On Monday night (June 28), the rapper used his Instagram story to show off a flossy Chrome Hearts Rolex watch. In some overlain text for the story, Lil Baby thanked Drake for the gift. “@Champagnepapi thank you,” he wrote.
It’s unclear why Drizzy sent Lil Baby the watch, which is part of the 6ix God’s collaboration with Chrome Hearts and Rolex. It could be his way of saying congrats for Voice of the Heroes, Baby’s newly released joint album with Lil Durk.
News of Lil Baby’s newest gift comes a couple of weeks after Voice of the Heroes debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The project moved 150,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release. With its combination of intermittently melodic flows and dense street imagery, it was really no surprise that the album was as successful as it was. Soon, fans will get the chance to see Lil Baby and Durkio perform the songs live.
Last week, Baby decided to keep his foot on the gas when he announced “The Back Outside Tour.” The trek that will see Lil Baby and Durk perform in various cities this coming fall. Needless to say, it’s been a pretty dope last few weeks for Baby.
Peep Lil Baby’s flossy new watch for yourself below. Check out the tour dates for “The Back Outside Tour” when you’re done with that.
@lilbaby / Instagram
Lil Baby’s The Back Outside Tour With Lil Durk
Wed, Sept. 01 – Mansfield, Mass. – Xfinity Center
Fri Sept. 03 – Hartford, Conn. – XFINITY Theatre
Fri Sept. 10 – Raleigh, N.C. – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sat Sept. 11 – Charlotte, N.C. – PNC Music Pavilion
Tue Sept. 14 – New Orleans, La. – Smoothie King Center
With a net wealth between them bigger than the proverbial GDP of a small country, Roger Federer and LeBron James are two sporting GOATs who could comfortably afford any timepiece on the planet. It speaks volumes, then, that both superstars have been known to reject opulence, gravitating towards something a whole lot tamer and, if we're being honest, tasteful.
In a recent Wimbledon press conference, Fed was seen wearing a 41mm Rolex Oyster Perpetual in stainless steel complete with its distinct yellow dial. The candy-colored range was introduced in 2020 with a tag price of "just" $5,900, making it an ideal luxury option for first-time buyers. The Swiss, of course, scored an ambassador role with Rolex in 2006 for an alleged $15 million over a decade span. This was subsequently renewed in a deal that sees him bank a reported $8 million per year. His collection of Rollies is the stuff of legend and are proudly on show when he is photographed lifting trophies — an extremely common sight in tennis over the last 20 years or so. The OP model is hardly the enthusiast's favorite, and the initial reception upon its release was mixed online. I think it's a grower, though, and is eye-catching without being over the top on Federer's wrist. Its appeal seems obvious, not to watch geeks, but the more casual consumer.
Similarly, LeBron James is not a fellow who is short of a penny or two. Unlike the Swiss Maestro, Bron isn’t limited by an endorsement deal, which gives him the freedom to cop exorbitantly priced watches — from Richard Mille to AP — like you or I would groceries. Despite his wealth, the Lakers man’s taste isn’t dictated by eye-watering price tags like other god-level athletes (see Cristiano Ronaldo); he likes what he likes, and isn’t a snob. As the eagle-eyed Hodinkee previously reported, nowhere else was this more evident than on the season four debut of HBO series The Shop, when he opted for the exact same Oyster Perpetual as Federer’s, only with a coral red dial. It’s funny, because on the same episode we saw Jay-Z rock some kind of bonkers AP Royal Oak — a million miles removed from James’ low-key option. The Rolex is casual to the point of insouciant, almost a statement that he doesn’t feel the need to get caught up in trying to out flex others or show off. Why would he? He’s LeBron m’fing James!
Both Federer and James are a reminder that sometimes the best option isn’t necessarily the most expensive one. That’s something we should all remember, regardless of income. Not least when it comes to watches.
BARCELONA—As if it’s not enough that children can access Nickelodeon content on TV, smartphones and tablets, now Viacom, its parent company, wants to make it available via a branded smartwatch.
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, CBS Networks International (VCNI), a division of ViacomCBS, unveiled what it says is the first ever connected smart NickWatch, featuring Nickelodeon-branded content.
In addition to the content, it is a true connected watch, providing a direct line of communication to family and friends, Viacom said. It also includes apps to promote physical and social activity and “help kids explore the world with confidence,” the company said.
