Earlier this year, Watches and Wonders was all about the Rolex Land-Dweller. As the brand’s first new model in 13 years, it sent the social media-sphere into a frenzy and had the watch community hotly debating their favourite version of the newbie. Pretty much anything Rolex does gets attention be it good, bad or indifferent and the Land-Dweller very much falls into the very good category.
The Rolex Land-Dweller has been well received because it ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people. It has heritage undertones, modern technology and many new features for us to drool over. “The Land-Dweller represents a number of flagship moments for Rolex that has already made it very desirable: first, it captures the shape of a watch that was right at the nascence of the changing luxury watch industry when it adopted quartz technology – the Oysterquartz,” says Andrew Morgan, founder of Andrew Morgan Watches.
“Secondly, it’s a shape that’s been iconic for Rolex in the introduction of new watchmaking technology. The Oysterquartz brought a new movement to market for Rolex, its own in-house quartz, and the Land-Dweller introduces Dynapulse, completely in silicon.” This level of innovation from Rolex doesn’t happen all that often, for context the new movement carries 16 patents, so it’s only fitting Dynapulse makes its debut in an all new model.
There’s already a lot to love about the Land-Dweller and we’ve not yet mentioned the new honeycomb motif dial, the open case back or the new flat link integrated bracelet. Surprise surprise then, the new Land-Dweller is in high demand. “The availability of the Land-Dweller, especially in more affordable steel, is very limited, making the few examples that reach the market highly sought-after,” adds Morgan.
If you’re looking to rock a Land-Dweller then chances are you could be in for a very long wait or need very deep pockets. However, if the Land-Dweller aesthetic tickles you in all the right places then there are some alternatives you should take a look at.
Omega Constellation Globemaster
If I asked you to think of an Omega watch, I bet it wouldn’t be the Constellation Globemaster. This is a watch that perhaps deserves some more attention given it has many of the same hallmarks as the Land-Dweller. “It is available with the Master Chronometer-rated co-axial movement which pairs Rolex’s Dynapulse for unusual escapement technology, and of course, being an Omega, it’s beautifully built,” says Morgan. It can match the Rolex for modern technology and it has heritage to boot: “The series was created in celebration of Omega’s success at the observatory accuracy trials and an ongoing pursuit of precision,” he adds.
The link back to Omega’s history is reinforced with what’s known as the ‘pie-pan’ dial. It doesn’t have the same level of detailing as the Land-Dweller but it’s still an interesting feature. Of course the fluted bezel is something they have in common but the Globemaster’s steel bracelet is that bit more chunky and purposeful. “The standard Constellation is a good opportunity for someone looking to buy an integrated watch with the Omega name on the dial,” he adds and for significantly less than the Rolex at £7,400. At omegawatches.com
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