Rolex’s Biggest Update in Years Isn’t Just Aesthetic: Meet Dynapulse

The leader of luxurious mechanical watches brought a big, aesthetically pleasing secret to Watches and Wonders in Geneva, the watch world’s largest annual event. And, according to Rolex, it’s among the brand’s biggest updates since it released its Oyster Perpetual movement way back in 1931.

Announced today, the gorgeous new Land-Dweller series is the brand’s most significant new watch in decades. That’s because, at its heart, the Land-Dweller is the launch platform for an entirely new movement, Calibre 7135, with what it calls “Dynapulse.”

I’ll discuss why this is so impressive in more detail. Still, Rolex states that it holds no fewer than 32 patents and patent applications for the Land-Dweller series: 18 solely for the watch and 16 for its timekeeping movement.

That alone is worth a pause.

Dynapulse Escapement

Land-Dweller watches center on Rolex’s new Calibre 7135 movement, which is why watch enthusiasts are losing their minds today. This update makes huge leaps in Rolex’s movement as it steps away from the traditional Swiss lever system. The lever system is central to every other automatic Rolex watch. Ever.

Dynapulse, as Rolex names it, is the brand’s first foray into an indirect impulse escapement. Without going into a deep technical rabbit hole, the direct impulse escapement is a departure from the lever escapement used on every other Rolex watch previously built. It’s a huge move for the brand.

Why? Well, the “in short” is that indirect impulse escapements can be more efficient and require less maintenance. They do come with a higher risk of damage due to shock, but Rolex seems to have addressed the issue. Some good, old-fashioned drop testing should reveal any flaws if Rolex wants to send over a demo!

It claims that the Land-Dweller produces a power reserve of 66 hours. This isn’t Rolex’s best power reserve — its GMT Master II claims a 70-hour power reserve — but it’s certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Your Taste Will Love the Aesthetics; Your Wallet Might Not Love the Price

Rolex rolled out three materials and two sizes (36mm and 40mm) to choose from in the Land-Dweller collection, but kept distinctive features in each model.

Each watch holds the specially designed Flat Jubilee bracelet, a reimagining of the five-link Jubilee bracelet. It unveiled the original Jubilee bracelet as a luxury upgrade from the three-link bracelet in 1945 for its 40th anniversary. The Flat Jubilee bracelet marks Rolex’s first integrated bracelet since the popular Oysterquartz watch retired in the early 2000s.

Every version of the Land-Dweller is housed in a classic Oyster case. This not only provides aesthetic touches like wide fluting on the bezel and a transparent sapphire backing, but it also guarantees waterproofness up to 330 feet deep. The Oyster case, Rolex claims, is the optimal protection for the masterpiece movement inside each watch.

The base model showcases a white Rolesor exterior, which combines Oystersteel and white gold. It has a fluted bezel and white dial with the Land-Dweller’s signature honeycomb motif. It starts at $13,900 in 36mm, and $14,900 in 40mm.

Rose gold collectors might prefer an 18-karat Everose version with an identical dial. This option includes 10 baguette-cut diamonds as hour markers against a white honeycomb design. It’s also surrounded by 44 trapeze-cut diamonds set into the bezel. This version ranges from $42,100 in 36mm sans diamonds to $103,200 in 40mm with diamonds.

The final version is the platinum option, showcasing a platinum-exclusive ice-blue dial, a blue honeycomb motif, and a fluted bezel. Platinum models start at $59,200 in 36mm without diamonds and top out at $116,900 in 40mm with diamonds.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you; these are not a budget-friendly find.

Dynapulse Movement Matters; It Could Change Mechanical Watch Construction Forever

This stands as one of the most significant and most impactful developments in Rolex’s movements since 1931 when it invented the Perpetual movement, one of the first self-winding watch movements to be wound by a rotor weight. This weight powered the watch as you moved your arm and wrist, “perpetually” winding the watch back up.

Rolex just found a more efficient, more magnet-resistant, and slimmer means of doing so with the Dynapulse movement.

Whether a Land-Dweller is in your budget, or just on your lottery bucket list, this movement signifies a huge move for Rolex — and, possibly, the future of all mechanical watches.