A centenary Daytona in enamel, a brand new gold alloy, a Yacht-Master II comeback, and an Oyster Perpetual that might just break the internet. Here’s everything Rolex dropped in Geneva.

I’ve been refreshing my phone since about 4am Melbourne time, and I’m not even slightly sorry about it. Watches and Wonders 2026 is here, and Rolex has used the 100th anniversary of the Oyster case to deliver a collection that’s more interesting, more varied, and frankly more surprising than anything I expected.

The theme is “Oyster Story,” celebrating the waterproof case that Hans Wilsdorf patented in 1926. But rather than a single commemorative piece wrapped in nostalgia, Rolex has scattered centenary DNA across the entire lineup. Let’s run through every release.

Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 126502: The Enamel Daytona

This is the one that stopped me mid-scroll. Rolex has introduced a Daytona with a white grand feu enamel dial, and if that doesn’t immediately register as significant, consider this: Rolex has built its entire production philosophy around industrialised consistency. Enamel is the opposite. It’s artisanal, unpredictable, and notoriously difficult to execute at scale.

The enamel is fired on a ceramic base rather than directly on metal, then applied to a brass disc across four separate pieces (main dial and three subdials). The case is Oystersteel paired with a platinum bezel and caseback, creating a “Rolesium” construction that’s a first for the Daytona line. That bezel is finished in anthracite rather than the familiar black, with horizontally aligned tachymeter markings that nod to vintage references. And yes, there’s a sapphire exhibition caseback showing off the calibre 4131.

The catch? This is an off-catalogue model. Low production, not part of the standard range. If you thought the ceramic Daytona was hard to source, this one is going to be another level entirely.

Day-Date 40 in “Jubilee Gold”

The other piece Rolex has designated as an “Exceptional Watch” for 2026, and it introduces something genuinely new: a proprietary 18-carat gold alloy called Jubilee Gold. Rolex describes the tones as blending tender yellow, warm grey, and soft pink. Think of it as sitting somewhere between traditional yellow gold and Everose, but distinct from both.

The dial is a light green aventurine, and I mean actual natural stone, not glass-based. Pale green with fine grey inclusions, finished with baguette-cut diamond indices. It’s unapologetically opulent, and on the Day-Date, that feels exactly right. Like the enamel Daytona, this is an off-catalogue reference. Two exceptional pieces, both outside the standard lineup. Rolex doesn’t do that by accident.

Yacht-Master II: The Comeback

Discontinued in 2024, the Yacht-Master II returns with what amounts to a complete redesign. The case remains 44mm, but the dial layout has been overhauled. Rounded hour markers replace the previous generation’s busier aesthetic, bringing it much closer to a classic Rolex look.

The blue Cerachrom bezel drops the old Yacht-Master II markings for a cleaner profile. The real story is the movement. The all-new calibre 4162 powers a programmable countdown displayed on a rotating flange, with a small seconds at 6 o’clock. Available in Oystersteel (ref. 126680) or yellow gold (ref. 126688), both with white dials. This is the most complicated watch Rolex makes, and it’s come back looking far more refined than the version it replaced.

Oyster Perpetual 36: The Jubilee Dial

This will be the most talked-about Oyster Perpetual since the Celebration dial, and I suspect it’ll be just as divisive. The new Jubilee-motif dial is a riot of colour, spelling out “ROLEX” across the dial in ten contrasting lacquer tones. Each colour is applied individually, layer by layer, which Rolex notes was a significant production challenge.

It’s bold. It’s playful. And it’s absolutely nothing like what Rolex normally does, which is precisely the point. The centenary Oyster Perpetual also arrives with a “100 years” inscription at 6 o’clock replacing the usual “Swiss Made” marking, a slate grey sunray dial, green logo, and green hour plots. Inside, the calibre 3230 now carries Rolex’s strengthened 2026 Superlative Chronometer certification.

Oyster Perpetual in Two-Tone and Solid Gold

Two-tone returns to the Oyster Perpetual for the first time in years, with a new Rolesor configuration in Oystersteel and yellow gold. Alongside it, a full 18-carat yellow gold OP with a green stone lacquer dial and heliotrope hour markers. There’s also a 34mm variant in yellow gold and Everose gold with a range of dial finishes including turquoise, mother-of-pearl, black, and blue, each paired with natural stone hour markers.

Rolex taking the Oyster Perpetual upmarket is a deliberate move. This is no longer just an entry-level range. It’s becoming a platform for material and dial experimentation.

Datejust 41: Green Ombre Dial

A quieter addition, but one that’ll sell like mad. The Datejust 41 picks up a green ombre dial (deep green fading to black at the edges), previously seen on the Day-Date.

Available in Oystersteel and white Rolesor configurations. It’s a gorgeous colourway that adds genuine character to a watch that, frankly, needed a fresh dial option.

Strengthened Superlative Chronometer Certification

The least flashy announcement and arguably the most important. Rolex has tightened its Superlative Chronometer testing standards for 2026, raising accuracy and performance

benchmarks across the entire collection. Every watch in this year’s lineup carries the updated certification. It’s a quiet flex, but a meaningful one. Rolex doesn’t just meet COSC standards. It sets its own, and just moved the bar higher.

My Take

This is Rolex at its most confident. The enamel Daytona and Jubilee Gold Day-Date show the brand pushing into artisanal territory it’s historically avoided. The Yacht-Master II comeback is more refined than anyone predicted. And the Jubilee-motif Oyster Perpetual is the kind of

left-field dial decision that either becomes an instant classic or a future curiosity. Either way, people will be fighting over them.

No new Submariner. No Coke GMT. No titanium Daytona. And somehow, none of that matters, because what Rolex actually delivered is more interesting than what the rumour mill was chasing.

Happy 100 to the Oyster case. Not a bad birthday, all things considered.

Many of these models will hit the secondary market in the coming months. Browse our Rolex collection or request a specific reference.