Land-Dweller: Hit or Miss?

Sorry for the late tick this week—I was battling a nasty flu that slowed me down worse than a broken mainspring. But hey, better late than never, right?

In today's issue, we explore Rolex’s controversial Land-Dweller, unpack Fidel Castro’s capitalist contradictions, and decode the GMT complication—because who wouldn't want to know the time in Havana while sipping coffee in Brooklyn?

Thanks for your patience. Now let's wind this thing up.

🕒 The Movement*

* The numbers above represent trends in the secondhand watch market. The "Price" column shows the average secondhand price for the top 30 watches—source: Watch Charts.

⏱️ First Tick

MOM’S WORD

Here's your Mother's Day gift guide, from doughnuts to serpents. Bonus: Beauty Beyond Time.

JUNGLE-ICIOUS

The Louis Vuitton Escale en Amazonie pocket watch combines a virtuoso automaton and minute repeater with Métiers d’Art, animating a tropical rainforest scene with seven animations.

SPORT YOUR SMILE

The single-hand watch specialist Meistersinger introduces a new product line with a sportier look: Kaenos.

SBLAD

The 6,225-carat Insofu emerald is in Chopard's hands.

⌚ Beyond the Dial

Dwelling on the Details

Rolex moves slower than your grandma's favorite TV show. They take five to seven years to create a new watch, countless secret meetings, and—apparently—a mood board featuring futuristic cities and grassy cliffs (really). So when the Land-Dweller finally surfaced at Watches and Wonders, reactions ranged from quiet admiration to full-blown wrist rage.

Some called it an instant classic; others, an overpriced Datejust with a weird honeycomb dial. Love it or hate it, the Land-Dweller is more than just a pretty face: Rolex squeezed in 32 new patents, including a smoother-than-ever second hand, ceramic guts, and sapphire backs so you can see what you bought.

And yes, it still tells the time—beautifully, precisely, and (of course) expensively. Do you think it'll redefine Rolex or just be a blip? Only time—and the waitlists—will tell.

🕰️ Back in Time

Fidel Castro famously despised capitalism—but apparently, not Rolex. Rolex was often spotted on the Cuban revolutionary wearing two watches: a Submariner and a GMT-Master. One was set to Havana time, the other to Moscow—handy for keeping track of allies (and enemies). Castro even gifted his comrades luxury Rolexes—yes, including Che Guevara. Viva la contradiction!

📖 Horolography

Invented for pilots, loved by globe-trotters, GMT watches track two time zones at once—your local time, plus a second reference like New York, or wherever your distant heart desires. Today's GMT complication is your wristwatch's antidote to jet lag, or at least confusion.

⏰ The Final Tick

Last time we doubled our subscribers—this week, the growth slowed down slightly (blame it on the fever dreams). But we're still moving forward, now at 40 subscribers strong. If you like what you read, share Watch Word with a friend, a fellow watch nerd, or your favorite revolutionary (if you happen to know one).

And keep the feedback coming—your replies genuinely make my day brighter.

With thanks and a freshly regulated heartbeat,

(back to ticking at full speed next week)

Fatih Taskiran
Founder & Chief Daydreamer at The Core