Want a brand new Rolex GMT Master II “Batman” for $25? This charity raffle offers that chance…

Zach Blass

Too often when we discuss Rolex watches, we have to mention their availability issues. Their “unobtanium” status has rubbed up many people the wrong way – earning The Crown much vitriol. Now just because you cannot buy them at retail does not mean the watches aren’t readily available. The problem is if you want one you have to succumb to rather outrageous premiums on the secondary market, or extremely competitive bids over retail pricing at auction. But what if there was a way to get a Rolex steel sports watch for just $25 USD? I am not talking about a replica or fake here mind you. I’m talking the real deal, brand new with box and papers. Charitable organization Toys for Hospitalized Children is hosting a raffle to raise funds and awareness for their mission to bring happiness to sick children, and the grand prize to the lucky winner: a Rolex Batman GMT Master II.

Now this is the kind of watch flipping I like to see, and where the usually negatively perceived premiums work in favour of something greater. For those unfamiliar, Toys for Hospitalized Children is a non-profit that believes “happy kids heal faster”, providing toys, joy and happiness to children going through treatment or hospitalisation. In other words, it’s a genuinely worthy cause, so in my mind it is a no-brainer to cough up the minimum of $25 for a chance to win a Rolex – no less a brand new and highly desirable model one at that.

The watch you have a shot to win is the Rolex Batman GMT Master II ref. 126710BLNR-0003. This is the latest generation Rolex Batman watch, outfitted on the recently returning (to the collection) Oyster bracelet that many associate the black and blue Cerachrom bezelled GMT watch with. Its 100 metre water-resistant, screw-down crown secured 904L stainless-steel case, 40mm in diameter, 12.2mm thick, and 48mm lug-to-lug across the wrist, has a luxurious heft like precious metal. But as a stainless-steel watch highly resistant to corrosion and shock, it is the perfect daily wearer – especially for the traveller who finds themselves traversing multiple time zones.

The coronet between “Swiss Made” beneath the sixth hour index is your tell that this GMT Master II boasts the latest generation in-house automatic GMT calibre 3285. The 3285 is a high performing GMT calibre, with a second time zone GMT hand and an hour hand with independent rapid-setting. Like all other latest-get Rolex calibres, it also boasts an instantaneous date complication, hacking seconds for precise time setting, paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring, high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers, and a near weekend-proof 70 hours of power reserve. It also is highly accurate, pledged with a regulation in accordance with Rolex’s Superlative Chronometer standards – +/- 2 seconds per day.

How to enter for a chance to win the Rolex Batman GMT Master II

Raffle tickets start at just $25 USD and can be purchased here. The drawing will be hosted on Instagram Live on March 7, 2022. There will be a VIP party at Sen Sakana in NYC for folks who donate $360 USD or more.