The story of the Rolex Sky-Dweller
In 2012 Rolex unveiled its first entirely new model in 20 years, a traveller's watch that reads two time zones and a full annual calendar yet needs its date set only once a year, at the end of February.
Chapters
- 2023 to todayCalibre 9002 and wider lugs
In 2023 the calibre 9002 replaced the 9001, adding the Chronergy escapement, marked on the dial by two small coronets at 6 o'clock. The gold Oyster-bracelet models moved to the 22mm lug width, and in 2024 Rolex fitted a precious-metal Jubilee bracelet to the Sky-Dweller for the first time.
- 2020 to 2022Rubber for the gold models
In 2020 the gold Sky-Dweller became available on the Oysterflex, Rolex's elastomer-covered metal-blade bracelet, in yellow gold and Everose. aBlogtoWatch noted the case and movement were unchanged; only the bracelet option was new.
- 2017 to 2019Steel arrives, price drops
At Baselworld 2017 Rolex used stainless steel on the Sky-Dweller case for the first time, in two Rolesor references. Ref. 326934 paired a steel case and bracelet with a white gold bezel, lowering the entry price to EUR 13,150. The dials switched to rectangular luminous indexes and longer hands.
- 2012 to 2016Gold only, and a puzzle
The Sky-Dweller appeared at Baselworld 2012 in 18k yellow, white or Everose gold, 42mm wide, at around CHF 37,000. It carried Rolex's first annual calendar, called Saros, and the Ring Command bezel. Europa Star noted it was soon eclipsed in the media by the Deepsea that James Cameron took to the Mariana Trench.
- 2003 to 2012A calendar hidden in patents
Rolex filed a US patent for a wheel-only annual calendar as early as 2003, followed by a more detailed filing in 2005. In June 2011 it patented a bezel used to select which function the crown would set. Both ideas surfaced together less than a year later.
Worn by
Federer says the Sky-Dweller Rolex gave him after his 2017 Australian Open win, engraved with a butterfly, is the watch that holds the most sentimental value to him. British GQ also spotted him in a 326934 at the 2017 Miami Open, and in 2023 he wore a new Sky-Dweller in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
Wore a Sky-Dweller to his NBA Hall of Fame induction in May 2021, and earlier at the Hornets game in Paris in January 2020.
Wore a blue-dial steel Sky-Dweller, which Robb Report identifies as ref. 326934-0003, to his first Grammys in 2022. In a December 2020 GQ clip he called it the only watch he owned.
Paired his green jacket with a Sky-Dweller after winning the 2023 Masters, the same watch he wore after his 2021 U.S. Open win.
Wore a Sky-Dweller to the Milwaukee Bucks championship celebration in July 2021.
Chose a yellow gold Sky-Dweller ref. 326138 with a white Roman-numeral dial on a tobacco leather strap to replace his father's lost watch.
Picked a Sky-Dweller from a selection of watches on his first day out of prison in February 2021; it did not fit his wrist at first.
The Indian tennis player told GQ India that the Sky-Dweller is his favourite Rolex and that he had bought one a year earlier.
Moments
Rumours of an entirely new Rolex collection drove the watch blogs before the doors opened; the Sky-Dweller was the answer, Rolex's first annual calendar.
Rolex named the annual calendar after the Saros, an astronomical cycle, and built it with only four gear wheels and two gear ratios.
After Federer won the 2017 Australian Open, Rolex gave him a Sky-Dweller engraved with a butterfly, because he had spoken of butterflies before the final.
Jon Rahm wore a Sky-Dweller when he won the 2023 Masters at Augusta, the same piece he wore after his 2021 U.S. Open title.
Generations and strap changes
- 2024Ref. 336935 / 336938 on gold Jubilee
Everose with a slate dial and yellow gold with an intense white dial, the first Sky-Dwellers on a precious-metal Jubilee bracelet.
Five-piece-link gold Jubilee with Oysterclasp, Easylink extension of about 5mm and ceramic inserts in the links.
- 2023Ref. 336934 / 336935 / 336239
New generation with calibre 9002. The white Rolesor 336934 gained a mint green dial, the Everose 336935 a blue-green dial, and the white gold 336239 came only on Oysterflex. Lug-to-lug grew by 0.3mm.
Gold Oyster-bracelet models moved from 21mm to 22mm lugs, with 0.5mm wider bracelet center links.
- 2020Ref. 326238 / 326235 Oysterflex
Yellow gold 326238 and Everose 326235 on the Oysterflex, launched at EUR 37,700 and EUR 39,000 respectively.
Oysterflex with a gold Oysterclasp and Glidelock: six notches of 2.5mm, up to 15mm of adjustment without tools.
- 2017Ref. 326934 and 326933
The first Sky-Dwellers with steel cases: 326933 in yellow Rolesor and 326934 in steel with a white gold bezel. Both kept the calibre 9001 and 42mm case, measured at 14.1mm thick.
Steel or steel-and-gold Oyster bracelet with Oysterclasp; aBlogtoWatch says the 22mm lug width passed to the Rolesor versions in 2017.
- 2012Ref. 326938 / 326939 / 326135
The launch models in yellow, white and Everose gold, powered by the calibre 9001 with 72 hours of power reserve. The Rolex launch release counted 14 patents on the watch, five of them new.
The first gold models on an Oyster bracelet had a 21mm lug width, while versions sold on a leather strap had 22mm.