My own story with the Bluesy

[alphadweller]

Hi everyone,

Amidst the difficulties we are facing in getting sports steel watches from our ADs without purchase history, I wanted to share with you my story with the Bluesy, the TT Sub with a blue dial.

When I bought my first Rolex five years ago, I wanted something discreet, under the radar, a bit stylish but understated. I was attracted to the Yacht-Master platinum dial. So I went for the 116622 pt and enjoyed it very much, especially at the beginning. After a couple of years it started to look too understated to me when I looked at it, a little bit dull especially on an overcast day, you really needed a sunny day to start appreciating the dial. Sometimes it was hard to read due to the little contrast with the hands. More often than not, it looked like a grey watch all over, with just a little splash of red, but hardly enough to keep it exciting. It was hardly getting any wrist time. I tried to spice it up with leather straps, then back to bracelet, but to no avail. I stuck to it three more years because it was my first Rolex and I feared seller's remorse. I would wear it once a month for the nostalgia. I still liked it in a way but the love was gone.

So last year I developed a new interest for more colourful watches. I came across wrist shots of the Bluesy from TRF members and realised how beautiful that royal sunburst blue dial was. Such a shame it was only available in a two-tone watch, I thought to myself. If only Rolex would make it in a steel watch.

To me two-tone was a bit flashy, a bit loud, didn't suit the personality of a toolwatch. I wasn't sure I'd be comfortable wearing a two-tone piece myself, I only wear steel pieces and don't like the attention. But I also knew I needed a bit of colour to spice up my collection and possibly replace my "boring" albino Yacht-Master. Also, I already owned several black dial divers (PO2500, Cayman, SD43) and adding another one was not an option. I needed something more cheerful.

However, my biggest problem with the TT Bluesy 116613 wasn't the gold, it was the supercase, a total deal breaker. I had already passed on a 114060 and 116610LV several years ago due to the fat lugs. So I decided to wait, hoping for a new Sub to be released, with slimmer lugs and a blue dial in a steel case.

When the new Sub was announced, my prayers were partially answered, the supercase was gone, but no blue SS Sub was to be found. However, there was a new Bluesy, a blue dial in a steel case (ignoring the gold for a minute), hee-aa! So I called my local ADs to express my interest in this Rolesor as they call it, along with several OP41s. I had to see the Bluesy in the flesh, put it on my wrist and feel what the blue dial in a steel case Sub with bits of gold was all about, bearing in mind I still had mixed feelings about two-tone.

Man, when I got the call from one of my local ADs last week (without purchase history!) and held the piece in my hand, it felt like a revelation. What a dial! What and incredibly stunning and deep blue dial! My jaw dropped, my heartbeat started to accelerate. It felt amazing. When I put it on my wrist, I remember telling the SA "Oh wow, I'm pleasantly surprised, I expected two-tone to be louder than this", "oh no, not at all" she replied. I found the steel and gold mix to be actually more subtle than I originally thought. But it was getting dark and I was looking at the piece under the shop lighting, no natural light. Anyway, I decided to give it another day and sleep on it.

On the following day I paid another visit to my now favourite AD. Sure enough I turned up first thing in the morning and asked to be shown the piece again. I was the first client in the shop, all eyes and attention on me. I sat down, took my time and let the blue dial reveal itself before my eyes in all its splendour, helped by the natural light from the beautiful morning entering the room through the large windows (you see what it did to me?). How on earth did I never come across this blue dial before? It was rich, deep and fascinating. None of these washed out blues we're getting accustomed to. This was something else, something truly breathtaking. Now in daylight I could clearly see the shiny gold center links and realised the watch looked a little bit blingy because of them, but that was totally ok, it remained very acceptable, not loud at all to me. All I had in mind was Dial - Dial - Dial. So obviously I took it home.

It's been a week now and I've been wearing my Bluesy almost everyday. I've started to enjoy those gold center links as they mix rather well with the deep blue dial, in a true Tutankhamen the Egyptian Pharaoh fashion.

The experience kind of opened my eyes to the whole Rolesor idea. But as I said, the little gold is not what attracted me to the piece in the first place, it was the astonishing dial. Now the Bluesy even comes with AR coating under the crystal to further appreciate it and get lost in the ever-changing deep royal blue hues. You really need to experience it to understand it. This is now my favorite watch in my humble collection.

If like me you were not a fan of two-tone, ask your AD to show you the Bluesy. You might actually surprise yourself.