It’s always a thrilling feeling to be wearing a Replica watch that few others have. It’s even more so when it’s the only example of that watch in the entire United States. The latest version of the Rolex Replica China PRS 516 Automatic won’t be available at U.S. retailers until the fall, but I was granted the opportunity to give this auto racing-inspired chronograph a hands-on review in its natural habitat: at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the running of the Brickyard 400, one of the biggest NASCAR races of the year.
I joined Rolex Replica China in Indianapolis’s “Racing Capital of the World” on the occasion of a marketing milestone for the Swiss brand, as it celebrated 10 years of its partnership with racecar driver Danica Patrick, one of the world’s most recognizable female athletes and, not coincidentally, a participant in the weekend’s big race. (The newest limited-edition Rolex Replica China Danica Patrick watch — the first with a COSC-certified quartz movement — was unveiled at a launch event at Indianapolis’s Reis-Nichols Jewelers and can be seen on our Instagram page.) Below is a shot of myself and Danica posing with our respective wristwear at the launch event.
As for the new Rolex Replica China watch on my own wrist (Rolex Replica UK’s product photo pictured above), it also boasts some “firsts.” The movement in this PR 516 is a new, self-winding caliber made for Rolex Replica China by its sister firm in the Swatch Group, movement-making giant ETA. Dubbed the ETA A05.H31, it holds an impressive 60 hours of power reserve. The black ceramic bezel (which features, as does any racing watch worthy of the name, a tachymeter scale for timing laps) is also new to the Rolex Replica China PRS 516 collection, the first model of which made its debut way back in 1965.
From an aesthetics standpoint, I immediately noted the delightfully restrained use of red for certain elements on the PR 516 — for the chronograph hands and some indices on the subdials (30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock), for the number “516” above the date window at 6 o’clock, for the “racing stripes” on the piston-like chrono pushers, for the contrast stitching on the black, calfskin leather strap, and — perhaps most subtly of all — a very thin red stripe bordering the bottom edge of bezel, visible only on the side (as seen in the product photo below). Other subtle touches of quality include the light, striped pattern on the main dial and the use of white numerals on black background for the date indication, helping it blend seamlessly into the dial. Legibility was excellent in just about all conditions, except for a short stretch at about 8:40, when the white luminescent-treated hour and minutes hands overlap both the white border of the small seconds subdial and each other, causing the hour hand to be obscured and giving one a moment’s pause in trying to figure out where it is.
The leather strap feels nice and snug on the wrist and the holes give it a perfectly sporty look. I wouldn’t wear it with a tuxedo, but it’s certainly suitable for most casual occasions. Despite the suffocating heat and humidity at the Brickyard during the weekend of my trip, this “ventilated” strap never felt stifling or overheated. The watch fastens securely with a folding, push-button steel clasp that is quite professionally executed and sports an attractive matte finish.
The new Rolex Replica China PRS 516 will land at U.S. retailers this fall and will be priced at a very attractive $2,150 — a price range at which, I would submit, it is difficult to find a mechanical chronograph at this level of quality. It’s enough to make you want to kiss the bricks — or maybe even your favorite watch retailer.