Arms On: Rolex Sky-Dweller 336938 18K Yellow-Gold Watch

Footage by Jake Witkin

No mannequin does flashy gold watches pretty like Rolex does. How many individuals have childhood reminiscences of older relations sporting a glistening yellow-gold Rolex, understanding that that shiny timepiece signaled one factor important? For me, it was my grandfather’s cousin, whose gold Day-Date not solely entered the room sooner than he did, nonetheless because of he wore it large free, it moreover on a regular basis had a conduct of popping out from irrespective of type of sleeves he was sporting that day. I normally imagined his watch dropping into the fondue we recurrently shared as a family, fishing it out with my cheese-dripping trident, and yelling out the French equal of “finders keepers.” I suppose watches on a regular basis took up some home in my thoughts, even at a youthful age. No matter all the hyped steel sports activities actions watches that Rolex peddles these days, the gold costume objects are nonetheless an unlimited part of its catalog. And for the mannequin’s best, boldest, and baddest gold costume watch, there’s the Rolex Sky-Dweller. Stepping out for the first time with an equivalent 18k yellow gold Jubilee bracelet at Watches & Wonders 2024, it’s beautiful that it took Rolex this prolonged to marry a yellow Sky-Dweller with its famed bracelet because of they’re clearly made for each other. We went hands-on with the yellow gold Rolex Sky-Dweller 336938 watch with a Jubilee bracelet and white dial to overview how this modern gold brick stacks up in opposition to the Crown’s totally different yellow precious-metal objects.

First impressions are yep, that’s a yellow gold Rolex alright. From the spherical Oyster case and acquainted fluted bezel to the bulging Cyclops lens and five-link Jubilee, it has all the markings of a standard Rolex. However, the Sky-Dweller isn’t a standard similar to the Datejust or Day-Date (although it shares higher than a handful of design traits when them). It’s far newer and further superior. Like all earlier Sky-Dweller watches, this gold case clocks in at 42mm in diameter, greater than the Day-Date 40 and Datejust 41. Completely different important measurements to ponder are the 50.5mm lug-to-lug dimension and 14mm thickness. These proportions take up a sizeable piece of precise property on the wrist, as seen proper right here on my colleague Jake’s 6.5-inch wrist, and this isn’t a slim watch by any means. It’s thick and heavy, nonetheless the drape and luxurious of the Jubilee bracelet translate to a pleasing sporting experience. That talked about, that’s seemingly larger fitted to large wrists than small ones.

Like most fashionable treasured metal Rolex bracelets, this gold Jubilee bracelet benefits from ceramic inserts for added flexibility and lowered stretching. The combo of polished and brushed hyperlinks makes it all the additional additional, and the folding Oysterclasp offers sturdiness. As anticipated, the clasp comes with the smart Easylink comfort extension hyperlink, allowing bracelet dimension modifications by roughly 5mm. The Jubilee on a regular basis manages to glam up any Rolex it’s paired with, and the Sky-Dweller isn’t any exception. The fluted bezel and five-link bracelet match-up is taken into account one in all Rolex’s most celebrated; it’s labored wonders for the Datejust, and now, the standard pairing is on the market in a single different assortment. The sportier Oysterflex and Oyster bracelets are nonetheless an alternative nonetheless for a dressed-up Sky-Dweller, the attraction of the Jubilee is tough to deny.

Rolex affords the Sky-Dweller ref. 336938 with Intense Black, Champagne, or Intense White dials, the latter of which is the one we obtained to play with. The freshness of the white enhances the warmness of the gold fantastically and among the many many three, I do assume the Intense White is the nicest making an attempt and greatest to be taught. And there’s hundreds to be taught proper right here. Due to the Caliber 9002 annual calendar movement, the Sky-Dweller is taken into account one in all Rolex’s most complicated watches, combining GMT and annual calendar efficiency. Whereas the native hour is displayed by means of the traditional central hand, the additional time zone is indicated on the off-centered 24-hour disk. There’s moreover the month indicator, confirmed by rectangular apertures adjoining to the hour markers, and naturally, the customary magnified date window at 3 o’clock — every of which is ready to mechanically modify until March 1st of yearly. Though the dial is jam-packed, the light-colored dial does preserve points tidy and permits for the two touches of crimson — the 24-hour pointer and current month window — to face out.

This being Rolex (and by no means a flowery Daytona or Perpetual 1908), Caliber 9002 is hidden from sight beneath a robust yellow gold screw-down caseback. This movement made its debut in 2003 with the discharge of the new-gen Sky-Dweller family, altering the earlier Caliber 9001. An important change between the two calibers is the latest mannequin incorporates Rolex’s patented Chronergy escapement, which according to the mannequin “combines extreme energy effectivity with good dependability.” The 72-hour vitality reserve and 28,800bph value keep the equivalent as a result of the older movement.

It’s seemingly you have gotten already common an opinion about gold Rolex watches; you presumably can’t be inside the watch home for this prolonged with out having a standpoint about them, whether or not or not it’s yay, nay, or whatevs. Members of the Gold Rolex Appreciation Membership will seemingly assume this can be a fantastic alternative inside the fashionable lineup whereas critics of the model will toss this aside with all the rest of them and deem it method too flashy. Although I’m firmly inside the fan camp, I understand that this particular gold Rolex watch wasn’t designed for me (merely because of the sheer dimension) — nonetheless that obtained’t stop me from admiring it on one other one who can placed on it with ease. And I will even daydream about them dropping it mid-meal for me to catch and preserve. The Rolex Sky-Dweller ref. 336938 watch with a Jubilee bracelet and white dial is priced at $50,000 USD, which for context, is about $10,000 higher than a yellow gold Day-Date 40 with an identical dial coloration. For additional information, please go to the mannequin’s website online.