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CollectionsMar 22, 2018
Live from Basel: 5 New Watches from Rolex
Take a look at the GMT-Master II in steel with the “Pepsi” bezel and a sapphire-set Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona.
The 18-karat rose gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona with a rainbow of 36 baguette-cut sapphires on the bezel is among the new watches introduced by the brand at Baselworld.
Basel--Rolex introduced a handful of new Oyster models at the Baselworld show, including a GMT-Master II in steel with the “Pepsi” bezel and a sapphire-set Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona.
See five Baselworld introductions from Rolex in the slideshow below.
Instead of the typical tachymetric scale, this new 40 mm Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona is set with a rainbow of 36 baguette-cut sapphires, with 11 sapphire hour markers and 56 brilliant-cut diamonds in the lugs and crown guard. The watch is powered by the caliber 4130 movement, with a power reserve of about 72 hours ($96,900 retail).
The case sides and lugs of the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 have been redesigned, and the new watches are equipped with the caliber 3235 movement for the first time. The movement has a power reserve of 70 hours. The rose gold and steel model with Roman numerals pictured above retails for 10,400 Swiss francs (about $10,983).
The new versions of the smaller Datejust, the Datejust 31, come in 18-carat white gold with a mother-of-pearl dial; 18-karat yellow gold with a malachite dial (pictured, about $44,405 retail); and 18-karat rose gold with a diamond pave dial inlaid with pink mother-of-pearl butterflies. They are powered by the caliber 2236 movement for the first time, which has a power reserve of 55 hours.
The new Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea in steel is a 44 mm watch with redesigned lugs and sides and a wider bracelet. For the first time, the Oyster Deepsea is powered by the caliber 3235 movement, which has a power reserve of about 70 hours. The model pictured here, with the D-blue dial, retails for 12,000 Swiss francs (about $12,656).
One of the brand’s most anticipated introductions, the new Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II is available in steel on the Jubilee bracelet with a bi-directional rotating bezel in red and blue Cerachrom, aka the “Pepsi” bezel. The 40 mm watch is powered by the new caliber 3285 with a 70-hour power reserve. The suggested retail for the steel GMT-Master II is 8,800 Swiss francs ($9,250).
The past 10 months have served as a testament to the collectability, and desirability, of the 113-year-old Swiss brand, with two one-of-a-kind Rolex watches going for millions at auction and another rare timepiece set for sale in Geneva this spring.
The Rolex Daytona that once belonged to Paul Newman (and is the reason that particular model now has the name it does) went for nearly $18 million at Phillips in October, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction.
Last May, the black-dialed, one-of-a-kind “Bao Dai” Rolex sold for $5 million, also at Phillips.
And this May, Phillips will offer another rare Rolex, the only known white gold manual-winding Cosmograph Daytona ever produced. Referred to as “The Unicorn,” the pre-sale estimate on the watch is about $3 million.
Editor's note: This story was altered post-publication to included updated pricing information.
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