Day 1 – W&W 2023 Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, And A Show Highlight From Lange

Jigsaw puzzle motif dial made from champlevé enameling available in yellow gold, white gold, and Everose. The watch displays "inspirational" keywords at the 12 o'clock display ('Happy', 'Eternity', 'Gratitude', 'Peace', 'Faith', 'Love' and 'Hope') and 31 emojis (!!!) in place of the date at 3 o'clock.

Brand: Rolex Model: Oyster Perpetual Reference Number: 277200 (31mm), 126000 (36mm), 124300 (41mm) Diameter: 31mm, 36mm, 41mm Case Material: Oystersteel Dial Color: Turquoise blue "celebration motif" with pastel pink, hunter green, coral, yellow, and turquoise Indexes: White gold surrounds on stick indices Lume: Highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence Water Resistance: 100m Strap/Bracelet: Oyster Steel

This new release is a full titanium Yacht-Master 42. That means a titanium case and titanium bracelet - just like the Deepsea Challenge. In terms of aesthetics, the overall design language is everything we have come to expect from the black-Cerachrom bezel YM's of late.

Huh? Yes, you read that right.

Because we aren't just seeing a return to YG, but to YG with Jubilee, which is something we have not seen Rolex do this century...until today. Seeing a yellow gold GMT - even a two-tone GMT - with a Jubilee bracelet is one of those things that makes you think "Wait, Rolex doesn't already make this?"

I'll drone on about the need for smaller dress watches as much as the next guy, but I've gotta admit: I didn't mind the case size one bit. Would I have liked it even more with 1, 2, or 3mm taken off?

"The dial receives new graphic balance, and harmonious colour combinations accentuate the contrast between the dial and the counters - or their rings. The Oyster case has been redesigned, and its profile is highlighted by the light reflections on the lugs and case sides.

As I said in my original Intro, this will undoubtedly bring a new balance to the Black Bay line and offer specific appeal to those who either prefer a genuinely smaller dive watch or those who want a modern and robust Tudor that still feels like vintage.

The watch in question is the super rare Tudor Submariner ref. 7923 from 1956/1957. Only a handful have even been sold publicly and we have no reason to believe there are that many more out there. This is the only manually-wound Submariner from either Tudor or Rolex and the watch features a small crown, a super slim case, and a flat caseback.

In 2012 the first Black Bay was released with a burgundy bezel and it returned in 2015. Now, the watch returns to its red roots with burgundy, a beautiful black dial, a steel case, and slightly tweaked hands. It's a little big at 41mm with a domed sapphire crystal, though thinner than the original BB.

Making the 24-hour display possible is the new caliber 21-260 PS FUS, a micro-rotor movement with 48 hours of power reserve. Instead of using pushers to adjust the dual-time zone display, as is common in other Patek travel times, the new ref. 5224R features a new, patented three-position crown.

The Aquanaut Flyback Chronograph gets the rose gold treatment, and Patek brings the annual calendar to the Aquanaut for the first time. Plus, a third model with a diamond bezel.

Caliber: Caliber CH 28‑520 C FUS Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, day/night indicator, flyback chronograph with 60-minute counter, travel time function Diameter: 31 mm Thickness: 6.95 mm Power Reserve: Minimum 45 hours, max 55 hours Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vph Jewels: 34mm Additional Details: Sapphire Caseback

The black dial has different finishes for each of its concentric circles: "carbon style" stamped guilloche is in the center, surrounded by circular graining and brushing. It's the same dial treatment seen in the 6007A (and last year's 5935 World Timer); we've also seen the carbon-style guilloche in a unique 5004T and 5208T.

But that's not to say I think this Odysseus Chronograph is perfect. Few things in life are - I've come to find out. The watch is larger (but not horribly so) at 42.5m wide, and pretty thick at 14.2mm.