Five Good Reasons to Love the 2016 Rolex Collection
Celebrated for their precision, performance and reliability, Rolex watches can be understated or dazzling, but they never go unnoticed. And whether you get your thrills on the ground, in the air or on the seas, dress like a President or a black-tie celebrity, here are five that are sure to please.
This new version of the 40 mm Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona with Oyster bracelet is in 904L steel with a Monobloc Cerachrom bezel, developed and patented by Rolex, in black ceramic. The “Daytona”, first created by Rolex in 1963, features a bezel engraved with a tachymetric scale that measures speeds of up to 400 mph. A first black bezel appeared on the 1965 model as a black Plexiglas bezel insert; today’s new high-tech Cerachrom bezel is extremely durable: corrosion resistant, scratchproof and unaffected by UV rays, and exceptionally legible thanks to a PVD-process layer of platinum in the numerals and graduations. The bezel also holds the crystal firmly in place ensuring waterproofness to 100 meters.
Black or white lacquer dials show off the chronograph centre hand, 30 minute and 12 hour counters at 3 and 9 o’clock, with 18ct white gold appliques and hands.
Equipped with a mechanical chronograph movement with bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor with a power reserve of approx. 72 hours. Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring.
Priced at CHF11,800.
The Oyster Perpetual Air-King, upsized from 34 mm to a new 40 mm case in 904L satin-finish steel, features a black dial with large 3, 6 and 9 numerals to mark the hours, and a very visible minutes scale for navigational time readings. The Oyster was used during the 1930s by pilots during scientific expeditions and long-distance flights, with the name Air-King designed specially for the model in the 1950s.
Today’s version shows the same name and lettering on the black dial with satin finish, along with the Rolex logo in green and yellow on the dial for the first time, and the seconds hand in green. Hour markers and bold Chromalight triangle at 12 o’clock are in 18 ct white gold. Inside the case, a magnetic shield protects the movement. Waterproof to 100 meters, mechanical movement with bidirectional self-winding via Perpetual rotor, power reserve of approx. 48 hours. Paramagnetic hairspring and escape wheel.
Priced at CHF5,900.
Introduced for the first time in Everose Rolesor (a combination of 904L steel and 18 ct Everose Gold) and a chocolate dial, the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40 (mm) is both chic and sporty, distinguished by its bidirectional rotatable 60-minute graduated bezel in 18 ct Everose gold with polished raised numerals and graduations to calculate sailing time. Chromalight appliques and hands in 18 ct pink gold are striking on the sunray finish dial, all enhanced by an Everose Rolesor bracelet.
Waterproof to 100 meters. Instantaneous date at 3 o’clock with rapid setting. Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring.
Priced at CHF13,400.
Green is the colour of Rolex, and the prestigious Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, has been given a stunning green dial enhanced with an 18 ct Everose case and President type bracelet. Its characteristic fluted bezel, a feature that dates from 1956, surrounds the sunray finish dial with hour markers and hands in 18 ct pink gold.
The Day-Date 40 also features a new self-winding mechanical movement with Perpetual rotor – Calibre 3255 – with functions of hours, minutes and seconds, and instantaneous day and date in apertures with unrestricted rapid setting. It boasts the paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring and Chronergy escapement with optimized energy efficiency. Power reserve approx. 70 hours. Waterproof to 100 meters. CHF35,800.
For a more “classic” Rolex, the 39 mm Cellini collection presents in fact not one, but three novelties:
the Cellini Time models feature a redesigned white lacquer dial with 12 elongated applique hour markers; the Cellini Date with a striking blue guilloche dial shows off a new date display at 3 o’clock on a sub-dial; and for the Cellini Dual Time range, with second time zone at 6 o’clock and day/night indicator, an extension now also includes a brown guilloche dial.
Cases are in 18 ct Everose or white gold with double — domed and fluted — bezels and 18 ct pink or white gold markers and hands on the dials. Straps are in brown or blue alligator leather. Self-winding mechanical movements feature paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairsprings, with power reserve of approx. 48 hours. Waterproof to 50 meters.
Priced from CHF14,500 to CHF18,500.
In stores now, or arriving this summer. All prices include taxes.
Did you know? After COSC certification of all Rolex movements, all Rolex watches with cased-up movements are further tested before earning the in-house green seal Superlative Chronometer certification, coupled with the Five Year Rolex Guarantee.
Photo Credit: Haute Time. For more information, please visit the official Rolex website. Follow Haute Time on Instagram to catch all of the new releases as they happen.
