Rolex Injected The Perfect Dose Of Fun Into Its Recent Series Of Colorful Dials
Rolex has a long history of creating some of the most remarkable dials in the industry. Its stunning natural stone dials, the famous Stella dials, and the brilliant wooden dials are just a few legendary examples. While those exotic ones have long been part of the brand’s collection, over the past few years, Rolex has also added a series of colorful dials. In 2023, the brand surprised many fans with the frivolous Oyster Perpetual “Celebration” and the Day-Date “Jigsaw Puzzle.” This year, The Crown added the Oyster Perpetual “Jubilee” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Oyster case. It’s time for a little overview of these colorful dials and some reflections on their much-debated designs.
Back in May, Rolex invited us to Brussels to check out its novelties unveiled during Watches and Wonders 2026. This annual visit always gives us a bit more time to spend with The Crown’s novelties. Often, it is a great opportunity to see whether first impressions are indeed lasting. During Watches and Wonders, I did not have time to check out the new 100th-anniversary Oyster Perpetuals. Whereas the two-tone or yellow Rolesor model is a nice play on the classic Oyster Perpetual, the one with the colorful Jubilee-motif dial turns the celebratory vibes all the way up to eleven. But, as is often the case, a simple set of renders does not necessarily do the watches justice. The colorful dial made me smile the moment I put the 36mm version of the watch on my wrist.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual “Celebration”
It’s not the first time this has happened. With these colorful models specifically, the renders hardly give you an accurate idea of the detailed execution or the overall refinement. These are essential for understanding how well the Genevan brand executes these creative concepts. What might seem tacky at first is often a lot more sophisticated and impressive once you put a timepiece on your wrist. I have found that it is more relevant to Rolex than to any other brand.
Image: The Watch Club
A great example is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual “Celebration” from 2023. When I first saw that dial, I wasn’t sure what to think. Sure, the current Oyster Perpetual collection, introduced in 2020, certainly seemed like the right choice for a dial like that. Ever since Rolex introduced the current-generation Oyster Perpetual, we have seen a wide variety of colorful dials, from bold, loud hues to softer pastels. That emphasis on different colors has been key to the Oyster Perpetual’s success. But to create a new model with a “Tiffany Blue” dial and colorful bubbles referencing the five original lacquer colors introduced in 2020 seemed a bit wild at first.
Image: The Watch Club
The “Celebration” dial wasn’t really a stretch
But as soon as I closed the clasp of the 41mm Oyster Perpetual “Celebration,” I smiled. And that is exactly the reaction that these watches should provoke. Going back and reading some of the comments under Timo’s 2023 intro article reveals that the renders seemed to hurt several of our readers’ eyes, which shows how seriously many enthusiasts take new introductions. While I had my doubts about the execution, I actually liked the concept of celebrating those initial Oyster Perpetual lacquer dials.
Image: The Watch Club
It presented something new and frivolous for Rolex, but we have to broaden the context and acknowledge that the brand has been responsible for some of the most extravagant dials in the industry. Considering that, the Celebration dial was new but not at all strange. And I certainly didn’t see a reason to loudly vocalize about it, especially since a black or silver sunray dial was always an option for those who wanted a more serious Oyster Perpetual.
An abstract concept that works for me
Once I put the watch on my wrist, I liked the dial much more than I had expected. It reminded me of some of the colorful works by famous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who often used brightly colored polka dots. That perspective immediately gave it an abstract appreciation that has stuck with me ever since. Because of this, I don’t see it as a dial plastered with balloons. That gives it an unnecessary, childish connotation that it doesn’t deserve. But as a light blue dial with colorful bubbles, it reminds me of the original 2020 OP dials, and I find it has exactly the right amount of Rolex fun and frivolity.
