Rolex Sky-Dweller 2014 new Collection (live photos & price)

We’ve been dreaming of a stainless steel version of the Rolex Sky-Dweller. For obvious reasons we wanted to see this unique traveller watch in a more affordable edition: the ‘Sky’ is one of the most complicated (if not THE most complicated) watch ever made by Rolex and at the same time, certainly the smartest. Instead of a charcoal dial / steel combination, Rolex introduced 3 new gold versions earlier this year during Baselworld 2014. Recession? Sorry, that word is not to be found in Rolex’s glossary.

Clearly, Rolex is not participating to the ‘downsizing’ trend that we saw at Baselworld’s last edition. When most of the other brands are rationalizing their collections, Rolex presents several very upscale timepieces: a platinum and diamonds Daytona, a white gold GMT Master II ‘Pepsi‘ and new gold combinations of the Sky-Dweller.

These are the three new editions:

• Ref. 326935: everose case and bracelet, pink gold dial with a sun-ray pattern – € 39.700 Euro
• Ref. 326138: yellow gold case, brown alligator bracelet, silver dial with a sun-ray pattern – € 30.950 Euro
• Ref. 326139: white gold case, black alligator bracelet, black dial with a satin finish – € 32.150 Euro

These three new versions of the Sky-Dweller feature different materials and colours, but no technical changes. And we understand, why change a very good recipe? We were really impressed when Rolex presented the Sky-Dweller in 2012 for various reasons. It is the most complicated Rolex ever – except a unique perpetual calendar made by Frank Muller – and the ‘Sky’ boasts an annual calendar with a second time zone, which can be operated in a unique and very handy way. Compared to some of the Grande Complication watches we covered, it may be disappointing, however consider that the ‘Sky’ MAY just be the “smartest” of them all!

Two elements in order to justify our words:

• Its display: the way the months are indicated is so simple that no one ever thinks of it (except maybe Ludwig Oechslin, who creates similar “simple” ways to display calendar functions for ochs und junior.) A year has twelve months and a watch dial has twelve hours (usually that is). The Rolex Sky-Dweller simply and discreetly adds twelve apertures around the dial to indicate the current month. And it comes with an annual calendar. It may not be as prestigious as a perpetual calendar, but it’s already a very practical complication that will need only one adjustment per year (every 1st of March) as it will automatically corrects for months with 30 or 31 days.
• Its adjustment: usually, a complicated watch means complicated settings and these two solutions are normally used: a three/four positions crown or not so elegant pushers in the case-band. The Rolex Sky-Dweller has a rotating bezel that turns anticlockwise in three positions, in order to set all the functions: local time, second time zone and calendar. All adjustments are made via the crown, in both directions and without restrictions of time. Smart and efficient!

And now that we know that the Sky-Dweller will never exist in stainless steel, we will treat you on some more ‘photoshoped dreams‘ before Baselworld next year: a platinum case with a sky blue dial? Why not! We’ll find out more next year at Baselworld 2015, when Jean-Frederic Dufour, Rolex’s new CEO, will present his first new Rolex collection.