[Video] Hands-On Impressions of the New Rolex Novelties

Rolex always seems to be the talk of the town during Watches & Wonders. It’s the first booth everyone flocks to on Day 1 at 8:30am when the curtains come up. It’s quite the site to see actually. We at Worn & Wound can’t deny the effect the Rolex releases have on not only watch enthusiasts but the entire luxury world. THIS is what people are waiting for. Well the question of the day is..was the wait worth it this year? 

I had a sneaky feeling that this would be sort of a mild year for Rolex. They did so much last year at Watches & Wonders with the new Daytona collection, the Emoji Day-Date, and of course the Gumball Oyster Perpetual. That’s a lot to top. Even though I got the sense that most people were underwhelmed with the releases this year, I was very excited to have my first ever appointment with Rolex at the show to get hands on.

I got to spend about 40 minutes with all the new releases and I’ll be honest, I think they’re great. The watch that really struck me and I personally feel is the strongest release for Rolex this year is the new Perpetual 1908 in Ice Blue. The dial was absolutely mesmerizing and features what Rolex calls a guilloche rice-grain motif. I often hear from the watch community that Rolex is sometimes too simple or just doesn’t “wow”. I think anyone would have a hard time picking up this watch and not being impressed by the level of finishing it has. Cased in 950 platinum, the watch also features the calibre 7140 which of course holds the Superlative Chronometer certification. It certainly stood out from the crowd for me and I love the direction Rolex is going with this newer line. The piece is 39mm and is priced at 29,600 CHF.

The next piece that caught my attention was the new GMT Master II. Rolex knew exactly how to play with my heartstrings and marketed this watch with an “Echoing Emotions” campaign. I’ve always said there’s something romantic about a GMT. Keeping time back at home or with your loved one across the world is the reason this is my all time favorite complication. Rolex had a fantastic museum level room showcasing all of their GMT Master’s since 1955, along with lots of old advertisements that you can’t help but admire. The 40mm GMT features a black and gray Cerachrom bezel which is incredibly subtle for those that don’t want something loud and colorful on the wrist. It also features a dark green GMT hand which again, flys under the radar on this dial. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters and of course housed with Rolex’s calibre 3285 movement. Available in both an Oyster bracelet and Jubilee, my pick would certainly be the Jubilee here. The Rolex GMT Master II is priced at 10,200 CHF.

Now the watch that literally brought a smile to my face the minute I put it in my hands was the new Rolex Deepsea in solid yellow 18ct gold. Certainly not a watch I’d ever realistically wear but one that I’m sure many could appreciate. It was pleasantly playful in a lot of ways, which is kind of funny because this watch is meant for the “professional”. It’s an incredibly robust dive watch housed in a 44mm case, with a 5.5mm thick crystal, and is water resistant to 3,900 meters. The blue bezel and dial felt right at home in the yellow gold case. A couple of things to note here: first, the compression ring is made of  blue high-tech ceramic – a first for this part. And second, the Deepsea is now its own line, and no longer associated with the Sea-Dweller. Not sure what that’ll mean for the Sea-Dweller line but we’ll of course keep our eye out. Coming in at 49,900 CHF, this is certainly a watch that will be worn by the bold I think.

Overall, my first Rolex meeting was a blast and of course getting my camera lens on the new novelties is always a pleasant experience. If you had your hopes up this year for something else from them, don’t fret, I have a gut feeling next year is going to be big for them. If you’d like us to go more in-depth with any of the new models, let us know in the comments below and stay tuned on Worn & Wound for more coverage of Watches & Wonders week!