Rolex’s New Watches for 2024 Embrace Exclusivity
Nestled within the home of horology in Geneva, the hotly-anticipated reveal of Rolex's latest offerings for 2024 at Watches & Wonders ushered a myriad of surprises, twists, and firsts for the revered member of the watchmaking elite. While this year's releases didn't broach quite as much new territory as last year's, Rolex still seized the moment to broaden its repertoire in a lavish manner, infusing plenty of opulence into their timepieces. From a fresh full 18kt yellow gold iteration of the Deepsea to a platinum rendition of the 1908 and a dazzling diamond-set series of Daytonas, this year showcases Rolex's dedication to the upper echelons of the watch market and all things luxurious.
The Day-Date Goes Ombré
In the realm of timeless sophistication and accessible luxury, the Day-Date still reigns supreme in Rolex's lineup and the greater watch market as the ultimate watch of prestige. Given its gravitas in Rolex’s history, it serves as no surprise for Rolex to be expanding the collection with new iterations of the Day-Date 40 like they do every year.
Breaking new ground, Rolex introduces an ombré dial into the Day-Date 40 collection for the first time, as it was previously only offered in Day-Date 36 models, in a slate grey hue. Offered in the 18kt rose gold model, the dial transitions from central grey to deep black along the periphery, accompanied by faceted Roman numerals and index hour markers in 18kt pink gold. Another notable addition is a white mother-of-pearl on the dial in a white gold Day-Date 40 model, adorned with ten baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers.
Amongst the Day-Date collection alone lies almost half of all the new models Rolex released this year thanks to all of the permutations possible with different dial, bezel and bracelet combinations all coming together to represent quite a lot of different watches. So, don’t be surprised if you see a Day-Date variant that you haven’t seen before on IG or in an AD, it’s probably just new.
Modernity meet Heritage in the 1908
Emerging as a completely fresh collection just last year, the 1908 has assumed the mantle from the historic Cellini collection as Rolex's premier, and only, dress watch offering. In doing so, it has garnered considerable acclaim and re-established interest in Rolex’s dress watches thanks to its heritage-focused and stylish design. Rooted in that heritage yet imbued with modern watchmaking prowess, the 1908 effectively embodies everything a Rolex enthusiast desires in a dress watch. This year, Rolex has added a platinum variant to the 1908 collection featuring an ice blue dial, which is a colour exclusive to platinum models, adorned with a guilloche rice-grain motif, showcasing Rolex's dedication to traditional watchmaking and artisanal craftsmanship.
Jubilee Bracelet Lands in the Sky-Dweller
Receiving one of the most minor updates is the Sky-Dweller collection. Maintaining its luxurious allure, its 18kt gold variants now offer the option of a matching 18kt yellow or rose gold Jubilee bracelet, expanding beyond the previous Oyster bracelet option. Available in Rolex’s 18kt Everose gold with a slate or white dial, these timepieces epitomise luxury for global travellers looking to wear something that is both technically and stylistically impressive.
Luxury EmbRaces the Daytona
For aficionados enamoured with all things motorsport, the Daytona finds itself in pole position among modern chronograph sports watches. Adding to last year's revamped collection with new movements and updated aesthetics, Rolex has introduced a variety of opulent gem-set precious metal variants, featuring sunburst dials in silver, champagne, or mother-of-pearl set with contrasting subdials.
Available in 18kt white, yellow, and rose gold options, these models boast diamond-set bezels and are offered with precious metal bracelets or Oysterflex bracelets.
The Deepsea Goes for Gold
Renowned for its robustness and technical prowess, the Deepsea reigns supreme in the arena of luxury-focused dive watches, and Rolex has ventured into the deep end of pure luxury territory with a new full 18kt yellow gold variant of the Deepsea, surpassing the two-tone variant as the collection's pinnacle of luxury. Boasting a ceramic compression ring within the Ringlock system for enhanced waterproofing, alongside a blue ceramic bezel and blue lacquer dial, this model commands attention with its magnificence, opulence and sheer size at 44mm in diameter.
Revisting a Classic for the GMT-Master II
Last but not least, among the new additions lies the GMT-Master collection, Rolex’s most hotly anticipated collection this year. Awaited was the debut of the new black and red bezel "Coke" GMT-Master II, yet to the disappointment of many, it was Tudor, Rolex's sister brand, that unveiled it. Nonetheless, Rolex didn't leave enthusiasts empty-handed, presenting a stainless steel GMT-Master II sporting a two-tone grey and black bezel, offering a fresh twist to the discontinued all-black bezel from 2019 and following in the footsteps of the grey and black bezel two-tone and full yellow gold GMT-Master variants that were released last year.
Available with either the rugged and robust Oyster bracelet or the refined and classical Jubilee bracelet, this new GMT-Master II injects a more subdued vibe into the collection previously dominated by vibrant bezel options like the Pepsi, Batman, and Sprite.
Discontinuations
Finally, the discontinuations mark a trickier aspect of the new watch season, with only glaringly absent models catching immediate attention at Watches and Wonders. The Daytona 'Le Mans' in white gold has been discontinued and seemingly replaced by a yellow gold model variant, as some insiders are reporting. Additionally, the entire Yacht-Master II collection and the Palm Fronds dial variant for the Datejust are discontinued. What else has been discontinued will be made more apparent as people scrolling through Rolex’s website begin to realise what isn’t there anymore. Perhaps most notably, the GMT-Master II Pepsi, which everyone thought would be discontinued, indeed remains in production. However, actual supply to ADs from Rolex is expected to remain just as scarce as it has been in the 6-9 months with those bezel production issues still believed to be gripping Rolex’s efforts to produce the sought-after model.