Image: The Watch Club
Regarding who the “Celebration” watches were for, as many also debated whether these would be for a younger online generation, I have seen them on the wrists of men and women of all ages and from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. Three years since their debut, it is safe to say that Rolex created a fun series of 31, 36, and 41mm Oyster Perpetual “Celebration” models that have become very desirable. One glance at Chrono24 confirms that. Asking prices for the 31mm model start at just over €10k, while the 36mm version starts at just over €15k. Lastly, the 41mm model starts at roughly €18k, strongly suggesting that plenty of people love this kind of Rolex fun.
The Rolex Day-Date “Jigsaw Puzzle”
But Rolex didn’t leave it at that. The same year the brand introduced the Oyster Perpetual “Celebration,” it also launched the much-debated Day-Date “Jigsaw Puzzle,” or “Emoji,” as some refer to it. This took extravagance and playfulness to a whole new level. As I asked in a Sunday Morning Showdown that put the Oyster Perpetual “Celebration” against the Day-Date “Jigsaw Puzzle, what did Rolex set out to do with this watch? Was it just a fun, expensive statement, as Mike explained? Did the brand try to appeal to a younger crowd? Was it an April Fools’ joke? Was it related to World Autism Awareness Day?
In typical Rolex fashion, no information was shared about the reason for its creation. However, The Crown did go into detail about how special the dial is. As I explain in that same article, the Day-Date was the right watch for it. In the past, we have seen many special dials for Rolex’s flagship watch, including lacquered Stella ones and others in stone, wood, meteorite, and more. It only makes sense, then, that this extraordinary dial, made with champlevé enameling, would end up in Day-Date 36.
A dial that you have to see in real life
Rolex created the watch in yellow gold, Everose gold, and white gold. The white gold and yellow gold versions came with a turquoise base dial featuring jigsaw pieces in turquoise, red, fuchsia, orange, green, and yellow. The Everose gold version has an orange base dial with a puzzle pattern using the same colors as the other two models. According to Rolex, each puzzle piece represents a critical moment in life. While the result is a colorful, extravagant dial you can love or hate, only after seeing it in real life will you understand how special it is.
Champlevé enameling is one of the most difficult enameling techniques, and to do it with this pattern and so many colors is truly stunning. Seeing one up close is something else. I was mesmerized by the brightness of the colors and the detail of these dials. As I explained in the Sunday Morning Showdown article, the edges of the puzzle pieces are beautifully complex gold inlays. They give the enamel dial a great sense of depth and visual brilliance. Additionally, the regular gold baton hour markers have been replaced by 10 baguette-cut sapphires in six colors, each contrasting with the puzzle piece underneath to ensure you can read the time perfectly.
The brilliant memory puzzle is the true fun
But that’s not where it ends. The concept goes far beyond a puzzle dial. As most of you will know, the usual day and date discs do not display that information. Instead, the aperture at 12 o’clock displays the words “Happy,” “Eternity,” “Gratitude,” “Peace,” “Faith,” “Love,” and “Hope.” Additionally, the window at 3 o’clock shows one of 31 exclusive emojis each day rather than the date. Is it confusing? At first, it will be. But as soon as you understand that it is a memory puzzle and you will have to memorize the combination of the word and the emoji to remember the date, it starts to make sense. Even better, it becomes a fun exercise to remember all the combinations.
But if you think these Day-Dates were an instant hit, you are wrong. If the reactions to the Oyster Perpetual “Celebration” were loud, the noise that erupted when people saw the Day-Date “Jigsaw Puzzle” was deafening. Reactions varied from “catering to the horrible celebrity crowd” to “the next watch for Rolex flippers.” Some people even went so far as to label it “the worst Rolex ever.”
Three years on, the Jigsaw Puzzle/Emoji version of the Day-Date is one of the most sought-after models, with asking prices starting just over €200k and rising to almost €500k. While those prices are ridiculous and certainly no validation for the fun of these pieces, they show that people love them. And I happened to become one of those people after I had the pleasure of wearing one of them. The impact of seeing these dials is something else.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual “Jubilee”
And that happened again only a few weeks ago when I tried on the new 100th-anniversary Oyster Perpetual model with the Jubilee dial. While not as impressive as the “Jigsaw Puzzle,” it was more confirmation that making special, colorful dials is one of Rolex’s strengths. But, unlike the “Celebration” and “Jigsaw Puzzle,” this new dial has a proper backstory. As most of you will know, the dial was inspired by the classic Jubilee dials that Rolex first introduced in 1985 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Datejust, which coincided with the brand’s 80th anniversary.
