Watch Paparazzi

Writer Giorgia Mondani spotted wearing Rolex

When Giorgia Mondani raises her fist to the camera, she does so with the quiet authority of someone who has catalogued decades of Rolex history. The watch on her wrist is a Rolex Sky-Dweller in stainless steel with a vivid blue sunburst dial — almost certainly Reference 326934, the all-steel Oyster bracelet variant introduced after Rolex updated the Sky-Dweller lineup in 2023 with the new-generation Oyster case and bracelet architecture.

The Sky-Dweller debuted at Baselworld 2012 and immediately set a new benchmark for in-house complication engineering. Its calibre 9001 automatic movement delivers a 72-hour power reserve and integrates an annual calendar that correctly accounts for months of 30 and 31 days, requiring only a single correction per year — at the end of February. The dual time zone display uses an off-centre disc at 12 o'clock for the home time hour, while local time reads from the main dial. Perhaps most ingeniously, the Ring Command bezel — a fluted 18-carat white gold or steel bezel depending on configuration — acts as a mechanical interface, allowing the wearer to switch between three setting modes without any pushers or additional crown positions.

The blue dial seen here features the characteristic radial hour markers, applied indices, and the characteristic Sabre hands in rhodium-plated finish. The fluted bezel is executed in stainless steel on the 326934, which distinguishes it from the two-tone and full precious-metal references. The 42 mm Oyster case with its twin-lock crown sits with authority on the wrist without crossing into oversized territory.

From a collector standpoint, the steel Sky-Dweller occupies a fascinating position: it is the most complex watch Rolex makes, yet it remains comparatively undervalued against precious-metal siblings. The 326934 is the entry point to the family and consequently the most liquid on secondary markets. Demand has grown steadily as collectors increasingly recognise the movement's engineering achievement relative to its price.

Giorgia Mondani is not merely a watch enthusiast — she is one of the foremost Rolex scholars alive, having authored multiple comprehensive reference books on vintage Rolex. Her choice of the Sky-Dweller 326934 signals both technical appreciation and pragmatic daily-wear sensibility, pairing it here with a Dior oblique cap and a pink turtleneck for an effortlessly contemporary off-duty look.