Rolex! A company you cannot miss if you follow Formula 1 or the endurance classics — 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona. Apart from being one of the top manufacturers in the world of horology, the Swiss watchmaker has been an avid supporter and contributor to the world of motorsport from as early as Sir Malcolm Campbell breaking the speed record in 1935. And one of the most famous watches Rolex makes, the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, is a watch dedicated to and named after the Daytona 24 Hours endurance race. It has been subtly updated for 2021, along with other watches like the Oyster Perpetual Explorer, Explorer II, Datejust 36, Day-date 36 and the Lady-Datejust. These models feature new finishes, materials and look more appealing than ever.
And of course, us being evo India, we are definitely going to talk about the Cosmograph Daytona first.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona came into being in 1963, to commemorate the company’s affiliation with the iconic racetrack and the 24 hour race in the USA. It has also been the watch awarded to every winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans ever since. Which is one of the reasons it is such a special watch for us enthusiasts, allowing us to partake in the experience of something so sacred. Interesting side note about the Daytona watches, Paul Newman's Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona watch was auctioned for a mind boggling `130.8 crores ($17.8 million). That makes it not only the most expensive Rolex ever sold, but also the most expensive watch to ever be sold.
The Cosmograph Daytona for 2021 is available in three casing options, 18-carat yellow, white and Everose gold all of which are 40mm in size. The watches now feature a meteorite dial with silver accents on the white gold model and colour matched accents in the yellow and Everose gold finishes. The white gold model also gets the Oysterflex bracelet, an elastomer strap at the core of which lies a metal blade that increases rigidity. The yellow gold and Everose gold models get the classic three-link Oyster bracelet (metal strap that is common to the Oyster Perpetual range) in the respective finish. The Cosmograph Daytona features a tachymetric scale and is equipped with the calibre 4130 self-winding movement system. The white gold Cosmograph Daytona will cost `24.61 lakh and the yellow gold model will cost `29.61 lakh. The price for the Everose model is available on request only.
The Explorer range of watches have always been known for their rugged build, capable of tolerating extreme temperatures while still looking sleek and elegant. The 2021 models are no different. What is different, however, is the fact that Rolex has gone back to using a 36mm case ditching the 39mm size that was used up until now. The Explorer is available in two finishes – Oystersteel and yellow gold. Another new addition on the Explorer is that of a two-tone gold and steel finish. Previously the Explorers were available exclusively in stainless steel The stainless steel Explorer is priced at `4.61 lakh while the new two-tone gold and steel finish will set you back `7.8 lakh. In terms of movement, it uses the calibre 3230 movement system which was introduced in 2020. Then there is the Explorer II which uses a larger 42mm case. Celebrating its 50th birthday, the Swiss horologist has decided not to tinker with the Explorer II’s design too much and has only changed the gloss black hands for matte black hands and has added a higher-spec calibre 3285 movement system. The Explorer II is available in two finishes as well, one with a white dial and the other with a black dial, both of which cost `6.13 lakh. Unlike the 36mm Explorer the Explorer II also features a 24-hour bezel.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust uses a 36mm case and is available in a variety of finishes and materials. The range is kicked off with the Datejust 36 which uses the Oystersteel body and features a palm motif dial that can be had in colours like olive green or blue. Then there is the Oystersteel and gold (yellow, white or Everose) casing which uses a fluted motif dial. In terms of movement, the Datejust 36 uses the calibre 3235 movement system. Prices for the 2021 Datejust 36 start at `5.07 lakh.
The 2021 range also includes new Lady-Datejust that is available in a 28mm casing with white gold or yellow gold case/strap configurations. The watch with the dial, bezel and strap features a whopping 1089 diamonds in total. Movement is provided by Rolex’s calibre 2236 system. Last year saw the Oyster Perpetual receive updates in the colour and bling department and this time around, the Day-Date 36 gets the diamond treatment. It gets a 36mm case in yellow gold, white gold or Everose gold. The Day-Date 36 features Roman numerals that are coral coloured on the yellow gold model, turquoise on the white gold and burgundy on the Everose gold model. The coloured Roman numerals are complemented by matching coloured alligator leather straps. Pricing for the new Lady-Datejust and Day-Date 36 models are available on request.
The watches mentioned above are specced the way Rolex designed them but considering the top dollar you will be spending on your watch, Rolex allows you to configure your watch to make it better suited to your liking and that is something you should definitely try doing.