Image: Bulang & Sons
These special dials feature a repetitive “ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX” pattern engraved on their entire surface. To some, these dials might look a little over the top. But you have to put them into the right context of the 1980s. Those were the days of opulence, decadence, and over-the-top wealth statements. And what better way to make a statement than by using logos — a lot of logos? These dials left no doubt in anyone’s mind that their owners had “made it” with their luxury watches.
Image: Bulang & Sons
The classic Jubilee dials were a loud luxury statement
While these Jubilee dials were initially used only for Datejust and Lady-Datejust, they could later also be found in the Datejust II, Day-Date, and certain Cellini models. The dials came in a wide variety of colors, and you can find them with regular baton hour markers, Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, and diamond indexes. Rolex produced the Jubilee dials until 2020/2021, when a new series of motif dials debuted. Among them are the popular palm-motif dial and the special fluted dial that mimics the Datejust’s famous fluted bezel design.
Image: Bulang & Sons
Little did we know that Rolex had planned to reintroduce the Jubilee dial much sooner than most people expected. For the 100th celebration of the Oyster case, the brand decided to combine the classic Jubilee motif with the loud colors we’d seen on the “Celebration” and “Jigsaw/Emoji” dials. The result feels wild and loud at first.
Recognizing the story is half the magic
But the people who recognized the pattern immediately linked it to the famous dials introduced in 1985. But something else happened for me when I put the 36mm Oyster Perpetual with the Jubilee dial on the wrist. Once again, the dial references something outside the watch industry, just as the “Celebration” dial did by evoking Yayoi Kusama’s artworks. These new Jubilee dials reminded me instantly of classic typography posters used for exhibitions and jazz concerts in the 1950s and ’60s. It’s another reference that instantly adds a personal layer of appreciation.
I have to say, the colorful treatment does make these dials feel quite different. The classic Jubilee dials are all about the variation in textures and patterns. While it didn’t necessarily make them subtle, they are more subtle in their intent. In particular, the lighter colors are a lot less on the nose than the gold or dark blue versions. The modern Jubilee dial is not about those subtle differences. It is a fun and colorful statement that fits the Oyster Perpetual perfectly.
Final thoughts on the colorful Rolex dials
Overall, I love how Rolex has found a way to create fun dials in a signature style. On top of that, the two Oyster Perpetual dials link back to stories in Rolex’s collection. With these aspects combined, I think these dials are a great way to represent the fun side of the brand. It’s a side that some people do not appreciate. It often doesn’t go much deeper than a simple expression of dislike for the colors and the design. But sometimes, watch fans ask whether luxury brands like Rolex should create “fun” watches. And if they do, should they approach it like this?
In my opinion, they should approach it exactly like this. On top of being loud and colorful, these dials tell a story. They are also far more impressive in real life than you would expect. I honestly had a hard time taking the Jubilee-dial version of the Oyster Perpetual off my wrist. Lastly, for me, these transcend regular watch dials. As mentioned, the two Oyster Perpetual dials make me think of art that I love, which makes the connection to them even stronger.
What should a fun Rolex look like?
As for the Day-Date “Jigsaw Puzzle,” it is so much more than a fun play on the regular Day-Date in the form of a memory puzzle using words and emojis. The display of watchmaking craftsmanship that went into creating these dials is nothing short of stunning. That fact alone demands respect and appreciation. While the execution is definitely not for everyone, it doesn’t have to be. That applies to all three dials. If you don’t like Rolex, you probably won’t like these dials at all. If you like Rolex but are not a fan of the brand’s fun, colorful dials, there are plenty of other “serious” timepieces to choose from. And if you are a fan of the brand and like these colorful dials, you will appreciate them for exactly what they are. I happen to be one of those people.
