Rolex takes centre stage at Watches & Wonders

IT WAS THE SHOW EVERYONE was waiting for. As expected, Rolex stole it with its debut at Watches & Wonders. Along with other new watches, it rolled out six key pieces which not only wowed everyone, but also shone the light of optimism and innovation on the watchmaking world.

There were surprises - including a big one none would have guessed, even in the wildest of imaginations. Yet one thing stays the same: The new collection again reflects Rolex's constant push to up its game to produce timepieces of higher precision, greater reliability and better design.

Oyster Perpetual Air-King

Six years ago, the Air-King was overhauled and a new dial modelled on aircraft instruments came to redefine the watch. The dial had a distinctive black face, a combination of 3, 6 and 9 numerals marking the hours and a prominent minute scale for navigational time readings. The new generation Air-King is now given a retouch. The dial is made easier to read and more balanced with a "0" added before "5" on the minutes scale. Each 5-minute interval is, therefore, now marked by 2 digits. To make the timepiece more legible in the dark, the hands and triangular hour marker at 12 o'clock now features Chromalight display, an optimised luminescent material which provides a longer-lasting intense glow. This material is also applied to the 3, 6 and 9 numerals, previously made from white gold. A crown guard is also included in the refreshed watch. Price: S$10,140.

Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II

Hands down, this was the hottest watch presented at Watches & Wonders 2022. The 2 time-zone travel timepiece first appeared in 1955 with a blue-red bezel. The bidirectional rotatable steel bezel of the original model has a 24-hour graduated insert, made from Plexiglass (later replaced by aluminium). It continues to be popular and, in more recent years, has acquired a ceramic bezel with an insert of the same hard material. Apart from red and blue, the GMT-Master II's bezel has also appeared in red and black, all black, all green, blue and black, as well as black and brown. So it's not hard to conceive of it in black and green in the new GMT-Master II, given that green colour is all the rage at the moment with watch buyers. Yet, while the latest Rolex travel watch attached with a striking black and green bezel could have been anticipated, nobody would have seen a left-handed model coming. The crown of the timepiece is on the left side of the case and the date aperture at 9 o'clock - a first for Rolex. Even Rolex calls the timepiece an "unexpected version". Price: S$15,240 (Oyster bracelet), S$15,540 (Jubilee bracelet).

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Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40

The only Rolex model to be cast exclusively from precious metals - yellow, white and Everose gold, or platinum. When the Day-Date was introduced in 1956, it was the world's first calendar timepiece to indicate the date and the day of the week spelt out in full in an arc-shaped window at 12 o'clock on the dial. As the ice-blue dial indicates, the new 40mm wide Day-Date watch is encased in the noblest material - the 950 platinum. And it features a fluted bezel, a first for the model. A key Rolex's aesthetic heritage, this striking component - found only on some of the brand's classic models - has until now been made in gold; in the new Day-Date watch it's in platinum. As platinum is challenging to work with, to have produced a fluted bezel with sparkling surfaces in this material was a technical feat.

Price on application.

Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40

The bezel of this new gem-set model is decked with diamonds and sapphires in blue, silver and pink tones to reflect the aurora borealis and the glow of dawn. The dial's unique sparkle is enhanced by a triangular diamond at 12 o'clock. The 40mm white gold case - a first for the model - shines with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds from the lugs to the crown guard.

Price on application.

Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31

A Rolex classic first rolled out in 1945, this timeless model comes in 3 new versions this year with dials in 3 finishes - one each for 3 timepieces: sunray, matt and grained. The dials, framed in a 31mm case (Oystersteel and white gold, yellow gold and Oystersteel and Everose gold), display a flower motif in 3 different colours - azzurro blue, olive green and silver. The watches are examples of refined dial-making expertise, requiring high-technology finishing techniques.

Price: S$13,950 (Oystersteel and white gold), S$57,250 (yellow gold), S$26,850 (Oystersteel and Everose gold).

Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 42

After appearing uniquely in white gold, the watch built for navigators and skippers now also comes in yellow gold. The latest 42mm model, like the original launched in 1992, includes a bidirectional rotatable bezel and a ceramic insert with an elevated graduation. It's worn with Rolex's Oysterflex bracelet which is robust and reliable as well as flexible, stylish and comfortable on the wrist. Time is also easier to read on the new watch, because the markers and hands now feature Chromalight display, an optimised luminescent material that glows stronger and lasts longer in daylight.

Price: S$39,240.