Rolex At Baselworld 2016: A Look At The New Releases Including The Stainless Daytona With Ceramic Bezel, Everose Yacht-Master And 40mm Air-King
The guessing is finally over, with months of predictions – some way off – as to what Rolex are going to be realising at this year’s Baselworld. One rumour that certainly wouldn’t go away for months prior to the event was the release of the steel Daytona with the ceramic bezel, a relief to see it introduced by Rolex for many I’m sure. Some, however, will come as a nice surprise to all Rolex fans out there, the likes of the 40mm Air-King and the everose Yacht-master. Take a look below at a roundup of watches available to buy later in the year:
Rolex Air-King – 40mm Stainless Steel
Rolex unveiled a brand new iteration of the Air-King, with a 40mm case in 904L steel. The new model features a black dial with a combination of large Arabic numerals and a minute scale for navigational time readings. The dial also bears the original “Air-King” writing, in the same font that was designed for the 1950s model, together with the green and yellow “Rolex” logo.
This Air-King carries the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015, ensuring singular performance on the wrist. The Air-King carries the calibre 3131, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. It’s manufacturing quality makes it singularly precise and reliable. The calibre 3131 is equipped with a self-winding module featuring a perpetual rotor and offers a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.
The Air-King features Rolex’s an Oyster case, with guaranteed to a depth of 100 meters (or 330 feet).
Retail Price: £4150
Model Number: 116900
Rolex Yacht-Master
Rolex is introducing a new version of the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master for the first time in Everose Rolesor (a combination of 904L Steel and 18k Everose gold) with a chocolate dial. The Yacht-Master’s Oyster case is guaranteed to a depth of 100 metres, and is crafted from a solid block of corrosion-resistant 904L steel. The Yacht-Master 40 is equipped with a calibre 3135, a self-winding mechanical movement developed entirely by Rolex that offers a power reserve of approximately 48 hours.
Retail Price: £9350
Model Number: 116621
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona – Stainless Steel Ceramic Bezel
Rolex have released the watch that potentially everyone has been waiting for since the 2013 50th anniversary of the Cosmograph Daytona. To pretty much round off the Daytona range, we finally have a steel model with a black ceramic bezel bringing back the familiar look that we first saw in 1965 with the 6240 and the 6263.
So what’s new? Well ultimately it is the same watch as the 2015 Daytona, though adding to the black ceramic bezel, the white-dial version now features black rings instead of silver above the sub dials. The watch is still 40mm and still features the calibre 4130.
Apart from looking great, what are the benefits of the Cerachrom bezel? Well, its corrosion resistant, scratch-proof, and doesn’t allow UV rays to pass through, which means no patina.
The watch is a certified Superlative Chronometer, which brings the accuracy to -2/+2 seconds a day. The watch will also – like all Rolex since July 2015 – come with a 5 year warranty. Finally, the new Daytona model number is 116500LN.
Retail Price: £8250
Model Number: 116500LN
Rolex Day-Date 40 60th Anniversary
The grandaddy of the Rolex range, the Rolex Day-Date 40 “president” turns 60 years old in 2016, and Rolex have released a new watch to celebrate the occasion. Last year, Rolex refreshed the Day-Date by giving it a new 3255 movement and a 40mm, now it’s getting a Rolex-green dial for its anniversary year. Both pieces will come in either white gold or everose gold. The last time we saw a Rolex Day-Date with a green dial was back in 2013, with the 36mm version on a green leather band.
Of course, the Rolex Day-Date will come with the iconic President bracelet in either white gold or everose. Looking at the dial, on the everose version the hands and (roman numeral) hour markers are done in 18k rose gold, whereas the white gold version will have matching white gold hour makers and hands.
Retail Price: £25100.
Model Number: 228235
Rolex Explorer 214270
The Explorer – Rolex’s most recognisable and enticing entry-level model has had a subtle upgrade, easily missed with the hype surrounding the new ceramic-bezeled Daytona. Whilst the reference number remains unchanged as 214270, a closer look suggests a refresh against the current model, announced in 2010. The 2016 Explorer keeps the 39mm sizing, as well as their 904L steel. The movement too stays the same, using Rolex’s 3132 Superlative Chronometer automatic movement with 48 hours of power reserve.
The only real noticeable change to the Explorer is a set of fully lumed numerals and a resized handset. Whilst a small change, lume is important and should be an integral element in the Explorer’s design considering the sporting and flexible intention of this particular model. The eagle-eyed of you will also notice the slightly updated handset, which is now slightly larger overall and features a longer minute hand. The previous version had a minute hand that was not terrible, but not really in proportion, so this is a welcome upgrade.
Retail Price: £4300
Model Number: 214270
View our predictions for Rolex at Baselworld 2017.
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