusty888]

I’m actually enjoying this thread and your opinion. I had the watch and after 12-18 months noticed things I didn’t say was a huge fan of, however after having to sell it I’m back on the wait list for one.


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[Wools]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

It’s nice to see some long term subjective opinions as most wearers of high end watches just seem to say it’s amazing, read up on the history, have you seen how much it costs?! Etc, etc. Then a year later they “flip” it.

No matter how great a Watch is, and it sounds like you’re still enjoying it, no Watch is perfect so some long term impressions are welcome.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Etschell

why did you buy this watch? sounds like you dont like it.

My thoughts too

OP that's a pretty long list and it sounds like you might not be a fan of modern Rolex references in general.

That's ok, there's lots here who would agree.

[Wools]

Originally Posted by Etschell

why did you buy this watch? sounds like you dont like it.

that said im not a huge fan of the gmt 2

The guy has been wearing it for nearly 3 years and these are impressions after that time span.

No one can formulate those thoughts after internet researching or wearing the watch for a month. They’re built up over time.

[Etschell]

Originally Posted by Wools

The guy has been wearing it for nearly 3 years and these are impressions after that time span.

No one can formulate those thoughts after internet researching or wearing the watch for a month. They’re built up over time.

fair enough. but i lve been wearing my subc for that long and i dont have those complaints. if i did i wouldn't continue to own it. doesnt take two and a half years to figure the majority of that out....

[69ways]

The date change and lume intensity is something that bothers me with my 116010
I consider it unacceptable for a COSC watch that costs that money to behave like that on the date change and be acceptable.
Mine changes three min. Pass midnight
I see comments as, I am not awake at that time,I dont care etc
I actually do care , not to a point to get rid of it but to the point that i see alot of stardust around the word quality
Thats only my opinion ,I am sure others would disagree

[Rusty888]

I also noticed the lugs were quite sharp but it never affected me in daily wear.

Crown was a little finicky but not as bad as you mentioned.

Lume was terrible.

Date didn’t switch at midnight either.


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[karmatp]

Originally Posted by aquatimerfla

Dont want to burst anyones Rolex bubble but Rolex is not AP PP VC etc. They may be the top watch brand in the world but far from the top watchmaker on the planet.

You get robust watches not highly finished watches.

In Rolexes price point for example IWC and Grand Seiko offer much better 'finished' cases dials etc.

True statement.

[Mick8moses]

Thank you for some detailed insights into your watch. To me these type of detailed observations are what makes TRF great. I get the opportunity to learn from owners details that are left out of glossy brochures :)
Tonight I'm going to see if my wife's OD changes over at exactly midnight.

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[Old Expat Beast]

Why do you even need to see the 24hr hand in the dark if you can't see the bezel as reference?

[Rusty888]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Why do you even need to see the 24hr hand in the dark if you can't see the bezel as reference?

I actually found the overall lume not the greatest.


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[Etschell]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Why do you even need to see the 24hr hand in the dark if you can't see the bezel as reference?

well maybe rolex will lume the bezel now...

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by Wools

The guy has been wearing it for nearly 3 years and these are impressions after that time span.

No one can formulate those thoughts after internet researching or wearing the watch for a month. They’re built up over time.

^^^Absolutely agree with this.

I think it's incredibly refreshing to hear an honest review from an owner who has recognized some areas of concern yet continues to enjoy the watch.

Everyone loves their watch when they first purchase it; those reviews are sincere but usually lack depth and maturity. How many ultimately get flipped? Probably quite a few.

Then you've got the haters. Nitpicking everything about a watch they've never owned and never will. Perhaps a valid opinion, but hardly an informed review.

And then you've got the OP's review. He's owned the watch long enough to see the perceived shortcomings and describe them well, yet continues to express positive feelings for the timepiece.

That's a review worth reading.

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Why do you even need to see the 24hr hand in the dark if you can't see the bezel as reference?

I presume the same reason you need to see the 12hr hand even if the dial isn't lumed. You recognize the time by hand position without the need to necessarily confirm with the dial.

If the 24hr bezel remains in the standard orientation, a seasoned traveler might well be able to read the 24hr time without the absolute need to visualize the bezel.

[Tony64]

Originally Posted by Etschell

well maybe rolex will lume the bezel now...

That's actually not a bad idea.

[Etschell]

Originally Posted by Tony64

That's actually not a bad idea.

tudor pelagos

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[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Tony64

I presume the same reason you need to see the 12hr hand even if the dial isn't lumed. You recognize the time by hand position without the need to necessarily confirm with the dial.

If the 24hr bezel remains in the standard orientation, a seasoned traveler might well be able to read the 24hr time without the absolute need to visualize the bezel.

Might. I couldn't do it, especially if half asleep. Be easier just to turn the light on. The 12 hour hand is, of course, no problem.

[AK797]

Those are mostly trivial for me; I like the sharp lugs, chamfers are a bit frou frou on top of pcls here, lume is standard, exact date switch over is something I've never been concerned with, same with rehaut details. But as you say you still love the watch so you accept these are trivial.

[Swiss Mad!]

Originally Posted by FTX I

Interesting post. Thanks for sharing. The absence of a glidelock clasp puts me away from it as I can't travel with a travel watch without adjustable clasp. This is the only real problem for me.

100% agree - Glidelock was the deciding factor for me also.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the GMT, just don't love it enough.

I use the Glidelock virtually every day in the summer moths or when on holiday, where as the GMT function would only get used a few times a year whilst traveling.

Regards

[ct.matt]

Originally Posted by Swiss Mad!

100% agree - Glidelock was the deciding factor for me also.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the GMT, just don't love it enough.

I use the Glidelock virtually every day in the summer moths or when on holiday, where as the GMT function would only get used a few times a year whilst traveling.

Regards

Mine fits like a glove after moving the spring bar up one notch within the micro adjustments inside the clasp. If during the day at any point it gets too tight, I just open up the easy link. If I notice the watch getting too loose again, I pop the half link back in. The micro adjustment made all the difference. True, glidelock would be awesome to have on any Rolex but on the BLNR you can make do with playing around with different settings inside the clasp. If you have a pretty good but not great fit right now, chances are you just need to move the spring bar into the next hole over.