Rolex Baselworld 2016 Conference Room (photo: Rolex/Cédric Widmer)

As a daily lurker on watch forums, I enjoy reading threads like this one with speculations about Rolex's Baselworld 2017 new model lineup. There is always someone claiming to have inside information direct from the watchmaker. The information posted (and the original poster's creditability) is then analyzed by forum members, with opinions and conflicting theories adding pages and pages to the thread.

I highly doubt that any definitive information would be leaked considering the amount of buzz they need to generate at the event to sustain sales in the year to come. However, I have spent enough time on Reddit and forums to know that marketers do seem to use these platforms as a virtual focus group for their products. I wouldn't doubt it if they give some misdirection to keep people guessing while also leaking certain details to gauge a reaction. Even though the trade show is only a couple months away, the watchmaker can certainly tailor their presentation based on the moods and expectations of their customer base before the show.

When I think of how much time they need to prepare for Baselworld 2017, I remember reading that Rolex created the Deepsea Challenge watch that went down with James Cameron into the Mariana Trench in 2012 with only four weeks' notice before the dive. If they had the capacity to create that watch within weeks, they can certainly prepare marketing materials and display models by March 2017 for any new model. It's not like they will be fulfilling orders at the event. They have months to produce the timepieces, but the show is a way for them to set their sales and marketing in motion for the year to come. They most likely have most of the updates set in stone, but I wonder if they have decided which configuration will be the breakout star, like the Ceramic Daytona of 2017.

As I mentioned in the last post of 2016, I think it's always a good idea to indulge in rumors and predictions. It's like fantasy football or a virtual soapbox for collectors and enthusiasts to express their desires and expectations from the watchmaker. While I'm sure the company spends money on formal marketing research, there's no reason for them not to put their ear to the ground and listen to the rumblings on the internet as well. What would they have to lose?

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