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Color explosions, new materials, re-engineered mechanics, and 100 years of the Oyster: the new watches Rolex introduced at Watches and Wonders 2026 included a bit of everything and a lot of fun.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36: an eye-catching explosion of color

Certainly the most visible watch of the entirety of Watches and Wonders 2026 was the brand-new Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 with its funky explosion of lacquered color. While this is not the first time Rolex has surprised us with a colorfully unconventional dial (think back to 2023 and the Oyster Perpetual Celebration with its vibrant balloons decorating the dial), it was perhaps unexpected this year for two reasons. The first reason being that Rolex rarely does what you think it’s going to do – so it was wholly unclear whether the brand would celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of its treasured Oyster model. The second reason being because we already had a colorful, unexpected Rolex or two in the last five years, at least I would have expected not to see any more so soon. I am glad I was wrong because this watch is very engaging.

The dial of this stainless-steel Oyster Perpetual 36 is decorated with the so-called Jubilee motif, a jazzy, multicolored repeating monogram of the word “Rolex.” It is based on the Jubilee motif introduced in 1978 in a monochrome gold tone on the dial of a 36 mm Day-Date. That monochrome vintage motif was different from this one, which features no less than ten different bright hues. The intense lacquers are pad-printed, but not all at once, leaving plenty of room for error and much need for the kind of precision in which Rolex excels.

This new Oyster Perpetual 36 is powered by automatic Caliber 3230 with 70 hours of power reserve.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41: the 100th anniversary watch

The real celebration watch is a Oyster Perpetual 41 in a striking stainless steel and yellow gold Rolesor combination (Rolesor is the Rolex word for combining steel and gold in one watch). The smooth bezel and fluted crown are crafted in yellow gold, while the rest of the case and bracelet are in stainless steel. This is unusual as Rolex typically presents the center links of the bracelet of a two-tone watch in the gold material as well.

On this watch we find many elements celebrating the centenary of the model family: the crown features the number “100” in relief; the slate-colored dial bears an inscription “100 years” in place of the usual “Swiss made” designation at 6 o’clock; and each five-minute interval is denoted by a green square – the color also used for the word “Rolex” on this dial. All in all, an attractive proposition that fittingly celebrates the centennial.

Certified by the freshly strengthened in-house Superlative Chronometer, this watch is also powered by the very efficient automatic Caliber 3230 with its Chronergy escapement.

Rolex Day-Date 40 with aventurine dial

This new version of the Rolex Day-Date in 40 mm has two outstanding characteristics. One is the brand-new 18-karat gold called Jubilee gold, which is made of a new alloy comprising gold, copper, palladium, zinc, and silver. This gold alloy comes from the brand’s own R&D team and foundry, a skill few brands can boast. The gold hue is clearly neither, white, yellow, or rose, though I find it has more restrained rose tones than anything else.

This new alloy is not the only special characteristic: this Rolex Day-Date 40’s particularly attractive dial is crafted in a light green aventurine stone. The watch industry uses aventurine a lot for special dials, but only in very limited cases is it ever made of the singular stone that carries the same name as the man-made glass invented in Murano. The aventurine stone dial is further enhanced with the addition of eleven baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers.

The Rolex Day-Date 40 is powered by automatic Caliber 3255.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona

Rolex only introduced one new version of its popular Daytona chronograph at Watches and Wonders 2026, and it features a combination of metals that Rolex calls Rolesium (stainless steel with platinum elements). The platinum bezel ring frames an anthracite-colored Cerachrom bezel with a metallic sheen, which frames the white enamel dial. Both the enamel dial and the Rolesium case are firsts in the Rolex Daytona collection.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona chronograph is powered by automatic Caliber 4131.

Rolex Yacht-Master II

The freshly updated Rolex Yacht-Master II, now the most complicated watch in the Rolex collection, makes a comeback with a redesigned countdown function that makes it much easier for sailors to read and use it. Now placed on the flange rather than the bezel, the sailor uses the function with the two pushers on the sides of the stainless steel or 18-karat yellow gold case; while these two pushers make the watch look like a chronograph (which does use a chronograph movement!), they are used to control the countdown functionality. The countdown minute and second hands turn counterclockwise (a first for Rolex) to make the countdown more clearly legible. This system replaces the old Ring Command system, making it far easier to use and much more intuitive to both use and read.

The Yacht-Master II was first presented in 2007 with the Ring Command system and is now re-introduced with this mechanical upgrade for better usability. It is powered by automatic chronograph Caliber 4162, an evolution of Caliber 4161 from the previous model.

Rolex Datejust 41

The latest Rolex Datejust 41 comes in white Rolesor (stainless steel and white gold) and offers the brand’s most emblematic color – green – in a lacquer that is featured here in a gradient style (which Rolex calls ombré) that becomes black toward the periphery.

The Rolex Datejust 41 is powered by automatic Caliber 3235, which also carries the Superlative Chronometer certification.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 28 and 34

Two new Rolex Oyster Perpetual arrives in 28 mm yellow gold with a green dial and 34 mm rose gold (which Rolex calls Everose) with a blue dial. Both dials feature natural stone hour markers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, a premier for Rolex: heliotrope stone for the 28 mm version and dumortierite stone for the 34 mm watch.

Both watches are powered by automatic Caliber 2232, famous for its Syloxi silicon balance spring.

While these watches won’t all land at retail immediately, they are all slated to arrive in 2026.

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With Watches and Wonders 2026 just around the corner, the time has arrived to start understanding some of the signals we might be seeing during the big fair week using very recently released watches and one ear to the rumor mill.

