Saturday, October 02, 2021

Rolex Secret Release of 2021: Tiger Roars Louder

 

Rolex's Most Secret

Release of 2021

...Is Also Its Loudest




 Unannounced, 'The Tiger' Appears

in White Gold and on Gold Bracelet 



By Danny Crivello



The Rolex Daytona is the world’s most recognizable sports watch. Two years after the surprise release of the so-called "Eye of the Tiger" Daytona, Rolex has secretly unveiled two new versions of the Tiger, one with a yellow gold bracelet partially set with brilliant-cut diamonds, the other in white gold with Oysterflex.


I held the Tiger in my hand when it was first released at Baselworld 2019 and reviewed it. This is a piece that showcases Rolex's skills and talent not as a watchmaker but as a jeweler—and should be admired as such. The new Tiger has diamond-encrusted lugs and a beautiful gold bracelet with diamond-encrusted center links.




The case reference is now 116598 TBR instead of 116588 TBR. The bracelet reference has also changed: The loudest watch of 2019, which was offered on Oysterflex, just got louder; it is now on a diamond-encrusted, gold bracelet ref. 78HJ08 BR. It has an additional 56 brilliant-cut diamonds over the lugs and case. Luxury meets audacity, there's no other way to put it.





Like its 2019 edition, the tachymeter scale on the bezel was replaced with 36 trapeze-cut diamonds, and the dial was decorated with swirls of black lacquer surrounded by 243 diamonds set in a snake-like pattern. There are eight diamond markers set in yellow gold. Look closer and you can see the 15, 30 and 45 markers in gold Arabic numerals. 

Below is me at Baselworld 2019, when I was handed the "Eye of the Tiger" Daytona on Oysterflex by a Rolex representative. I was one of the first in the world to hold it. You can see my full review here




Today, the White Tiger and the Tiger on diamond-encrusted bracelet are nowhere to be found on Rolex's website, but they exist. They're slowly emerging in the wild to customers' amazement!