All About the Rolex Sky-Dweller

Perpetual calendars are highly regarded in the world of watch collecting, and rightly so, because keeping a mechanical date mechanism correct through month changes (and even leap years) is very complicated. But I think annual calendars like the Rolex Sky-Dweller–which require a date adjustment on March 1 of every year–are underrated. While they are technically simpler than perpetuals, this simplicity makes annual calendars inherently more robust (fewer gears are required) and easier to set. In terms of everyday wear and convenience, which are the terms Rolex thinks in, it’s not hard to make an argument that annual calendars are the superior complication.

Patek Philippe invented the annual calendar in 1996, well over 200 years after the perpetual calendar was invented. Rolex revolutionized the annual calendar complication in 2012 when they released the Sky-Dweller, which indicates the month with a marker next to each hour. 1 o’clock = January, 2 o’clock = February, and so forth. Pretty clever.

Plus, most annual calendars have corrector buttons on the case which can be pushed to set the month and date, but the Sky-Dweller is button-free. Everything is controlled with the crown in conjunction with Rolex’s patented Ring Command Bezel. In this article, we’ll quickly cover everything you need to know about the Rolex Sky-Dweller.

Traits

All Rolex Sky-Dweller models are 42mm in diameter, and it’s a big 42mm. Visually, it’s like a Datejust XL. In addition to being an annual calendar, the 24-hour ring on the dial makes it a full-blown GMT watch. Many owners find the 24-hour indicator ring helpful, but it has received some criticism for lackluster legibility at a glance. Also, because of the tall movement, the date appears more recessed and isn’t quite as easy to see as on a typical Rolex.

Like all of Rolex’s current non-dive watches, the Sky-Dweller has a 100m depth rating. Whether you choose one on Oysterflex or a metal bracelet (or the discontinued leather strap option), the beloved EasyLink clasp is standard, allowing for simple quick size adjustments. The 14mm thickness is perfectly reasonable, but the 50.4mm lug-to-lug measurement means this is definitely not a watch for all wrists. If you can pull it off, though, it is a watch for all occasions. It can be worn as an everyday sports watch like few annual calendars can.

Sky-Dwellers all have fluted 18k gold bezels (except for a couple ultra-rare diamond-covered off-catalog models) which makes them easier to grip when setting. Let’s go over the details of setting a Rolex Sky-Dweller now.

How to Set a Rolex Sky-Dweller

To set a Rolex Sky-Dweller, unscrew the crown and pull it out to the setting position before you move the bezel. Generally, you’ll start by moving the Ring Command Bezel (something first seen on the Rolex Yacht-Master II in 2007) three “clicks” to the left to set the 24-hour time (a.k.a. “home time” or “reference time”). Click once to the right to set the local time, click again to set the date (move the date forward/backward as much as you need to adjust the month), and click once more to return to the home/neutral position before screwing the crown back down. This image should make it clear:

The Sky-Dweller lineup hasn’t changed drastically since its 2012 debut, but it has evolved. Let’s go over the key moments in Sky-Dweller history.

Rolex Sky-Dweller Timeline

• 2012: The Rolex Sky-Dweller is introduced in solid 18k gold (yellow, white, or Everose) at Baselworld. All three golds are offered on either a leather strap or an Oyster bracelet.
• 2017: Two-tone (“Rolesor”) models are introduced, along with stainless steel models (which Rolex technically calls “White Rolesor” because they have white gold bezels). Lumed “stick” hour markers replace the previous Arabic and Roman numerals.
• 2018: White gold Sky-Dwellers discontinued. 326139 and 326939 models with stick dials thus had an extremely short run and are some of the rarest Rolex models of the modern era.
• 2020: The Oysterflex bracelet replaces the leather strap option for rose gold and yellow gold models.
• 2021: The Jubilee bracelet becomes an option for steel and two-tone models. Two off-catalog diamond-covered meteorite-dial models (326959TBR and 326259TBR) are made in small numbers.
• 2023: The Sky-Dweller receives an updated movement, Caliber 9002, across the board. The appealing blue-green dial debuts on the rose gold bracelet model, and the mint green dial debuts on the steel model. White gold reappears as an option, this time on Oysterflex only.

Understanding Rolex Sky-Dweller Model Numbers

Rolex Sky-Dweller reference numbers are six digits long, starting with the number 3. Here’s how to know several of the basic traits of a Sky-Dweller from its reference number:

That six-digit reference number doesn’t tell you which dial it has, nor whether a solid bracelet is Oyster or Jubilee, but it tells you almost everything else. Steel and two-tone models only come on bracelets, and current-generation white gold models only come on Oysterflex. Aside from that, every combination of material and strap has been offered at one point. There are also two very rare models with a “5” instead of the second “3” in their reference number, indicating a diamond-set bezel. Let’s talk about those now.

Meteorite Sky-Dweller

In 2021, Rolex released two extremely expensive white gold off-catalog gem-set Sky-Dweller models with meteorite dials: one on Oysterflex (326259TBR), and one on a diamond-slathered Oyster bracelet (326959TBR).

At the peak of the Rolex hype, the 326259TBR was selling for $250,000, but today it’s closer to $160,000. The Oyster bracelet version is significantly rarer; you can still expect to pay over $650,000 for a 326959TBR. That model was part of Richard Heart’s seized Rolex collection. Both meteorite Sky-Dweller references have diamonds even on their clasps.

Caliber 9001 vs. 9002

Sometimes collectors ask if the Caliber 9002 movement is really a significant improvement over the 9001 it replaced in 2023. As is often the case with Rolex, it’s a matter of incremental improvements. In addition to being a groundbreaking annual calendar movement, Caliber 9001 already had Rolex’s famous Paraflex shock absorber and Parachrom Blu hairspring. But the 9002 adds Rolex’s Chronergy Escapement, plus it has a skeletonized rotor with updated ball bearings.

So it’s a nice update, but if I were shopping for a Sky-Dweller, the 9001 movement certainly wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for me. Both generations of movement meet Rolex’s superlative chronometer standard of keeping time within +-2 seconds per day, and both offer about 72 hours of power reserve. If you see two crowns between “Swiss” and “Made” at the bottom of the dial, that’s Rolex’s indicator that it has the newer movement.

Price

As of 2025, the Rolex Sky-Dweller has a starting list price of $16,150 on a steel Oyster bracelet. The Jubilee bracelet adds $250. Like-new 336934 models with white or black dials sell for about 30% over MSRP, with blue dials going for about 40% over list and the extremely popular mint green dials selling for even more. You can still expect to spend a long time on the Rolex waiting list for most Sky-Dweller variants; even two-tone models are still selling for about 10% over their list price of $20,850 on Oyster and $21,500 on Jubilee.

MSRP for gold Sky-Dwellers ranges from $45,800 for a yellow gold model on Oysterflex (336238) to $57,800 for a rose gold model on a Jubilee bracelet (336935). Gold models can now generally be found for a discount secondhand–except for the stunning blue-green dial, that is. You can see our Rolex Sky-Dweller price guide for more analysis on true market pricing.

While it may not have the mainstream hype of the Rolex Daytona, enthusiast demand for the Rolex Sky-Dweller (particularly the stainless steel versions) has stayed strong since launch. Rolex has taken the annual calendar complication that Patek Philippe invented and made it more user-friendly, without sacrificing the durability their brand is known for. The Sky-Dweller remains a strong counterpoint to the notion that Rolex can’t make complications.