Spring is here! And that means it’s time to put away your snow boots and start reaching for lighter fabrics and pops of color that you can start integrating back into your wardrobe. You’re probably going to want to have a watch that matches the season, so here are some of our favorite Rolex watches to wear this springtime.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Collection
Oyster Perpetual Key Features:
– Case Size: 28mm, 31mm, 34mm, 36mm, 41mm
– Materials: Stainless Steel
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds
– Dial: Multiple Options Available
– Bezel: Fixed, Stainless Steel Smooth Style
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat)
– Bracelet: Oyster Bracelet
As one of the hottest new watch releases of 2020 and available in colors that look like they could have easily come from a box of Easter eggs, these Rolex Oyster Perpetual models were an easy pick for this spring-themed list. Featuring dial colors such as coral red, turquoise blue, yellow, green, and even candy pink, Rolex’s new Oyster Perpetual collection is the perfect way to add a splash of color to your spring wardrobe while simultaneously wearing one of the world’s hottest watches.
Powering the new Rolex Oyster Perpetual models are either the Caliber 2232 (for the 28mm, 31mm, and 34mm models) or the Caliber 3230 (for the 36mm and 41mm versions) and both movements boast Rolex’s “Superlative Chronometer” certification. Regardless of size, all of the watches feature 100 meters of water resistance and durable cases and bracelets crafted entirely from 904L stainless steel. Given the range of dial colors and the fact that they are available in case sizes that range from 28mm all the way up to 41mm, there is virtually guaranteed to be an Oyster Perpetual to suit every possible wrist and style.
Rolex Yacht-Master Collection
Yacht-Master Key Features:
– Case Size: 29mm, 35mm, 37mm, 40mm, 42mm
– Materials: Stainless Steel & Platinum, Stainless Steel & Gold, 18k Gold
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds, Date Display
– Dial: Multiple Options Available
– Bezel: Bidirectional, Gold or Platinum w/ 60-Minute Scale
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat w/ Cyclops Lens)
– Bracelet: Oyster Bracelet or Oysterflex Bracelet
Offering similar overall case lines as the Submariner, but more luxurious in its execution and available in a number of different sizes, the Rolex Yacht-Master collection makes a fantastic option for spring. Additionally, the vast majority of models feature a small pop of bright colors, such as the “Yacht-Master” name in red letters or the seconds hand finished in a shade of vibrant turquoise, which makes them perfect for those that want a touch of seasonal colors without going all-out like the vibrant new Oyster Perpetual watches.
The 29mm and 35mm Yacht-Master models may have been discontinued, but they are still readily available on the pre-owned market and Rolex currently produces a number of both 37mm and 40mm watches, along with an oversized model in 18k white gold. As the weather starts getting warmer, you’re going to want a watch that you can take with you out on the water, and any model from the Rolex Yacht-Master collection makes a great spring timekeeping companion.
Vintage Rolex Day-Date (Stella Dial)
Vintage Day-Date President Key Features:
– Case Size: 36mm
– Materials: 18k Gold (Yellow or White)
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds, Date Display, Day Display
– Dial: Multiple Options Available
– Bezel: Fixed, 18k Gold, Fluted Style
– Crystal: Acrylic (Flat w/ Cyclops Lens)
– Bracelet: President Bracelet
If you want to embrace the spirit of spring colors, but would prefer to wear a vintage Rolex, then one of the original Stella dial Day-Date watches would be our top pick. Produced during the 1970s and 1980s in a variety of vibrant dials colors, these vintage Stella dials are what (more than likely) served as the inspiration for the new brightly colored Oyster Perpetual models that Rolex released in 2020.
However, unlike the new colorful dials, you will find these original vintage Stella dials inside solid 18k gold watches from Rolex’s flagship Day-Date collection. Available in either yellow or white gold, these vintage Stella Day-Date watches are now fiercely pursued by collectors, and you will also often find examples that feature diamond-set hour markers. Our top pick for spring would be to try to find one with its matching President bracelet and fully lean-into the spirit of these vibrant and in-your-face vintage luxury watches.
Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman”
GMT-Master II “Batman” Key Features:
– Case Size: 40mm
– Materials: Stainless Steel
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds, Date Display, GMT-Functionality
– Dial: Black w/ Luminous Hour Markers
– Bezel: Bidirectional, Blue and Black Cerachrom Insert w/ 24-Hour Scale
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat w/ Cyclops Lens)
– Bracelet: Oyster or Jubilee Bracelet
As one of the more colorful historical collections of watches from Rolex’s catalog, the GMT-Master is an obvious pick for spring. The classic red and blue tones of the “Pepsi” model are certainly a solid choice to pair with your spring wardrobe, but our choice for this season would actually be the black and blue “Batman” version. The shade of blue on the Batman bezel is a bit brighter and more vibrant than the one found on the Pepsi insert, and if your goal is to really embrace the springtime colors, then brighter is always better.
In its current form, the “Batman” GMT-Master II is exclusively fitted with a Jubilee bracelet, but you can also still find the older version on an Oyster bracelet, which is readily available on the pre-owned market. Regardless of whether you are traveling for spring break or simply keeping track of loved ones that live abroad, the two independently adjustable hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezel make the Rolex GMT-Master II a useful and practical watch to have on your wrist this season.
Rolex Daytona Yellow Gold
Cosmograph Daytona Key Features:
– Case Size: 40mm
– Materials: 18k Yellow Gold
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds, 12-Hour Chronograph
– Dial: Multiple Options Available
– Bezel: Fixed, 18k Yellow Gold w/ Tachymeter Scale
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat)
– Bracelet: Oyster Bracelet
The black and white tones of the ultra-popular stainless steel and ceramic Daytona are perfect for winter, but as the weather starts to warm up, you might want to start wearing a watch with some warmer tones to match the season. The pink hue of Everose gold is ideal for fall, but the classic warmth of 18k yellow gold is our top pick to wear when the days start getting longer.
Yellow gold has been part of the Rolex Daytona collection since the very beginning, and you will find solid gold Daytona watches with a handful of different dials colors. Rolex now produces a version of the yellow gold Daytona with a black Cerachrom bezel and black Oysterflex bracelet, but we recommend saving that version’s sportier aesthetic for summer and choosing one of the classic full-gold models that includes a yellow gold tachymeter bezel and matching solid gold Oyster bracelet.
Rolex Submariner “Smurf”
Submariner “Smurf” Key Features:
– Case Size: 40mm
– Materials: 18k White Gold
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds, Date Display
– Dial: Blue w/ Luminous Hour Markers
– Bezel: Unidirectional, Blue Cerachrom Insert w/ 60-Minute Scale
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat w/ Cyclops Lens)
– Bracelet: Oyster Bracelet
The iconic all-black Submariner may be the perfect go-anywhere, do-anything timepiece, but if you are interested in adding a Rolex Submariner to your collection as your springtime watch, our recommendation would be to consider the reference 116619LB “Smurf” in solid 18k white gold. Rolex just recently discontinued the Smurf Submariner in September 2020, and it holds the distinction of being the only white metal Submariner (stainless steel or gold) that Rolex has ever produced with a blue dial and bezel.
Additionally, the blue dial found inside the Smurf is not the sunburst variety that you will find in the two-tone and yellow gold models. Instead, it is a bright and glossy blue surface with stark white printing that does not have any of the same tones and finishing as its blue sunburst siblings. The “Smurf” doesn’t look like any other Rolex Submariner that the brand has ever produced, which is saying quite a lot for a collection that has been in production since the 1950s and is frequently celebrated for the consistency of its design.
