What is Rolex Maxi Case? (Rolex Super Case)
Rolex Maxi Case, sometimes referred to as the Rolex Super Case. What is it?
Rolex maxi case, also known as the super case is a new generation of cases that Rolex started implementing for the Submariner and GMT-Master II. Today, all Rolex Submariner and GMT-Master II references are equipped with a ”Maxi case”.
But what is Maxi case and what does it mean?
That’s what we will find out in this article.
What is the Rolex Maxi case?
The Rolex maxi case is sometimes referred to as the super case. As the name suggests, it refers to the case of the watch.
The Rolex maxi case was first introduced in 2005 with the release of the new generation GMT-Master II. The first watch to feature the new maxi case was the GMT-Master II reference 116718.
A new generation GMT-Master II needed a new generation case, and the same was true for the Submariner which followed the same path sometime after.
The Maxi case features a number of changes to the previous generation case that Rolex used. Whilst the new Maxi case measures the same 40mm in diameter as its predecessor, the case wears completely different on the wrist. Because of broader and fatter lugs, a wider bezel, and a thicker overall profile, the watches that have the Maxi case are perceived as much larger than their predecessors, even though on paper, they share the same diameter.
The term maxi Case is used to differentiate it from the older Oyster Professional cases.
After the first GMT-Master II featuring the new Maxi case was released, Rolex continued to replace its Oyster Professional cases with the new cases. Now, all Submariners and GMT-Master IIs, regardless of metal type feature the maxi case.
In 2008, Rolex rolled out the Maxi case for the Submariner, with the release of the new generation Submariner. Just like the previous Submariner, the case is 40mm in diameter but wears much larger.
Since both the Submariner and GMT-Master II now use the maxi case, it means they use identical cases. The only difference is the case back. The case back of the Submariner points out more, which enables its 300-meter water resistance.
Rolex maxi case VS old case
If you put the old case and the newest Maxi case side by side, you will notice how different they are.
The discussion of Maxi case or the old case is a debate that has been alive since Rolex first introduced the new case. Some people like the more robust and bulky max cases, whereas other people prefer more elegant and neat old-style cases.
The biggest difference is the lugs, because not only are they much wider, but Rolex also removed the bevels on the edges, which is an element that a lot of people enjoyed. At the same time, polished bevels add elegance to the watch, and this is not exactly what Rolex is trying to achieve with the Submariner or GMT-Master II.
There has been some speculation about whether Rolex made the lugs wider with longevity in mind, but this is most likely not the case. Sure, there are plenty of examples of old-cased watches that have been polished countless and countless times over the years, and thus lost their shape and lines completely.
And by making the lugs wider, it would make the longevity of the case better. But the most logical explanation is that the market demanded it. The market has moved more and more in the direction of larger watches, and Rolex was lagging behind. Their answer was the Maxi Case.
