This watch is, like, literally out of this world, okay? The scratched-looking surfaces and intriguing shades of gray on the dial of the latest Rolex Cosmograph Daytonas aren’t the handiwork of some careless decorator. Rather, the dial’s network of rough lines and tones, formally known as the Widmanst?tten pattern, seems to have taken a long time to forge, chiselled from metallic meteorites that came from asteroids that exploded millions of years ago and somehow landed on our unsuspecting planet.

The meteorite’s journey was also an arduous one, travelling and cooling in the universe before landing on Earth. This unique material, composed of nickel and iron, culminates in a unique crystallization during its incredible journey, which we can now admire on the dial of Rolex’s latest Daytona model.

Given the rare natural composition of metallic meteorites, each thin cosmic stone that appears on the dial is unique in itself, and no two dials are alike. Of course, Rolex uses only the best quality meteorites – known in the industry as “Gibeon” meteorites, which are IVA grade meteorites – and only the parts that display the most beautiful crystalline patterns.

Although Rolex introduced cheap replica watches with meteorite dials early on, starting with the early Day-Date and Daytona models, and later on the premium Pearlmaster and Datejust models, they were rare and hard to come by. The last time we saw a Rolex meteorite model was in 2022, when the brand released the Ref. 126719 BLRO ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master II in white gold.

This year, however, collectors have three options to choose from: the new Spaceship Daytona in white gold, yellow gold and stellar gold, which is to die for. The new model will be familiar to watch aficionados; part of the third series of the line’s line-up since 2000, it features a 40 mm case with yellow gold or Cerachrom bezel and is driven by Rolex’s in-house Calibre 4130 automatic chronograph movement, accurate to +/- 2 seconds per day, with a 72-hour power reserve.

With that said, like a bejewelled variant, a Rolex watch with a meteorite dial is a statement of luxury. With such a fascinating material taking centre stage, the new Cosmograph Daytonas are immediately imbued with an air of pomp and circumstance. Of the three models, we are most partial to the one in white gold, with its black Cerachrom bezel and Oysterflex strap. It is easily the most “casual” choice, amplifying the racing DNA of the collection, even though it could hardly contain the unforgettable presence of a meteorite. Needless to say, the models in all yellow and stellar gold with matching three-piece Oyster bracelets are even more extravagant.

Purists who love the classics would do well to look elsewhere. However, everyone else can marvel at the straightforward braggadocio and mind-boggling conception of these swiss replica watches, whose cosmic appeal is undoubtedly the strongest of all.