Have you made your predictions of what Rolex could release this year? After seeing many rumours and generating ideas of what we think could happen for Rolex in 2024, our final predictions have been made.
With the Swiss watch show, Watches and Wonders taking place on the 13th to the 15th of April in Geneva this year, watch enthusiasts are expecting to see Rolex’s highly anticipated new releases.
These predictions have stemmed from rumours, so using our knowledge, we have conducted five predictions of what Rolex could release this year.
There have been some complications with the official date of when the Rolex Submariner was first produced. In 1953, it is known that the Submariner went into production, but wasn’t fully released until 1954.
Moreover, Rolex released their 50th year anniversary model for the Submariner in 2003, the Date “Kermit,” reference 16610LV (available in stock today at https://www.time4diamonds.com/rolex-submariner-date-16610lv-kermit.html). This does create some confusion as to when its anniversary actually occurs. With 11610LV being released in 2003, suggests that the anniversary was celebrating the Submariner’s production year; making the “Kermit” its 50th year anniversary model.
However, last year would have marked the Submariner’s 70th year anniversary, yet Rolex didn’t release a new version of the model. So therefore, we could see an anniversary model to celebrate the official release of the Submariner this year.
The strong belief, here at Time4Diamonds, is that Rolex will use the colour green, similar to the 16610LV. This is due to the fact that Rolex are known for incorporating the colour green to mark the anniversary of their watches.
Rolex could bring back the 116610LV “Hulk” and potentially, increase the oyster steel case size to 41mm- a change that Rolex made in 2020, specifically for the Submariner range.
They may, simply, change the colour on the text, of where it says “Submariner”, perhaps in red, and keep the elegance of the black dial and bezel (which may be annoying for vintage watch collectors of say the Submariner 1680 model). Or even create a yellow gold Submariner, with the inclusion of a green bezel, which doesn’t seem too far-fetched based on previous designs.
Who knows what Rolex will release exactly? That is the beauty of predictions. Ultimately, the belief is that Rolex will release a Submariner model to mark its 70th year anniversary.
Moving away from the Submariner and on to the strong rumours of a discontinuation for the GMT Master II, reference 126710BLRO. Many are aware that this model is known as the GMT “Pepsi,” and are even more aware of the possible discontinuation of this watch.
This mainly stems from the rumoured production problems of the blue and red colour on the ceramic bezel of the GMT “Pepsi.” Where the red and blue fade has reportedly been a challenge, where the colour of the blue doesn’t reflect the strong shade of blue that we see in the Pepsi logo. Therefore, manufacturing problems could mean that we will no longer see this well-respected piece to be produced. A shame, as it is a lovely timepiece.
In addition to this, we could see the return of the GMT “Coke”! The first time the black and red bezel made its appearance on the GMT II was the 16760 in 1982, with its well-known nickname of “fat lady.” Then, the Rolex GMT Master II, reference 16710 entered the watch scene in 1989, but discontinued in 2007.
Why could we see the Rolex “Coke” being re-released?
Rolex GMT-Master II "Coke" Mockup
Linking to the creation of the GMT Master II “Pepsi,” the colours of red and black are easier to fade in creation of the watch, directly linking to the “Coke” model. Remaining on the colours of the black and red, it was rumoured that Rolex were trying to register a patent for the colours on the GMT Master II. If this is true, then surely a release of the GMT “Coke” is imminent.
Discontinuations are possible for other models, including the Yacht-Master II. Due to the Yacht-Master II being one of the least desirable watches in the Rolex catalogue, there is a high chance that this model will be discontinued. Moreover, the Yacht-Master II targets a very small consumer base as the model caters to a niche market. Lacking in popularity and choice, possibly due to the size or the mere purpose of the functionality (Regatta timer), ultimately leads to a poor performance in sales.
Many more discontinuations are rumoured to occur, with the Rolex Datejust Motif dials being part of that. These models are already known for their rarity, so if these are to be discontinued, their value will most likely appreciate.
Building on from this, the Oyster Perpetual 31, 36 and 41 flat colour dials. The flat colour dials will be missed in the Rolex catalogue because of their simplicity and elegance, so similar to the Datejust motif dials, the discontinuation would lead to the Oyster Perpetual’s values increase.
Also, this includes the Oyster Perpetual 36 ‘Celebration Dial,’ reference 126000, which gained some opinions to begin with, seeming Rolex took a risk with creativity on the dial. Through its one year release in 2023, this bold piece has become a respected model.
The final two predictions are that we could see discontinuations from the Rolex Day-Date collection. Firstly, we may finally see the Day-Date 40, rose gold, green “olive” dial, reference 228235, production come to an end. This rumour gets strongly circulated throughout the watch circle every year, but in it’s 9th year of production, will this anniversary model finally be discontinued? It would make more sense for Rolex to cease production in its 10th year (2025).
Furthermore the Day-Date 36 ‘Puzzle Dial,’ reference 128238, 128235 and 128239, which were only released last year, are rumoured to be discontinued after only a year of production. Like the Yacht-Master II, this model is an unpopular piece, although it’s fair to say it’s been rarely available, and it has been speculated that the “emotionally stamped” dial is difficult to craft by Rolex. These two reasons combined suggest there is a high chance that this piece could be discontinued.
With the ‘Celebration Dial’ and ‘Puzzle Dial’ being rumoured to discontinue, there is a belief that Rolex will produce some more artwork on the dial. We aren’t too sure what they will create, the general sense here at Time4Diamonds is that Rolex will bounce back in immediate effect with something funky and bold.
Finishing off the predictions, Rolex could be in the works of creating a perpetual calendar. The production of a perpetual calendar is a strong possibility, solely down to their perpetual marketing. The main reason we believe a perpetual calendar is happening is due to a patent filed at the end of last year. Therefore, Rolex must be, at least, in the works of a perpetual calendar.
Like every year, most predictions never follow through. But, Watches and Wonders creates excitement and the rumours that form are part of the enjoyment, so it is difficult to ignore predictions and feels better to be involved. With you, we are thoroughly intrigued to see what Rolex introduces this year!
