Sentul Depot transformed for the presentation of Rolex novelties for 2024. — SHAARI CHEMAT / The Star
TIME for luxury watch brands is not standing still, as the 2024 watches from Rolex illustrate a desire to constantly reawaken watchmaking emotions, while demonstrating uncompromising quality down to the smallest detail.
Thanks to its in-house mastery of watchmaking expertise, the new watches play with contrasts to achieve a harmonious balance of performance and preciousness, tradition and innovation.
The brand hosted a viewing of its 2024 Novelties at the stately Sentul Depot, where the media, watch enthusiasts and experienced collectors gathered to take a deep dive into the latest selection.
As guests listened to the beautiful voice of singer Cassandra Anne, they also had a chance to explore the collection of high-precision timepieces.
From the new version of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date that expresses the brand’s enduring desire for rare and wide-ranging expertise, to the sophisticated Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller designed to enable tireless travellers to rapidly find their bearing, Rolex demonstrates its mastery in balancing functionality and aesthetics.
Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller
Reaffirming its elegance, the Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller delights the senses with versions that spark the emotions through a symphony of reflections.
There are two new 18K gold versions of the Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller, each sporting a Jubilee bracelet. It is the first time that this watch for world travellers has been fitted with a Jubilee bracelet in precious metal.
The first version is crafted in 18K Everose gold and features a slate dial, while the second, fashioned from 18K yellow gold, displays an intense white dial.
The two Jubilee bracelets are equipped with an Oysterclasp, the clasp traditionally used on the Sky-Dweller.
And, like the majority of Rolex bracelets made from precious materials, they include ceramic inserts in their links.
Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona
This year the two new exclusive versions of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona showcase their contrasting dials made from natural mother-of-pearl and graced with eight diamonds and three Chromalight hour markers.
Both are crafted in 18K white gold and crowned with a bezel set with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds.
The first version, fitted on an Oysterflex bracelet, features a dial in white mother-of-pearl with chronograph counters in black mother-of-pearl.
The colour combination is reversed on the second watch, which has a black mother-of-pearl dial with white mother-of-pearl counters.
The discs of material used for the dial and the counters are positioned to optimise the colour intensity of each variety of mother-of-pearl and further enhance the contrast between them. This design called for the creation of a specific and technically demanding manufacturing process.
Oyster Perpetual Day-Date
With the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date, the brand flexes its wide-ranging expertise in ensuring every element contributes to the harmony of the new combinations.
The Day-Date range – with new versions of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 and the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 – showcases finely worked dials.
Ombré dials make their debut on the Day-Date 40 housed in 18K Everose gold as well as faceted, deconstructed Roman numerals on the dial, along with hour markers in 18K pink gold. The second new version of the Day-Date 40 in 18K white gold features a dial made of pearlised white mother-of-pearl.
This is the first time that this natural material is used on the model.
Meanwhile, the new variant of the Day-Date 36 is fashioned from 18K yellow gold with a white lacquer dial, while the Day-Date 36 in 18K Everose gold with diamonds sports a blue-green dial – which is another first for the collection.
Oyster Perpetual Deepsea
Engineered to shine in the ocean depths, the Oyster Perpetual Deepsea is presented in 18K yellow gold for the first time and sports a 60-minute graduated Cerachrom bezel insert in blue ceramic as well as a blue lacquer dial bearing the name “Deepsea” in powdered yellow.
This new version also incorporates a technical innovation: the high-performance compression ring within the Ringlock system is crafted from ceramic.
Coloured blue and embellished with a circular satin finish and inscriptions that are engraved then gilded, this component also marks a new way of integrating ceramic into a watch case even as it contributes to the waterproof quality of the watch.
Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II
The two new Oystersteel versions of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II features a 24-hour graduated two-colour Cerachrom bezel insert in grey and black ceramic, applied via PVD (physical vapour deposition). The first watch is fitted with an Oyster bracelet, while the second sports a Jubilee bracelet.
The black lacquer dial bears the inscription “GMT-Master II” in green, echoing the colour of the triangle-tipped 24-hour hand.
The GMT-Master II is driven by calibre 3285, enabling it to display the date and an additional time zone in 24-hour format, as well as the hours, minutes and seconds.
Perpetual 1908
A visual masterpiece, the new Perpetual 1908 is decked in 950 platinum and graced with an ice-blue dial featuring a guilloché rice-grain motif. This rosette-like design is distinctive for its three-dimensional, repeating geometric pattern that extends across the surface of the dial, starting from the small seconds counter at 6 o’clock.
The minute track is surrounded by a filet sauté with a crimped pattern.
On its dial, light bounces off the raised pattern, producing a variety of reflections with every movement of the wrist.
The 1908 is driven by the calibre 7140, a movement that features bridges decorated with Rolex Côtes de Genève and carries the Superlative Chronometer certification.
