Rolex’s New Day-Date 36 Emoji Puzzle Dial Brings Fun and Colour 

Rolex are often seen as a serious, no nonsense brand and for good reason, they often take a serious, no nonsense approach to things. Which is what makes the launch of the off-catalogue Rolex Day-Date 36 Emoji all the more surprising. Equally surprising was the opportunity to see these elusive watches in the metal.

When the box was opened it was immediately apparent that the Emoji is, intentionally, a very silly and light hearted take on the Day-Date. The days of the week have been replaced with find seven joyful affirmations like “Happy”, “Eternity” and “Gratitude” the days of the month have be swapped out for actual emojis – giving the piece its name – and the dial itself has an incredibly eye catching jigsaw puzzle motif.

It’s important to note that the Rolex Day-Date 36 Emoji is part of their off-catalogue range, which means it’s not a watch you’ll be able to find easily. It also means that while Rolex have had some fun here, that playful aesthetic is not likely to find its way to the main collections any time soon. Except of course for the Oyster Perpetual celebration bubble, which is as colourful as the Emoji but with a less frenetic pattern and without the alternative time displays.

While the Emoji is by no means a typical Rolex, the degree of finishing is still as high quality as always. The dial itself is made from enamel in the Cloisonné technique, which combines Grand Feu with thin gold wire to depict shapes, such as the jigsaw pieces here. The intensity of colour is incredibly impressive, especially up close.

As for the case, there are actually three versions being produced, each with the signature fluted bezel, there’s one in Everose gold, one in white gold and the other in yellow gold. The Everose model is particularly special because it features a slightly altered puzzle with inverted colours compared to the other two.

Housed inside is the Calibre 3255 with automatic winding and a perpetual rotor that helps to supply the 70-hour power reserve. It’s an impressive calibre especially in the svelte 36mm dimensions of the model.

As mentioned earlier, as part of the off-catalogue range only select clients will be offered the chance to purchase one of these watches with the majority likely to be heading to the Asian market. It leaves us in a slightly weird position whereby it’s almost worth thinking about these as non-Rolexes, because they’re so left field and bizarre. However, it’s simultaneously impossible to ignore them because they’re so bright and, well, un-ignorable.