At the recent Watches & Wonders 2024, Rolex presented a range of creations that bring a fresh new look to some of its beloved models, piecing together a harmony of contrasts.
Rolex’s line-up of timepieces continues to impress in this year’s Watches & Wonders. Its newest creations shed brand new light on some of its most iconic models. The iterations serve to spark new emotions while still embodying that everlasting spirit of excellence that lives in Rolex, right down to its smallest details. Marrying the brand’s watchmaking expertise with an ambition to reinvent its existing range, the new watches play with contrasts to strike that harmonious balance between functional and beautiful.
Echoing Emotions: Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II
Speaking of playing with contrasts, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II in Oystersteel is now for the first time presented with a Cerachrom bezel insert in grey and black ceramic. The range was introduced back in 2023, with its muted colour contrast subtly evoking the alternation of day and night. Two new versions are added to accompany what was previously only available in steel: one with an Oyster bracelet; and another with a Jubilee bracelet.
Steeped in sleekness, the black lacquer dial of the watch bears the inscription ‘GMT-Master II’ in green — and also in this colour is the 24-hour hand, glowing like a sliver of light.
Variations in Harmony: Oyster Perpetual Day-Date
Brilliance can be found in the minutest details, and the new versions of the Day-Date can prove that. Expressed through variations of watch dials — ombré, blue-green, pearlised white mother-of-pearl — and a bezel set with trapeze-cut diamonds, each element of the two new Day-Date variants play a part in the harmony of the new combinations.
The first variant is in 18 ct Everose gold with a slate ombré dial, a delicate contrast between light at the centre of the dial and darkness around the edge. The second version, in 18 ct white gold, features a pearlised white mother-of-pearl dial, rare and refined — also a first for the Day-Date 40. What is both stunning and striking to the eye also appears extremely intricate. The voluminous texture of the dial evokes tiny overlapping clouds that play with light, producing a unique sense of shimmer that is even further enhanced by the 10 baguette-cut diamond hour markers.
Also released in new versions are the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36: in yellow gold with a white lacquer dial and smooth, shiny hour markers; as well as 18 ct Everose gold with a blue-green dial. This latter version is new for the range — and the deep, intense colour is further illuminated by a bezel set with 60 trapeze-cut diamonds.
Elegance in Movement: Perpetual 1908
Now available in 950 platinum (the highest grade of pure platinum) with an icy blue dial, the Perpetual 1908 evokes a pleasant, cooling kind of elegance. This hue of blue has been reserved exclusively for Rolex watches in this prestigious metal. Thus, this new variation of Perpetual 1908 is truly one of a kind.
Light bounces freely off the timepiece’s dazzling guilloché dial, as its rice-grain motif gives it a raised pattern that produces a range of reflections each time the wearer’s wrist moves. The rosette-like design centred on the small seconds counter at 6 o’clock gives this watch exceptional personality.
Light to the Deep: Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea
Diving deeper into the display, Rolex also introduced at Watches & Wonders its first deep-sea divers’ watch in 18 ct yellow gold. Marked in a rich blue and features an as-yet-unseen combination of materials (gold, paired with elements in ceramic and RLX titanium), the Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea is a marvellous show of the brand’s expertise in materials and colours.
The compression ring is made from blue ceramic, while the Cerachrom bezel — decorated with a circular satin finish — forms part of the Ringlock system that enables the watch to withstand the colossal pressure of the abyss. Precious, practical and pioneering: the new Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea is certainly made to shine into the ocean’s depths.
Icon, Revisited: Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona
Yet another contrast that plays off each other are two new versions of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona: white and black natural mother-of-pearl dials and a bezel set with diamonds. These reinterpretations of the iconic timepiece strike the perfect balance of precision and preciousness. Made from 18 ct white gold, the two colours of the timepieces truly bring out the natural mother-of-pearl element on the dial.
On the first watch, the dial is white with black counters; and on the second version the colour combination is reversed. The two new timepieces also incorporate a bezel adorned with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds, and are fitted with a bracelet to match each colourway: an Oysterflex bracelet for the watch with black counters as well as an Oyster bracelet for the version with white counters.
A Symphony of Reflections: Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller
The Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller in 18 ct Everose or yellow gold is now, as of Watches & Wonders 2024, available with a Jubilee bracelet. Sophisticated and stylish in both form and function: the Sky-Dweller was designed to enable travellers to rapidly find their bearings, and now it reaffirms its elegance.
The new Sky-Dweller achieves the harmony of contrasts by alternating the size and finish of the links (smaller, polished centre links and larger, satin-finished outer links). Pair this with a slate dial on the version in 18 ct Everose gold, and the finesse is further refined. In the 18 ct yellow gold version, the intense white dial is matched with a bracelet also appreciated for the ceramic inserts inside the links, giving it an enhanced longevity and flexibility.
(Images credit: Rolex)
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Written by
Puteri Yasmin Suraya
Senior Writer, Features and Tech
Hailing from an English Literature & Creative Writing background, Yasmin has a deep love for fiction and poetry. When she’s not reading or café-hopping, she spends most of her time in the comfort of her own room binge-watching period romances, (badly) belting out show tunes, and curating Spotify playlists to match her mood for the week.
