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26 of 30 persons found the following review helpful.
A "must-have" for all fans of vintage Rolex sports watches
By SeaDweller fan
The writers describe this book as a "comprehensive and elaborated reference guide to Rolex's sports model watches" and "an crucial asset to watch accumulators and dealers". Modest? No. Correct? Absolutely!
The book is divided into 18 chapters, starting with Rolex chronology and the tool watch concept, followed by chronological descriptions of all models in the Submariner, Sea-Dweller, GMT-Master, Explorer, Milgauss, Turn-O-Graph and Cosmograph model ranges respectively. More brief chapters are dealing with bracelets, boxes, paperwork, and movements. Statistical info in the form of production dates and a price guide is also included.
What I exceptionally like
First of all, the great vantage of this book is the fact that all watches depicted are from the authors' own collections - this has permitted them to photograph all watches in the precise same position and size, making comparings amid the dissimilar model variants very easy. This is necessary when comparing with other books on Rolex, that mainly use 3rd party photos.
All models are described in chronological order, with selective information on model number, production period, motion number, bracelet type and size, and a great deal of 5-15 lines of specifics for that queer model, pointing towards the - often little - details distinguishing it from former or later models. I.e. for the 6263 Daytona such text reads: "In 1971 the 6263 model substituted the 6264 model. The model was available with either the frequent or exotic dial, and had T Swiss T at the bottom of the dial. On this example, the word Cosmograph is written in a semicircle around the upper half of the lower recording dial." Essential knowledge, in truth 
Secondly, all models are accompanied by a elaborated profile drawing, permitting comparings of the shapes of glass and bezel, as well as case thickness. Important, when you want to discern the "Superdome" glass profile.
Third, there are 40+ pages of reprints of vintage Rolex brochures, advertisments, owners booklets, catalogues etc. For Sea-Dweller afficionados it will be great to see the 1981 owner's booklet reprint on page 178, showing the 1665 with acrylic lens and 2000 feet rating, alongside the 16660 with sapphire crystal and 4000 feet rating. Later that year, the 1665 was discontinued, leaving only the 16660.
Last, but not least, I genuinely take pleasure in chapter 18, "Watches sold at Auction" - 50 pages of pictures and details of Rolex watches sold at auctions at Christie's and Sothebys's, in the amount of time 1997-2004. In 1998, a "Red" Submariner 1680 was sold for mere USD 2165. Read and weep... or start out gathering right away.
Ahh - not to forget - this is a comparatively new book, published in 2005.
Any drawbacks, then?
Not in truth - or at least not one thing major. Although given the title "COMPLETE Visual Reference", one would suppose the book to incorporate pictures of ALL known model variantions. This is apparently not the case, as the military issue of the Submariner 5513 is shown only with the special "high visibility" hand design - while Rolex collectors, as well as James Dowling's Rolex book, will tell, that the military models were also available with the general "Mercedes" hands. This would have been nice to know, before one accuses eBay marketers of vintage Rolex watches for syndication un-original or Frankenstein watches. I won't do that again...
One must note, though, that this books deals with "vintage" models only - that excludes any model presently in production, obviously. For the reason of comparing model evolution, I for one would like to see the current version (i.e. the one on my wrist) pictured alongside it's ancestors, in order to compare those small, but necessary details on the dial layout. But then again...
How does it compare to other Rolex books, then?
This will depend on how BROAD one's Rolex interest is, and in which STAGE of Rolex ownership one is.
John Brozek's "Rolex report" provides splendid value for cash for the first-time buyer of a modern Rolex, who doesn't want to get "eScrewed" - John's expression, not mine. Lot of stuff on identifying fakes, as well as tons of statistical selective information and pricelists - showing retail as well as wholesale amounts. Quite good to know the latter, when an individual is providing you a never worn NIB Rolex for less... Why, it must make you wonder.
Many persons praise James Dowlings book "The Best of Time" as THE Rolex book to get. Maybe so - but not my cup of tea. Far too much special importance and significance on the very early Prince and Bubbleback models and only brief descriptions of the tool watches.
