It Is The Most “Powerful” Modified Rolex I Have Ever Seen, A Rolex Knockoff

Known as “the world’s first Rolex with a tourbillon.”

The case is black, and the dial, hands, scales, and luminous light are all blackened. The overall appearance is very different from our ordinary Rolex. A window is opened at six o’clock on the dial, and inside the window is the constantly rotating tourbillon device.

This watch was modified by the third-party modification brand Label Noir based on the Rolex Milgauss 116400. On the original Cal.3131 movement, Label Noir removed 51 parts, modified two parts, and added 94 additional parts to realize the tourbillon function. This tourbillon is also a “flying tourbillon” with great ornamental value. Supported by the ball bearing at the bottom, it can rotate once every minute.

In addition to Rolex with a tourbillon, there are modified versions with other functions on the bezel.

The most famous is the perpetual calendar version of Rolex, made by the talented watchmaker Franck Muller. Rolex, Cartier, A. Lange & Söhne, and other big brands have always held activities to support young people in watchmaking. The competition rewards of the activities are usually their watches. Franck Muller, the founder of the watch brand Franck Muller, received a DayJust from Rolex when he was young. After receiving the prize, he removed the original calendar component and changed it to a perpetual calendar as a gift for his friends. Rolex knockoff.

This Rolex with a perpetual calendar was previously auctioned at a public auction with a starting price of US$70,000. However, the auction failed, and the sale could have been more successful. This rare watch currently belongs to the famous American rapper JAY-Z.

Another Rolex watch with a world time function has appeared in the modification circle. It is produced by the Belgian modification brand Designa-individual-Watch based on the Rolex Sky-dweller. It is the most “powerful” modified Rolex I have ever seen!

Many watch enthusiasts have yet to learn that Rolex officially sold products with World Time functions, but they were only pocket watches.

The emergence of universal time is due to the development of human transportation. Driven by steam engines, humans need to coordinate the time of two regions. In 1931, Louis Cottier produced the first world time zone pocket watch, which used a rotating dial to display the local time in 24 time zones worldwide. At that time, Louis Cottier set up his own studio, specializing in designing and producing complex and exotic replica watches, and then transferred it to major brands. For example, the early world time pocket watches of Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin were all produced in collaboration with Louis Cottier.

In 1943, Rolex found Cottier and asked him to produce six Rolex world time pocket watches. Then, six more were made in 1947/48 for 12 pieces. These are infrequent Rolex complications.

Since Rolex already has a clock with a world time function, Label Noir has also modified a Rolex with a tourbillon, and Franck Muller has already made a Date-Just with a perpetual calendar function, why is the DiW world time watch the most “An excellent modified Rolex?

The reason for winning the award is straightforward: DiW used the simplest method to change it into a complex function!

The Skywalker is the most complex timepiece launched in the history of the Rolex brand. It contains two functions: annual calendar and GMT. There is a calendar window at three o’clock on the dial. There are 12 small windows on the outer edge of the 12-hour scale, representing the 12 months. When the window is displayed in red, it means which month it is. For example, the time shown in the picture above is August 28th.

Then, there is a 24-hour hour circle on the dial, corresponding to the red triangle on the dial so you can know the specific time in the second time zone. For example, the picture above shows that it is 10 p.m.

DiW modified it into an annual calendar + world time, but DIW still needs to dismantle the movements like Label Noir and Franck Muller. They only changed three dials and used the original 24-hour hour circle structure. To compare and display world time. You can even change the dial if you don’t consider the color.

This reminds me of a viral joke. To solve the problem of empty boxes in the production line, a soap factory asked graduate students from Tsinghua University to develop high-tech tools using infrared detection and mechanical arms to remove empty soap boxes. There is also a tiny factory that only needs a little money and tells the workers to find a way. If they can’t think of a way, they will get out. Then, the worker bought an electric fan.

Although the implementation method is simple, DiW’s charges are costly. The public price of the steel Rolex Sky-dweller before modification was 110,000 yuan, but after DiW modification, it became 210,000 yuan. All I can say is “creativity is precious”!