TRUE RADIANCE

Put on your shades for the formidably bejewelled Rolex Day-Date 36 and Lady-Datejust.

- Alvin Wong

We are not sure if you noticed, but Rolex is drawing a great deal of attention to its savoir faire in ornamentation this year. Save for the new Explorer and Explorer II watches, which are adventure-inspired, the rest of Rolex’s creations have been full of visual drama. From new Datejust 36 featuring laser-etched palm fronds and artful interpretation of its famous fluted bezel on the dials, to Cosmograph Daytona models flaunting rare one-of-a-kind meteorite stones, we have been treated to an intriguing show of Rolex’s decorative prowess.

Away from captivating dials, another important pillar of Rolex’s aesthetic finesse is its proficiency with precious metals and gemstones. This is demonstrated to full effect with the new Day-Date 36 (top) and Lady-Datejust (facing page) models: two offerings that are as unabashed in their ostentation, as they are in expressing Rolex’s inhouse expertise in gemmology and concocting unique gold alloys.

Prestige Party

Rolex calls the Day-Date its ‘ultimate watch of prestige’, and the new Day-Date 36 lives up to this accolade with aplomb. As the name suggests, a Rolex Day-Date displays the day written in full via a window at 12 o’clock, and the date at three o’clock, magnified by the iconic Cyclops lens. These distinctive and practical displays are not only everpresent on the new watches, they have been lavished with the red-carpet treatment, thanks to a stupendous pairing of diamonds and gold.