12-04-2025
Rolex Launches New Land-Dweller At Watches And Wonders 2025
The Rolex Land-Dweller in Everose gold with diamonds.
Rolex doesn't have to do much to dominate coverage of any show of luxury watch introductions – one little tweak of an iconic case design is usually enough to break the internet. But Rolex earned its extensive coverage following the 2025 Watches and Wonders fair held April 1-7 in Geneva, with a new collection. The Land-Dweller is the first new Rolex collection in decades, except for the 1908, launched in 2023.
The Rolex Land-Dweller in platinum.
The Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller is a companion title to the Sea-Dweller and Sky-Dweller lines that completes the triumvirate, but it's less sporty than the other two. The watch is a master class in gender-neutral design, with enough edge and technical prowess to make it masculine and a size (there is a 36 mm option, in addition to the 40 mm size) and elegance that will appeal to women. The integrated bracelet, a restyled Jubilee design with flatter links, and honeycomb-motif dial give it a sport/dress aesthetic that leans toward the dress side. The fluted bezel on a 40 mm model keeps it sporty, but the optional diamond bezel 36 mm makes it the perfect ladies' watch.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with turquoise dial.
The new movement positions it firmly in the category of high watchmaking. It is the brand's first in-house high-frequency caliber, running at 36,000 vph (5 Hz) compared to the usual 28,800 vph (4 Hz), the significance of which is that the higher the frequency, the more reliable and shock-resistant the movement becomes. Because a higher frequency can also cause wear, high-beat movements usually contain wear-resistant silicon components, and this one does. Caliber 7135 has something called a Dynapulse escapement, an alternative to the traditional Swiss lever escapement that is made mainly with silicon components, which make it lightweight, energy efficient and insensitive to magnetic fields. There is also a ceramic balance staff and Paraflex shock absorbers which make the movement robust despite its slim proportions (the watch, cased, is only 9.8 mm thick). It holds 16 patent applications. Prices are: 36 mm steel and white gold, $13,900 or 40 mm $14,900; 36 mm Everose gold with diamonds, $88,300; 40 mm platinum, $63,500.
There is a supple new bracelet on the Rolex 1908.
The tweaks in other collections are just as newsworthy. The GMT-Master II was given a new ceramic dial in green to match the daytime half of the black and green day/night ceramic bezel, with an 18k white gold case.
Rolex Datejust 31 with red ombre dial.
Rolex continues its fun application on the on dials of its Oyster Perpetual, adding a muted lavender (on a 28 mm version), sandy beige (on a 36 mm) and pistachio green (on a 41 mm), all in shiny lacquer – the high-end fashion version of Rolex that extends the brand's wide appeal and further opens the door to female buyers.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual with lavender dial.
The 1908, Rolex's widely acclaimed 2023 replacement for the discontinued Cellini dress line, was given a new bracelet this year. The seven rows of very small links give it a suppleness that comes close to the Milano mesh style, a design that makes it hug the contours of the wrist, and a high polish gives it a jeweled quality.
Rolex GMT-Master II with a new green ceramic dial.
Two new dial colors are also standouts: the famous (and famously inaccessible) Daytona has a new turquoise dial on the yellow gold model; the GMT-Master II gets a tiger iron dial on the Everose gold model; the yellow gold Sky-Dweller has a new green dial; and the ladies' yellow gold Datejust 31 was given a red ombre dial. Colored dials have migrated from the realm of fashion watches to luxury watches, but with more upscale materials like ceramic and hardstone, in fact hardstone dials were one of the major trends at Watches and Wonders 2025.
