Rolex

An orange zest !

 

I bought a black dial Milgauss two years ago. It is a watch I really like but I don't wear it very often. In fact, I mostly use it during the summer period.

I like its weight, its dial and of course its orange second hand.

The bracelet is very well made with the clever easylink system.

But, at the end, I've started to find it a bit too elegant, too serious for a watch I wish to use in a more casual context. Moreover, there is something I don't like a lot: the shape of the bracelet. I think it is a bit too narrow close to the clasp. I would have prefered a more constant width due to the case volume.

A few days ago, I found it would be a good idea to take advantage of the orange color of the second hand. Why should I not use a NATO strap with this Milgauss ? What ? A NATO strap ? I think I wrote dozens of messages everywhere explaining why a NATO strap was not a good option for a Rolex watch. But well... sometimes it's good to change our mind !

So, the other day, I bought a NATO strap but it was not the usual NATO strap: the NATO strap I purchased has an orange stripe in the centre black stripe. It is a sort of James Bond NATO with  a touch of fun... an Austin Powers' strap ?

I chose the RAF pattern version because I wanted that the strap passed only once below the case due to thickness of the Milgauss. The strap is also quite thin and it is a key point with the Milgauss due to the spring bars positions.

Today was the D-day, the day when I put this strap on the Milgauss... and the result is satisfying me  quite a lot (and even more than I expected).

The watch becomes less casual, has an addition of fun and in an aesthetic point of view, the combo works very well. Mission completed!

But nothing is perfect in our brave old world. The Rolex bracelet was perfectly conceived to improve the wearability of the watch. Don't forget that the Milgauss is a very heavy watch! Thanks to it, the weight is well spread all around the wrist and the watch can be worn with comfort. It is not the same situation with the NATO. The case concentrates all the weight and the watch tends to slide a little.

So, you gain an original combo and an nice use of colors but you loose comfort. That's the alternative.

I take the opportunity of this post to explain you why I chose this Milgauss as my first Rolex. I chose it because:

• it has a special place in the current Rolex collection thanks to its design
• it is heavy and I love heavy watches
• it doesn't have a date window
• the second hand seems so strange in a too serious current Rolex context (even if it is historically justified)
• as I said, it is a very comfortable and wearable watch.

My regrets are the poor performances of the luminous hands and the bad legibility of the dial in some situations.

I found it a bit too massive to be worn with a suit, it is the reason why I dedicated this watch to the summer holidays. But again, it is my point of view.

The Milgauss features all the Rolex qualities: accuracy, reliability, easiness to live with, in a few words: when you want to wear a worryless watch, a Rolex is perfect.

I took these pictures this afternoon: so don't hesitate to give me your comments about this combo, it you find it nice or ugly, any point of view will be welcome!

But if you wish to do the same, don't forget the two golden rules: RAF pattern + thin strap.

Fr.Xavier