Here are some trends I think we can look forward to during the upcoming Watches & Wonders week.

Rebooted classics continue to rule the roost

As this is the 50^th anniversary of the Nautilus, there is no doubt that Patek Philippe will be rebooting some form of its iconic Nautilus models. On the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of Patek Philippe ten years ago in 2016, Patek Philippe released two new strictly limited versions. One was Reference 5711/1P 40^th Anniversary, a modified 40-millimeter version of the classic Jumbo limited to 700 pieces in platinum with a fun new dial featuring a gradient blue on an 18-karat yellow gold base with the typical striped finish and 12 baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers. The other was Nautilus Chronograph Reference 5976/1G, limited to 1,300 pieces in white gold, with the same dial treatment.

There are, of course, many rumors about what could be coming in terms of this 2026’s anniversary models. One involves titanium cases, which would make sense since Patek Philippe has been introducing the odd limited titanium piece over the last few years and there has only ever been a one-off titanium Nautilus for Only Watch 2007 until now. Whatever special watches are coming, if they don’t appear during Watches & Wonders, they will certainly arrive some time in 2026.

As I wrote in February 2026, the Audemars Piguet watch releases included a handful of new watches, only one of which was fully new – the rest were new editions of their classic Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, and Code 11.59 models. I expect Audemars Piguet to introduce a few more watches from these collections – and perhaps even another version of the Neo Frame Jumping Hour it dropped at the same time – at its return to Watches & Wonders in April 2026. Audemars Piguet has not exhibited at the world’s biggest fair for luxury watches since 2019.

Breitling introduced the Navitimer B01 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph in March 2026, a rather classic take on perhaps this brand’s most classic timepiece. Even though Breitling is not exhibiting inside Watches & Wonders, I do think we can expect to see more from this collection during the week.

Oris has many classics to choose from, but recently this Swiss brand introduced the Big Crown Pointer Date Bullseye featuring a dial design that Oris first brought out in the 1910s and most recently used in 1998. “This iteration taps into the zeitgeist and shows again why the Big Crown is a design for the ages,” said Oris chairman Ulrich W. Herzog in the press release.

In the final week of March, Omega announced nine new references in a Constellation Observatory Collection that also happens to be the first two-hand watch able to receive Omega’s Master Chronometer Certification. These watches are clothed in mid-century dress style with notable gold variations and even a gold model on a gold bracelet – perhaps heralding a big return to dress watches? Time will tell on that one.

Black and colorful watches are here to stay

Historically, watches have not been very colorful. But once the dam broke, there has been no going back. Black and other colored cases, dials, and straps are definitely here to stay.

Audemars Piguet made this obvious in its aforementioned February drop with a veritable rainbow of color on cases, straps, and dials. Oris has also demonstrated this beautifully for the last couple of years with so many of its creations. And among the previously mentioned nine new Omega Constellation Observatory Collection watches, we find blue and green dials.

In terms of a brand-new sporty black watch, just before the fair Montblanc introduced the Iced Sea Automatic Date 0 Oxygen in distressed steel with black ceramic inserts. This watch is a perfect illustration of the modern feel for black – and, to show it’s right on trend, it even comes on a distressed steel bracelet.

Two-tone style is still bubbling under the surface

Two-tone style, something we associate strongly with the 1980s and 1990s, seems to be still percolating under the surface of contemporary watch companies’ feel for design. Recent examples begin with the previously mentioned February 2026 Audemars Piguet watch releases where the brand introduced a Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41 in white gold with an ivory-colored dial that – at least in the photos – looks rather golden. This dial’s hands and applied indexes are however in rose gold, making for a modern two-tone look.

One of the new Omega Constellation Observatory Collection watches sports a similar feel with its white metal case and rose gold hands and indexes.

And at the Inhorgenta, Germany’s premier trade fair for watches and jewelry, Glashütte brand Tutima showed a new version of the Tutima Sky in 34 mm in two tone – including the bracelet metal.

Strong complications

At the high end, complications are still coming strong and making huge splashes – including new tourbillons among other elite functions like minute repeaters and more.

As mentioned in this recent Watches & Wonders predictions blog story and according to the rumor mill, Patek Philippe is likely to introduce three new platinum versions of the 5270 Perpetual Calendar on straps as well as a new platinum version of the 5236 In-Line Perpetual Calendar.

Certainly a harbinger of things to come, Audemars Piguet dropped both the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar and the Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41 in February.

And I will be sure to keep an eye on Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre during Watches & Wonders, two brands from which I expect to see some delightful new complications.

Metal bracelets on sporty watches aren’t going away any time soon

A great example of this is Vacheron Constantin’s new titanium Overseas Tourbillon in red, which comes on a titanium bracelet or a sporty red strap that are easily interchangeable, a magnificent feature of the modern Overseas collection.

The Longines HydroConquest, which was introduced at the end of March, is a colorful new diver’s watch in five variations of ceramic bezel and dial hues on a steel bracelet or a steel mesh bracelet. It is available in 39 or 42 mm.

Tissot rebooted its Visodate in March 2026, one of the first watches to include a date display, in an attractive revisioning of the 1954 watch of the same name on a steel bracelet. This new 39 mm watch is outfitted with Tissot’s ultra-modern Powermatic 80 movement, an automatic caliber with an 80-hour power reserve.

And of course, Rolex and Tudor will continue to show new watches and variations on metal bracelets, though to learn what exactly those timepieces will be we must wait until they are unveiled on April 14, 2026.

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