The device, available for purchase in 2022, will come with the smartwatch body, two watch bands (one playful Nickelodeon band and one more adult, premium band) and a fun, character-led charging base.
Entertainment based on iconic Nickelodeon IP will include fun and goofy photo filters, motion sound effects and musical instruments that play out according to hand movements. Regular content updates with new games, new stickers, new sound effects, and more will be added on an ongoing basis.
The platform will allow two primary modes of communication: text and voice calls. The parent or caregiver can text the child from their phone, and kids can respond with pre-written responses, voice-to-text, emojis, or photos. The child can also call their parents/contacts within their directory, and they can receive incoming calls from pre-selected contacts. Caregivers can create group threads and can also send sticker messages, timers, reminders, photos, voice messages, and create polls.
Kids and parents can stay connected via a map feature that will allow caregivers and family members to see the current location of everyone in the family via GPS, Wi-Fi and cellular towers, simply downloading the app on their device.
The NickWatch by Nickelodeon was developed in partnership with Watchinu, an Israeli technology startup, which has built and will be operating the device via a licensee agreement with VCNI.
Pricing, retail and distribution partners, as well as market availability, will be announced at a later date by VCNI.
Many Rolex watches have acquired charming nicknames since coming to market, and among the various names ranging from athletes to cola flavours are a couple of superhero-inspired nicknames, namely the Batman and the Hulk.
The Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman” with its blue and black ceramic bezel insert and the Rolex Submariner “Hulk” with its green dial and bezel are among the most famous Rolex watches with nicknames, but they are two completely different models – the Submariner is a diver’s watch, and the GMT-Master II is a pilot/traveler’s watch.
So, that begs the ultimate question, which one is better? The Rolex GMT-Master II Batman? Or the Rolex Submariner Hulk?
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Both Rolex watches boast colorful design sets and all-steel construction but they are very different when it comes to functionality. Additionally, the Submariner Hulk is often seen as rather polarizing with its bright green dial and bezel, while the Batman is arguably more versatile with its more toned-down colorway (this opinion, of course, is completely subjective and open to debate).
Origins Of The Rolex Batman And Rolex Hulk
In 2010, Rolex introduced two new stainless steel Submariner models with beefier super cases, characterized by thicker lugs and crown guards, despite retaining the same 40mm diameter. This pair of new-gen Subs also had ceramic bezels and bolder “Maxi dials” with larger hands and lume plots. One was the Submariner ref. 116610LN with a black bezel and dial, while the other was the Submariner ref. 116610LV with a green bezel and dial.
The reference 116610LV was not the first green Submariner Rolex made (that honor goes to the 50th-anniversary Submariner 16610LV with a green aluminum bezel and black dial). However, it was the first Submariner with a green Cerachrom ceramic bezel and also the first to have a matching green dial. Given the heftier shape of the new green Submariner and the prominent use of green throughout the dial and bezel, the “Hulk” nickname makes perfect sense for the ref. 116610LV.
THE SPLIT-COLOR CERACHROM CERAMIC BEZEL
Three years later, Rolex unveiled a new stainless steel GMT-Master II with a blue and black Cerachrom ceramic bezel. Not only was this the first-ever blue and black bezel made by Rolex, but it was also the brand’s first two-color Cerachrom ceramic bezel. Up until then, Rolex maintained that it would be impossible to make a bi-colored ceramic bezel, thus explaining why the then-current GMT-Master II models were only available with monochromatic ceramic bezels. However, the brand proved itself wrong, signaling the return to the split-color bezel that made the original GMT-Master watch famous.
Previous GMT-Master bi-colored bezels already had nicknames; there’s the blue and red “Pepsi,” the red and black “Coke,” and the brown and gold “Root Beer.” Therefore, it was only natural that the BLNR-edition (where BLNR is shorthand for the French words for blue and black) bezel would get one too, and the “Batman” label stuck thanks to the color scheme’s similarity to the fictional Caped Crusader. It’s important to note that the nickname is attached to the bezel and not to the particular reference, clarifying why both the previous ref. 116710BLNR and the new ref. 126710BLNR (released in 2019) are both known as Rolex Batman watches; however, the new edition is also known as the “Batgirl” due to its slightly more refined case shape and the option of the Jubilee bracelet.
