While 2019 brought subtle improvements for Rolex’s mainstay watches, a rocky 2020 first brought uncertainty – first we weren’t sure Rolex would release anything at all given the pandemic, which was followed by widely talked about updates for four of the crown’s pillar collections in September.

Rolex rarely, if ever, changes its winning game, and 2020 was also more about those subtle changes for improvement and perfection than anything revolutionary.

Legibility and wearability remained the name of the game in these new releases, underscoring what Rolex does best: gradual evolution in watch design and technical details with the aim of maximizing owner satisfaction by offering improved products that retain the same core values that drew consumers’ interest in the first place.

As Rolex enthusiasts are undoubtedly aware, the brand’s philosophy has long focused on improving and perfecting every detail of its watches. This ongoing commitment is one reason for the overwhelming success and reputation that Rolex enjoys worldwide.

So without further ado, here are the four principle new watches Rolex introduced in 2020 as well as one surprise variation in the Datejust 31 collection that you may have missed.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date

The updated generation of Submariners became one of social media’s causes for frenzy following the introduction of Rolex’s 2020 watches.

The 2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date variations

The original Submariner was Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf’s foray into deep water resistance: the first Submariner, which appeared in 1953, was the first diver’s watch rated to 100 meters. And just a year later that was increased to 200 meters.

In 1969 the Submariner received a date window, and by 1979 it could dive down to a then incredible 300 meters.

The 2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date with green Cerachrom bezel

As mentioned previously, there is no compelling reason for Rolex to make completely “new” versions of these watches rather than continually improving them. So the changes between this generation and the last are quite minimal.

Can you spot the differences? Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date old (left) and the new variation for 2020

What has changed ever so slightly are the new Submariner’s proportions. The diameter minimally increased in the 2020 generation from 40.86 mm to 41.3 with the goal of slightly boosting presence on the wrist.

The lugs were made 0.5 mm thinner, and the crown protection is ever so slightly smaller. The distance between the lugs increased from 20 to 21 mm.

The dial was also slightly reworked, with the biggest change being the hands, which are now taken from the Deepsea model.

The green dial was discontinued, making the new dial on the stainless steel model with green bezel a black one (see photo above).

2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date two-tone

The Submariner Date is currently available in steel with either a black dial and black Cerachrom bezel or green Cerachrom bezel. It is also available in a variety of gold combinations: two two-tone (steel and yellow gold) models featuring a blue dial with blue bezel or black dial with black bezel; yellow gold with blue dial and blue bezel or black dial and black bezel; and white gold with blue bezel and black dial.

For more information, please visit www.rolex.com/watches/submariner/all-models.

Quick Facts Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner
Case: 41.3 x 12.4 mm, stainless steel with Cerachrom bezel, water resistance 300 meters
Movement: automatic Caliber 3230, 70-hour power reserve, blue Parachrom hairspring, 28,800 vph/4 Hz frequency; precision +/- 2 seconds per day after casing (C.O.S.C. chronometer certification plus Rolex certification)
Functions: hours, minutes, sweep seconds
Price: €7,550
Remark: five-year warranty

Quick Facts Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date
Case: 41.3 x 12.4 (12.2 in gold) mm, stainless steel or stainless steel and 18-karat yellow gold or white gold with Cerachrom bezel, water resistance 300 meters
Movement: automatic Caliber 3235, 70-hour power reserve, blue Parachrom hairspring, 28,800 vph/4 Hz frequency; precision +/- 2 seconds per day after casing (C.O.S.C. chronometer certification plus Rolex certification)
Functions: hours, minutes, sweep seconds; date
Price: €8,300 (steel); €13,000 (yellow gold and steel); €33,700 (yellow gold); €36,200 (white gold)
Remark: five-year warranty

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 mm and 36 mm

Of all the new variations launched in 2020, it was the Oyster Perpetual in 36 mm and 41 mm that perhaps garnered the most social media attention. No doubt due to the Instagram-friendly jazzy dials in seven new colors.

