In-Depth Five Things I Learned From The 2020 Rolex Releases

After months of will-they-or-won't-they speculation across every corner of the watch world, Rolex dropped its new 2020 collections last week, and, boy, did they cause a stir. We got a totally new Submariner collection in a new, larger case, we got major updates to the Oyster Perpetual line that includes a new 41mm size and a ton of colorful dials, and we got some new dial and strap combos on other models including the maximalist Sky-Dweller. It was like a mini Baselworld as summer starts to turn to fall, firing up the hot-take machines from journalists, enthusiasts, and collectors alike. 

Obviously, I was excited to dig into the new products themselves and to see what watch collectors think about the latest crop of Rolex watches. That's always fun. But this year, I think the big lessons go beyond the watches themselves. We'll have plenty of nitty-gritty coverage of the new watches, including some of our signature reviews, but for now, I'm thinking big picture. 

Here are a few of my major takeaways from last week's announcements. I want this to be a conversation, though. Let me know down in the comments whether you agree or disagree with my takes, or if you think there's a major lesson I've left off. Alright, here we go.