Upon the occasion of the Watches & Wonders 2021 novelty presentation, Rolex has revealed three new Daytona watches in white gold, yellow gold and Everose gold. All three feature a extraordinary dial made from metallic meteorite.
Meteorites Dials
Metallic meteorites come from asteroids that exploded millions of years ago. On their journey through space, fragments (primarily composed of iron and nickel) cool by a few degrees Celsius every million years. This creates a unique, distinctive crystallization within the material that is impossible to recreate on Earth. Metallic meteorites are challenging to work with and are cut into thin sections, which reveal the interwoven internal structure.
Executions
The version in 18 ct white gold, Reference 116519 LN, is fitted with a monobloc Cerachrom bezel in black ceramic with a tachymetric scale and Oysterflex-bracelet, a combination of metal bracelet and elastomer strap. The flexible metal blades (made from a titanium and nickel alloy) are covered with high-performance black elastomer.
Meanwhile, the new 18 ct yellow gold version Reference 116508 and 18 ct Everose gold Reference 116505 feature a bezel with a tachymeter scale plus an Oyster bracelet. As for the Cerachrom bezel – the tachymeter scale is moulded into the bezel and for the other two versions, the scale is engraved on the metal bezel.
Movement
The new Cosmograph Daytona watches are powered by a powerful calibre 4130 with column wheel and vertical clutch. It was entirely developed and manufactured in-house and first fitted on this model in 2000. The chronograph function has a reduced number of components that helps to reduce friction and enhances the movement’s reliability.
The movement is fitted with a blue Parachrom hairspring, manufactured by Rolex in a paramagnetic alloy that makes it up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks. The blue Parachrom hairspring is equipped with a Rolex overcoil, ensuring the calibre’s regularity in any position. The calibre 4130 offers a power reserve of 72 hours.
Superlative Chronometer certification
All new Cosmograph Daytona executions are covered with the Superlative Chronometer certification – redefined by Rolex in 2015. The precision of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer is of the order of –2 /+2 seconds per day. The green seal that comes with every Rolex watch is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.
The modern-day Breitling chronograph dates back to 1983, when it was first conceived for the aerobatic squadron of the Italian Air Force, "Frecce Tricolori". One year later, upon the 100 year anniversary of Breitling, the Chronomat was produced as a series for the first time, in the form of the Ref. 81950. It was distinguished…
For over a century, the watchmaker Panerai, founded in Florence by Giovanni Panerai, has been dedicated to the production of precision instruments developed primarily for the Italian navy and military. As early as 1916, Panerai, in collaboration with a lieutenant in the Italian navy, succeeded in developing a substance based on radium that glowed in…
Bulgari presents two versions of the Octo Roma WorldTimer, which can display 24 time zones. The Italians have housed the watch in the typical angular case. The version with a blue dial is joined by a watch with a black DLC coating. With the double disc on the dial, the time of various places on…
Jaeger-LeCoultre's recently relaunched 'Master Control' collection features redesigned 40mm watches with open casebacks, sunray brushed silver-white dials and a blue central seconds hand. The watches are now driven by updated calibres integrating various energy-saving enhancements. One of the new iterations is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Calendar, which features a complete calendar as well as a…
Montblanc launched the Iced Sea Collection for the first time in 2022, with dials inspired by the glacial ice of the Mer de Glace in the Mont Blanc massif. A technique called gratté-boisé was used for the first time for the 'iced' dials. As the watches have been so popular, the Iced Sea is now…
Blancpain is reissuing a timepiece from the 1960s. The Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad Limited Edition pays tribute to the original, which was delivered primarily to the combat swimmers of the German Navy. A special feature is the "no radiations" logo on the dial, which indicates the absence of radium. As a limited…
Together with Aston Martin, Girard Perregaux presents the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges - Aston Martin Limited Edition. This watch is the result of the partnership between the two brands and thus combines motorsport with watchmaking. With a case made of lightweight titanium, the watch remains as discreet as Aston Martin's elegant British sports cars.…
Oris launches two new models of their high-performance diver’s watch Aquis: One version with a new oceanic blue gradient dial that joins the collection of 39.5 mm models. And in response to customer feedback, one larger version with a case size of 41.5 mm. Both are water resistant to 30 bar (300 m) and feature…
The 'Radiomir', the first watch created by Officine Panerai, is available in two new versions using the manufacture P.6000 calibre, hand-wound with a power reserve of three days. With the new models Radiomir Logo (Ref. PAM00753) and Radiomir Black Seal Logo (Ref. PAM00754) Officine Panerai again releases watches inspired by models which have been part of the history of the watchmanufacture.…
A touch of vintage and nostalgia: it's no wonder that many popular watch models from the past are celebrating their comeback. Tissot, too, is reviving a model from the early 70s with the brightly coloured Sideral. Visually, the parallels to the original are unmistakable, but the Sideral also presents itself with some innovations – including three different colour…
OMEGA is introducing a new OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M James Bond Numbered Edition, this time in platinum-gold. The new watch is this year's follow-up from the James Bond 007 Limited Edition Omega Seamaster 2019 edition, introduced to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The new edition celebrates the Swiss…
Patek Philippe is celebrating artisanship in watchmaking with its Rare Handcrafts exhibition. The horology house is showcasing more than 75 pocket watches, wristwatches, dome pendulums and table clocks at its headquarters in Geneva between the 16th and 26th of June. The focus is on hand engravings, enamel, guilloché, wood marquetry, gem-setting and their combination. To…
At this year's Watches & Wonders fair, Hublot is adding two particularly attractive models to its Big Bang Unico collection in orange or dark green ceramic. Both pieces showcase a skeletonised dial, come with sumptuous matching rubber straps, and are a limited edition of 250 pieces. The case So, down to the details. The new…