My Top Five Rolex Watch Predictions for 2026

Peer into my sapphire crystal ball.

Stainless steel Rolex watch with blue and red bezel and black dial showing date 28 on red background.

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Published March 26, 2026

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The watch industry’s Super Bowl is less than three weeks away.

Each year, dozens of the biggest brands in the world gather in Geneva for the world’s biggest and most influential watch trade show, Watches and Wonders. This year’s show kicks off on April 14, and the rumor mill is running at full tilt as everyone tries to predict what sorts of watches (and wonders) we’ll see at the show.

As usual, it’s Rolex that is drawing the bulk of the speculation. The best-selling watch brand in the world typically launches almost all of its releases for the year at the show, meaning a good chunk of the next 12 months of horological discussion will be decided in the coming weeks.

It’s notoriously difficult to predict what Rolex will do in a given year, but I’ve played it relatively safe this year with my predictions that are based on existing rumors and evidence, past trends and, well, some hunches.

Here are my Rolex predictions for 2026.

A New Pepsi

rolex gmt pepsi bezel watch with a silver bracelet — The Pepsi is all but confirmed to be on the way out, but what will take its place?

People have been predicting the demise of the blue-and-red “Pepsi”-bezel GMT-Master II almost every year since it debuted in 2018, but it looks like this may actually be the year it happens. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence out there, with the model disappearing from authorized dealers’ websites and ADs telling people on waitlists that the watch is history.

So if Rolex really is dumping the Pepsi, arguably its most popular watch, does that mean we’ll get a new Pepsi? I say yes.

Look, Rolex isn’t Patek Philippe, which famously discontinued the steel 5711 Nautilus because too many people wanted it. I think Rolex likes having watches that are notoriously hard to get, with the Pepsi sitting near the top of the list.

So I think we’ll see a new Pepsi. I’ve heard some predict that it could even be a new GMT-Master generation, but I don’t think it will be that drastic. After all, the other GMT-Master II colors don’t seem to be going anywhere. Instead, I think we’ll get more saturated colors on the bezel, a new black ceramic dial like the green ceramic dial added to the “Sprite” last year and … that’s probably it.

The Land-Dweller Everyone Wants

Silver Rolex Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller watch with white textured dial on a wrist. — Don’t expect a change to the controversial dial format.

One year after its debut, the Land-Dweller remains a polarizing watch. I think most people like the bracelet and overall aesthetic, while many of those same people dislike the large “3” and “6” on the dial. And I’ve yet to meet anyone who likes the name.

I’ve seen some wishful thinking that Rolex is going to launch a Land-Dweller without numerals or diamonds on the dial this year, switching to a Datejust-like layout. But I’m here to tell you that’s not going to happen. Rolex just debuted this design last year. They are not going to fold on it that quickly. They’re going to give people years to get used to it, and mark my words, everyone eventually will.

What I do expect from the Land-Dweller this year is a new version that everyone will want. I suspect we’ll get our first dark dial color — dark blue, green or black — that will really elevate the look of the watch, and everyone will wonder why Rolex didn’t launch it this way to begin with.

We saw a similar situation play out with the 1908 in recent years. The new dress watch line launched in 2023 to a fairly muted reaction, but then everyone went bonkers for the guilloché ice blue platinum version that arrived the following year. I suspect the Land-Dweller will experience a similar sophomore triumph this year.

A New Submariner Color

Stainless steel Rolex Submariner watch with blue dial and bezel, date window at 3 o'clock. — I present to you, the “Avatar.”

Not counting the minor 2023 update to the “Starbucks” bezel, we haven’t seen a new colorway for the Submariner since the entire line was rebooted in 2020. That’s an awfully long time for Rolex’s flagship sports watch to go without a single update, so I suspect we’ll get one new color this year for the Submariner Date.

What will that color be? Well, let’s take a look at what we currently have. In steel, we have black dials with black or green bezels. In both yellow gold and Rolesor, we’ve got black and blue dials with matching bezels. And in white gold, we have a black dial with a blue bezel.

Do I think we’re going to see some outlandish colors like purple added to the Sub? No. (Though, how cool would a “Grimace” be?) Instead, I’m betting on an all-blue steel Submariner. The bezel and dial are already there; all Rolex has to do is slap them on a steel model. People will go nuts for it, and Rolex will barely have to lift a finger.

The 1908 “Padellone”

Gold Rolex wristwatch with white dial, star hour markers, moon phase indicator, and day-date display worn on a wrist. — A yellow gold Rolex 6062 “Stelline” previously sold at auction by Phillips.

Last year, I reported on an uncovered patent application from Rolex that alludes to the brand working on a new triple calendar movement. The patent even mentions the name Padellone, which was the nickname given to the ref. 8171, a triple-calendar dress watch that Rolex produced in the 1950s.

Given that Rolex has introduced two brand-new model families in just the past three years with the 1908 and Land-Dweller, I find it highly unlikely that the brand will expand its catalog once again with a stand-alone model called the Padellone.

Instead, I think we’ll see a triple-calendar version of the 1908 called the “1908 Padellone.” The dress watch is the most likely candidate for the complication and is the closest aesthetic match to the original Padellone in Rolex’s current catalog.

Another Titanium Yacht-Master

Rolex dropped the Yacht-Master 42 in RLX Titanium back in 2023, we haven’t seen Rolex use its proprietary lightweight alloy since. In the ensuing three years, the titanium Yacht-Master has become a bona fide hit and has managed to do the impossible: Get people to care about the Yacht-Master.

There have been a lot of predictions, including from yours truly, that Rolex would soon roll out titanium cases to other sports watch models. But I’m not sure that’s the move. Instead, I think we’ll see at least one, possibly more, Yacht-Masters launched in titanium this year.

Remember, the Yacht-Master also exists in 37mm and 40mm, so each of those sizes could make the move to Ti. Or we could get a new 42mm version in a different color. There are three other existing dial colors in the line, not counting the diamond-encrusted one, and I think the Slate dial would work especially well with titanium’s cool gray aesthetic.

About the Author:

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.

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