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Watches & Wonders Geneva 2026: Our Predictions From Rolex
Tomorrow, the horology industry’s biggest event of the year gets underway with the opening of Watches & Wonders 2026.
65 exhibitors from every point on the spectrum will be in attendance, making this the largest convention so far. It will mark the first appearance of Audemars Piguet at Geneva’s Palexpo Center, along with 10 other newcomers, among them BEHRENS, Credor, Sinn and Corum.
But, of course, the most eagerly anticipated new releases will be from Rolex. We actually did a very early ‘predictions’ article on what the crown might come out with way back in December. However, as is their usual plan of operations, the Friday before the show the brand drops a teaser video to its social media accounts giving just a hint of what we might really expect.
This year, we got meagre glimpses of a number of new watches, but it told us all just about enough to be able to judge exactly which way things are going to go.
100-Years of Waterproofing
As we mentioned in our Tudor Predictions article, 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Rolex’s sister company, bringing with it the likelihood of plenty of birthday celebrations. What you might not know is that 1926 was also a massively pivotal year for both Rolex itself and for the entire concept of the wristwatch—because that was the year the Oyster case was born.
It is impossible to downplay the importance of the Oyster. Before it, men hardly wore wristwatches at all, as the technology to secure them against the ingress of moisture and dust did not exist. The pocket watch was the accepted way for men to tell the time, the delicate internals protected by either a lid over the dial or by the fact they were kept tucked away in a vest—or usually both.
But Hans Wilsdorf’s development of the Oyster case, taking its name from the marine mollusk, changed all that. All at once, with the innovation of a bezel and back screwed down against a middle case, coupled with a revolutionary screw-in winding crown, the movement was thoroughly sealed and the watch as a whole became robust enough to rival pocket watches.
New For 2026?
Rolex were and still are justifiably proud of their accomplishment, arguably the most significant in the history of modern watchmaking, and the word ‘Oyster’ has accompanied the vast majority of their output ever since.
It stands to reason then that, on the centenary of that momentous invention, they would want to find some way to commemorate it; and that the theme of their 2026 Watches & Wonders show is ‘The Oyster Story’.
But what form is the celebration going to take? Well, the video released on Friday doesn’t give an enormous amount away. Only 15 seconds long, what it does show is a new variant of the Oyster Perpetual; the brand’s entry level model and the load bearer for just about every other watch in the collection.
The 2026 version looks like it is going to come with some anniversary-specific touches, which is to say a new Rhodium sunburst dial with the traditional ‘Swiss Made’ description beneath the six o’clock index replaced with ‘100 Years’, and the same marking on the crown. On the video, that six o’clock hour marker is a double baton, which is only present on the 36mm and 41mm models. Whether the other three sizes of the OP (28mm, 31mm and 34mm) will get anniversary versions remains to be seen.
The bigger question seems to be, what metal(s) is it going to be made from? On the visuals it does look as if there is some gold added to the Oyster Perpetual equation for the first time in a good long while. You just catch sight of a smooth gold bezel and that winding crown with its ‘100 Years’ legend is yellow gold too. The smart money seems to suggest it will be Rolesor rather than a solid gold model, but you never know.
One thing it didn’t show, but which some seasoned Rolex watchers have speculated on, is any hint of green. The color is close to the brand’s heart and usually finds its way onto the various anniversary watches in some form or another. Whether it turns up on the dial text or elsewhere we’ll have to wait and see (in about 24-hours!)
What Else is on the Teaser?
I mean, you have to be extremely sharp-eyed to get any more information out of the video, but some people are adamant they’ve cracked it.
One of the most exciting conjectures centers on the Daytona. The teaser does indeed show the underside of the Cosmograph, with its new sapphire case back revealing the Cal. 4131 in all its glory. What might be going on up front is the question and the presence of some subtle red lighting effects have led some to believe we’re getting a red dialed Daytona. It would be something of a first for the watch—the closest we’ve come in the past is a red rubellite dial during the Zenith era—so this could be massive. And the presence of that transparent case back could point to it either being on a platinum model or else the display backs are being rolled out across other metals.
Elsewhere we see a very close up view of a fluted bezel and the merest suggestion of a green ombré dial, possibly pointing at a new Datejust face. The Day-Date has been the spiritual home of the vignette-style dials lately, although we did get a red ombré on the 31mm Datejust last year, so seeing the effect expanded a little throughout the collection would be a welcome sight.
And the sight of some chronograph pushers, of a different type to the Daytona’s, has led to a flurry of internet forum comments along the lines of ‘welcome back Yacht-Master II’!
Looking at it (over and over and over again) it does, in fact, look like the online Sherlocks might have a point. There have only been two Rolex chronos in the modern era, and the Yacht-Master II is the other one. It was discontinued in 2024 due to both its somewhat challenging aesthetics and its extremely niche appeal. That being said, it was undoubtedly one of the most mechanically impressive watches of its time, with a programmable regatta countdown complete with a memory function. Whether or not the public reaction to its retirement has been vehement enough for Rolex to bring it back in a new form (if they even care about things like that) we’re going to find out on Tuesday!
As always, we’ll bring you detailed updates on all the new releases from Rolex and other manufactures as soon as they go live so be sure to check back in with us again soon.
Featured Photo: Mixed art by Oriol Mendivil for BKT Archive.
