My grades for each Rolex 2023 release

[amh]

- The cartoon dials: F. (A face only a mother could love.)
- Titanium YM: A for effort, B for execution. (It's going to be very niche.)
- GMT grey half-bezel: D. (Never in our wildest dreams. We wanted Coke!)
- The 'new' Daytona: A+. (It fixes all the issues with the old one. A future classic!)
- SkyD dial: B. (Did this even need to be announced?)
- Exp40: A. (The Exp has always been too small at 36, or too large at 42, for most people. Plus they kept the others, everyone is happy.)

[logo]

B+ for Daytona for me. Like the symmetric lugs, thinner bezel with metal edge, keeping 20mm lugs, but missed opportunity to de clutter the dial and align the subdials for better legibility and symmetry. And no real panda for SS.

[RyanJ]

A+++ for all the cartoon dials.

People will be talking about these for years keeping Rolex in the headlines. Bravo marketing team, bravo!

[cdmorenot]

I'll bite ....


- The cartoon dials: A++ (Nicely unconventional)
- Titanium YM: B- (Looks nice - Too big for me)
- GMT grey half-bezel: C+ (Black looks grey when light hits it anyway)
- The 'new' Daytona: F. (That metal ring is ugly)
- SkyD dial: C. (More of the same - The tried and true Rolex way)
- Exp40: C ( So Creative - See Above)

[FloridaBill]

Daytona = A+
Yacht master 42 = A
1908 = B+
Explorer 40 = B
Sky Dweller = B
GMT = C+
Daydate 36 = C
Cartoon Dials = C-

[Big Tex Rolex]

Rolex 1908 … A+

Rolex Daytona 126500 … same grade as whatever grade I gave to the 116500

PS … Do we know for certain that it will be called the 126500 … seems obvious / likely, but I have not seen anything from Rolex.

[enjoythemusic]

This video echos my thoughts on the thoughts of...

Men On New Rolex Releases

[Malum]

I like the 1908 , Y. M. Titanium and 40mm Explorer. The others a big YAWN .

[Easy E]

Originally Posted by amh

- The cartoon dials: F. (A face only a mother could love.)
- Titanium YM: A for effort, B for execution. (It's going to be very niche.)
- GMT grey half-bezel: D. (Never in our wildest dreams. We wanted Coke!)
- The 'new' Daytona: A+. (It fixes all the issues with the old one. A future classic!)
- SkyD dial: B. (Did this even need to be announced?)
- Exp40: A. (The Exp has always been too small at 36, or too large at 42, for most people. Plus they kept the others, everyone is happy.)

Pretty fair assessment.

I'm more like A- on the Daytona. It should be a bit bigger.

[Driver8]

- The cartoon dials: Ungraded. (Terrible, but also so far outside of my wheelhouse that I'm not remotely offended by them)
- Titanium YM42: B+. (Nice enough, but it's a strange world when a YM looks more tool-like than a Sub)
- GMT grey half-bezel: C-. (With a solid black bezel the full YG would be a winner. Grey part looks so washed out it makes this one a bit of a miss for me)
- Daytona: A. (Turned me from a Daytona disliker, to putting my name down for one! Bye bye asymmetric lugs - you won't be missed!)
- "New" SkyDweller: C. (Nice green dial, and inconsequential change to the movement, so no need whatsoever to call this a "new" watch)
- Exp 40: B. (39, then 36, then back to 40. Rolex should never have gotten rid of the 39mm version)
- 1908: B. (A decent effort at reviving Rolex's dress watch aspirations)

[amh]

Originally Posted by Easy E

Pretty fair assessment.

I'm more like A- on the Daytona. It should be a bit bigger.

Agree. A true 40mm - but maybe it's close enough. Doubtful they'll enlarge it any further.

[fskywalker]

I’ll play:

Daytona = F
Yacht master 42 Ti: B
1908 = A
Explorer 40 = C
Sky Dweller = A
GMT = A
Daydate 36 = B
Cartoon Dials = F


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[904VT]

C- for the Daytona Design changes
The movement updates are nice but not necessarily improvements over the 4130

[Marcjvr]

A+++ for new OP41

B for everything else

[sski]

for me:

- The cartoon dials: A+ (good light hearted fun; bonafide collectors items.....pieces of modern art)
- Titanium YM: C- (just meh. YM is redundant to Submariner imo; the monotone gray titanium is like a cloudy depressing day with no sunshine)
GMT grey half-bezel: D+ (again- lifeless monotone gray bezel like a cloudy day dampens the mood)
- The 'new' Daytona: A+ (superb evolutionary update to arguably an already 'perfect' watch; true to Daytona dna.... agreed, A future classic!)
- SkyD dial: B (added variety to dial color options, pretty cool! Teal blue RG is fab.)
- Explorer 40: D (Rolex caved in to pressure from fanboys. 36mm is and will remain the 'true' Explorer. At 36mm Explorer is interesting; at 40mm boring......Exp2 anyday over Explorer 40.)

[Tridor]

1908 = A+
Cartoon Dials = F ... epic fail.

[NCRolexguy]

Daytona = never cared for them and nothing has changed.

Yacht master 42 = Ok, not for me but I can see why people may want it.

1908 = Probably would buy it but won't chase it

Explorer 40 = same boring piece in a new case size that will be impossible to distinguish from the 39mm at a distance over 5 feet.

Sky Dweller = same complicated watch that I don't understand that fascination with.

GMT = Cool enough. Not as slick as the TT CHNR but I'd wear it. Haters wanted a coke.

