Watches and Wonders week is the most anticipated time of the year for millions of industry enthusiasts and collectors. A week when more than 70 Maisons across the city come together to display and present their watches and their very latest creations to the world. But if this scenario is an exciting time in itself, within these days there is one event that presents almost a mystical aura: I am of course talking about the announcement of Rolex’s new products.
As we all know, the Maison is not in the habit of presenting models that are out of the ordinary; on the contrary, its novelties often maintain a broadly reasonable line, aimed at what the Japanese would call “Kaizen,” that is, small and continuous improvements. Given, however, that last year was incredibly important for the Maison, which unveiled a new Daytona reference and introduced a completely unprecedented collection, this year was surely to be expected to see a substantial calm in the company’s waters.
Nevertheless, some of the models presented are causing a huge stir, while others were a real surprise compared to what the maison has accustomed us to. Without further ado, let’s go through all the new Rolex models presented at Watches and Wonders 2024.
Rolex 1908 In Platinum
This is, in my opinion, the most interesting novelty launched by Rolex this year. As I mentioned above, the Rolex 1908 collection was launched last year in an attempt to follow up on what the Maison had attempted with the Cellini collection, albeit not with the success to which the Maison has accustomed us.
Despite these premises, already since last year, the 1908 collection has managed in a short time to carve out a prominent space for itself within the enthusiast community, which immediately glimpsed its potential. For this very reason, it was predictable that this year Rolex would continue in the direction to capitalize and enrich a very promising new collection. Well friends of IWS, we can undoubtedly say that the maison has largely succeeded in its intent, presenting an incredibly interesting and unexpected watch.
The new Rolex 1908 with its color configuration recalls its predecessors Day-Date and Daytona. Also in keeping with the Maison’s tradition, this model is made of platinum. However, there is an important difference to note. Although the new 1908 features the same color-metal combination, the dial is considerably enriched by a stunning radial Guilloché decoration with grains of rice radiating from the center of the dial in 360 degrees. Only the small seconds counter at 6 o’clock remains excluded.
This is an aesthetic solution as fascinating as it is little used by Rolex, and this enhances its appeal and rarity even more. With this move Rolex has made its intent very clear, to position the collection at a higher level of elegance and savoir-faire, presenting it on a par with the Day-Date, as a proving ground in which to demonstrate its artistry and creativity.
As with the versions presented last year, this variant has a sapphire crystal case back, a crocodile strap, and a butterfly deployant clasp.
The list price for this new Rolex model is CHF 29,600 including tax. Corresponding to just over 30,000 euros.
Rolex GMT Master II Ref. 126710GRNR
It seemed that Rolex should reintroduce the much-loved “Coke,” most of the watch industry agreed, so much so that it presented itself as the only certainty in the debates. In the end, however, the Maison mocked everyone. Who knows whether it was premeditated, or a last-minute move just after realizing that the eventual novelty had been predicted so far in advance. One thing is certain, for the time being we will have to wait to see the return of the GMT Master II “Coke.”
In its place, Rolex presents a novel and very distinctive variant characterized by the use of the color gray for half of the daytime hours on the bezel. Apart from this change, along with the inscription on the dial in green and the use of the same color for the GMT sphere as well, the watch is broadly analogous to its “Batman” and “Pepsi” forerunners. So despite the fact that this does not so much constitute a novelty as simply a variation of the same theme, it still caught us by surprise.
The list price for the new GMT-Master II is CHF 10,200.00 including tax, approximately EUR 10,400.00.
The New Rolex Daytonas
Born in 1963, the Daytona has always stood out for its sporty character and for becoming the undisputed icon throughout the watchmaking world. In more than 70 years of history, this flagship model of the crowned house has been declined in different versions, including variants with noble materials and precious stones set above the watch. And it is precisely by making use of noble materials, along with precious stones, that today Rolex presents a new white gold and diamond model of its chronograph. This is a precious version of a watch that was revisited, just at the last Watches and Wonders, for the 70th anniversary of the model.
