It looks inconspicuous, yet it ranks among the most important innovations of the legendary Geneva luxury manufacturer: the Rolex crown. Renowned since the 1950s for its waterproof design, it contributes significantly to the robustness of these Swiss instruments and provides the only connection between movement and owner. Winding, date, time setting – we explain how this rotating component works and show how, in the Sky-Dweller, the crown enters into a symbiosis with the bezel that is unique in the world. Read on – it's worth it!
Insider Knowledge: The Dots on the Crown
Fancy a little game that will surprise any Rolex owner? The next time you meet a proud wearer, ask what the dots on the crown of his masterpiece mean. Unless he's a die-hard fanatic, he most likely won't know the answer. The principle is simple:
The more dots you see, the higher the water resistance of the watch. If the Rolex crown features one dot, two dots or a bar (as on the Datejust, for example), it is equipped with the Twinlock system introduced in 1953. Using two gaskets, this system guarantees the screw-down winding crown a water resistance of at least 100 meters.
[box type="note" align="" class="" width=""]The design of the Twinlock crown also reveals the case material: steel and yellow gold models typically have a bar, while yellow and rose gold editions have two dots.[/box]On the most exclusive material, platinum, the Twinlock crown bears a single dot. In 1970, the Geneva brand introduced an upgrade with the Triplock system, which adds a third gasket in the tube and gives models such as the Submariner, Deep Sea or Sea-Dweller exceptional water resistance of up to 3,900 meters (Deep Sea). Regardless of material, the Triplock system can be identified by a Rolex crown with three dots. The exclusive GMT-Master II, Daytona and Yacht-Master collections also boast a Triplock version.
Setting the Watch: Winding, Date and Time
If you want to set a Rolex, you are almost always dealing with a self-winding model, which raises the question: how does the crown of an automatic watch work? First, you need to understand that watches with a date, such as the Datejust, Submariner Date or Day-Date, have four positions: the screwed-down state (position 0) and three further positions, each assigned a specific function. To operate the crown of Rolex watches, you first unscrew it counterclockwise until it pops out under slight pressure. It is now in position 1, which is dedicated to winding the automatic model.
If the watch hasn't been worn for two to three days, it runs out of steam. To feed new energy into the mechanical marvel, turn the crown clockwise in position 1. Around 40 turns are needed to fully wind the movement. Pull the crown out one more step to position 2 and you reach the date correction. On classic models with a date function only (e.g. Datejust, Submariner Date), the date can only be adjusted clockwise; the Day-Date additionally lets you change the day of the week counterclockwise. The hacking seconds do not engage in position 2; the movement keeps running.
To stop the movement, pull the crown out to its outermost position and set the time in either direction. It is advisable to advance the hands past 12 o'clock to distinguish between midnight (visible date change) and noon. Don't forget: at the end, push the crown back into its starting position and then screw it down to ensure water resistance.
No Date, No Automatic Movement?
The principles of the Rolex crown remain the same if the watch has no date function (e.g. Oyster Perpetual). In that case, the third position is omitted and the time is set in the second, while positions 0 and 1 are unchanged. If, instead of an automatic model, you have a hand-wound watch such as the rare Cellini, operation doesn't change either – the only thing that sets the editions without a winding rotor apart from the rest of the Rolex universe is the need for regular manual winding.
[box type="success" align="" class="" width=""]For true enthusiasts, however, this extra "work" isn't a burden but a pleasure – after all, you want to interact regularly with the fine machine on your wrist.[/box]Two Time Zones: Setting the GMT-Master II Correctly
Things get more complex with the GMT-Master II, which requires a two-step process to set its two time zones correctly. First, the Rolex crown must be pulled out to position 3 to set the reference time (shown by the second hour hand with the triangular tip). This step comes first because the local time (shown by the regular hour hand) always moves along when the reference time is adjusted. Important: to set the reference time, the bezel must be in its starting position (triangle at 12 o'clock) so that, together with the shared minute hand, the correct time can be read.
Once the reference time is set, the crown is moved to position 2 to set the date and local time. The hour hand jumps in one-hour increments; only the local time moves. This is handy when traveling: if you cross three time zones, three simple clicks of the hour hand are all it takes.
Ingenious: Crown and Bezel on the Sky-Dweller
Mechanically, the Sky-Dweller with its patented Saros annual calendar is the most complicated Rolex model of all. But annual calendars are a dime a dozen in the watch industry. To stand out, the Sky-Dweller comes with no fewer than 14 patents, among which the Ring Command bezel plays a special role: adjustable to three positions, it changes the function of the crown depending on its setting. Specifically: if you turn the bezel to position III, turning the crown in position 2 adjusts the reference time.
If, on the other hand, the bezel is in position II, the crown in the same position adjusts the local time. And to operate the month and date functions of the Sky-Dweller, you move the bezel to position 1 and again turn the crown in position 2. An ingenious system that spares the Geneva luxury brand's elegant high-flyer a flood of pushers and wins you over with its intuitive, simple operation. The only problem: the Sky-Dweller is rare, expensive and extremely sought-after. But if you want to experience the Rolex crown at its most spectacular, there's no more affordable alternative.
