Baselworld 2017 is finally here and the hours are counting down to see what Rolex will unveil. Did anyone else notice the silhouette of a chronograph watch on the main banner of their website? A black and white image that reads:

Baselworld 2017 – Unveiling March 22nd

You may feel a sense of calm (or eeriness) from the image. Omega “Dark Side of the Moon” fans might feel chills looking at it – and Pink Floyd fans might even get a tingle. Whichever camp you’re in, it looks like a moon or planet… with a dark side. The rim around the case where the bezel would be looks unfinished. Like a raw steel puck that just hit the CNC machine and is waiting for the next step in production.

Questions Without Answers

Is is an all steel ceramic bezel Daytona?
No, that was already released last year.

Is is a Coke or Pepsi bezel steel GMT-Master II?
No, but that watch is anticipated to be a new 2017 release. Besides, didn’t you see the freaking pushers?!

Ceramic bezel Rolex Explorer II?
Pushers, people… pushers!

Is it a new chronograph Tudor?
No. That would be on the Tudor website.

A new Yacht-Master II that isn’t $20,000?
Doubtful.

How much is the new chronograph?
We don’t know if it actually exists yet.

Elementary, My Dear Watson

What we noticed:

• The bezel crown guard is missing.
• The crown is dramatically rounded.
• The pushers are really small.
• The pushers have a sort of grip like the crown.
• The lugs are in a different position than a typical Rolex watch.

It almost looks like a modern version of a throwback pre-Daytona 6238 chronograph. Imagine the chronograph pushers, but without the caps on them.

So WTF is it?

Either way, this is a strange image. Rolex is up to something and it’s messing with our minds!

Rolex doesn’t do random things without basis. So, why would they post a photo of a watch case with pushers if they had no intention of releasing a new chronograph? And why would they release a chronograph when they already have the Daytona? Are they planning something revolutionary?

Maybe it’s going to be a lower cost chronograph. With a date. That doesn’t require being on an AD’s waitlist for a year? (That last one sounds too good to be true. And we all know, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.) Or, maybe it’s a smartwatch? Kidding!

We’ll Let You Know

You better believe the Rolex booth is going to be our first stop at the show. Well, it’s pretty hard to avoid since that’s one of the first booths you run into when entering the main hall. See our video tour of Baselworld here, still relevant today since nothing at Baselworld ever changes (except for when they installed the huge birds nest looking open dome art piece above the Messeplatz).

As soon as we get the scoop, we’ll post it here as we always do during Baselworld! Stay tuned and check back.

Update:

Early morning, March 22nd, the Rolex banner image changed to this:

Could it be a hint of the a new 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller 4000? 2017 marks 50 years of the iconic diver. How will they incorporate green into it like all of the other 50th anniversary models (green bezel Sub, green hand GMT-Master II, green crystal Milgauss, blue Daytona).

Update 2:

• Here are the official Rolex launches.
• Here is a review of the new Sea-Dweller which is red, not green.