The Exclusive World of Rolex

The Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual is arguably the most iconic watch in the world, but this should not lead anyone to believe that Rolex is all about style and status without substance. Although the brand’s watches are widely imitated, they are rarely measured up to. Take the new Oyster Perpetual Date Just II, newly released in the a long-awaited stainless steel version. It is made not just of any kind of steel but tough, 904L steel. How tough? You could be frozen, beaten, submerged in 1,000 feet of seawater, incinerated or shot at, and your watch would survive, even if you didn’t. The bezel is Cerachrom, a patented high-tech ceramic that is developed in-house by Rolex from a single block of corrosionresistant ceramic. In fact, Rolex manufactures all of the materials in this watch at its facility in Switzerland, where it also alloys and refines its own gold – called Rolesor – and manufactures its own dials and movements. All Rolex watches are certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres (COSC), which tests each watch and movement for waterresistance, durability and accuracy.

Another recent introduction, the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, created a stir among collectors when it was released. The Cosmo Daytona was originally introduced in 1963 and has not been updated since 2000, when it received a new, column-wheel movement. New in the latest model, sure to become a collector’s item, is a proprietary cerachrom bezel and a high-tech parachrom hairspring, allowing elapsed time to be measured to 1/8th of a second.

There is plenty of substance behind the flash of the world’s most recognizable watch brand The exclusive world of

Lady Datejust in white gold, with appliqued floral motif.

The new Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona.

The visibility of Rolex as the world’s most recognizable status watch for men should not overshadow the brand’s recent innovations in the ladies’ segment. Rolex’s new Datejust collection is a perfect example of how the brand has both remained on the forefront of innovation and yet retained its iconic look – including signature elements of the line such as logo crown, Cyclops date window with magnifying lens and distinctive case and bracelet design. All of these elements can be found on the new Ladies’ Datejust. New, ultra-feminine elements include applied floral motifs, gypsy-set diamonds on the bezels and color options that include purple or green dials. In short, this year Rolex has introduced one of the most decorative ladies’ collections on the market.

The applied floral motifs on the dials are produced using an electroforming technique involving a deposition of either rhodium, yellow gold or pink gold over a pattern created from a metal plate. The flowers, aside from identifying the watch unquestionably as a ladies’ style, add dimension and volume to the dial. The PVD technique used to color the flowers as well as the purple dial (available on rose or white gold models) and the olive green dial (available on the yellow gold model) are exclusive to Rolex and patented.

The brand’s gem setting is also performed in-house. The bezels on the new Datejust are set with 24 diamonds that are gypsy-set or 46 diamonds in a single row, and the Roman numeral at 6 o’clock are also diamond set. All setting takes place at Rolex’s Chêne-Bourg site, located in the eastern part of the canton of Geneva – one of four Rolex manufacturing sites in Switzerland. This facility is home to the brand’s in-house gemology department and houses all Rolex activities linked to dial creation and manufacture, including jewelry and gem setting. The iconic Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual.

The Rolex Yachtmaster II. Lady Datejust in steel and Everose Rolesor, with gypsy set diamonds on the bezel.