Watches and Wonders Edit: Rolex’s latest iterations of the classic Daytona, GMT Master-II, Deepsea and Perpetual 1908 are getting much love from fans – so what makes them special?

The GMT Master-II has long been one of the most popular references at Rolex. The piece’s rotating bezel, which indicates the 24-hour function, has lent itself to many colour combinations and iterations over the years. From the blue and red “Pepsi” to the green and black expression, the different colourways of the bezel bring a new life to the classic reference.

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This year’s 40mm Oystersteel GMT Master-II features a ceramic black and grey Cerachrom bezel with a platinum coating applied through PVD. The watch, introduced in two bracelet versions, the Jubilee and the Oyster, gets an added pop of colour from the green 24-hour hand, which creates a strong focal point to the design. A calibre 3285 movement powers the second time zone in 24-hour format as well as the date, central hour, minute and second hands.

The Oyster Perpetual Rolex Deepsea shines brightly even at great depths, an unlikely union of a deep dive complication with a precious alloy. For the first time in 18k yellow gold, this rendition of the Deepsea features a Cerachrom bezel insert in satin-finish blue ceramic – the 60-minute counter allows divers to measure their duration underwater. Nodding to the nautical sentiments of the designs, the dial is also in that same vibrant shade of blue and fashioned out of lacquer.

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But it’s not just the watch’s look that resonates with the deep blue – the piece’s water resistance is enhanced thanks to an innovative high-performance compression ring within the proprietary Ringlock system. This allows for greater compression resistance and anti-deformation and marks a new way for the watchmaker to integrate ceramic into a watch case. Coming complete with the Rolex calibre 3235 and self-winding via the Perpetual rotor, the piece has a 70-hour power reserve.

This year, two new renditions of the gem-clad version of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph are also part of Rolex’s line-up. The Daytona, a highly sought-after reference, is one of the most recognisable chronographs with a rich racing history. The two new versions are presented in precious alloy with a lustrous mother-of-pearl dial and plenty of shine from a diamond bezel and bejewelled hour markers.

This year, the Daytona gets two dial treatments using different shades of mother-of-pearl. Black mother-of-pearl sundials are inlaid within the white mother-of-pearl main dial in the rubber Oysterflex version. The white gold Oyster bracelet version has a dial and subdials in a reversed colour combination.

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The same calibre 4131 automatic movement powers the hour, minute, second and timekeeping chronograph functions of both of these Daytona models. Fully wound, the watch has a 72-hour power reserve.

The new Perpetual 1908, in a lighter and airier shade of blue, packs a punch with its beautiful dial. Adorned with a decorative guilloche rice-grain motif, the reference launched last year has become an unlikely hit for Rolex. A clear departure from the house’s more athletic aesthetics, the Perpetual 1908 is Rolex’s take on the dress watch.

The piece gets the platinum treatment this year, with the 39mm case housing a small seconds function displayed across the rosette pattern, three-dimensional geometric dial. The layout is sleek yet simple – railway markers are set around the dial’s periphery while the small seconds sundial sits at the six o’clock position.

The calibre 7140, with Rolex Côtes de Genève seal decorating the bridges, is seen through a sapphire crystal caseback. A matt brown alligator strap with a green calf lining fitted with a Dualclasp buckle completes the look.