Made with a 40 mm diameter white gold case, the new Daytona was presented in two different bracelet and dial combinations, both accompanied by a precious bezel with 36 brilliant-cut white diamonds above it. In terms of dials, on the first version, equipped with the very comfortable Oysterflex bracelet, we find a white mother-of-pearl dial with black mother-of-pearl chronograph counters, embellished with eight diamonds as hour markers. On the version with the Oyester bracelet, on the other hand, we find a black mother-of-pearl dial with white mother-of-pearl counters and again eight brilliant-cut diamonds as hour markers, except for 3-6-9-12.
Bringing this new version of the Daytona to life, we find caliber 4131, a self-winding chronograph movement developed and manufactured entirely by Rolex. Certified as a Rolex Superlative Chronometer, this movement guarantees incredible performance with a 72-hour power reserve.
The New Rolex Deepsea in yellow gold
The novelty that has surely left all enthusiasts open-mouthed and amazed, me in primis, is the new variant of the Deepsea. The crowned house’s king of the deep, which has always been one of Rolex’s most technical steel watches, has for the first time been declined in a precious version made entirely of 18-karat yellow gold. This is quite unusual for such a watch, which we never expected to see, but at the same time makes this model even more exclusive and sure to be sought after by collectors.
Rolex’s winning move, was definitely to combine the warm color of yellow gold with the blue of the ceramic bezel and dial, creating a perfect contrast. Above the lacquered dial, the Deepsea inscription in powder yellow also stands out, matching the gold numerals on the Cerachrom bezel insert.
Equipped with the Ringlock system, i.e., a patented case architecture developed by Rolex, this peculiarity enables the watch to withstand the pressure exerted at extreme depths of 3,900 meters. On the left side of the 44mm-diameter case, the iconic helium escape valve, patented in 1967, can also be seen.
We also find, for the first time in the history of the crowned house’s gold models, a case back made of RLX titanium to protect the caliber 3235, i.e., the self-winding movement introduced in 2015 and introduced on the model in 2018.
The New Rolex Day-Date
The Day-Date also now sees four new versions added to its catalog. Created in 1956, this simple yet incredibly fascinating watch represented a major innovation: it was the first calendar wristwatch to show not only the date but also the day of the week written in full in an arch-shaped window at 12 o’clock on the dial.
During this edition of Watches and Wonders, 3 different new variants were present, again made of noble materials and equipped with the President bracelet as per tradition. These are two Day-Date 40s and two Day-Date 36s, made with really successful combinations of materials and dials.
Above the Day-Date 40 debuts a slate-colored ombré dial, in the variant with an 18-karat Everose gold case and bracelet. In fact, this is not the first time we have seen this watch. In fact, just over a month ago, the watch was previewed during Oscar night, inside a theater display case.
In the other version of Day-Date 40, made with an 18-carat white gold case and bracelet, however, we find a pearly white mother-of-pearl dial.
Turning instead to the more modestly shaped novelties, namely the Day-Date 36, we find, on the first model, an 18-karat Everose gold case and bracelet paired with a blue-green dial and embellished with ten baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers. Matching perfectly with the gemstones on the dial, we also find 60 diamonds, also baguette-cut, above the bezel.
The second new addition to the Day-Date 36 family, on the other hand, is a model made with an 18-carat yellow gold house and bracelet combined with a white lacquered dial with faceted and deconstructed Roman numerals, which until now were exclusive to the Day-Date 40. Inside all three watches beats the self-winding Caliber 3255 instead, with a 70-hour power reserve.
Final Thoughts
Rolex has definitely hit the jackpot with these novelties, and I have to say that, honestly, for the first time, as a first-time hot impression, I fully appreciate all these novelties.
What we will definitely have to get used to will be the new Deepsea in gold, which, to be honest to the core, is the only one that I still cannot “digest” as of yet.
Special praise, from a lover of watches with stones like me, goes instead to the new Daytona and, especially, the new Day-Date 36, which I find truly breathtaking.
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