For a great deal of buyers, the overall Rolex history in this book will be too brief, or the stats on production dates not complete (as they end in 1998). Do not desperation - buy this book anyway, and read the rest on the respective Rolex internet forums.
So, my personal view is, that if you are a current or potential owner of a "Professional" series model, Martin Skeet and Nick Urul's magnificent book will give you the most applicable insights. It's surely my favorite, and the one I would chose over all other Rolex books I have seen so far.
Buy and receive pleasure from - You will not be disappointed!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent coverage from two experts who recognise their subject.
By Ned Middleton
There is so much more to a Rolex watch than just magnificent craftsmanship. As a scuba diver of almost 40 years standing, I have always owned one or more quality diving watches. When my son turned 14, he likewise learned to dive and soon became the proud owner of a good diving watch. Whilst, sadly, none were Rolex, my son's interest in diving watches had started out and now, a heap of 15 years later, he has a modest collection coupled with an appreciable cognition of the subject. Only recently, he advised an individual who was selling a sure vintage Rolex model thru the internet that the item was very likely to be worth a lot more than the, then, asking price and deserved further investigation. As a result, the price was increased by something in the region of £48,000 before the watch was at long last sold. I mention this to underline the fact that there are galore exceedingly worthful historic watches out there with the occasional rare model commanding genuinely severe money.
This book is a revised and up-dated third issue of a genuinely first-rate publication. Limiting the overall (and vast!) subject of Rolex watches to "Sports" models, the two co-authors waste no time in demonstrating their combined cognition of the subject. Whilst that is, naturally, of prime importance, I found it was also their finish capacity to impart this cognition which makes this book the 5 Star product it genuinely is.
Whilst I may personally vouch for the importance of a watch to any scuba diver (length of time expended underwater plus greatest or most complete or best possible depth reached equals time expended in decompression before returning to the surface!!!), I was mesmerized to listen a brief account of the importance of the Rolex watch to Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay for the duration of the introductory assent of Everest in 1953 by the latter's son Jamling Norgay (also a climber) who describes his watch as "undeniably, the most necessary tool in my climb."
There a lot of occasions when standard people place their lives in risk as they undertake all sorts of challenges (not just scuba diving and climbing), for the duration of which they place finish faith in their watch to see them safely through that amount of time of increased risk. It stands to reason, therefore, they will choose a good quality timepiece - and Rolex is as good as they come.
But then there are Rolexes and Rolexes!, and in this book we learn of the importance of a good watch right at the very beginning. This is followed by expertly crafted, very elaborated yet easy-to-understand chapters on; Rolex Chronology, the Tool watch Concept, Submariner, Sea-Dweller, GMT-Master, Explorer, Milgauss, Turn-O-Graph, Cosmograph, Bracelets, Boxes, Paperwork, Movements, Production Dates, Collecting, Advertisements & Literature, Watches Sold at Auction and ultimately a Price Guide. In short, an exhaustive content for an indepth subject. It is a huge format book published in top quality paper with at least one effigy on closely all of the 264 pages (Index excepted).
Of course, I have no way of knowing if "every" sports model ever made by Rolex is depicted within these pages but I would be astonished to learn if anything at all was missing - plainly because the book is so complete.
So, if you are looking for a book of sufficient high quality to do justice to Vintage Rolex Sports Watches, then look no further. I am rather convinced you will not be disappointed with this work.
NM
1 of 1 humans found the following review helpful.
Great Book For Rolex Watch Collector
By Corsa Fan
"Vintage Rolex Sports Models" is a outstanding little book for both the hobbyist and severe gatherer of Rolex Sports watches like the GMT Master and the Submariner. It presents a lot of utile data in both the text and photographs. The price is not beyond the reach of the intermediate buyer either. A nice buy at a reasonable price for the men and women who love their Rolex and may want to know more regarding the history of their favored watch.
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