BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Introducing the Rolex Land-DwellerIt’s probably the biggest news of Watches & Wonders, the one everyone’s talking about. Although Rolex enjoys a well-earned reputation as the biggest player at the show no matter what it releases, the brand-new Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller has still generated a lot of buzz here in Geneva. I’m sure some folks are scoffing at the thought of Rolex hogging the limelight, but they are where they are for a reason and this new model might be their most important one in the last ten or twenty years.
The Land-Dweller is initially being offered in two sizes: 36mm and 40mm with multiple variations of each, although both sizes offer a white Rolesor (Oystersteel with an 18k white gold bezel), 18k Everose gold and 950 platinum. We got to see a few variations of the Land-Dweller in person, those being the 36mm in Everose gold with the diamond dial and bezel (versions without diamonds are available), and the 40mm in white Rolesor and 950 platinum.
It’s refreshing to see a brand new Rolex work as well as this. The 1908 is a great watch, and I’m glad it’s around, but leather-strapped dress watches are not their biggest seller, as the Cellini and Cellini Prince have proven in the past. Incidentally, the 1908 got an update this year but that isn’t this article’s focus. The Land-Dweller better fits what people want from a Rolex watch: it’s a piece that can go anywhere and be worn anywhere thanks to its Flat Jubilee bracelet, yes that’s what they’re calling it. The watch is also 100m water resistant, just like the DateJust, which also fits the bill for this style of watch but lacks the integrated bracelet and case that generate success for so many other watch brands.
The dial options are eye-catching, the honeycomb pattern is unique and doesn’t reflect light so much, rather, it adds texture and depth especially with the white versions. The light blue dial, limited to the platinum version, does play with the light a little more but I think that’s what people buying a solid platinum watch want. By the way, if you want one of these in solid platinum, make sure to hit the gym before buying one as it’s extremely heavy, probably not far off the 320 grams of last year’s solid 18k Deepsea.
Rolex has decided to go all-out with this new model in every sense. The appearance causes conversation but the movement is also worth some discussion. It’s on display in all models which allows a neat view into the brand-new calibre 7135. The 7135 is made in-house by Rolex, of course, and offers Superlative Chronometer accuracy (+/- 2 seconds per day) for 66 hours.
The main talking point inside the watch is the Dynapulse escapement. It works along the thinking of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s natural escapement (seen in Lederer timepieces and others), although it is not a natural escapement. The point of this new innovation is to reduce the inefficiency that occurs when the components of the escapement slide across each other; this is inherent to all lever escapements. Through a series of clever designs using two specially designed escape wheels turning in opposite directions, the pin of the balance wheel is directly “pushed” in one direction then the other. Rolex says that this system completely eliminates the sliding action of traditional escapements and also means the balance wheel is pushed with equal force in both directions it oscillates. Rolex further reduced friction on the escapement by making the pinions of the balance staff (which goes through the middle of the balance wheel and attaches it to the movement at both ends) from a patented new ceramic which is friction-free.
Although right now it doesn’t seem to make a difference given the 66-hour power reserve and the same accuracy as other Rolex chronometers, it’s worth pointing out that this is the first time such an escapement is being produced at this kind of production level, and from here Rolex is bound to do even more with it. It also beats at 5Hz.
Pricing starts at $13,900 for the 36mm white Rolesor model and $14,900 for the 41mm version. For Everose gold, the starting price of the 36mm model is $42,100 and for the 41mm, it’s $46,100. For the platinum one, the price starts at $59,200 in 36mm guise and for the 41mm one, it’s $63,500.
Overall, the new Land-Dweller offers an interesting and exciting addition to the Rolex lineup. People can’t complain that Rolex didn’t innovate this time around; the Dynapulse escapement took nearly a decade of research and development to perfect and undoubtedly cost a fortune. It’s now down to the market to decide what it thinks of the new Land-Dweller. It’s a steel sporty Rolex, so I bet the order books are filling up already.
