Baselworld, the biggest watch event of the year, is happening now at the Messe Basel in Basel, Switzerland. We’ve got a team on the ground there to bring you the most exciting releases. Follow our coverage here, and also be sure to check out Instagram. We’ll be posting to our feed throughout the week.

Price: $8,200
Availability: TBD
Case Dimensions: 36mm
Movement & Winding: Rolex in-house automatic 3235
Power Reserve: 70 hours

Quick Take: A handful of Rolex watches got updates this year, including the iconic Datejust. This is one of the most recognizable timepieces in history, and for Baselworld 2019 Rolex introduced a new model with a black sunray-finished dial and the fluted bezel that defines its profile. This model, in a unisex 36mm case, combines a steel case and bracelet with a white gold bezel.

Who It’s For: As one of the watches most closely linked with Rolex’s prestige, the Datejust is meant as much for Rolex fans and collectors as it is an aspirational piece for first-time buyers. With a case and bracelet that mix steel and white gold components side by side, this will lean towards the higher-end buyer. It’s a great option for someone who wants a luxury watch that features precious metal — but who doesn’t need to show off with more obvious gold tones. The 36mm sizing means it can be worn easily by women and men, but the black dial offers the most clearly masculine iteration currently available in this configuration — a second new version features a mother-of-pearl dial and a bezel and indexes set with diamonds.

Key Features: Steel-and-gold watches are often referred to as “two-tone,” but in steel and white gold two-tone doesn’t quite capture how this watch looks. In the end, not every possible configuration of dial, bezel, and case material is represented in Rolex’s collection, so new models simply give shoppers more options. The new Datejust 36 is powered by Rolex’s in-house automatic 3235, a new-generation movement with a power reserve of 70 hours. It is water-resistant to 100m in Rolex’s signature Oyster case, comes on a swanky-looking Jubilee bracelet, and has price of $8,200.

More from Baselworld 2019

See more of our favorite new releases from Geneva. Read the Story