Color explosions, new materials, re-engineered mechanics, and 100 years of the Oyster: the new watches Rolex introduced at Watches and Wonders 2026 included a bit of everything and a lot of fun.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36: an eye-catching explosion of color
Certainly the most visible watch of the entirety of Watches and Wonders 2026 was the brand-new Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 with its funky explosion of lacquered color. While this is not the first time Rolex has surprised us with a colorfully unconventional dial (think back to 2023 and the Oyster Perpetual Celebration with its vibrant balloons decorating the dial), it was perhaps unexpected this year for two reasons. The first reason being that Rolex rarely does what you think it’s going to do – so it was wholly unclear whether the brand would celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of its treasured Oyster model. The second reason being because we already had a colorful, unexpected Rolex or two in the last five years, at least I would have expected not to see any more so soon. I am glad I was wrong because this watch is very engaging.
The dial of this stainless-steel Oyster Perpetual 36 is decorated with the so-called Jubilee motif, a jazzy, multicolored repeating monogram of the word “Rolex.” It is based on the Jubilee motif introduced in 1978 in a monochrome gold tone on the dial of a 36 mm Day-Date. That monochrome vintage motif was different from this one, which features no less than ten different bright hues. The intense lacquers are pad-printed, but not all at once, leaving plenty of room for error and much need for the kind of precision in which Rolex excels.
This new Oyster Perpetual 36 is powered by automatic Caliber 3230 with 70 hours of power reserve.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41: the 100th anniversary watch
The real celebration watch is a Oyster Perpetual 41 in a striking stainless steel and yellow gold Rolesor combination (Rolesor is the Rolex word for combining steel and gold in one watch). The smooth bezel and fluted crown are crafted in yellow gold, while the rest of the case and bracelet are in stainless steel. This is unusual as Rolex typically presents the center links of the bracelet of a two-tone watch in the gold material as well.
On this watch we find many elements celebrating the centenary of the model family: the crown features the number “100” in relief; the slate-colored dial bears an inscription “100 years” in place of the usual “Swiss made” designation at 6 o’clock; and each five-minute interval is denoted by a green square – the color also used for the word “Rolex” on this dial. All in all, an attractive proposition that fittingly celebrates the centennial.
Certified by the freshly strengthened in-house Superlative Chronometer, this watch is also powered by the very efficient automatic Caliber 3230 with its Chronergy escapement.
Rolex Day-Date 40 with aventurine dial
This new version of the Rolex Day-Date in 40 mm has two outstanding characteristics. One is the brand-new 18-karat gold called Jubilee gold, which is made of a new alloy comprising gold, copper, palladium, zinc, and silver. This gold alloy comes from the brand’s own R&D team and foundry, a skill few brands can boast. The gold hue is clearly neither, white, yellow, or rose, though I find it has more restrained rose tones than anything else.
This new alloy is not the only special characteristic: this Rolex Day-Date 40’s particularly attractive dial is crafted in a light green aventurine stone. The watch industry uses aventurine a lot for special dials, but only in very limited cases is it ever made of the singular stone that carries the same name as the man-made glass invented in Murano. The aventurine stone dial is further enhanced with the addition of eleven baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers.
The Rolex Day-Date 40 is powered by automatic Caliber 3255.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona
Rolex only introduced one new version of its popular Daytona chronograph at Watches and Wonders 2026, and it features a combination of metals that Rolex calls Rolesium (stainless steel with platinum elements). The platinum bezel ring frames an anthracite-colored Cerachrom bezel with a metallic sheen, which frames the white enamel dial. Both the enamel dial and the Rolesium case are firsts in the Rolex Daytona collection.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona chronograph is powered by automatic Caliber 4131.
Rolex Yacht-Master II
The freshly updated Rolex Yacht-Master II, now the most complicated watch in the Rolex collection, makes a comeback with a redesigned countdown function that makes it much easier for sailors to read and use it. Now placed on the flange rather than the bezel, the sailor uses the function with the two pushers on the sides of the stainless steel or 18-karat yellow gold case; while these two pushers make the watch look like a chronograph (which does use a chronograph movement!), they are used to control the countdown functionality. The countdown minute and second hands turn counterclockwise (a first for Rolex) to make the countdown more clearly legible. This system replaces the old Ring Command system, making it far easier to use and much more intuitive to both use and read.
The Yacht-Master II was first presented in 2007 with the Ring Command system and is now re-introduced with this mechanical upgrade for better usability. It is powered by automatic chronograph Caliber 4162, an evolution of Caliber 4161 from the previous model.
Rolex Datejust 41
The latest Rolex Datejust 41 comes in white Rolesor (stainless steel and white gold) and offers the brand’s most emblematic color – green – in a lacquer that is featured here in a gradient style (which Rolex calls ombré) that becomes black toward the periphery.
The Rolex Datejust 41 is powered by automatic Caliber 3235, which also carries the Superlative Chronometer certification.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 28 and 34
Two new Rolex Oyster Perpetual arrives in 28 mm yellow gold with a green dial and 34 mm rose gold (which Rolex calls Everose) with a blue dial. Both dials feature natural stone hour markers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, a premier for Rolex: heliotrope stone for the 28 mm version and dumortierite stone for the 34 mm watch.
Both watches are powered by automatic Caliber 2232, famous for its Syloxi silicon balance spring.
While these watches won’t all land at retail immediately, they are all slated to arrive in 2026.
