Hands-on Review of the Steel Rolex Sky-Dweller Blue Dial
In a world of Submariner, GMT Master II, and Daytona, the Rolex Sky-Dweller is a timepiece that flies under the radar like a stealth aircraft.
For most of us purebred Rolex enthusiasts, the Sky-Dweller is a highly desirable timepiece…however, we can’t speak for every watch collector. So, we are here to give you a hands-on review of the stainless steel, blue dial, Rolex Sky-Dweller, that way you can decide for yourself if this is a watch you’d buy.
What is a Rolex Sky-Dweller?
The Sky-Dweller is Rolex’s first new model in 20 years. It is an exquisitely sharp sports watch with a modern, distinctive dial. Moreover, it is one of Rolex’s most complicated watches. Labeled as “The Watch For The World Travellers”, it has features and functions that certainly speak to that dictum. It has an off-center disc on the dial that displays a second time zone, a bezel that makes controlling its complications easy, and it is made with the highest grade of sophistication. What’s more, it has all of the Rolex DNA that we’ve grown to treasure.
Steel Rolex Sky-Dweller Blue Dial Review
If you are interested in learning about the Rolex Sky-Dweller, and more specifically the steel Sky-Dweller, you’ve landed on the right spot…Are you ready to take flight?
A Flight from Precious Metal to Stainless Steel
When the Rolex Sky-Dweller was first introduced to the world in 2012, it only took shape using precious metal – platinum, white gold, yellow gold and rose gold. As you’d imagine, the price for these opulent models was and still is sky-high. Many considered the Sky-Dweller “too expensive”, but for affluent watch collectors with a sumptuous taste, it was irresistible…
Nevertheless, being that this innovative timepiece was inaccessible for many Swiss timepiece fanatics, Rolex decided to create a steel version of the Sky-Dweller. This made the Sky-Dweller more affordable. Not to mention, steel is a metal that purist watch collectors have always found downright seductive.
So, in 2017, Rolex released the Oystersteel Sky-Dweller, along with the two-toned steel and gold Sky-Dweller…
Now it may appear to be an authentic steel Rolex, however, the steel Sky-Dweller has a trick up its sleeve…The trick being…the fluted bezel is made from luxurious white gold…
After all, it’s the highly complicated Sky-Dweller, so it had to keep some of its lavish roots, right? It’s the perfect touch for this otherwise pure stainless steel watch. It is like a king being clad with a crown. It’s worthy of being enthroned with gold.
The Sky is the Limit: Features & Functions
The Rolex Sky-Dweller doesn’t need pushers to function in an innovative way. It’s slick in design, yet wonderfully complicated in engineering. And the true beauty of its advanced complications is that the functionality is incredibly simple.
How does a Sky-Dweller work? Rolex Sky-Dweller’s Complications & Functions
Although the Sky-Dweller technically has two complications, it also has a special feature, which can be considered a complication. It has a combination-complication, a dual-time zone (or GMT) and an annual calendar.
Dual Time Zone “GMT” Complication
The dual-time zone is easy to discern. The watch displays the time in two time zones simultaneously using an off-centered disc on the dial and an hour hand that can be set independently forwards or backwards in one hour leaps. It is a faithful, true “GMT” complication, as the hour hand is set from the crown and can be re-set quickly to a new timezone without interrupting the entire watch. It’s very easy to use, unlike many less-complicated GMT watches on the market.
Annual Calendar Complication
The second part of the complication is also easy to understand, but a little harder to spot without knowing what you are looking at…
So, being that there are twelve months in the year and a watch displays twelve hour markers, the geniuses at Rolex decided to place the month display beside each hour marker. Each hour marker has a small square above them, and all but one are white. The red one indicates the month. So, in our pictures, it’s on the 12 o’clock, ergo, it is December.
Note: It is an annual calendar complication, not a perpetual calendar. So, it knows when to jump to the next month every month except February, because, you know, February is the “strange” month. So, once a year, when it reaches the end of February, you will need to advance the month to March 1st manually…Now, if you are wondering, why wouldn’t Rolex use a perpetual calendar?! Well, annual calendars are much less likely to damage. Moreover, typically, perpetual calendars require more parts. Although this is changing due to some serious advancements in the design of perpetual calendar mechanisms.
Ring Command Bezel
The last complication is the Ring Command Bezel. This makes a traveler’s life easier, as they can turn the bezel to one of three positions to select the date, local time or reference time (second time zone), and then rapidly adjust the watch in either direction with the crown.
Rolex Steel Sky-Dweller – BLUE DIAL
The dial is a striking and dazzling sunburst blue. It changes from an electric blue to a dark, almost-black-looking blue depending on the light.
Above the 6 o’clock, and covering a good portion of the center of the dial, is the 24 hour dual time zone disc. What’s really cool about this disc is that it rotates, so the time in the second time zone is indicated by the red and white triangle. This keeps it hands-free.
As for the hands and hour markers, they are made from white gold and feature an abundance of lume, giving the dial an impressive glow in a dark setting. What’s more, the hands are longer (comparing to the 2012 Sky-Dwellers), extending all the way to the minute track, as to get a quicker, easier, more accurate reading of time. With one quick glance you can see the time in both time zones, AND, the day and month.
Speaking of the month, again, you’ll notice the red square above the hour marker at the 12 o’clock. This indicates the month, and it jumps hour marker to hour marker with each month. This was a brilliant way to add a month display without taking up virtually any space on the dial. Moreover, the red on blue gives the dial a little “spice” and “pop”. Not to mention, it takes only a second to look down at your wrist to learn what you need to know.
