Rolex’s Journey to Find the Finest Materials

Rolex’s passion for using only the finest materials in watchmaking is truly remarkable. From metals such as Oystersteel, Gold and platinum to gemstones like diamonds and pearls, The brand always strives to source or process the highest grade materials. Among these, There is a particularly rare dial material. It is the meteorite dial.

Is it Real Meteorite?

ⓒ sotheby’s

The Rolex meteorite dial is made using real meteorite. The Gibeon meteorite used in these watches was officially discovered in 1838 in what is now Namibia, Africa. Indigenous people of the region had already been using this meteorite to make tools such as spears long before its official discovery.

The crystalline patterns of the meteorite dial are formed over thousands of years as the meteorite cools. The beautiful and delicate patterns, Layered over millions of years in the vacuum of space, Are made of iron and nickel, Making them extremely hard and suitable for use as a watch dial. Because these patterns occur naturally, Every dial has a unique appearance and no two are exactly alike, Each showing its own beauty.

The First Rolex to Use Meteorite

ⓒ Rolex

The first Rolex models to feature the meteorite dial were gold or platinum watches such as the Daytona Ref. 116519 and Day-Date Ref. 118339. The unique patterns of the meteorite blend beautifully with these luxurious materials.

At Baselworld 2019, Rolex introduced the Ref. 126719 BLRO, The first GMT-Master II with a meteorite dial.

Daytona 116509

40mm, Black/Meteorite, Oyster

Daytona 116519LN

40mm, Meteorite, Black, Strap

GMT-Master 2 126719BLRO

40mm, Meteorite, Oyster

Day-Date 40 228239

40mm, Meteorite/Diamond, President

Extremely Limited Production

The Gibeon meteorite, Which is estimated to have arrived on Earth about 30, 000 years ago, Is now protected by Namibian law and is no longer available for use. It is not known how much meteorite Rolex has already secured, But it can be expected that only a very limited number of watches will continue to be produced.
Given their rarity and beauty, The price of meteorite dial watches is unlikely to drop easily.