Hands-On: Some Quick Thoughts On The New Rolex Air-King Versus The New Explorer (Live Pics, Official Pricing)
The most interesting, or I should say curious, introduction from Rolex this year is the Air King reference 116900. First, I never really expected to see an Air-King at all ever again after the new Oyster Perpetual was brought out last year, but here it is. And on top of that, the Air-King is back in, frankly, a semi-foreign form as a 40 mm, anti-magnetic aviator's watch with a multi-color logo. We'll get to that, so let's first talk about the brand new Explorer, which is a really similar watch, also introduced this year, that, in my opinion, will be often compared to the new Air-King. The Rolex Explorer Reference 214270 1 OF 4 The new Explorer features new luminous applications and longer, wider hands for better legibility. So the new Explorer reference 214270, as introduced here on HODINKEE last week, is very much the same as the outgoing iteration of the same reference with its Oyster Perpetual case at 39 mm, 100-meter water resistance, and in-house caliber

2531.80 or 2220.80 Seamaster?
I'm considering these two watches, along with the 2201.50 PO. I like the PO in a lot of ways, but I definitely like the blue dial vs the black dial of the PO, which brings me to the two standard Seamaster Professionals.The 2531.80 is the older non co-axial version of these two. It's not produced anymore but is pretty prevalent on Ebay and could be bought at a pretty low price, about $1200-1400 for a nice one. The 2220.80 is the newer model with the co-ax and would probably cost about $1700 on the resale market or $2400new.It's said that the non co-ax version should be serviced every 5 years, and that the co-ax can go 10 years without servicing. If a service costs $450-500 is it a no-brainer that I should get the new co-ax version if I intend on keeping the watch a lifetime? If I buy a used 2531.80, it will probably be several years old already and will probably need an immediate service, thus bringing it up to the price of a resale 2220.80. Are there any other factors to consider

Need to quit Rolex for awhile....
...because i just got this...:)with the limited run of 315sc..

Will the 690 return?
I understand the 690 was limited to 500 pieces at it’s release. Is there historical precedence that Panerai always keeps to their number? Could more be released? I know it’s a tough question, as only Panerai execs could probably answer, but its still on the website. What are your thoughts?

Illumination
I inherited a Submariner Date made in 1993-1994. I haven't found the original box, but I have found two return boxes from the Rolex Repair Division. The last repair was dated 2007 (what the repairs were I don't know). Question: the watch (dots) have no illumination at all. I can shine a flashlight on it with no avail. Is this normal?