Will Rolex Announce New Versions in 2020

When Baselworld and nearly every other event worldwide cancelled due to real scares due to the coronavirus pandemic, a question that was on every Rolex collector's mind became, "When is Rolex going to announce its newest models?"

With Rolex itself closing its doors due to fears for the safety of its workers and the outbreak of the pandemic in Switzerland and the surrounding countries such as Italy, Spain and France, it is clearly possible that any and all announcements due to new Rolex timepieces will be delayed.

Normally Baselworld is where all of these announcements are made - in April.  However, it is more than likely the new models will be announced later on - after the pandemic has run its course. 

Rolex removed the references to last year's "New Rolex Timepieces".  This section of the website, exhibited 6 or so of the newest models Rolex announced and released at last year's Baselworld in 2019.  Only recently has this part of the site been removed - probably in preparation for the new 2020 Baselworld event and the newest "New" Rolexes that would be announced. 

There are several options for Rolex.  Clearly Rolex does not need Baselworld to announce and release its latest versions of its timepieces.  It is likely that Rolex would wait for the pandemic to end and then schedule a press conference event of its very own and announce its newest models with tremendous fanfare you would expect.

However, Rolex might also be selective and only announce 1 or 2 models, rather than the entire lineup that they would normally release.  Perhaps they might pick a model like the Submariner or one of its less popular models - the Milgauss or the Air King.  Similarly, Rolex might find these announcements distasteful and just choose to slip these new models into the marketplace without much fanfare at all. 

It is even possible, although many of us anticipating the "new" Rolex lineup would fear this option the most, Rolex could announce that no new Rolex watches would be released in 2020.  Baselworld is scheduled for 2021, and Rolex could whet the appetites of Rolex followers by announcing an amazing array of changes to the Rolex line-up next year.

I'd say that 2020 is probably a wash in terms of a year.  It is over, just as it has just begun.  Although the earth has not stopped spinning, commerce has reduced to a trickle.  It is like a faucet with an incessant drip, drip, drip.  However, the rusty old handle can release a torrent of commerce when the time is right.  Slightly at first, then with the strength of full force.  I'd say that Rolex would continue to manufacture the same 2019 models and schedule the 2020 models to come out in 2021 along with the 2021 models as well - making the 2021 Rolex event to be the epic Rolex announcement year in our lifetimes.