It’s hard to know what to say about the new Rolex Land-Dweller. It starts at £13,050 and includes some genuinely impressive advancements in the movement such as the Dynapulse escapement, but that is where the good stuff ends in my view.

Look at the image above and you will see the Rolex crown at the top, the magnified date window to the right and the 6 and 9 markers. What kind of consistent design is this? The fluted bezel does not help because it starts to feel like a Frankenstein watch that has been made up of multiple other watches, going all the way back to their only quartz model from the 1970’s from which the case and integrated bracelet have been derived.

It is quirky at best and it will no doubt be a huge success with secondary market prices rising steeply for the rest of 2025, and mostly because of the ‘Rolex’ name on the dial. There is a part of me, however, that can see how it may become the most popular Rolex of all- it is shiny and immediately recognisable, is a departure from the past few decades and any big change is highly desirable to those who are already embedded in the mythical world that is Rolex worship.

Categories: Design, Watches