Rolex 101 with Craig Evan Small

Rolex–quite possibly the world’s best-known wristwatch company and a favorite amongst collectors, watch-enthusiasts, vintage and estate dealers and people worldwide. Sometimes one can feel intimidated by the world of watches if you don’t know much about them. That’s exactly how I’ve felt my whole life! I decided to put an end to “ignoring” the world of Rolex watches for my lack of knowledge by sitting down with the Rolex master, Craig Evan Small. Craig buys, sells and appraises Rolex on a daily basis, not to mention has a showcase in his Beverly Hills store full of the widest variety I’ve seen in one place! Craig gave me a crash course on Rolex–the history of this timeless piece of jewelry often separated in a category of its own from other types of jewelry–and I took notes as he illustrated his discussion with items from his own inventory. If any of the watches above strike your fancy, be sure to get in contact with Craig for details/pricing.

To begin, I got to delve into the Craig Evan Small Rolex inventory with knowing very little, looking each watch over, grouping them into categories and photographing favorites (my selections are shown above). It was refreshing to get to “play” with the watches as an introduction and let me form my own opinions and hypotheses before learning the facts. And yes, turns out some of the watches I photographed oh so nonchalantly were worth just as much as my house payments for one year. 

I had to know, what was up with the brightly colored faces on some of these Rolex watches?! Craig explained that their popularity has grown recently, to where they are considered a fad. The vibrant colored dials first were produced in the 1960s using porcelain hard enamel and are now considered rare (as most that old have cracked). Now, these after-market colored dial Datejusts bring this vintage look back and have been causing a lot of commotion in the fashion industry and on Instagram. Other fun dial finishes include a wood dial which first debuted in the 1970s. Craig’s inventory has several colored dials with various price points.

Let’s talk bracelets! Because a watch isn’t complete without a bracelet or strap to allow for easy wear around the wrist! Rolex has a few bracelets, each specifically made to suite different watch styles. 

• The Oyster bracelets: available in 18k yellow, 18k yellow/steel, and stainless steel
• The President bracelets: available in 18k gold as well as hand-finished platinum; for Day-Date, mid-size and the Lady Datejust chronometers. 
• The Jubilee bracelets: available in 18k gold, 18k gold/steel, and stainless steel; for men’s and women’s

Introduced in 1945, the Datejust was the first of its kind to offer the date function on a watch. It continues to be one of Rolex’s most popular models. In 1956, the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date made its debut. Available only in 18k gold or platinum, it was the first wristwatch to display the date and day of the week spelt out in full in a window on the dial. Aside from the Day-Date and Datejust, there are a slew of sports watches created just for certain areas where extreme depths and altitudes come into play. Whether you’re a diver, a pilot, mountain-climber, or a globe-trotter, Rolex has designed, trail-blazed and debuted multiple watches, the first of its kind, for these areas of lifestyle. Some examples include:

• Rolex Submariner, debuted in 1954 for diving and extreme depths
• The Sea Dweller, has a unique feature of a helium escape valve 
• The GMT, designed for pilots who use Greenwich Mean Time while flying, debuted in the early 50s
• The Explorer designed specifically for those who navigate rough terrain and high altitudes, like Mt. Everest climbs

For further information and a selection of Rolex watches to purchase, check out Craig Evan Small.

Craig Evan Small

731 N La Cienega Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90069

Tel: 310-550-7895

info@craigevansmall.com

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