Design And Functionality Of The Rolex Batman And Rolex Hulk
The Batman and the Hulk both feature 40mm stainless steel cases, rotating bezels, similar dial layouts with Mercedes-style hands, date indications, and lume-filled plots for hour markers. Both are also fitted with sapphire crystals that have the familiar Cyclops magnification lens over the date window.
However, the Hulk is a dive watch, which means that its bezel only rotates in one direction, and it is graduated to 60 minutes to track immersion times. On the other hand, the Batman is a GMT watch. Therefore its bezel rotates in both directions and is marked with 24 hours to indicate the hour in another time zone. Furthermore, the Submariner has a traditional three-hand configuration (hour, minute, seconds), while the GMT-Master II has four hands (local hour, reference hour, minute, seconds).
DIFFERENT MOVEMENTS AND BRACELETS
Naturally, because these watches offer different functions, they also run on different movements. The Hulk Submariner is powered by the Caliber 3135, while the Batman GMT-Master II relies on either the Caliber 3186 (ref. 116710BLNR) or the Caliber 3285 (ref. 126710BLNR), with the newer Cal. 3285 offering a longer 70-hour power reserve. Additionally, although both models are fitted with Triplock screw-down winding crowns, the Submariner is water-resistant to 300 meters while the GMT-Master II has a 100-meter depth rating.
Moving onto the bracelets, the Hulk watch is fitted with a three-link Oyster bracelet with brushed surfaces, equipped with a Glidelock clasp, allowing divers to lengthen the bracelet up to 20mm in 2mm increments to fit over a diving suit. The first Rolex Batman 116710BLNR was exclusively offered on an Oyster bracelet with polished center links; however, the Batman 126710BLNR was initially only offered on the five-link Jubilee bracelet but has since become available on the three-link Oyster bracelet as well. The Oysterlock clasp differs from the Hulk, featuring the 5mm Easylink extension system rather than the 20mm diver’s Glidelock clasp.
Rolex Batman Vs. Rolex Hulk: Which One Wins?
Overall, the Batman and the Hulk are two different Rolex watches with different functions. They may sport similar silhouettes, near-identical materials, and both feature vibrant colors, but one is a GMT timepiece able to indicate three time zones, while the other is a professional diver with the ability to plunge to 300 meters below the surface of the ocean.
So, picking between these two highly popular Rolex tool watches is a matter of deciding which function would be most practical for you and which colorway suits your taste better.
Wimbledon is back! And to celebrate the occasion, its favourite son, Roger Federer, has picked up a new watch.
The 39-year-old Swiss legend has had a tough 2021 so far. Federer has bowed out of the Australian Open as well as a number of ATP Tour events – he withdrew from the French Open in the fourth round, and only recorded fairly average performances at the Qatar, Geneva and Halle Opens.
But he seems in good spirits ahead of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament, especially if his wrist candy is anything to go by.
The Rolex ambassador was spotted fronting a Wimbledon press conference wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 with a striking yellow dial (ref. 124300-0004) that immediately makes one think of the bright yellow of a tennis ball. A fitting horological pickup, then.
Images: @rogerfederer/Rolex
Rolex made a splash last year when they introduced a wide range of colourful lacquered enamel dials to the Oyster Perpetual collection, ranging from candy pink to turquoise blue and of course, this eye-catching yellow.
It’s not the first time Rolex has experimented with colourful dials like this. Back in the 70s and 80s, Rolex offered a similar selection of colourful options, which they termed ‘Lacquered Stella’ dials. These modern renditions are also often called ‘Stella dials’ by Rolex fans because of this.
“The irony is that Stella models weren’t popular during the time Rolex produced them… In some cases, Stella dials were even replaced by conventional or other dials. Rolex allegedly destroyed batches of Stella dials as they were unsellable, one reason why they are so rare today,” watchtime.me explains.
Federer holds the record for most singles titles won at Wimbledon (8) and shares the record with Swedish champ Björn Borg for most consecutive wins with 5 (Borg from 1976-1980 and Federer 2003-2007).
Federer has been seeded 6th for this year’s Wimbledon Championships. Despite this, he’s actually been placed in the bottom half of the draw – but will have to potentially overcome Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev if he wishes to reach a 13th Wimbledon final, the ATP Tour’s official website relates.
His first game will be against France’s Adrian Mannarino tonight at 11:45pm AEST.
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