Tuesday marked the start of the biggest week of the year for the watch industry as Watches & Wonders began.
Rolex is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the show each year.
Yesterday morning, they unveiled their new releases for 2024, with a huge focus on their higher-end timepieces.
The team at Chronofinder have meticulously studied this year’s releases to give our thoughts on the 2024 collection.
Rolex GMT-MASTER II
In recent years, Rolex has paid close attention to the GMT-Master II model, so it was no shock to see another addition to the GMT in this year’s lineup.
Rolex GMT-Master II
Rolex have introduced the GMT with a two-tone black and grey bezel available on both a jubilee and oyster bracelet. Similar to the 116710LN released in 2007 in all black with the green GMT hand which was discontinued in 2018, this model offers a fresh twist on a beloved classic. It is great to see Rolex introduce something brand-new, rather than rereleasing models as they have done in previous years.
In the build-up to this year’s Watches & Wonders, there was huge speculation that the GMT ‘Pepsi’ would be discontinued, making way for the reintroduction of a ‘Coke’ colourway bezel. After all of the rumours, we’re surprised to not see it materialise, although watch enthusiasts will be more than happy with this year’s addition to the GMT lineup.
Yellow Gold Deepsea Blue
Rolex Deepsea
This year, Rolex discontinued the full Yacht-Master II catalogue. The 44mm Yacht-Master II was available in steel, steel and rose gold, white gold and yellow gold. So, its discontinuation has left a void for collectors who prefer a larger timepiece in a precious metal.
To counteract this, Rolex has introduced a stunning 44mm full yellow gold Sea-Dweller, available with a beautiful blue ceramic bezel and blue dial combination. This is now the biggest precious metal Rolex available in its catalogue and will undoubtedly be a hit with collectors.
Rolex Sky-Dweller
Another update to a larger precious metal Rolex is the introduction of the jubilee bracelet to the full gold Sky-Dweller range, giving the timepiece a dressier feel.
Rolex Sky-Dwellers with Jubilee Bracelets
Day-Date 40mm
Rolex Day-Date
Rolex released a new model prior to Watches & Wonders to commemorate their sponsorship of the 2024 Oscars – something that caught the watch world by surprise. Their spectacular advert which premiered at the Oscars featured an incredible montage of actors wearing their Rolex timepieces. At the end of the advert, the new ombre dial for the rose gold Day-Date 40mm was unveiled.
Rolex Day-Date 40’s with Ombre Dials
At this year’s Watches & Wonders, Rolex have had a heavy focus on the Day-Date model. There’s been so many new releases it is hard to cover in one article, however some of our favourites unveiled include the ombre dials in additional colourways, a Mother of Pearl baguette diamond dial, and a blue baguette diamond dial on the 36mm model – similar to the turquoise blue of the rose gold Sky-Dweller.
Perpetual 1908
Rolex 1908
The 1908, introduced last year, replaced the Cellini as Rolex’s premiere traditional dress watch. This year’s release of the open caseback Perpetual 1908 in platinum was a fantastic addition to the lineup.
I love how Rolex has maintained the theme set by the platinum Daytona – pairing ice blue, platinum, and chestnut brown with the 1908 dress watch to give the model a real touch of class and luxury. As if this wasn’t enough already, the addition of the 7140 calibre movement on display completes this truly magnificent timepiece.
Daytona
When the new reference Daytona’s were released in 2023, they were introduced with a limited range of diamond dial options. So this year we’re very pleased with the updates to the Daytona selections with a focus on the more extravagant gem set diamond bezels, dials, and shoulders.
This year, Rolex have also reintroduced the sundust baguette diamond dial on their rose gold oysterflex and full bracelet models, as well as introducing a champagne baguette dial for its yellow gold counterparts.
Rolex Daytona’s with Gem-Set Bezels
The new releases include bezels set with beautifully cut trapeze diamonds, known as ‘TBR’. Previous use of this style of bezel on the Daytona has been reserved for off-catalogue pieces such as the ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ and the ‘Rainbow’ Daytona.
Another stunning timepiece released in this year’s collection of Daytonas is the reintroduction of the Mother of Pearl dial to the white gold model.
The bezel on this model is known as the ‘RBR’ and is set with 36 round brilliant cut diamonds. Each Mother of Pearl dial is unique, and like a fingerprint – no two are the same. The combination of the dial and bezel on this model is simply spectacular.
Le Mans Daytona
Off Catalogue Rolex Le Mans Daytona
The white gold Le Mans Daytona, released in June 2023, was discontinued this year after a very short production. Available for less than one year, this could potentially be the shortest production of any Rolex ever, making it incredibly rare and fetching a huge premium on the secondary market. This year, Rolex has replaced the white gold with a yellow gold iteration, which, for us, is the star of the show. It is absolutely stunning and will no doubt be incredibly sought after by collectors around the globe.
This year’s releases by Rolex stunned our team at Chronofinder. Despite all of the speculation leading up to the event, no one had anticipated such a focus on Rolex’s most heavy-hitting models. Rolex has long been the leading brand in the luxury watch world, and this year, they’ve certainly earned their crown with a series of spectacular releases, which we can’t wait to see land in our Central London showroom.
By Callum Patrick, Co-Founder of Chronofinder