The Oyster Perpetual was previously available in 36 and 39 mm sizes; for 2020, the 39 mm size was discontinued and replaced by 41 mm.

The 2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual models

The dials of these new Oyster Perpetual are available in seven new colors. Two of these offer more subdued hues: one has a sunray-finish silver dial with hands and hour markers in 18-karat yellow gold for a two-tone look while the other comes in a “bright” sunray-finish black with hands and hour markers in 18-karat white gold.

The 2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual models in fresh colors

A smattering of 2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 mm models

However, it was the other five new lacquered dials that had social media buzzing: candy pink, turquoise blue, a bright mustard yellow, coral red, and a hue that is practically British racing green. As GaryG mentioned in Why I Bought It: Rolex Stella-Inspired Oyster Perpetual 41 With Turquoise Blue Dial, several social media voices likened them to some of Nomos Glashütte’s colorful Tetra models, but in reality the inspiration was Rolex’s own historical Stella dials.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 mm with turquoise blue Stella-inspired dial

Gary was quite taken with the new turquoise blue dial variation and purchased one for himself with the explanation, “The core appeal of this watch to me is that it is similar and different at the same time. Similar enough to the vivid appearance of the vintage Stella pieces to be firmly rooted in the brand’s traditions, but at the same time different from both the vast sea of Rolex watches made every year and from other pieces in my collection.”

These five cheerful colors are also available in the 31 mm size, however the pink dial is not available in 41 mm.

Further reading: Why I Bought It: Rolex Stella-Inspired Oyster Perpetual 41 With Turquoise Blue Dial

For more information, please visit www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual.

Quick Facts Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41
Case: 41 mm, steel with monobloc middle case, screwed-down crown and solid case back; sapphire crystal front crystal; waterproof to 100 m
Dial: Stella-style lacquer dials in yellow, green, turquoise blue, and coral red; metallic dials in bright black, bright blue, and silver; applied gold batons and crown logo; printed indices and markings; batons, hour, and minute hands with luminous blue Chromalight
Movement: automatic Caliber 3230, 70-hour power reserve, blue Parachrom hairspring, 28,800 vph/4 Hz frequency; precision +/- 2 seconds per day after casing (C.O.S.C. chronometer certification plus Rolex certification)
Functions: hours, minutes, (hacking) seconds
Price: $5,900 / €5,500
Remark: five-year warranty

Rolex Sky-Dweller

Introduced in 2012, the Sky-Dweller is currently Rolex’s most complicated watch, and it is also the most complicated in-house watch the brand has manufactured.

The 2020 Rolex Sky-Dwellers

The Sky-Dweller, however, hides its complexity in the simplicity of how it is used: despite featuring both an annual calendar and a second time zone, the Sky-Dweller is as utilitarian as its less complicated compatriots. Its annual calendar makes it a very practical timepiece.

The annual calendar offers the simplicity of automatically getting the lengths of the months right, but ignores the most complicated of them all, February, which still needs to be manually corrected. This is advantageous because the gearing is less complex and the watch’s retail price reflects this.

The Sky-Dweller was originally only available in precious metal, coming out in a long-awaited Rolesor (Rolex jargon for stainless steel and white gold) version in 2017.

Rolex introduced another new element to the Sky-Dweller line in 2020: an Oyster-Flex rubber bracelet. This marks the first time that Rolex has made an Oyster-Flex for a “non-professional” sports watch – meaning a “classic” Rolex watch as opposed to one of the tool watches – and the first for one of it’s gold watches. It is only the fourth time that this bracelet has been added to a Rolex collection at all.

Rolex Sky-Dweller in yellow gold on Oyster-Flex bracelet

The Oyster-Flex bracelet combines the robustness of a metal bracelet with the comfort, aesthetics, and flexibility of a rubber strap. This patented bracelet comprises flexible titanium and nickel-alloy blades covered with durable black elastomer. This version also has an 18-karat gold folding Oysterclasp with Glidelock extension system, allowing the bracelet to easily extend up to 15 mm in six increments of about 2.5 mm each without using tools.

