BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Rolex showed up to Watches & Wonders 2025 with the sort of confidence only Rolex can muster. Their booth was as carefully guarded as a Cold War secret, but the novelties eventually spilled out. Unlike the slightly more cautious showing in 2024, this year’s trio leaned on color, texture and just a bit of flamboyance, though never straying too far from that conservative Rolex comfort zone. Among the headliners were two GMT-Master II variants and a new Cosmograph Daytona that might ruffle a few feathers with its dial choice.
GMT-Master II 126715CHNR “Root Beer” with Tiger Iron Dial
This 40mm GMT-Master II, often called the “Root Beer”, gets a new twist this year with a dial made from Tiger Iron, a composite stone with rippling layers of gold, brown and black. Depending on the light, it flickers between warm and moody, a far cry from the usual flat color dials Rolex leans on. The case is 18K Everose gold and fitted with the familiar bi-color Cerachrom bezel in black and brown.
Beating inside is the Calibre 3285, Rolex’s workhorse dual-time movement with 70 hours of power reserve and COSC and Superlative Chronometer certifications. The watch comes on an Oyster bracelet, also in Everose gold, with polished center links and the Easylink comfort extension. It is part of the regular production line, not limited, and priced in the neighborhood of $49,400 USD.
GMT-Master II 126729VTNR “Sprite” in White Gold
Still splitting opinions two years after its debut, the “Sprite” is now reimagined in white gold. The 40mm case carries over the crown and date window flipped to the left side, a quirk that still catches people off guard. The bezel remains green and black, in Cerachrom, but the switch to white gold gives the watch a more discreet presence than its steel sibling.
The dial is standard gloss black with white gold hands and hour markers filled with Chromalight. It also uses the Calibre 3285 with all the usual Rolex refinements. The watch comes on a white gold Oyster bracelet and remains a non-limited release. Expect it to land around $46,750 USD.
Cosmograph Daytona 126518LN with Turquoise Dial
Rolex took the Daytona and gave it a face-lift that nobody quite expected. The 40mm case is yellow gold, but the dial is the real kicker: glossy turquoise, with black subdials and gold surrounds. It’s not meteorite or opal, just a bold lacquered finish that won’t be to everyone’s taste.It runs on the Calibre 4131, an automatic chronograph movement with 72 hours of power reserve and Rolex’s latest Chronergy escapement. This reference comes on a black Oysterflex rubber strap with a yellow gold clasp. It is a standard production piece, not limited, and expected to retail around 35,500 USD. Availability, as always, is an entirely different question.
