It’s that time of year again when the legendary secrecy of Rolex is prodded and probed and watch experts come up with their predictions for what will be launched by the king of Swiss watchmakers in 2022.
Rolex will be unveiling its novelties in Geneva for the first time since exiting Baselworld after the 2019 show, making Watches & Wonders the undisputed focal point for the industry as we look ahead to the rest of the year.
Most predictions for what Rolex will launch are created by pundits in the media, but one of the first to catch WATCHPRO’s eye this year comes from Watchfinder, which has one of the most successful watch Youtube channels in the world.
In a podcast, illustrated for the purposes of a Youtube video, Watchfinder’s expert media team predict a year of conservative evolution rather than revolution at Rolex.
Rolex Submariner
Focusing on the steel professional category of Rolex watches, Watchfinder first picks out a natural extension to the Submariner family with a version adopting a red bezel.
“We’ve seen a handful of colours displayed on the Submariner’s bezel over the years, namely cool-toned ones like blue and green. Next up, we want to see some warmer hues from the crown, namely a fiery red bezel—it is a colour associated with royalty after all. It wouldn’t be too unusual for Rolex to play with some colour either; take a look at the Oyster Perpetual range and you’ll find an array of different coloured dials from baby-blue to sunny yellow,” Watchfinder reports.
Rolex GMT Master II
Next up is an addition to the GMT Master II family, which got a significant revamp a few years ago with a new jubilee bracelet, movement upgrade and ceramic bezels in the classic Pepsi and Batman colourways.
An omission since that step change was a modern version of the old black and red bezelled watch, known as the Coke.
“We predict that Rolex hasn’t finished with the fizzy drink colourways just yet. The Coke bezel was once an option in Rolex’s roster which offered a red and black bezel, however it isn’t currently available in the newer ceramic version of the GMT-Master and we sure hope—and think—this is about to change,” Watchfinder suggests.
Rolex’s Milgauss
Finally, the quirky Milgauss may get an upgrade (although other pundits think it will be discontinued, allowing production to switch to watches with longer waiting lists).
Rolex’s Milgauss was originally launched in 1965 as a watch that could withstand magnetic fields found in workplaces like power plants, medical facilities, and research labs.
Modern watches with silicon hairsprings, which are less affected by magnetic fields, are now commonplace, making the Milgauss somewhat redundant.
But Watchfinder things Rolex may play on its history while upgrading to its latest 3231 movement.
“We reckon this cool-kid-on-the-block could be in with a whole new movement, with an upgrade to the calibre 3231 instead of its current 3131. This update would equip the Milgauss with better anti-magnetic technology and Rolex’s Syloxi silicon hairspring. We also predict yet another colour change—perhaps a new shade of dial or crystal tint,” the team hints.
