New Release: 2024 Rolex Deepsea Is A 322g Dive Watch In Yellow Gold

After exploring the wise lightness of titanium in dive watches with the Yacht-Grasp 42 in RLX Titanium, Rolex does the surprising and presents the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea 136668LB in 18k yellow gold. It’s surprising for various causes, so let’s dig proper in.

First, Rolex watches, particularly these from current years, have positively drifted from the showy method the model, and the bigger watch business, offered within the ’90s and ’00s, and refocused on inherent performance and conceptual integrity. Sure, all that occurred properly throughout the realms of poseur luxurious merchandise, so do take that assertion with a pinch of salt — however it was a optimistic and tasteful improvement, however. We began seeing new watches in RLX Titanium, or when in gold, they have been fitted with cozy and sturdy Oysterflex elastomer straps, and we found spectacular developments in motion applied sciences and sturdiness, too. It felt like Rolex was on its monitor again to its roots, which might be superbly made, useful, strong device watches — albeit with out eradicating the thick veneer of luxurious it has placed on over the past seven many years.

The brand new-for-2024 Rolex Deepsea in yellow is surprising as a result of it flies within the face of that method by being a 3,900m (12,800ft), 44mm vast dive watch wrapped in 18k yellow gold, with a completely large 18k yellow gold bracelet connected to it. For individuals who are but to put on a strong gold watch on a gold bracelet: These items are shockingly heavy. Ridiculously so. Uselessly so  That’s a utilitarian method, and there’s a extra subjective one: Style. A easy description, I’m positive, would suffice, however wanting on the new 136668LB will persuade you that this properly and actually is what Stallone would have worn in 2004 — however, fortunately, we’re in 2024, not 2004, and watch collectors appear to have modified their reference level since then.

Assembly Rolex throughout our presence right here at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024 we realized that the Yacht-Grasp II — your complete assortment — has been discontinued from 2024. It goes with out saying that there nonetheless is a powerful marketplace for giant gold watches, and this extremely unlikely configuration could be it for Rolex. Sure, the Submariner has been round for over 50 years in gold, however it has all the time been quite a bit narrower and thinner than the Deepsea, making it that rather more wearable.

In different information, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea is known as simply that, gone is the Sea-Dweller designation. The inside Ringlock high-performance compression ring system is now crafted from Cerachrom ceramic — it’s principally that flange ring that frames the dial and lies underneath the crystal. As such, it completely matches the blue Cerachrom bezel, which is reserved completely for gold and two-tone Rolesor watches, it’s by no means on an Oystersteel piece.

The large Oyster bracelet in 18k yellow gold additionally depends on ceramic, ceramic inserts to be particular, which isn’t new from Rolex — it debuted in 2015 on the Day-Date — and makes the bracelet that rather more supple and but immune to stretching. The bracelet is provided with the Oysterlock security clasp which, in flip, contains a Rolex Glidelock tool-free 20mm extension system crafted from strong 18k gold — in all probability the good, most covetable element of the brand new Rolex Deepsea in yellow gold.

The motion that enjoys the three,900m (12,800ft) water resistance is The Rolex Caliber 3235 which might be acquainted to these with a date-equipped, bigger Rolex watch. It runs at 4Hz over the course of its 70-hour energy reserve and is provided with the extremely environment friendly Chronergy escapement, Parachrom hairspring, and Paraflex shock absorbers. The caseback is in RLX Titanium, which isn’t one thing one would anticipate to see paired with 18k yellow gold from Rolex’s personal gold foundry.

A bonkers watch entrance to again, the brand new Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea 136668LB in 18k yellow gold is priced at CHF 49,900 Swiss francs. You may be taught extra on the model’s web site.