I have a huge affinity for timepieces (watches to the layman). Several years ago I started looking at buying a Rolex so I visited their Web site. After tremendous amounts of research and buying a Rolex Sea-Dweller I haven't visited the site much. The previous site worked well enough but it always seemed cumbersome and slow on my Powerbook G4 in Safari and Firefox. The screen transitions would take quite a while and sometimes not even work. Several times I would have to refresh the entire site and advance through menu options again. After hearing about the redesign I paid the site a visit. It's always contained some stunning photography but the new site is definitely an improvement. The site is designed to detect whether your browser supports JavaScript, Flash, and CSS and whether you have them turned on or off. I disabled JavaScript using the Web Developers plugin for Firefox and received a non-Flash experience. However, the site developers were successful in offering an alternative browsing experience without degrading quality. The images are still stunning and the site - for the most part - looks exactly the same.

For such an amazing and timeless product, the Rolex site delivers and equally amazing Web site. My only complaint is the Sea-Dweller not being part of the Extraordinary Watches section. The Sea-Dweller includes all the technical marvels of the Oyster Perpetual movement with the additional ability to be submerged to 1,220 meters (4,000 feet). Also included are the Oyster fliplock bracelet (allowing the piece to be worn over a wet suit) and the helium gas escape valve (necessary for those spending time in a helium-enriched underwater habitat). These technial feats, which are unmatched by any other timepiece, should justify its placement in the Extraordinary Watches category.