Rolex Wows Fans With New Daytona, Zany Dials, and a Totally New Watch
As the Watches and Wonders trade show gets underway in Geneva, collectors have their eye on every move from the leading Swiss brand.
On day one of the annual Watches and Wonders trade show in Geneva, A-list celebrities David Beckham and Julia Roberts wandered the halls. But it was a handful of debuts from Rolex that received outsized attention both within the Palexpo and on social media. “New” at the powerhouse brand, which for years has topped the industry in terms of revenue, usually means subtle tweaks on existing models and the occasional ultra-blinged jewelry watch. Last year when it released a GMT Master-II for left-handed wearers, it almost broke the watch internet. Here are some of the pieces that made a splash.
As this is the 60th anniversary of the Daytona, one of the most coveted watches among collectors, aficionados were hoping that Rolex would create something new to mark the date. And they weren’t let down: the new Daytona features aesthetic adjustments, tweaked colors to enhance contrast, and most importantly, a new movement inside. The calibre 4131 is an evolution of the prior mechanism, the 4130, which includes some technological innovations made at Rolex since the 4130’s own debut. (Such as the the Chronergy escapement, which you can read about here.) As for the aesthetic changes, here’s how Rolex describes them: “The dial receives new graphic balance, and harmonious color combinations accentuate the contrast between the dial and the counters – or their rings. The Oyster case has been redesigned, and its profile is highlighted by the light reflections on the lugs and case sides. On versions with a Cerachrom bezel, the bezel is edged with a thin band of the same metal as the middle case.”