Rolex Sky-Dweller Boutique Edition (2022)

Rolex Sky-Dweller Boutique Edition - An extraterrestrial timepiece

With the release of the Sky-Dweller, Rolex brought its most complicated watch to date onto the market. The watch, powered by the 9002 caliber, has a number of hidden complications. The watch's biggest unique selling point is the Saros annual calendar patented by Rolex, which was developed specifically for the Sky-Dweller.

This allows you to read the month easily and appears in red next to one of the twelve hour indices, which have been expanded to include a small viewing window. The calendar can distinguish between the different month lengths independently and therefore only needs to be adjusted on March 1st.

Another exclusive feature of the Sky-Dweller is the Ring Command bezel, which gives the otherwise purely cosmetic function of the fluted bezel a practical one. This can be adjusted to three positions and, in technical interaction with the winding crown, enables the setting of the various complications. In addition to the first two bezel positions of the calendar and the local time, the third is assigned to another complication, because the Sky-Dweller also has a reference time in another time zone. This is shown by a small wheel in the middle of the dial and completes one rotation per day. The visualization therefore follows a similar logic to that of the GMT-Master model.

The Boutique Edition Sky-Dweller is a so-called "off-catalogue" product from Rolex. A wide range of models are presented on the Rolex website and in the product catalog. What is less well known, however, is that Rolex also produces exclusive watches outside the catalog that are not included in the standard range. These rare special models are often decorated with precious gemstones and feature a unique design that sets them apart from others. These watches are aimed at wealthy customers who are looking for rare and special models. By not listing these watches in the standard catalog, Rolex increases the appeal and maintains an exclusivity of these models that appeals to VIP customers.

Rolex makes these watches for top clients, usually with complicated gemstone settings, which leads to high prices. Additionally, these special models are not advertised, so exclusivity is maintained. The target audience for this watch is often celebrities and musicians. As a result, models like the Rolex Sky-Dweller Boutique are made known in the best possible way, namely through music videos or news coverage. As with many other exclusive models, there are long waiting times for such watches.

Since a watch set with diamonds is handcrafted by Rolex in Switzerland and this process can only be carried out by experienced gemstone experts, the production quantity is very limited. Due to this special technique and a dial made of 4 billion year old meteorite, which is only "gifted" to the most iconic Rolex models, each watch is unique! This reinforces the exclusivity of the watches.

The Boutique Edition Sky-Dweller is particularly interesting in this context, as its rarity attracts a lot of media attention and the associated demand. Famous personalities such as rapper Drake, producer DJ Khaled, football pro Markus Rashford and NBA pro Ben Simmons have repeatedly appeared with this model in recent years. The music videos "Churchill Downs" by Drake and "Staying Alive" by DJ Khaled alone have a total of over 75,000,000 views. In both of these videos, Drake wears this diamond-studded reference. There are also GQ articles about the sale of Drake's watch for 460,000 euros and numerous YouTube videos from famous dealers. Other "off catalogue" models are just as rare, but few are as well known.

The most important basic data of the watch