Rolex launched seven new watches at Watches and Wonders 2026. I’ve now had the chance to see and handle all of them in the metal. Here’s my verdict, ranked from favourite to least favourite.
1. Oyster Perpetual 36 – Jubilee motif dial
This is my pick of the collection. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the press images, but in person it’s completely charming and joyful.
The dial carries the Rolex name repeated across its surface in ten contrasting colours, referencing the Jubilee motif first introduced in the late 1970s. It sounds like it could be too much, and it is, that’s what’s so great about it.
What makes it work is the quality of the execution. Each colour is applied individually and has to dry completely before the next one can be stamped. It is an extraordinarily time-consuming process. That means Rolex won’t be able to produce many of them – and if you want one, you’ll have to be pretty lucky.
The case is 36mm Oystersteel, with a domed bezel and sapphire crystal, waterproof to 100 metres. Inside sits calibre 3230, Rolex’s self-winding movement featuring the patented Chronergy escapement, made from nickel-phosphorus and resistant to magnetic fields, and a blue Parachrom hairspring. Power reserve is approximately 70 hours.
In 36mm, the proportions are perfect. It wears beautifully. This is the watch from the 2026 collection I’d most want to own.
2. Oyster Perpetual 41 – 100 Years of The Oyster
The centenary Oyster Perpetual is a very restrained watch – and I love how subtle it is.
The slate dial carries a ‘100 years’ inscription at 6 o’clock in place of the usual ‘Swiss Made’ text. The winding crown is engraved with the number 100 in relief. Green squares mark each five-minute interval on the minute track, and the Rolex name is printed in the brand’s signature green. It’s all really cohesive.
The bracelet is also quietly unusual. In a standard yellow Rolesor, the centre links would be in yellow gold. Here, they’re in Oystersteel, like the rest of the bracelet. The bezel and winding crown remain in yellow gold. It really sets itself apart from other two-tone Rolex models.
Like the OP 36, this runs on calibre 3230, with a 70-hour power reserve and the Chronergy escapement. The 41mm Oyster case is waterproof to 100 metres.
I’ll be honest: the 41mm case is just a little too large for my wrist. Personal taste. But I think a 36mm version of this watch would be absolutely perfect. What’s not in doubt is that the ‘100 years’ inscription and engraved crown will make this an extremely desirable piece in the years ahead. It’s a sure-fire collectable.
3. Yacht-Master II
I was really sceptical about this watch going in, but I came out very impressed. The Yacht-Master II is a 44mm watch. There is no way around that. It is large. But Rolex has used every millimetre well. The dial is much cleaner than the previous version, less cluttered, more legible. The bezel now has a pleasing symmetry it previously lacked. It features a 60-minute graduated Cerachrom insert in blue ceramic, coated with platinum via PVD.
The big mechanical change is the countdown function. It used to require interaction with the Ring Command bezel system. Now it is programmed entirely via the two side pushers, which are shaped like sailing winches. A nice touch. The countdown hands run counterclockwise, a first for Rolex, which makes the time remaining immediately intuitive to read. The mechanical memory saves the countdown duration, so it doesn’t need to be reprogrammed between race legs.
Inside is the brand-new calibre 4162, developed exclusively for this watch. It incorporates the Chronergy escapement, a blue Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock absorbers, and a cut-out oscillating weight. Power reserve is approximately 72 hours. Rolex has also given it Côtes de Genève finishing on the bridges – the brand’s own interpretation of the classic decoration, with a slight polished groove between each band.
This is the most mechanically complex watch Rolex currently sells. Now I just need the yacht to go with it. The only question I have is, why wasn’t this called a Yacht-Master III?
4. Datejust 41 – White Rolesor, Green lacquer ombré dial
This is a beautiful watch – even more beautiful in person than in pictures. The green lacquer ombré dial is made entirely through lacquering – a first for this type of dial since the ombré pattern returned to the catalogue in 2019.
