It might feel like spring is around the corner – or that it should be, at least. But in terms of ski season, there’s still a good chunk of time left to hit the slopes, feel the wind on your face, and crush some serious powder. For those who are looking for a white Rolex watch to get you in the spirit for Winter, here is your ultimate buying guide to white face Rolex watches.
Rolex Polar Explorer II – Ref. 216570
C’mon, did you really think I could start this list of white watches with anything else? It has polar in the name, after all. Ref. 216570 is a really great example of the ‘Polar’ Rolex Explorer II with all the features we adore from this model, including the stark white face and those luminous markers outlined in black. Did you check out that vintage-inspired orange “Freccione” 24-hour hand too? So sharp. This watch was built for adventure – featuring a durable stainless steel finish, reliable automatic caliber 3187 movement, and a highly visible crisp-white dial.
Rolex Daytona White Dial – Ref. 116520
This racing watch was built with a tachymeter bezel to help measure driving speeds, but you might as well use it to time out your runs down the mountain. Plus, that beautiful white face featuring those beloved, world-famous sub-dials may be enough to distract the competition as you zip by. This Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 is a newer model with the caliber 4130 movement that totally embraces this watch’s symbol of speed and high style – so if you’re heading a chalet in the Alps or skiing down to a cabin in Aspen, this is the white watch you’re going to want to wear. Plus, since it’s built to withstand the wear and tear of racing, you can bet this watch will be a great companion for the slopes.
Rolex Milgauss – Ref. 116400
Another winter must-have is white dial Rolex is the Milgauss ref. 116400. Rolex’s signature anti-magnetic watch features a pretty innovative design to protect the movement from high electromagnetic fields by encasing the movement inside a soft iron Faraday cage. Rolex famously equipped the inaugural Milgauss and ref. 116400 with a quirky lightning bolt seconds hand to reflect its purpose as an anti-magnetic watch. Plus, the vibrant orange accents are easy to read as you zip down the slopes. Rolex no longer produces the white face Milgauss – the current catalog only includes funky Z-Blue and classic black – but, of course, that only adds to the collectability of this ref. 116400.
Rolex Day-Date President – Ref. 128239
The Day-Date didn’t earn its nickname “The President’s Watch” by being just any ordinary watch. In fact, the Day-Date is one of Rolex’s most luxurious offerings. The collection is always presented in precious metal and features one of Rolex’s most opulent bracelets, the President bracelet, with semi-circular links. It’s an international symbol of power and success – anybody who is anybody wears the Day-Date on their wrist. One of the most common iterations on the market is the yellow gold Day-Date with a matching champagne dial. Ref. 128239, featuring a white gold finish and white face, is a welcome departure from the typically unapologetically opulent all-gold Rolex Presidential Day-Date that I would be proud to wear as a warm-up by the fire after a long day in the snow.
Rolex Datejust – Ref. 116300
The Rolex Datejust made history when it became the first mechanical wristwatch to feature an automatically changing date mechanism in 1945. Since then, it has been a fixture on wrists worldwide. Made cool by Paul Newman in The Color of Money and more recently by Daniel Craig and Bono, the Datejust is an absolute must-have. The Datejust also happens to look exceptionally sharp with a white dial. Ref. 116300 is a product of the original 41mm Datejust generation (known as the Datejust II), and it is the version with a full stainless steel finish, smooth domed bezel, and the iconic flat-link Oyster bracelet.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual – Ref. 114300
Our list of white face Rolex watches wouldn’t be complete without the classic Oyster Perpetual. This watch has been a staple of the Rolex catalog since the 1950s and includes just about any design set you could ever imagine, including a classic white face. Part of the OP’s massive appeal lies in the fact that it’s luxurious and instantly recognizable as an iconic Rolex watch. At the same time, it’s water-resistant up to 100 meters and is among the most reliable watches in the world. With a time-only movement, crisp white dial, and durable stainless steel finish, this Oyster Perpetual embraces the winter sport lifestyle.