The New Oyster Perpetual That Is Worth Double

Almost six months after Watches and Wonders, Rolex’s 2025 collection seems to have been well received, with new models trading at a premium on the secondary market.

This year, the brand had kept things subdued on the steel front, adding only a few dial colors to the Oyster Perpetual line.

Still, the new colors are a success, trading at a sizable premium on the preowned market, with the pistachio fetching twice retail.

Chrono24’s lowest listed prices for that reference in the U.S. (Screenshot: Chrono24.com)

The bigger story is the Land-Dweller, the newest collection, which was received by Rolex fans with both fascination and hesitation. Yet the model has quickly found strong acceptance: it now trades at more than $40,000, triple its retail price. Roger Federer, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise all have worn the watch in public.

The $37,400 yellow gold Daytona with a turquoise dial is currently trading at $120,000 in the U.S. Even the new 1908 with the Settimo gold bracelet is trading at a $10,000 premium.

For a company producing more than 1.2 million watches annually, sustaining this level of demand is no small feat. Rolex continues to do so despite wars in Europe and the Middle East, a strong franc, rising gold, slowing growth in China and weakening consumer sentiment. And credit must be given where it belongs. Render unto Rolex what is Rolex’s.

Rolex's Missed Solar Opportunity

(Rolex image, modified)

For the launch of the Land-Dweller project several years ago, Rolex’s office of general management tasked its design teams with creating a model that would share nomenclature with the Sea-Dweller and the Sky-Dweller.

If Coronet had been stuck in an elevator with Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour for any length of time, his pitch would have been for the Sun-Dweller: Rolex’s first solar-powered watch, a natural complement to the Sky- and Sea-Dweller.

The name may sound bold, even harmful to your health, but so are the seas and skies Rolex already chooses to dwell in. (At least, the name starts with an “S.”)

(Rolex image, modified)

After all, Rolex already loves the sun. The brand has installed over 10,000 square meters of solar panels across all its manufacturing sites. Tied to the Perpetual Planet Initiative, a solar-powered Rolex watch would speak to sustainability and remind us we live under the most powerful energy source in our system: the sun.

The timing couldn’t have been better. Leonardo DiCaprio, who joined the Rolex family just weeks before Watches and Wonders, would have been the perfect figure to introduce the Sun-Dweller.

Coronet has long argued DiCaprio—the most prominent actor to represent Rolex since Paul Newman—shouldn't be treated as just another brand ambassador. Instead, Rolex should mirror the Newman playbook, associating him with a single timepiece, one he wears consistently on red carpets, at environmental summits and on film sets, turning the model into an icon.

A fictitious ad for the Rolex Sun-Dweller. (Sony Pictures)

DiCaprio, a vocal advocate for renewable energy and an investor in several solar-focused companies, has called solar power “key to a future without fossil fuels.” Imagine if Rolex had tied that vision to a timepiece. (And if Mr. Dufour were looking for a technical challenge, why not launch the first solar-powered watch with a smooth-sweeping seconds hand?)

By linking the Sun-Dweller to DiCaprio, Rolex could have turned a new product into a symbol of environmental responsibility, putting the spotlight—literally—on the power of the sun.

With New Launch, Rolex Rethinks Women's Size

(Photo credit: Rolex)

When Rolex introduced the Land-Dweller collection at Watches and Wonders 2025, an unexpected detail Coronet noticed wasn’t the 5Hz movement or the use of white Rolesor. It was the size — and the person wearing it.

Yuja Wang, a classically trained pianist from China, also known for her daring fashion choices, was picked by the brand to debut the smallest size in Rolex’s new Classic collection: a still-noticeable 36mm. The Land-Dweller on the pianist’s slender wrist looked bold for a dress piece but not incongruous.

Information about Wang’s actual height is hard to come by. But in Coronet’s research, she’s often described by herself or interviewers as tiny, petite and slender, barely over five feet tall. That’s why the choice to launch a 36mm timepiece with an integrated bracelet on Wang’s wrist felt counterintuitive and a bit radical for Rolex.

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Still, the brand’s decision to select Wang comes at a time when the lines between masculine and feminine sizes are blurring across watch fashion.

While men’s preferences have been trending smaller, eschewing the 43mm Sea-Dweller, for example, women are embracing larger, more conspicuous designs. By choosing Wang to debut its latest model, Rolex is signaling that 36mm is no longer too small for men or too big for women, a message reinforced by the presence of 36mm watches in its professional lineup.

“There is a definite trend towards smaller case sizes for men, and it has been an ongoing trend towards women buying bigger case sizes,” said Brian Duffy, the CEO of the largest Rolex retailer in the U.K., Watches of Switzerland, in a recent interview on the Luxury Society Podcast. “And they converge in the middle,” he said.

Despite Going Upmarket, Rolex Still Offers Strong Value

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex’s climb upmarket has been reported by Coronet, marked by new releases with a stronger emphasis on gold, including at Watches and Wonders 2025 earlier this month. The new Land-Dweller 40 in white Rolesor, a blend of white gold and steel, is priced at $14,900. What’s less reported is how Rolex’s value compares today to other brands.

