With contrasts and collisions, what’s the big surprise from Rolex this year?

As one of the most discussed brands at the annual “Watches and Wonders” show in Geneva, Rolex’s new products are always the focus of attention and anticipation at this event of horological art and culture. This year, Rolex is once again presenting new creations that reinterpret the brand’s classic models, combining and contrasting different materials, colours and textures to create surprising aesthetics. The new models reflect Rolex’s vision of reigniting passion for watchmaking and its commitment to precision and excellence.

The first Rolex Greenwich watch was launched in 1955 to assist professional pilots in navigating long-haul flights with a wristwatch. From the outset, the GMT was distinguished by its distinctive and easily recognisable styling and its rotating bezel, which was uniquely bi-coloured, with red for the daytime and blue for the nighttime hours. This enabled the wearer to clearly distinguish between day and night. The bezel can be adjusted to synchronise the time in a second time zone, enabling the wearer to recognise the time in both zones at a glance.

Almost 70 years after the collection’s launch, Rolex has unveiled an unexpected update. Instead of the anticipated red and black rings, the two new 40 mm Oyster Perpetual GMT 1 Oyster steel models presented at the show are equipped with the two-tone grey and black 24-hour Cerachrom ceramic scrolls that were unveiled last year. These have been coated in platinum using PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition), with one model featuring an Oyster bracelet and the other a commemorative bracelet.

In 1908, Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the brand, registered the trademark “ROLEX” in Switzerland. To honour this, Rolex launched the Perpetual 1908 model last year. The overall style of the series is more classical and elegant, with a vintage watch style that has been enhanced by the passage of time. This year, Rolex introduced a platinum case with an ice blue dial, which represents the pinnacle of elegance.

One of the stand-out features of the new watch is the soft and light ice-blue colour, which is complemented by a specially engraved dial that creates a three-dimensional grain texture. The minute track is surrounded by an exquisite wave pattern border, which adds to the overall aesthetic appeal.

The soft and elegant lines of the case allow the movement and the rotating automatic tourbillon to be viewed through the transparent case back. The new model is powered by the self-winding Calibre 7140, which was last year’s calibre in the Perpetual Motion 1908. It features a Rolex Côtes de Genève plate and a skeletonised automatic tourbillon, in a classic yet contemporary style.

The watch is crafted from precious and refined materials and is a magnificent novelty, akin to a bright watch in the depths of the sea. The Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deep has consistently been a topic of discussion within the Rolex community. The Sea Envoy model, one of the most water-resistant watches currently sold by Rolex in mass production, has been the inspiration for the Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deep. The most notable innovation on this year’s model is the case, which has been crafted for the first time in 18-carat yellow gold. It features a blue 60-minute Cerachrom bezel and a blue lacquered dial with the yellow powder-coated inscription “DEEPSEA”.

The watch is water-resistant to 3,900 metres and has a diameter of 44 millimetres. It is constructed using the patented Ringlock system, with a thicker domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal framing the case. The watch is comprised of three integrated components: a high-performance pressure ring that can withstand significant water pressure, and an RLX titanium caseback. In the depths of the ocean, where the ability to read the time with perfect precision is a matter of life and death, the minimalist dial of this professional diver’s watch is coated with Chromalight luminescent material, and features simple triangular, circular and rectangular hour markers, as well as hands of clearly defined size and shape. The hour markers and hands are filled or coated with Chromalight luminescent material, which emits a long-lasting blue light that is twice as bright as traditional phosphorescent material.