Marcus Henriques - Mar 13 2024

Everyone is talking about what might be. But what about the things to be left in the past?

The rumors fly in all directions. Rumors of potential models to be released by the renowned Crown of Switzerland - Rolex. Known to be extremely careful and secretive, potential releases rarely see the light of day before the actual launch in the heart of Geneva. Even though Rolex produces and immense amount of watches compared to their competitors, some models will have to stand back in order to make way for now ideas. Today we will listen to the rumors and dive into the models that are suspected to be immortalized.

The GMT-Master II 126710BLRO “Pepsi”

For illustrative purposes only. Image credit: Rolex  

This one seems like an odd one to discontinue. Yet we saw the disappearance of the regular black GMT-Master II which means that anything can happen.

Throughout the years, it has become increasingly apparent that Rolex had a hard time making a truly red ceramic bezel when paired with its blue Pan American counterpart. Since its introduction in 2018, the reference has seen two updates, dividing the production into 3 different marks. One every second year. Even though the popularity of the watch has been through the roof, it would seem like a manufacturing disaster for Rolex. They might be gazing over at Hublot who makes the creation of red ceramic look as easy as toasting a pop-tart.

The Yacht-Master II series

For illustrative purposes only. Image credit: Rolex  

It never really reached the status of its equally thick brother, the Deep-Sea Sea-Dweller. Boasting a hefty 44mm in size and the option to have it in solid yellow gold, gives you a watch that weighs in at around the same as an average toddler, making it a good but expensive alternative to a gym membership. With the 42mm Yachtmasters moving closer to the YMII range in regard to size, you can begin to speculate whether this model is worth keeping around.

The watch did however show us the capabilities of Rolex’ movement development team. A fly(forwards/backwards) regatta chronograph consisting of 360 components makes it the second most complicated Rolex today after the Sky-Dweller. If it leaves us, we hope to see something equally advanced.

Rolex Daytona 126529LN 100th Anniversary Edition

For illustrative purposes only. Image credit: Rolex  

Yeah, this is one for the conspiracy theorists.The devil is in the details and this was absolutely indisputable with this 126529LN for Le Mans with the cheeky red 100 on the ceramic bezel.

As this watch marks a very specific occasion, would it not be appropriate to discontinue when the occasion is formally over? And now that Rolex has a renewed interest in the pre-owned market with the launch and rapid expansion of the CPO-programme with Bucherer, the highly regarded model could see its value soar to even higher and more unfathomable digits.

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