In the lead-up to summer, we introduced five indestructible watches for the most extreme conditions. Now, here comes our winter edition. The big questions are: How well do Rolexes handle the snow and ice (not just the Olympic slopes)? And are there any better or cheaper alternatives out there?
Rolex on Ice: Submariner vs. Explorer vs. GMT-Master
One of the best things about the highly coveted Rolex stainless steel sports models is their robustness. This durability makes them suitable for everyday wear and several other sports activities. Some wearers never take off their Rolex Submariner, Explorer, or GMT-Master II, no matter the time of day, night, or even on their annual ski trip. Of course, the slopes present some expected and potentially unexpected challenges for any timepiece. While you’d anticipate contact with snow, low temperatures, and constant vibration, you may also have to contend with knocks on the odd doorknob or piece of furniture after a few après-ski drinks – not to mention the trips to the sauna to warm up.
This gives us a starting point for the definitive list of specifications that a Rolex must have to survive a ski holiday both on and off the mountain. The only problem is that most stainless steel sports watches are equally robust thanks to their near-identical case designs. Plus, all are sufficiently water-resistant, use screw-down crowns, and are mounted on steel bracelets that hold up to impacts, heat, cold, and moisture. Thus, we’ll need to take a few more criteria into account.
Depending on how close you are to your favorite skiing locale, a GMT function may come in handy. The Rolex Explorer II ref. 226570, for instance, can keep track of the time back home and will blend in perfectly to the wintery scenery with its white dial. Rolex even markets this Explorer II against an icy white backdrop online, highlighting its winter aesthetic. While the Explorer II isn’t the only rugged GMT in the brand’s portfolio and doesn’t come with any winter-specific features, it certainly looks the part.
Of course, one Rolex watch is specifically associated with skiing, or rather a skier. Several rare Rolex chronographs with day, date, and month displays from the 1950s and 60s are known as the “Jean-Claude Killy.” Similar to the Paul Newman Daytona, there isn’t a direct link between the Olympian and world champion alpine ski racer and these Rolex models, but it’s believed he owned one such watch.
Alternatives: Oris Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter and Chopard Alpine Eagle
So, which watches do offer added value on the slopes? A chronograph is obviously helpful for timing your runs, but the same goes for any sporting activity. No, a proper ski watch needs to offer more.
We’re in luck because there is a rare complication that will bring a smile to many a watch enthusiast’s face, on the mountain or otherwise, and that’s the altimeter. We don’t just mean any old altimeter; we’re talking about a purely mechanical one. Oris accomplished this impressive feat in their now-discontinued Big Crown ProPilot Altimeter. Mechanical altimeters are nothing new per se, but incorporating one into a watch is nothing short of impressive.
You have to unscrew one of the crowns to operate the complication. A special membrane allows air to penetrate the watch but not moisture. However, you should not use this function while swimming. A carbon hand indicates the altitude above sea level on a scale. It is a reliable reading despite the minimal air pressure exerted thanks to the hand’s high rigidity and low weight.
The Chopard Alpine Eagle, on the other hand, doesn’t boast a ski-specific complication, but it does have links to the alpine sport. As the story goes, when he was 22, the current head of Chopard and avid skier, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, suggested making the St. Moritz sports model in honor of his beloved sport. The St. Moritz was first released in 1980 and discontinued in 2000. Twenty years later, the steel sports watch hype inspired a new edition. The more catchy Alpine Eagle replaced the original model name. The manufacturer teamed up with environmental protection projects when releasing the new rendition. The watch’s case is made of a special steel from the Austrian company Voestalpine, thereby positioning it firmly into the world of alpine aesthetics and winter sports.
The Rolex for Winter Hikes and Sports
Wintertime walks and hikes don’t necessarily have to be extreme, but chances are, most readers will embark on one at some point, making this a relevant topic for a wider audience.
You may be able to guess which model is most associated with keywords like mountain and hiking: the Rolex Explorer. While we’ve already mentioned the Explorer II above, we cannot forget the model’s history in the context of excursions undertaken in low temperatures.
The original Explorer debuted in 1954, 17 years before the Explorer II. At the time, The Rolex Oyster Perpetual was being used extensively on various expeditions and mountain climbs, most notably the Everest ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. In response, Rolex marketed the Explorer as the watch of true adventurers.
Many people consider the 2021 stainless steel Explorer ref. 124270 the archetypal classic tool watch. The technology, however, is anything but classic, as it benefits from Rolex’s current-generation caliber 3230. Measuring 36 mm across, the Explorer would have seemed too small for broad appeal a few years ago, but it’s right on trend with the current move toward smaller diameters. We won’t get into a discussion of the controversial two-tone Explorer ref. 124273 here – let’s just stick with the stainless steel version for now.
Alternatives in Form and Function: Tudor, Seiko, and Sinn
Robust, no-frill field watches with functional designs are a dime a dozen these days from brands like Hamilton, Seiko, and Citizen. If you’re looking for some added value above and beyond the Rolex, you’ll probably end up looking at offerings from brands like Sinn. Classics like the Sinn 836 on a stainless steel bracelet cost less than a third of the official list price of a new Rolex, not to mention the market price. For that, you get characteristic Sinn features like a hardened steel case and strap, which lift this simple model above most conventional field and tool watches.
If you want even more, dig a little deeper into Sinn’s line-up. Various models offer features like an impermeable capsule within the case and temperature resistance from -49 °F to 176 °F (-45 °C to 80 °C). Things get even more exotic with Damasko watches, another manufacturer offering hardened steel cases and bracelets, as well as its own heavily modified movements.
If you’re less concerned with function and more interested in stylistic proximity, the obvious choice is the Tudor Black Bay 36. A cheaper and less obvious choice is the Seiko SARB033, a watch community darling that has (unfortunately) been discontinued.
Ice Diving With the Rolex Deepsea
If any winter sport earns the label “extreme,” it’s ice diving. Since the watch world loves a bit of over-engineering, the only watch that comes into question here is the Rolex Deepsea. This watch is water-resistant to 390 bar (3,900 m, 12,795 ft) thanks to its special case design using the so-called Ringlock system. The force exerted on the watch from the intense pressure at such depths is primarily absorbed by a ring made of a special steel alloy sealed against the titanium case back.
When it comes to ice diving, however, the watch must also be able to withstand very low temperatures and offer an extendable strap that can fit over a 7 mm wetsuit at a minimum.
Of course, the Rolex Deepsea boasts such an extension system. Now we have to look at whether the incredibly pressure-resistance watch can actually cope with water temperatures below freezing and outside temperatures of -40 °F – a feature irrelevant for 99% of Rolex owners. Nevertheless, Rolex proved the model’s capabilities more than 10 years ago as part of the “Under the Pole” expedition. You can watch a documentary on the project today and witness how the Rolex Deepsea performed under the most extreme conditions imaginable.
The Alternative: The Seiko Prospex “Built for the Ice“
If you’re looking for a less expensive but still high-quality diver, you’ll likely find yourself sifting through Seiko’s Prospex line. Seiko has recently launched special-edition Seiko Prospex Ice Diver watches that are right at home in icy waters. The first three versions premiered in 2020 and are housed in the 45-mm Seiko Sumo case with a waffle-textured dial. Seiko has proven the watches’ suitability for ice diving in a frozen Lake Michigan. Three more versions followed in 2021, this time boasting a “Captain Willard” look. Although none can compete with the Rolex Deepsea’s absurd pressure resistance, they are water-resistant to 20 bar (200 m, 656 ft), which is more than sufficient, and come with a modern, 70-hour power reserve.