In the integrated-bracelet landscape, for example, dominated by Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, Rolex holds its own with a new, revolutionary movement. The Land-Dweller costs at least $10,000 less than models from those three brands, yet still delivers high-end finishing and a 5Hz caliber, offering higher frequency performance than its more expensive peers.

(Data: the brands)

The value proposition extends to its precious metal. The full-gold Cosmograph Daytona, for example, is priced at $47,000, a staggering $20,000 less than comparable offerings from Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin. Coronet reported last year how Rolex had aggressively priced its platinum 1908.

When asked about Rolex’s positioning in the market, the brand told Coronet it strives for perfection while offering what it believes is an “excellent rapport qualité prix” and a fair price for a watch built on “reliability, robustness, high performance and excellence.”

Is Tom Cruise Rolex’s Next Testimonee?

Tom Cruise. (Photo credit: tomcruisefan.com)

Watches and Wonders hadn’t ended when Tom Cruise was already photographed wearing the newly released Rolex Land-Dweller, making him one of the first people to be seen with the watch after Rolex Testimonees Roger Federer and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The appearance, captured on a London helipad on April 6, less than a week after the model’s launch, has Coronet wondering whether Cruise could be in line to become a Rolex brand ambassador.

Tom Cruise with the Land-Dweller. (Photo credit: tomcruisefan.com)

Cruise’s exclusive access was made all the more intriguing by his presence last summer at Wimbledon, where he was seated next to Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour and Arnaud Boetsch, the Communication and Image Director at Rolex, as first reported by Coronet. Boetsch, who has pioneered the brand’s entry into cinema, has been at Rolex longer than Dufour and is largely credited for bringing on Rolex's big fish, including Roger Federer.

More Gold Than Steel in New Releases Could Hint at a Trend

(Photo credit: Rolex)

Rolex kept things relatively quiet on the steel front this year, introducing just a few new dial colors (lavender, beige and pistachio) for its Oyster Perpetual line. Last year, the only steel release was a GMT-Master II with a black and grey bezel, a look already available in a two-tone version.

Most of the other updates focused on precious metals, including its cheapest Land-Dweller model, made in white Rolesor, Rolex’s combination of white gold and steel.

The gold focus hasn’t gone unnoticed by Coronet, prompting questions about whether it’s a strategy to move the brand upscale.

While precious-metal pieces have sold well since the post-Covid period, they could move more slowly now amid uncertainties in the global market.

The new Datejust 31 with red ombré dial. (Rolex)

Still, with each passing year, the number of precious-metal watches released by the brand has increased, while steel releases have become more rare. This begs the question whether Rolex is gradually moving further upmarket, not abandoning steel entirely, but possibly giving more attention to higher-end materials.

Rolex told Coronet it doesn’t quite see it that way. While acknowledging the strong presence of gold in this year’s releases, the brand points to the Oyster Perpetual line as an example of its ongoing commitment to steel. The company highlights its use of fresh dial colors and new finishes, especially on the OP 41. For now, at least, Rolex maintains that there’s no official shift in direction.

The new Daytona with bright green and golden dial. (Rolex)

3 Questions for Rolex's Head of Movements

Rolex’s new 7135 movement. (Photo credit: Rolex)

Frank Vernay serves as the Head of Movement Development at Rolex. Recently, Vernay has been instrumental in the development of the Dynapulse escapement, a groundbreaking mechanism equipping the Land-Dweller.

Where does the Dynapulse escapement stand in terms of progress in watchmaking?

The Dynapulse escapement constitutes a new technical signature for Rolex. It is a revolution in watchmaking while remaining true to our brand’s fundamental principles and traditions. This sequential distribution escapement particularly offers high energy efficiency, approximately 30 per cent more than a conventional Swiss lever escapement, while taking up no more space. Thanks to the Dynapulse escapement, Rolex can now extend the family of 71XX movements with the addition of a 5 Hz calibre.

The groundwork for this high-performance escapement began around 10 years ago. It has taken time for the project to mature and for us to get to where we are today, with a solution covered by a total of seven patent applications. Much of the work concentrated on simplifying the shape of the wheels and the impulse rocker so that these components could be made out of silicon. Fitting such a complex mechanism into the same space as a conventional Swiss lever escapement constituted a real technological challenge, as did the production and pre-assembly of the small components in silicon. Then, assembling the Dynapulse escapement in the calibre entailed a complete rethink of our movement manufacturing and assembly processes.

What were the challenges in increasing the movement frequency?

Increasing the frequency from 4 Hz to 5 Hz constitutes a major step for Rolex in the history of precision. The higher a movement’s frequency, the more quickly it consumes the energy supplied by the self-winding system. This energy consumption needed to be optimized.

We therefore completely redesigned the escapement, enabling us to offer the same power reserve as that of calibre 7140. Suitable solutions also had to be found to guarantee the movement’s reliability. The new rate also meant modifying our algorithms and measuring equipment. Additionally, we had to develop a diagnostic system to validate the functioning of the Dynapulse escapement in each assembled movement prior to casing, given that there is no longer any pallet stone adjustment as in a traditional Swiss lever escapement.

For the owner of the watch, what are the practical advantages in everyday wear?