The new Oyster-Flex bracelet is being introduced with the 18-karat yellow and pink gold Sky-Dweller models only. The yellow gold model has a black dial, while the pink gold (“Everose”) model has a brown or cream-colored dial.

For more information, please visit www.rolex.com/watches/sky-dweller.

Quick Facts Rolex Sky-Dweller
Case: 42 x 14.1 mm, yellow or pink gold, rotating Ring Command bezel for function selection, 100 m water resistance
Movement: automatic Caliber 9001, 33 x 8 mm, Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock absorption, precision +/- 2 seconds per day after casing (C.O.S.C. chronometer certification plus Rolex certification), 72-hour power reserve, 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, sweep seconds; second time zone, annual calendar with date and month
Price: €36,400 (yellow gold); €37,800 (pink gold)
Remark: five-year warranty

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31

Rolex calls its iconic Datejust, first introduced in 1945, “the archetype of the classic watch thanks to functions and aesthetics that never go out of fashion.” And for watch lovers, nothing further needs to be said.

The Datejust’s excellent reputation, now active for more than 70 years, can be chalked up to a formula for success comprising the robust Oyster case, chronometric precision, a classic design, and the signature date indication at 3 o’clock magnified by the Cyclops lens on the crystal, a Rolex invention from 1953.

The 2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 models

After having unleashed two new variants in 2019, in 2020 Rolex offers Datejust fans another three variations in Rolesor (stainless steel and white gold), fun color variations, and one in stainless steel.

One prominent Rolesor variation features a vibrant aubergine-colored sunray-finished dial whose Roman numeral VI sparkles with the brilliance of 11 brilliant-cut diamonds. Adding to its shine, it also boasts a diamond-set bezel containing 46 brilliant-cut diamonds.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 with green dial

The minty green dial model adds a fresh zest to this proven classic, whose cool look is topped off by the iconic Datejust fluted bezel and echoed by the Jubilee bracelet. Another new variant in stainless steel features a more subdued beige dial.

My favorite of the new quartet by far – and one that doesn’t appear to have gotten much, if any, media attention – is Reference 278344, which according to the Rolex website can be customized to feature a pink or aubergine-colored dial with a sparkling numeral VI and a bezel set with a sprinkling of diamonds.

The author’s favorite 2020 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 variation

The new versions of the Datejust 31 are equipped with automatic Caliber 2236 featuring signature Rolex inventions including the silicon Syloxi hairspring and a paramagnetic nickel-phosphorus escape wheel. The oscillator is fitted with the brand’s Paraflex shock protections, further increasing the movement’s shock resistance.

This Oyster case, water resistant to 100 meters and very femininely sized at 31 mm, is now slightly modified in its proportions for a perfect fit. Altogether, it is available in numerous dial colors and bezel/bracelet variations. This set of watches completes the redesign of this model begun in 2016.

Like all Rolex watches, the Datejust 31 is adjusted to the Superlative Chronometer certification defined by Rolex in 2015. Applied to the fully assembled watch, this comprises a series of tests Rolex conducts in its own laboratories that guarantee particularly high performance in terms of precision, power reserve, and water resistance.

The precision of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer is on the order of −2 /+2 seconds per day, more than double the accuracy required of an officially certified C.O.S.C. chronometer.

For more information, please visit www.rolex.com/watches/datejust.

Quick Facts Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31
Case: 31 x 11 mm, Rolesor (stainless steel and white gold) or steel
Movement: automatic Caliber 2236, 4 Hz/28,800 vph frequency, power reserve 55 hours, Syloxi silicon hairspring, nickel-phosphorus escape wheel, precision +/- 2 seconds per day after casing (C.O.S.C. chronometer certification plus Rolex certification)
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; date
Price: €6,050 (Ref. 278240 beige dial/steel); €7,300 (Ref. 278274 green dial/Rolesor); €11,750 (Ref. 278344 pink dial/diamond sprinkle on bezel/Rolesor); €14,650 (Ref. 278384 aubergine dial/diamond bezel/Rolesor)
Remark: five-year international guarantee

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