Rolex Predictions 2024: Enamel Day-Dates

A couple months back, Christian Zeron of Theo & Harris made my favorite Rolex prediction I’ve heard in some time. It’s clever, unique, and frustratingly obvious once you’ve heard it explained. For those unfamiliar, I’d like to recap this prediction before discussing the likelihood of it happening this year at Watches and Wonders. 

Christian Zeron’s Day-Date Prediction

Last year, Rolex released two colorful dials in the Oyster Perpetual ‘Celebration’ and the Day-Date ‘Puzzle’. The ‘Celebration’ OP dial contains every color from Rolex’s 2020 Oyster Perpetual release: candy pink, coral red, yellow, green, and turquoise. Christian posits that the ‘Celebration’ OP marks the end of this colorful collection (although three of those five colors are still in Rolex’s catalog). In turn, Christian predicts that the colors seen on the enamel ‘Puzzle’ dial Day-Date (turquoise, yellow, light green, purple, orange, and red) will be unveiled as a collection of enamel Day-Dates, honoring the vibrant Stella dial Day-Dates of the ‘70s and ‘80s (pictured below). Once you “put the puzzle pieces together”, as Christian puts it, this prediction seems very plausible. Bravo, Mr. Zeron.

Enamel Day-Dates at Watches and Wonders 2024?

Image Source: bosshunting.com

I can’t help but think (wish, hope?) that this prediction will come true. Like I mentioned before, it just seems glaringly obvious once explained. Everything down to the puzzle motif posing a challenge to “solve” such an easter egg feels painstakingly intentional. Maybe it’s my confirmation bias speaking, but I‘m confident that we'll see enamel Day-Dates whose dials match the colors on the 2023 ‘Puzzle’ dial. Now, will we see them in 2024? That’s where my firm belief softens.

In 2020, Rolex unveiled the colorful collection of Oyster Perpetuals. Three years later, we get the ‘Celebration’ Oyster Perpetual: a culmination of all these colors. I do think that the ‘Celebration’ OP is a symbolic grand finale for the vibrant line of time-only watches. That said, a few of these colors are still being produced, namely green, turquoise, and candy pink. I don’t think we’ll see a collection of colorful Day-Dates until these OP colors are phased out.

Image Source: hodinkee.com

Now, who’s to say the 2020 OPs won’t be phased out in 2024 in tandem with the new Day-Date release? It could happen, but I predict that Rolex will allow some time for these 2023 watches to breathe, exist, and be delivered to those waiting for them. It’s more likely that we see a mirrored release schedule wherein the enamel Day-Dates are released three years following the 2023 ‘Puzzle’ dial, placing their release in 2026. Let’s remember that Rolex operates on a large time horizon: due in part to the time it takes to create new watches, and in part to their exceptional foresight, patience, and longevity. There’s no need to rush this one. In the meantime, why not keep selling colorful OPs?

Header Image Source: acollectedman.com