Rolex has made a name for itself repeatedly since its debut over a century ago. Certain timepieces have taken on colorful nicknames due to the heightened appreciation watch aficionados have for them. Everything from soda brands to superheroes has seen its name emblazoned within the luxury watch community when it comes to certain watches. The Rolex Batman and Rolex Hulk are two fine examples of superhero-themed timepieces in the Rolex collection.
Features – Rolex Batman vs Rolex Hulk
The Rolex Batman’s official name is the GMT-Master II. You will know it by its defining black and blue ceramic bezel. The Rolex Hulk, officially known as the Submariner Rolex, has a striking green bezel and dial. The chief difference between these two watches is that the Submariner is designed with divers in mind while the GMT-Master II is geared towards pilots and travelers.
Is one of these timepieces better than the other? It depends on what you are looking for in a luxury watch. Each one of these is stainless steel at the core, sporting 40mm cases. They also both feature rotating bezels and similar layouts on their dials. Each one also includes alluring sapphire crystals with a "Cyclops" magnifier lens above where the date is shown.
However, design-wise, the Rolex Hulk is a more flashy watch compared with the more subtle colors of the Rolex Batman. Also, given that the Submariner Rolex, aka Hulk, is made for diving, its bezel only moves in one direction. It also is designed to track how long you are immersed underwater. The GMT Batman timepiece has a bezel that can rotate in either direction. Also, its 24-hour setup provides the time in other time zones. Another key difference involves the hands. The Hulk includes three hands, for hours minutes, and seconds. The Batman is adorned with four, for the local hour, a reference hour, minutes, and seconds.
Given one is primarily used by those in the sky while the other by people underwater, they will function differently. The difference in movements clearly sets them apart from one another. The Hulk has a Caliber 3135, whereas the Batman comes with either Caliber 3186 or Caliber 3285. The latter is a more novel offering from Rolex, providing an impressive 70 hours of power reserves. Additionally, the Hulk Submariner stays water-resistant at up to 300 meters in depth. The GMT Batman is only rated to be water-resistant for a depth of up to 100 meters.
Another area where these two icons of the grander Rolex collection drift apart is the bracelet each comes with. The Hulk timepiece has a three-link Oyster bracelet. The surface of each link has been brushed to shiny perfection. Additionally, there is a Glidelock clasp that is advantageous for divers who wish to extend the bracelet 2mm at a time. This allows it to still be worn with ease while wearing a diving suit.
The Batman, which originally only came with an Oyster bracelet sporting polished central links, can now be found with a Jubilee bracelet as well. The Oyster version is a three-link bracelet while the Jubilee is five-linked. The clasp on the Batman has an Easylink extension mechanism at extends it out an additional 5mm.
Conclusion
Now that you know the difference between two iconic timepieces in the Rolex collection, you can select the one that best fits your needs and wants. Whichever one you choose, it will be an excellent purchase. Join countless others who have enjoyed their Hulk and Batman Rolex watches by browsing our collection at Wrist Aficionado.