Erik & Max are firing up for a fierce debate this week. It’s a watch battle, or rather face-off, inspired from a question we get often: 16550 or 16750? What is the ultimate five-digit Rolex travel watch for the ages? Through a wide ranging and meandering chat, we attempt to answer. We cool it with a few thoughts on what makes any watch proportional (case or dial), and how to weight ‘proper’ sizing in your collecting. Finally, a hilarious Only Wrist for a college student trying to get laid with 3K for a watch.

Links Mentioned:

16550 vs 16750: 

https://hairspring.com/exclusives/rolex/16550-cream-panna-dial-explorer-ii-steel/

https://www.fratellowatches.com/matte-dial-rolex-gmt-master-16750/

Assad Explorer II

https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2019/dubai-watches-db1901/lot.97.html

Magnum PI Coolness

https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2009/12/rolex-coolness-tom-selleck.html

Case Proportion:

Some Excellent Visualized Data on Wrist Sizes & Preferences

https://www.gq.com/story/ideal-watch-size-survey-2023-results

And a Little More Data

https://watchesbysjx.com/2019/06/ideal-watch-size-survey-mark-cho-armoury.html

https://goldammer.me/blogs/articles/reference-guide-iwc-ingenieur-sl

https://hairspring.com/exclusives/a-lange-sohne/140-021-zeitwerk-first-generation-yellow-gold/

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/tudor-pelagos-lhd-left-hand-drive-chronometer-hands-on

Perfection

https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/patek-philippe-3940

Dial Insanity

https://hairspring.com/finds/fp-journe-vagabondage-iii-in-pink-gold/

Squinty Eyes

https://hairspring.com/finds/5396g-patek-philippe-annual-calendar/

Slightly Award Spacing

https://hairspring.com/finds/salmon-dial-5035-patek-philippe-annual-calendar/

https://bulangandsons.com/products/iwc-flieger-chronograph-3706-tritium-dial-w1713

https://hairspring.com/finds/aqualung-blancpain-fifty-fathoms/

https://hairspring.com/finds/fp-journe-chronometre-bleu/

Only Wrist:

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-week-on-the-wrist-the-tudor-heritage-chrono-blue

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-escale-time-zone-a-new-manufacture-world-timer-by-louis-vuitton