Daydate 36 = nope

Cartoon Dials = stupid but davidsw will have one on his site next month for $25k. There will be a buyer.

Like every year, the love and hate is equal and a bit annoying on both ends.

[NCRolexguy]

Originally Posted by Driver8

-
- Titanium YM42: B+. (Nice enough, but it's a strange world when a YM looks more tool-like than a Sub)

Great point.

[sski]

also- 1908: C- (an also ran, me-too attempt at a dress watch. Looks nice enough dial side, however- not too competitive with Vacheron, Lange, Patek etc. It's not the name that was the problem- Cellini sounded just fine. The product is just not 'good enough.' Name change won't change that.)

[Frank McKay]

Improved? Hahaha, you like that ghastly metal ring around the bezel? You can’t improve on a perfect watch.


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[epc2]

I'll Play:

Daytona : B , Not a Daytona guy have had it in the past and never stayed , wears too small, with the new case (used previously on the WG and RG models) I think it'll wear a touch bigger , don't care for the updated dials.

YM42 : A , Nice , different , should've included Glidelock.

GMT TT: B Not a fan of Yellow Gold TT , still prefer the CHNR
GMT YG: A Nice one like the all gold with Jubilee
EXP 1 40mm: A+ 36 it's actual a 35mm and a ladies watch IMO , 40 is a nice size for this watch and I'm pretty sure It'll be more like a 39.5mm

SkyD: C just because I'm not a fan of the Skydweller but have to admit that the RG blue dial combination looks very nice.

OP bubbles : A , I'm sure it'll be impossible to get but love the concept.

[Lesnerelli23]

Daytona - meh. C+ at best. Liked it better before. The asymmetry had a better balance I thought and I don’t understand the metal around the bezel??? I like the bolder sub dials as well…

YM - looks good in pics. Love Ti weight but will never be able to pull off 42mm…. It’s a B for me because I’m happy to see more Ti coming in.

1908 - my favorite new release BY FAR!!!! I haven’t much to say, just look at it!!! A+!!!

Explorer 40 - really? Come on… we had 39, people wanted 36 back. We got 36, now that’s too small??? I don’t think I get it. It should have had some defining feature other than the size. That would have made it interesting, the speculation that it might be Ti was a great prospect. No new tech… nothing. MEH!!!!

Everything else…. Meh….

Tudor BB54 and the Rolex 1908 win the day!!!!


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[77T]

Turquoise blue, Celebration motif dial for the OP31, 36, & 41 is going to be a choice for families who have fun

It says “if you can’t laugh then you are taking life too seriously”.


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[TimeAZ]

I LOVE the changes to the new daytona. A+ for sure. A true stepwise evolution of perfection, homerun. Lugs are more balanced. The thinner, sleeker bezel is MUCH more attractive, and its metal rim unifies the general design theme better. I just hope it has the same stance on the wrist, measuring closer to 38.5 mm rather than 40. I like that the daytona wears smaller than its marketed size.

1908 is beautiful and welcome addition. I think I would rate it a B+... if only it were 37mm! It is just a little large for a dress watch at 39mm. The open caseback is very nice. I think this model can compete with the likes of patek, ALS, etc, because we have an elegant dress watch with a presumably robust movement that is probably more serviceable.

Rest of the releases are not as interesting. The OP is unsightly. I actually think a silent hero among the new watches is the release of the chocolate dial to the 36 mm RG datejust two-tone. Some of the daydate 40s also got lume stick dials. I'm glad we have some more options in those lines, that's an A.

[RichardBartlett]

Originally Posted by Frank McKay

Improved? Hahaha, you like that ghastly metal ring around the bezel? You can’t improve on a perfect watch.


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I'm pretty indifferent to the Daytona tbh it's never been on my radar so I'm neutral on them but that ring really jarrs. I assume they'd had a lot of issues with it breaking so it needed protection?

[Gerardus]

All F except the 40mm EX1 (A)

[Linuxpenguins]

If they had discontinued the blue SS and replaced it with the mint green, then that would have worked more in their favour. Mint green will of course sell as its new, but the blue will remain the most desired variant. It’s simply gorgeous!

Plus the sky is blue. So yeah!

[padi56]

My grades for the so called new releases this year well in the real world there was not any much like the past decade or so just cosmetically changed old ones now with a few Swatch type dials.But today Rolex only got to change a screw ,bezel,or bracelet type or metal to declare a new watch, very disappointed this year much like the past few years..

[lamkinpark]

Daytona = C, I like the discon. 116500LN more.

Yacht master 42 = A, I will get my AD for waiting list for this. nice

1908 = A, yes it is nice.

Explorer 40 = F, keep it as 36mm

Sky Dweller = B.

Daydate 36 = A+, best of 2023 release

Cartoon Dials = A, something fresh is good. We are getting bored with normal color dial.

[alphadweller]

- The cartoon dials: E. They're a joke.

- Titanium YM: D. They're killing the luxurious image of the YM or completely reshaping it. Should have made a Sub Ti instead.

- GMT grey half-bezel: D. Even worse than the marroon Rootber; another unwanted GMT after the LHD, great.

- The 'new' Daytona: C. Looks better but still too small for a legible chrono.

- SkyD dial: B. More colours are always welcome, but I don't like the SkyD dial layout so it doesn't make much difference.

- Exp40: C. Larger than the 36 but equally boring.

- 1908: C. Mixed bag, not dressy and elegant enough for what I value in a dress piece.

Overall Score: D+