One of things that has allowed Rolex to survive and thrive is its commitment to doing what it does well for over a century and not jumping on every trend that comes to the horological stage.  For example, you won't see quartz timepieces or digital Rolex timepieces any time soon, as far as I can tell.  However, one trend that seems to have caught Rolex's attention is the desire by users to add Rubber bracelets to their Rolex timepieces.  Popularized by the exquisite Rubber B brand and other rubber band manufacturers before the iconic brand, Rolex finally decided it was time to pay attention to customer demand.

Although Rolex has timepieces utilizing leather and various metal bracelets, it never really adopted the rubber lineup in any of their traditional product lines, until now.  Rolex recently launched the new Cosmograph Daytona with an Oysterflex bracelet, developed and patented by Rolex.

At its core lies a superelastic metal blade overmoulded with high-performance black elastomer, a material that is particularly resistant to environmental effects and very durable.

The Oysterflex bracelet is also fitted with an Oysterlock safety clasp and is equipped with the Rolex patented Easylink rapid extension system that allows the wearer to increase the bracelet length by approximately 5 mm, for additional comfort in any circumstance.

I find it very interesting that Rolex decided to launch the Oysterflex on the extremely popular Rolex Daytona rather than on a natural target such as the divers timepieces like the Submariner or Yachtmaster series.

It is also interesting that Rolex chose not to offer multiple color options for the bracelet.  Black is the only Oysterflex option Rolex has released. It is hard to tell whether Rolex will roll out the new band to other models.  The new band is not having any negative effect on the high demand for the Rolex Daytona.

Maybe Rolex wanted to ensure a strong reception for the new Oysterflex material, by attaching it to the hottest product in the Rolex world.  It is quite possible that Rolex plans to add color to its Oysterflex in the distant future.  However, all we have today is one band and one choice, should you decide to shun the metal bracelet.