Rolex Sky-Dweller 326135 Rose Gold: Ultimate Time Traveler (VIDEO BLOG)

This is the modern marvel of the Rolex catalog, Geneva’s magnum opus. The Rolex Sky-Dweller 326135 in 18-karat rose gold is the ultimate travel watch and the most technologically advanced Rolex watch ever made. And yes, it’s very exclusive.

The Rolex Sky-Dweller broke cover and blew minds when Rolex unveiled its ultimate complication at Baselworld 2012. Equipped with a 380-part movement, an annual calendar, and two independent time zones, the Rolex Sky-Dweller smashed 50 years of Rolex abstention from the high horology complication market.

The Sky-Dweller’s caliber 9001 is a masterpiece that’s as rugged as it is sophisticated. Despite its intricate construction, Rolex Paraflex shock protection, Parachrom Blue Breguet hairspring, full balance bridge, and free-sprung escapement ensure that this compound complication can go anywhere an Explorer II or GMT-Master II would dare to venture. A 100-meter water resistance rating backs the claim, so this “Sky” dweller is equally at home on surf and turf.

Rolex’s ultimate machine packs a stout 72-hour power reserve and Teflon-lubricated automatic winding system to avoid unnecessary resetting of the twin time zones and annual calendar. Equally elegant on the outside, Rolex’s Sky-Dweller rose gold expresses this mass of useful information with a simple aperture display that tracks months through windows outboard of the numerals; a date window at three o’clock features the traditional “Cyclops Eye” magnifier.

Both time zones are expressed at the center of the dial; local time is displayed on the center hands, and the 24-hour reference ring keeps track of the AM/PM status and hour in a remote region. As the ultimate travel companion, Rolex’s caliber 9001 permits backward and forward setting of the date with both quickset and manual adjustment of the local hour hand; neither will imperil the movement.

Rolex completes its masterpiece by endowing the 42mm Sky-Dweller with a glorious 18-karat rose gold Rolex Oyster case and matching Rolex Oyster bracelet. As with all modern Rolex Oyster watches, the bracelet is complemented by a vault-like Oysterclasp milled from a solid billet of metal – gold, in this instance. The Easylink 5mm quick extension permits tool-free sizing when a wrist expands for contracts in warm or cold weather.

Because Rolex owns its own foundry (few watchmakers do), the company is able to control every step of the fabrication process. The Rolex rose gold alloy employed in the Rolex Sky-Dweller rose gold 326135 is the company’s own blend, known as Everose, which incorporates a higher percentage of copper and platinum than industry-standard rose and pink gold blends. Naturally, this formula was developed in Rolex’s materials science department, another asset rarely seen at rival manufactures.

For owners of Everose Rolex models, the payoff is a richer red tone and long-term immunity to the fading and discoloration that plagues conventional “au rouge” alloys. In the course of normal use, Everose offers exceptional resistance to the waterborne chlorine, UV rays of sunlight, and heat cycles that degrade conventional rose gold. This Rolex Sky-Dweller in 18-K Everose is built for the long-haul.

See this modern marvel in high-resolution images with all Rolex factory boxes, manuals, papers, and accessories at The 1916 Company.