New watch coming to Rolex March 26

You know when BaselWorld is coming when Rolex unveils it teasers. These last few years Rolex posts on their webpage and YouTube channel teaser videos slowly revealing their soon to be released watches. In past years, Rolex posted teaser videos for the updated Yachtmaster II, the updated Explorer and Explorer II, the SkyDweller among other Rolex watches. This year is no different with Rolex posting a 15 second video to their YouTube channel providing clues and possibly red herrings on their soon to be released watch.

Viewing the YouTube clip slowly provides some possible clues. The clip starts with a ring superimposed on a cement wall. The ring is divided into four quadrants potentially illustrating a caseback, or an allusion to North, South, East, West signifying travel, similar to clues found in the SkyDweller sneak peak video posted a few years ago. The clip then changes scenes showing a pool, cement walls, with the moon prominently shown. Water, always a literary symbol for re-birth, juxtaposed with the moon and dark overtones may indicate a new watch with a moon-phase. Rolex has not had a moon-phase watch since the late1940’s.

The video continues to provide clues by first showing a quick glimpse of the 9:00 o’clock side profile of the watch showing a domed crystal and no cyclops. Other than the DeepSea, Rolex has no other domed sapphire crystalled watch. Domed crystals were on the plexi-glassed/acrylic Submariners prior to when Rolex utilized sapphire crystals. The video then continues showing the 3:00 o’clock profile that for Rolex cognoscenti, unveil plenty of clues when the video is watch in slow speed. The 3:00 o’clock side profile shows no crown-guards indicating that it is not a sport watch. Additionally, there are no dots on the crown indicating a 100 meter TwinLoc crown found on DateJusts, Skydwellers, Milgauss, and the Explorer watches. The third clue is that the bezel is serrated like a DateJust bezel, not scalloped like the bezels found on the Submariners and SeaDwellers. Lastly, the caseback profile appears to be a 100 meter flat caseback found on the GMTs, Explorer, and DateJust watches.

All these clues point to a possible new category of dress watch. Some have commented that the watch has a slight red-tinge to it signifying an Everrose dress watch. Many of Rolex’s new watches, with notable exception of the updated Explorers and DeepSea, start with a first release of the watch in 18K gold. The first updated GMT’s (166710), Submariner, Yachtmaster, and SkyDweller were only available in gold when first introduced.

Continue to follow the World of Rolex YouTube channel as the company is known for lengthening the videos, or showing other teaser details all the way up to the watch’s unveiling at press day, the day before the BaselWorld opening. Every year there are Rolex naysayers after the Basel release, but no one will criticize a domed sapphire crystal. Using domed-sapphire is a marked departure from the customary Rolex sapphire flat crystal with a cyclops over the date window. Looks like some exciting days lay ahead and will all know on March 26th.