FUNCTION OF THE BEZEL

Bezel is one of the most important part in the Rolex watch. Depending on the model, the bezel can be decorative element or a functional part of the watch. 

Nevertheless, however, the bezels conduct one important roles which is to protect the inside of the watch and make it sealed. It is to secure the crystal down to the case to ensure a watertight seal.

TYPES OF THE ROLEX BEZEL

ROLEX TACHYMETER BEZEL

The tachymeter bezel is used exclusively on the Rolex Daytona. As a chronograph watch, the Rolex Daytona includes a bezel with a tachymeter scale. 

Tachymeter scale is use to measure the average speed. It can measure speeds up to 400 units per hour, expressed in kilometers or miles. To use Tachymeter bezel, just press the top pusher to activate the center chronograph hand. Once you drive the car a mile, you press the same pusher to stop the chronograph hand. Where the chronograph hand points to on the tachymeter scale indicates the speed. For instance, if the chronograph hand is pointing to 110 on the bezel, then the car was moving at 110 miles per hour.

The Daytona has been available with metal bezels such as steel and gold, aluminum bezels, and gem-set bezels. However, since 2011, they’re available with Cerachrom ceramic bezels.

ROLEX GMT BEZEL

The GMT bezels with 24 hours to use in conjunction with a 24-hour hand on the dial to allow the wearer to read a second time zone. The Rolex watches that include a 24-hour bezel are the GMT-Master, the GMT-Master II, and the Explorer II.  It is can be rotated bidirectionally. 

The first GMT-Master bezel made of Bakelite. It had luminescent numbers, and featured a red and blue color. The issue with bakelite is that it is very easy to break. As a result, Rolex quickly replaced it with aluminum.

Rolex released discontinued the aluminum bezel of the GMT-Master and replaced it with a ceramic insert instead. Aluminum inserts were very practical as they were durable, but the issue was that they faded and scratched. Ceramic, on the other hand, doesn’t fade and is virtually scratch-proof.

The Explorer II also has a GMT bezel, made in stainless steel, but this can not be rotated. The Explorer II also has a bezel marked with 24 hours, it is much simpler in design.

ROLEX DIVE BEZEL

ROLEX SUBMARINER

ROLEX SEA-DWELLER

ROLEX YACHT MASTER

All of Rolex’s dive watches use the dive bezel, which includes the Sea-Dweller, Deepsea Sea-Dweller, and the Submariner. A similar style dive bezel is also used on the Yacht-Master, but because Yachters don’t go on dangerous deep dives, this bezel is bidirectional.

On dive watches, the bezel is an integral component to the watch’s functionality. This is how divers keep track of how long they have been underwater. A dive bezel typically includes 60-minute graduations and luminescence for legibility underwater. 

ROLEX TURN-O-GRAPH BEZEL

The Turn-O-Graph was the first serially-produced Rolex watch that featured a rotating bezel. It was either steel or gold depending on the model. It is used for the Datejust model – the Datejust turn-o-graph and the Yacht-Master. 

This Datejust is no longer in production, but this watch features a fluted bezel that is rotatable. Furthermore, it has added 10, 20, 30, and 50 markings which allow the wearer to measure elapsed time when performing different tasks. 

ROLEX DOMED BEZEL

 

 

Rolex Domed bezel is a smooth or polished bezel. The domed bezel is very simple, sleek and straightforward. It is simply a polished piece of metal without any fuzz or decorations. The smooth bezel is made in all types of materials including steel, platinum, gold.

This bezel type is still to this day used by Rolex and has been used across a large number of collections. This includes the Air-King, Milgauss, Datejust, Day-Date, Date, Explorer, Oyster Perpetual.

ROLEX ENGINE TURNED-BEZEL

The Rolex engine-turned bezel is no longer in production, and chances are, we won’t see the engine-turned bezel in production from Rolex ever again. The engine-turned bezel has a steel construction with a textured finish. It is a mixture between a polished bezel and a fluted bezel. This bezel can be found in the collections Air-King, Datejust, Oyster Perpetual, and Date.

ROLEX BARK BEZEL

Another bezel type from Rolex that is no longer in production (and likely will never be again). The bark bezel has a very unique design, and as the name suggests, it is made to have the texture of bark. The bark bezel was used by Rolex for many decades and was, similar to the fluted bezel made to be more exclusive and give a luxurious look. It has been exclusively made in yellow or white gold.

The bark bezel was primarily used on Day-Date watches, but some Datejust watches can also be found with this bezel type. Common is that the bark bezel watches often had the bracelet center links feature the same bark-style finish.

ROLEX GEM SET BEZEL

Rolex are luxury objects, and with this in mind, Rolex and gemstones go together very well. With that said, Rolex has released countless gem-set bezels in different styles and with different gems, including diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, Rubies, and more. Rolex still makes many gem-set bezels for most collections, and gem-set bezels can be found on Rolex watches dating back many decades.

ROLEX FLUTED BEZEL

 

 

 

The most famous type of Rolex bezel is the fluted bezel. Instantly recognizable, the fluted bezel adds a touch of formality to a Rolex. A fluted Rolex bezel is exclusively made in gold. Fluted bezels can be found on Datejust watches, Day-Date watches, Oyster Perpetual watches, and Air-King watches.