Arabic Numerals to Hour Markers
If you are familiar with the precious metal Sky-Dwellers from 2012, you’ll remember they use Arabic numerals (White Gold Black Dial Sky-Dweller Review) rather than hour batons like the 2017 steel Sky-Dweller models. We think this was a smart alteration as it gives the face a cleaner, less busy look. With the Arabic numerals, the bottom numerals had to be cut off because of the disc. It was not a particular bothersome detail, but we appreciate this change.
Overall, the dial is stunningly gorgeous. The blue on steel simply looks fantastic and it captivates us in a powerful manner. It’s a dial that you are proud when people notice it, and thankfully, it really can’t go unnoticed. Win-Win.
Oystersteel Case & White Gold Rotatable Bezel
The pictures speak for themselves on this, but it’s only right to acknowledge, the Sky-Dweller is a large, imposing watch. The case measures 42mm across and it is 14.1mm thick. This makes it one of Rolex’s biggest watches. Only some Deepsea watches and the Yachtmaster II are bigger. This adds to the already striking demeanor of the Sky-Dweller. It’s a watch that simply can’t be missed. That said, the watch still slides under a dress cuff easily thank to the sloping design of the fluted bezel.
For those who like the look of a Datejust and Day-Date, the Sky-Dweller will appeal to you. It’s like the sports watch version of the two.
White Gold Fluted Ring Command Bezel
As we’ve mentioned above, the bezel is white gold, and it is fluted, which immediately makes us think “Day-Date” and “Datejust”. We personally love the idea to use this design on a sports watch. It gives you the best of both worlds, and it allows this watch to be worn casually or dressed up with flawless execution.
What’s more, the bezel is a Ring Command Bezel, so it’s not just “pretty”, it also has a purposeful function. It is your access to altering the main time, second time zone, and annual calendar. If you want to know more about either of those functions, scroll back up to the Complications & Functions section.
Rolesor
As this watch is stainless steel and white gold, it is technically not a stainless steel watch, rather it is a Rolesor. We just want to make this perfectly clear.
A Rolesor is a Rolex term for a two-metal (gold and steel) case. They have utilized this look (and the term Rolesor) since the early 1930s, so it’s nothing new. But the way they did it on this one is special.
Finishing
The finishing on this watch is superb. All the surfaces use a gloss, high polished finish, except the bracelet, which has a satin finishing on the end links. This gives the watch amazing contrast, and overall, it just looks gorgeous and extraordinarily superlative – Patek and Audemars Piguet level finishing. Furthermore, the watch is particularly resilient to scratches. And this specific Rolex Steel (Rolesor) Sky-Dweller Blue Dial, which is for sale at Diamonds By Raymond Lee, is in excellent condition and looking brand new.
100m Water Resistance
Being the timepiece of the Sky, people often ask…
Is the Rolex Sky-Dweller water resistant?
The answer is, of course, yes! Which Rolex isn’t, though? The Rolex Sky-Dweller Rolesor has 100 meters of water-resistance. So, God forbid, if by any chance your plane goes down, you’ll be able to tell the time as you wait for rescue (even in the dark, thank Chromalight!) AND you’ll know exactly what time it is back in your warm, comfy home too (thanks dual time zone!). But on a more serious note, the watch is perfectly water-resistant for those pool, surfing, or casual dive days.
Oystersteel Bracelet
The Oysterbracelet is perfectly thick for the heavy case. It balances out the watch on the wrist and keeps things impeccably proportional. Plus, if there is an issue with sizing, which can happen depending on the weather, the Easylink rapid extension system will take care of this. In just seconds you can adjust the clasp to loosen or tighten the bracelet by 5mm.
All in all, the bracelet is equally as stunning as the rest of the watch, as one would only expect.
9001 Movement
The Rolex Sky-Dweller Steel comes equipped with a 9001 calibre automatic movement. It is a new movement, and one of the best Rolex has ever created – incredibly precise, accurate, and it has 72 hours of power reserve! So forget about resetting it after a long weekend, as you’ll be good to go!
Is the Stainless Steel Rolex Sky-Dweller hard to find?
Out of all the Rolex Sky-Dweller references, this is definitely the hardest to get. If you want it brand-new, expect a long wait. Not Rolex Pepsi or Batman long, but long.
Your best bet is to buy it on the secondhand market if you don’t want to wait potentially 1-2 years for this beautiful beast. The only issue is this Sky Dweller is definitely inflated on the secondhand market. So, you’ll have to find the right authorized Rolex dealer to get it at a competitive price… Fortunately, you are reading the right Steel Sky-Dweller review, because the exact watch seen in the featured images here is available now at Diamonds By Raymond Lee and we offer the best deals for our clients.
Pre-owned Stainless Steel Rolex Sky-Dweller Blue Dial For Sale
If you want pricing on this watch, please contact us. This steel Sky-Dweller comes with all of its original papers and Rolex box, and it is in excellent condition. Also, feel free to come visit us in person at our state-of-the-art showroom in Boca Raton to try this watch on!
Address: 2801 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33431
We hope you enjoyed this Rolex Sky-Dweller Steel Review. Let us know what your thoughts are on the blue dial steel Rolex Sky-Dweller in the comments below. And if you love this everyday timepiece, please feel free to contact us for pricing.
Review of the Steel Sky-Dweller White Dial + Black Lambo Aventador
Like the blue dial Steel Rolex Sky-Dweller but LOVE the full precious metal look, read our Yellow Gold Sky-Dweller Review