Rolex's highly anticipated Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller, the patent-packed new watch that's already a favourite of Testimonee Roger Federer, is finally here
Rolex, one of the most famous of all watch brands
Style was on-hand for an exclusive preview of the Land-Dweller, a thoroughly modern model that will surely become one of the most hotly discussed timepieces of the whole show.
Until this moment, Rolex had always kept the next development in its famous Oyster Perpetual range tightly under wraps. Now we know that the new Land-Dweller packs a whopping 32 new patent applications and patents: 18 exclusive to this watch, with 16 of them involving the movement and one each for the dial and bracelet. This is all elegantly encased in a 40mm platinum and Rolesor (combining Oystersteel and white gold) case, or a 36mm 18k Everose gold case set with diamonds.
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The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller in its 36mm diamond-set Everose gold guise. Photo: Handout
Both models come with the brand-new Flat Jubilee integrated bracelet – a design with echoes of the 1969 and 1974 Datejust models that first introduced the integrated bracelet style to Rolex.
The modern aesthetics of the Land-Dweller speak to the entrepreneur type, a client who appreciates a flowing silhouette with an unbroken line from bracelet to watch case, and the combination of polished and satin finishes creating a play of light. The wider bracelet is built for comfort, with an intricate and discreet mechanism joining the case to the strap, giving 90-degree movement in the hinge – an innovation that is among the patent applications.
The use of reflected light, so visible on the bracelet, is continued onto the bezel. The 1908 Perpetual, launched in 2023, possesses a densely packed bezel of 180 flutes; this has been reduced to 60 flutes for the Land-Dweller, creating a more open pattern that catches the light in a very architectural way. The luxurious trapeze-cut diamonds on the Everose iteration Ref. 127286 and platinum Ref. 127386 add to the sparkle, with the overall aesthetic being clean and contemporary.
Rolex testimonee and tennis legend Roger Federer wearing the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller. Photo: Handout
A honeycomb pattern decorates the dials – a motif echoed on the second hand – while the ice blue dial is Rolex's signature colour for its platinum models. The hour markers are open-ended, while the font used for the 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock is a close cousin to that on Rolex's Explorer range.
The Land-Dweller is a flagship of design and development that will launch a new generation of Rolex watches. This is especially noticeable in the development of the new movement, calibre 7135, which Rolex says is an evolution of the calibre 7140 in its 1908 model.
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