A green lacquer base is applied first, then black lacquer is sprayed in concentric motions to create the gradient. The result shifts from deep to lighter green across the dial surface. The Chromalight index hour markers sit cleanly against it.
The 41mm Oyster case pairs Oystersteel with white gold in the classic Rolesor formula – white gold for the fluted bezel, Oystersteel for the middle case. Inside is calibre 3235, featuring the Chronergy escapement and a 70-hour power reserve.
Wearing it, the Datejust 41 feels more like a Day-Date than a Datejust. That is high praise.
5. Oyster Perpetual 34 – Everose gold, blue stone lacquer dial
My favourite of the two new precious-metal Oyster Perpetuals. It stood out when I first saw it in the press release and delivered in the metal.
The 18 ct Everose gold case and bracelet carry a satin finish, a first for fully precious-metal watches in this range. The blue stone lacquer dial is stunning. The hour markers at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock are cut from dumortierite, a natural stone with alternating areas of light and dark blue. The ogive cut on each marker means they catch the light beautifully without creating glare. It is the first time Rolex has used natural stone for hour markers.
Inside is calibre 2232, fitted with the Syloxi hairspring – a patented silicon hairspring with a geometry that ensures regularity in any position. Power reserve is approximately 55 hours.
More upmarket than the any Oyster Perpetual before it, certainly, but when the results are this good, it is difficult to complain.
6. Day-Date 40 – Jubilee Gold
Rolex’s most technically ambitious material announcement of 2026 is Jubilee Gold. It is a brand-new 18 ct gold alloy, conceived and produced entirely in the brand’s own foundry, with a unique blend of yellow, warm grey and soft pink tones. It is noticeably more understated than yellow gold or rose gold. And more wearable too, in my opinion.
The Day-Date 40 it debuts on is extraordinary. The dial is cut from bright green aventurine, a natural stone in the quartz family, and ringed by an hour circle of ten baguette-cut diamonds. The fluted bezel and President bracelet are in the same Jubilee Gold.
Inside is calibre 3255, one of Rolex’s most advanced movements. It features the Chronergy escapement, a blue Parachrom hairspring, and Paraflex shock absorbers.
I’ll be honest: looking at it, all I could think of was mint chip ice cream. I am not sure I could wear it without developing a persistent craving. But it is undeniably stunning, and Jubilee Gold alone makes this a landmark watch.
7. Oyster Perpetual 28 – Yellow gold, green stone lacquer dial
Everything I said about the OP 34 applies here. The yellow gold and green colour combination is excellent. The three hour markers in heliotrope, a stone with a variety of green hues, at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock are a genuinely lovely detail, with the same ogive cut as the 34. The satin finish on the case and bracelet is equally refined.
The only reason this sits below the 34 is simple: the 28mm case is a little too small for my wrist. That is a personal limitation, not a fault of the watch. For the right wearer, this is a perfect thing.
8. Cosmograph Daytona – Oystersteel and platinum
Let me be clear – I like this watch. Of course I do. It’s a Daytona. It wears perfectly, as every Daytona does. But of all the watches in the 2026 collection, this is my least favourite.
The white grand feu enamel dial, which involves kiln temperatures exceeding 800°C, is extraordinary, and the anthracite Cerachrom bezel is also a genuine technical achievement as well. Rolex developed a new ceramic formula using zirconia enriched with tungsten carbide to achieve its metallic sheen.
The tachymetric scale numerals now sit horizontally, referencing the original 1963 Daytona. The transparent case back reveals a cut-out oscillating weight in yellow gold. The pairing of Oystersteel and platinum is a first for the model.
Inside is calibre 4131, Rolex’s chronograph movement, with a column wheel and vertical clutch, Côtes de Genève finishing on the bridges, and a 72-hour power reserve.
My reservations are purely aesthetic. I’m not sure platinum is necessary here. And the anthracite bezel, for all its technical achievement, looks a little washed out in certain lights. But hey, it’s still a Daytona, and still highly desirable.
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