Rolex 2021 releases

Rolex came up with new 2021 updates, and in this article, we will cover all the things you need to know about them. Let’s dive right in.

We are going to begin with the big official announcements from Rolex and then talk about the add-ons Rolex didn’t mention in their press release, as well as models which are no longer available.

The biggest change for many is perhaps the update to the Explorer line, which Rolex teased a lot about it on their social media and website, and now here we have it, a new generation of Explorers as well as a new Explorer II series.

The new Explorer honors the first model which was worn by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on their mount Everest expedition. That means that it is now back to its smaller 36-millimeter case instead of the previous 39 millimeters. It’s supposed to blend robustness with elegance as you get the black lacquer dial with chromalight filled hour markers and hands in a full steel version on an oyster bracelet with a five-millimeter Easylink as well as a yellow gold two-tone or bronzer model with a yellow gold bezel and yellow gold middlings.

Inside beats the Rolex caliber 3230 with its chronergy escapement which has been released in 2020.

The new generation of the Explorer II models remain at the 42 millimeter diameter but get an updated case and bracelet with improved chromalight looms, a black or white lacquer a dial with an orange 24-hour hand on both versions and the 3285 Rolex in-house caliber beating inside of it.

Rolex didn’t specify which exact updates they made to the case or bracelet, but what we can see is a brushed surface on top and polished flanks with an oyster bracelet and the five-millimeter Easylink clasp. We would also say that they slim down the locks like we saw in the Oyster case from the Submariners and Oyster Perpetuals from 2020 for example.

Those updates to the Explorer and Explorer II line, mean subsequently that the old 39-millimeter version of the Explorer, as well as the previous Explorer 2 models, are now discontinued.

Let’s move over to the Rolex Daytona and their updates. There isn’t too much to say about the new Daytonas as Rolex only added a new dial to the lineup. The Daytona is now available with a meteorite dial in either yellow, white, or rose gold case.

The yellow and rose gold cases are equipped with a full gold bracelet whereas the white gold version will be available on a black Oysterflex strap only.

Right that’s it for the sporty section of Rolex, let’s have a look at the announcements regarding the Datejust and the Day-dates.

Rolex released new dials for the very popular Datejust 36 range, more specifically a tropical green palm motif as well as a fluted dial structure that is inspired by Rolex’s iconic fluted bezels. Of course, both new motifs will be available in different colors and hues as well as with domed and fluted bezel options.

The palm motif in green will come on an Oyster bracelet with a domed bezel, whereas the gold and silver palm dial will come in a two-tone case and bracelet with either an Oyster or Jubilee bracelet. Same goes for the flute dial which has the colored version in blue on an oyster bracelet, whereas the gold and gray or silvery dial version comes in a two-tone Datejust.

When it comes to the Day-date updates, Rolex really brought out the sunshine, or the eyes depending on how you see it.

The latest additions to the 36-millimeter Day-date range is a throwback to the old colorful stellar dials from Rolex, so we get treated to a fully iced out Day-date in three new colors with matching enamel roman numerals on the dial and an equally matching strap on a crown clasp.

So you get this really bright orange or as some call it coral red, a light turquoise, and a very deep burgundy. It’s definitely a statement and a cool addition to the colors which they already introduced on their oyster Perpetuals in 2020.

The last update Rolex explicitly mentioned is about the lady Datejust. They came out with a fully iced out lady Datejust which now carries more diamonds than ever before, 1089 to be exact.

You get it on a president bracelet with a crown clasp in either yellow or white gold.

So those were the officially announced updates from Rolex, but they change other things on their existing lineup which they did not mention in their press release. We all now know that they never announced discontinued watches so here’s what’s no longer available from now, like we said in the beginning, the 39 millimeter Explorer and the 34-millimeter Oyster Perpetual Date are no longer available as of now.

There’s also been an update to the GMT Master II. It is now available again on an Oyster bracelet instead of the jubilee only and the Sky-Dweller is now available on a jubilee bracelet in steel and on two-tone.

That’s it for the Rolex updates, subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates, and be notified when we prepare the replica versions of the new models.