If the launch of the latest GMT-Master II by Rolex— with its quiet new colorway and small green details— was a demonstration of the brand’s subtlety, then the release of the Deepsea Dweller in yellow gold is an act of ostentatious balance.
Presented at Watches & Wonders 2024 as the reference M136668LB, the new “professional” dive watch features an old fan favorite yellow gold and royal blue colorway that was once seen in the Submariner line. The watch eschews the traditional steel construction of the series, instead opting for the loudness of combined precious metal and azure hues to make itself known.
On the wrist, the watch is— get ready for it— heavy. Like all if not all Rolex watches, the timepiece features a monobloc middle case, which together with its bezel and Oyster-style bracelet essentially ensures the 44mm behemoth as a solid block of 18k yellow gold in wear. The case does have some non-gold details, notably making use of a titanium construction for its caseback and helium escape valve, as well as a Cerachrom insert in blue ceramic for its 60-minute scale on the bezel, which in tandem with Rolex’s Ringlock System ensure the watch can theoretically survive to 3,900m.
On the lacquer dial, you’ll find a familiar Rolex diver configuration, in this variant executed with more blue and gold details. Printed scripts of the watch’s various technical abilities and names flank the applied indices, with these alongside the signature handset filled with the brand’s Chromalight luminescent material for legibility in all lighting conditions. A cyclops-less date window is placed at the 3 o’clock position, should you dare to use the model as a daily-wearer.
Inside, the Rolex caliber 3235 powers the timepiece, with the automatic mechanism capable of a 70-hour power reserve and accurate to +/-2 seconds per day. This movement has become the standard bearer for Rolex time-and-date models in recent years, being featured in current iterations of the Yacht-Master and Submariner Date, among others.
The new Rolex Deepsea Dweller ref. M136668LB is priced at 49,900 CHF, or about $55,300 USD, with it to be available at authorized Rolex boutiques globally.
To learn more, visit Rolex, here.