00/24 WatchWorld

A little while ago I paid a visit to a Danish artist, Cay Brøndum, who had caught my attention as he depicts horological images in many of his latest works. Of course, as the horolofile I truly am, I was curious and wanted to know what triggered his ticking interest.

Turns out that Brøndum started to include (mostly) Rolex details in his works when he fell in love with the Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 aka Freccione. And even more so when he realized that the new version, ref. 216570, was too large for his wrist. He then started to look into other vintage Rolex sports models and the more he looked into the history of these wonderful critters, the more orange arrow hands, Rolex ambassadors, Milgauss graphics and Submariner winding crowns you could find from his brush strokes on the canvases in his little studio in Copenhagen.

Many of you are probably away on vacation enjoying sandy beaches, endless glasses of cooling liquids and perhaps an ice cream from the land of Rai Uno, Panerai and Ferraris. In that sentiment I recently purchased a NATO strap for my ref. 1655 Rolex Explorer II Freccione. 

Yet again I could not resist. Have long been a fan of the odd "Freccione" ref. 1655 Rolex Explorer II and yes, I even modified a ref. 1675 with 1655 parts, but it just ain't the same as the real McKoy. As I appreciate a thick case with good bevels, I opted for a late version. The 1655 I just bought is a 1980 model. Serviced less than two years ago and looks...well...stunning! I attached a NATO strap instead of the FlipLock bracelet (a 1998 version according to the small three digit number inside the clasp) as the soft NATO-strap adds wearing comfort and also feels way better than a bracelet on these warm and humid summer days.

I know I know. Showing off my customized Rolex GMT ref. 1675 from 1967 with a ref. 1655 Explorer ”Freccione” service dial will undoubtedly create online name-calling, outrageous hatred and other hot-tempered reactions from the many fanatic Rolex communities around the world. I might even get hate mails once the detectives find out where I live.