Rolex celebrated 100 years of the Oyster at Watches and Wonders 2026, revealing a centenary model alongside new variants of Day-Date, Datejust, Daytona, Yacht-Master II and more.
Rolex just revealed a broad update to its portfolio at the 2026 instalment of Watches and Wonders.
The novelties include a 100th birthday celebration of the iconic Oyster, plus a new model of the Daytona with an enamel dial, a pair of gold Oyster Perpetuals in two sizes and colours, a new Datejust 41 and Day-Date 40, plus a new generation of Yacht-Master II with a updated movement, and an Oyster Perpetual 36 with a wild new dial. Deep breath, everyone!
The star of the show is the Oyster Perpetual 41, pictured above, which Rolex describes grandly as “a tribute to the very essence of time”. This is a Rolesor version of Rolex’s famous time-only piece, pairing an Oystersteel case and bracelet with a yellow gold bezel and crown.
It’s an eye-catching way of making a two-tone watch, and when combined with the slate dial this is surely a watch that will catch the eye of Rolex fans for decades to come – perhaps even another century.
Water resistant to 100 metres, the watch is driven by a calibre 3230 automatic mechanical movement with a patented Chronergy escapement and blue Parachrom hairspring. Power reserve is approximately 70 hours.
The Oyster celebrations continue with a pair of new Perpetual watches with 18ct gold cases. The first pairs a 28 mm solid yellow gold case and matching bracelet with a green stone lacquer dial, while the second, pictured above, sets a 34 mm Everose gold case and bracelet with a blue stone lacquer dial. A first for Rolex is how the three, six and nine markers are made from natural stone.
I especially like how the gold of both watches has a satin finish, giving them a softer, warmer finish compared to the brighter, glossier look normally found on all-gold timepieces. This use of a satin finish on a fully precious metal watch is another first from Rolex.
Despite their differing case sizes, both watches use the calibre 2232 self-winding mechanical movement, providing approximately 55 hours of power reserve.
Another new Oyster Perpetual is by far the most unusual of the bunch revealed today – and surely the least expected, too. Harking back to the fun Rolex had with its ‘Celebration’ dial OP a couple of years ago, the new Oyster Perpetual 36 has a dial with a “Jubilee motif”. Rolex explains how this explosion of colour “draws on the brand’s aesthetic heritage [and] is the result of a truly virtuoso achievement in dial creation.”
Using pad-printing, the dial revisits the Jubilee motif introduced at the end of the 1970s. Displaying the letters of the Rolex name in a contrasting interplay of 10 colours, the dial is produced using a pad-printing technique, which adds each colour individually.
This watch employs a 36 mm Oystersteel case with matching Oyster bracelet and domed bezel. Water resistance is 100 metres and the calibre 3230 self-winding movement offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve.
Datejust fans also have a new variant to look out for, combining a 41 mm white Rolesor case (which combined Oystersteel and white gold) with a green lacquer ombré dial and fluted bezel.
Stepping up a gear to the iconic Day-Date 40, and for 2026 Rolex has added a new gold alloy. Called Jubilee Gold, this interpretation of 18ct gold is described by Rolex as “glowing with tones of tender yellow, warm grey and soft pink.”
It is joined for this unique watch by a bright green aventurine dial adorned with 10 baguette-cut diamonds for hour markers, and a President bracelet.
The Cosmograph Daytona also got some love from Rolex at Watches and Wonders 2026. Newly revealed is a Rolesium (Oystersteel and platinum) version with a white enamelled dial and monobloc Cerachrom bezel in anthracite ceramic.
The bezel then features recessed graduations, numerals and inscriptions on a tachymetre scale that are coated with platinum. The watch is water resistant to 100 metres and features a sapphire crystal exhibition case back, giving a view of the calibre 4131 chronograph movement with up to 72 hours of power reserve.
Finally, Rolex announced a new, modernised Yacht-Master II. The countdown function has been entirely redesigned to, Rolex says, more effectively assist sailors during the start sequences of races.
Available in Oystersteel or 18ct yellow gold, the new Yacht-Master II offers both a new design and movement. Rolex explained: “The countdown scale now appears on a flange, and the function is programmed and operated exclusively via the two side pushers."
Inside is the new calibre 4162 automatic movement, an evolution of the calibre 4161 that powered the previous generation of Yacht-Master II. Interestingly, the minutes and seconds hands of the regatta countdown function turn counter clockwise – a first for Rolex – aided to make the countdown to race start clearly readable.
Demonstrating just how much effort it’s put into this somewhat niche watch, Rolex explains: “Thanks to this counter clockwise rotation, the wearer can also read the last thirty seconds of the final minute of countdown with great precision on the bezel with graduated Cerachrom insert.
In this scenario, the first half of the bezel insert indicates seconds, rather than minutes as when measuring a time interval. To enable this feature, the wearer must first turn the bezel to the neutral position, that is, with the triangle of the graduation in the 12 o’clock position.”
