Impressions on Sky Dweller and Rolex, after a few days.......

Folks,

I eagerly awaited the Sky Dweller and I felt a bit let down when I first saw it. I decided to go back to it after a few days to see if my initial impressions were correct. On one hand I would like to extend kudos to Rolex for trying out something different by combining GMT with an annual calendar. On the other hand, the watch doesn't speak to me as I had hoped. So here by likes and dislikes:

+ discrete month indicator

+ movement and setting via bezel. Speaks to some innovation and ease of use

+ size of movement and watch

- 24-hr ring makes the dial busy

- don't like the cyclops date

- fluted bezel

So Rolex if you are listening, I would like a little more elegance from this watch (particularly at this price range). Please give me the plain bezel like in the 214270, make a window for the 24 hr indicator, give a see thru case back, and give me an option for a leather strap.

I was looking through Gene Stone's "The Watch" and appreciated the variety of watches Rolex made in the early days. It seems that they have marketed themselves into a corner as a maker of "tool watches". Of course, I love quite a few of them, but how about a little bit of variety? I can't remember seeing an ad for the Rolex Prince in forever. Are there anybody else that would like to see this fantastic brand diversify just a little bit in to elegance?

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Thanks a lot for this headscratcher, JMan.

By: amanico : March 11th, 2012-05:55

Very well put discussion, my friend. To answer your question, I still don't like it, and I doubt I will. There is something " Anti Rolex " in this watch, something too tortured in the design of the whole watch, and particularly in the dial. What do we hav...

YM II GMT....+1

By: moc : March 11th, 2012-07:21

intriguing but,....something wrong with the layout.....on the other hand,a very appealing new YM with blue dial. Mo

Agreed.......

By: JMan : March 11th, 2012-08:14

Nicolas: thanks for the response. My point is that some few changes in aesthetic presentation may make the watch a hit among WIS too. I agree that Rolex is an ultra conservative company that has shown no sign of listening to requests like this, and that t...

Not really that hard to set Sky-Dweller...

By: chaser579 : March 11th, 2012-07:55

And actually kinda fun. I would expect this more from Seiko (perhaps), but it is interesting. Per the Rolex website, essentially there's the reference (GMT/second time zone) time setting capability via the turning of the fluted bezel and unscrewing the cr...

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