A higher frequency confers greater stability to the rate of the watch in all circumstances. Robustness and reliability are enhanced, no matter the activity the wearer may be engaged in.

From Archive to Avant-Garde: Rolex Returns to the Future

(Watch photo credit: Rolex)

Elements from past decades, such as those from the 1970s or 1980s, often resurface in new forms without being nostalgic on purpose. In an interview with Coronet, Rolex acknowledged the integrated bracelet is in vogue today, but emphasized that the concept dates back to its own archives: the 1969 Rolex Quartz and a 1974 two-tone Datejust.

Rolex launched its latest collection on April 1 at exactly 12:01 a.m. Geneva time, a shift from the originally planned 8:30 a.m. The change came not from Rolex, but from Watches and Wonders, responding to requests from several brands aiming to hit the printing press before deadline while capturing both the U.S. market (still awake) and the Asian market (just starting their day).

A day before the official reveal, Roger Federer posted ski trip photos on Instagram, wearing the new Rolex on his wrist. A Rolex source told me it wasn’t part of a planned campaign, marking the first unscheduled reveal by a brand ambassador. “Nothing was officially coordinated,” the source said.

1969 Rolex Quartz (L) and 1974 Datejust (R). (Rolex)

Rolex told me the development of the new model stemmed from a challenge issued internally from the office of general management. The memo included a drawing of a futuristic city and a photo of a grassy cliff. The idea was that a new product would share nomenclature with the Sea-Dweller and the Sky-Dweller.

The challenge proposed by management aimed to push technical boundaries without compromising the brand’s four pillars: chronometric precision, power reserve, waterproofness and magnetic resistance.

Thinness was also a key requirement. Central to this ambition was a new movement years in the making: the calibre 7135, operating at a higher frequency of 5 Hz to better protect precision during everyday activities. Rolex described the new calibre to me as “a revolution in watchmaking performance.”

(Photo credit: Clement Entretemps)

Named the Land-Dweller, the new collection would reflect a philosophy of connection between the wearer and their environment. “Whether in the heart of the city or deep in the country,” Rolex said, “the Land-Dweller is a symbol of harmony between the wearer and their world.”

Rolex typically phases its releases, starting with precious metals before introducing steel. But Rolex seems serious about the Land-Dweller line: 10 variants launched simultaneously, in 36mm and 40mm sizes, offered in platinum, Everose gold and white Rolesor, with fluted or diamond-set bezel options.

The calibre took seven years to develop and required new machinery and custom industrial processes. With such investment behind it, Rolex signals this innovation is more than a one-off and will likely carry the movement beyond this debut collection.

3 Questions for Rolex's Head of Design

Davide Airoldi is the head of design at Rolex, where he leads a team of 18, including six core designers. He joined Rolex 16 years ago and played a key role in developing the new Land-Dweller — a project that began five years ago with a design brief from Rolex management.

The memo contained earthbound sources of inspiration — a line drawing of a futuristic city and an image of a grassy cliff. The idea was for a new product to share nomenclature with the Sea-Dweller and Sky-Dweller while honoring “those well-grounded men and women who build their own destinies,” according to Rolex. The brief also called for a modern watch inspired by the integrated bracelet designs of the ref. 5100 and ref. 1630.

What was the main aesthetic challenge in designing the Land-Dweller?

“A model to be inspired by our aesthetic heritage but looking to the future.” This was the brief for the design of the Land-Dweller. Finding a harmonious balance between these two worlds was certainly our biggest challenge. We came up with creative new codes without ever losing sight of the brand’s DNA or its style. At the same time, we integrated technical innovations from the Research and Development Division in the most refined and elegant way possible.

Why did you opt for alternate polished and satin finishes?

Our choice of alternate satin and polished finishes reprises an aesthetic code already present on a number of Classic models. The polished facets and chamfers alongside the flat, technical satin-finished surfaces produce a striking contrast that brings the Land-Dweller to life, with the multitude of reflections highlighting the watch’s refinement.

What are the benefits of a Rolex watch with an integrated bracelet?

In terms of comfort, the broader bracelet means that there is a larger area of contact with the wrist. The watch therefore sits more securely and is better positioned. In terms of appearance, the visual fluidity between the Flat Jubilee bracelet and the Oyster case lends great elegance to the Land-Dweller, which is as robust and reliable as other Rolex watches. Everything comes together to make this new watch an ideal timepiece for all occasions.

Rolex Quietly Retires Its Most Playful Watch

Tom Holland. (Photo credit: LADbible)

Rolex has officially discontinued its Oyster Perpetual “Celebration Dial,” just two years after its debut. Released in 2023, the watch featured a turquoise dial scattered with playful, multicolored bubbles.

Tom Holland wore it during a puppy interview with LADbible (above), while others like Lionel Messi, Tom Brady, Mark Wahlberg, Shah Rukh Khan, Timothée Chalamet and Conor McGregor were also spotted wearing the piece. With Rolex pulling the model in 2025, resale prices of those left on the market are expected to climb.

The move fits a recent Rolex pattern — releasing unique designs, then retiring them early — boosting desirability by setting a precedent for short production runs.