The end of the search for my grail watch. An excellent time indeed as it is also the end of 2025. The grail in question is the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller Reference M336934-0004.
To be honest, this was not the original target. I actually wanted to find the Reference M336934-0002, the mint green dial Sky-Dweller. However, the price quoted by the grey dealer was too high with the premium above the MSRP exceeding RM40,000!
After consulting with a good friend of mine, he recommended another grey dealer he trusted. The options available was more varied and one of them is the white dial version. When I saw it, it triggered something and I realized that white is my colour of choice. In fact, I dawned on me that already have two white dial Rolexes in the collection, the Daytona and the Explorer II. Getting another white dial Rolex is definitely a collection philosophy that is quite cool in my opinion.
The Sky-Dweller was first introduced 13 years ago in 2012. I was eyeing it even back than but no opportunity to get one until now. This is the second Rolex I bought via a grey dealer.
THE IMAGE BELOW IS THE LINK TO MY AFFILIATE STORE
The Series
The series was launched to the public in 2012. When it was introduced, the Sky-Dweller was Rolex’s version of a “grand complication”. Many Rolex fans were taken by surprised by the brand's boldness to offer something totally different from its already extensive range of offerings. Firstly, it brought with it a new movement; an annual calendar GMT. The Rolex Sky-Dweller, with its innovative movement, combines elegance and functionality, featuring a unique annual calendar and dual-time zone display for users.
There have been two life cycle updates since its launch. The first major update was in 2017, where the original applied Roman or Arabic numerals were replaced with with luminous baton markers to make it sportier. The second major update was in 2023 where a new movement, the Calibre 9002 was introduced to replace the Calibre 9001. The Calibre 9002 (2023) is an evolution of the Calibre 9001 (2012). It includes technical innovations that Rolex has brought to its movements; Chronergy escapement, Paraflex shock absorbers and a new oscillating weight with an optimized ball bearing.
Although there are a number of permutations for the Sky-Dweller lineup, the sub-series I want to highlight is the white Rolesor line, a combination of Oystersteel (904L) and white gold with Jubilee bracelet. Currently there are four (4) models in this particular category.
 Ref: M336934-0004 Intense white dial |  Ref: M336934-0008 Bright black dial |
 Ref: M336934-0006 Bright blue dial |  Ref: M336934-0002 Mint green dial |
All the watches have a MSRP of RM72,150 per unit (as at 4 November 2025) in Malaysia. However, the chance of getting it at the price from a Rolex AD is very difficult unless you have built a good relationship with them (i.e. have bought many watches from them!)
Below is a brochure by Rolex on the Sky-Dweller.
By rolex.com
The Watch
Rolesor, the combination of gold and Oystersteel on a Rolex watch, has been a signature feature of the brand since 1933, when the name was registered. The name does not suggest that Roles has created a new compound but instead, it is a meeting of two metals: one precious while the other is strong and reliable.
On the white Rolesor version of the Sky-Dweller I got, the bezel is in white gold (18k) while the winding crown, middle case, case back and bracelet are in Oystersteel (904L). Rolex's 18k white gold is an alloy made with 75% pure gold and 25% other metals, including palladium. Since 2005, Rolex has had its own in-house foundry where it controls the entire process of casting and forging its exclusive gold alloys to ensure quality. Unlike standard white gold alloys, Rolex's 18k white gold is not rhodium plated.
- Pure gold: All 18k gold alloys contain 75% pure (24k) gold.
- Palladium: This platinum-group metal is added to the alloy to create a permanently bright, silvery-white hue. The use of palladium eliminates the need for rhodium plating, which can wear off with time.
- Other metals: The remaining 25% of the alloy is made up of a proprietary blend of other metals to provide strength and durability.
Rolex's
careful attention to its white gold composition results in a
distinctive product compared to both standard white gold and platinum.
| Feature | Rolex 18k White Gold | Standard 18k White Gold | Platinum (950) |
| Purity | 75% pure gold | 75% pure gold | Typically 95% pure platinum |
| Alloying metals | Primarily palladium, plus other proprietary metals | Palladium or nickel, which can cause skin irritation | Iridium or cobalt |
| Color | A rich, bright, and consistent silvery-white color that will not fade. | Starts out with a bright rhodium finish, which can wear away and reveal a warmer, yellowish tint underneath. | A naturally silvery-white metal with a subtle, gray tint. Develops a patina over time, which can be polished away. |
| Plating | No rhodium plating. Rolex's proprietary formula ensures a non-fading color. | Rhodium plating is often applied to achieve a brilliant white finish. | No plating needed. |
| Weight | Lighter and harder than platinum. | Lighter and harder than platinum. | Heavier and denser than gold alloys, about 1/3 heavier than white gold. |
| Maintenance | Lower maintenance than standard white gold, as there is no plating to restore. | Requires periodic re-plating to maintain its bright white color. | Very durable and low maintenance. Can be polished to remove patina. |
- Chromium (19-23%): Provides excellent corrosion and oxidation resistance.
- Nickel (23-28%): Essential for its austenitic structure, resistance to acids, and high resistance to stress corrosion cracking.
- Molybdenum (4-5%): Significantly increases resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion, especially in chloride-rich environments like seawater.
- Copper (1-2%): A key addition that enhances its ability to resist strong reducing acids, such as sulfuric and phosphoric acids.
- Iron: The balance of the composition.
- Low Carbon content (≤0.02%): Minimizes the risk of inter-granular corrosion during welding.
Rolex's specific use of 904L steel offers several advantages for their timepieces:
- Superior Corrosion Resistance: It is highly resistant to saltwater, chlorine, and various cosmetic chemicals, which helps protect the watch from premature wear and pitting.
- Exceptional Shine: The alloy can be polished to an exceptionally bright, mirror-like sheen that retains its luster longer than 316L steel, contributing to the distinctive "Rolex look".
- Durability and Hardness: While having similar base hardness to 316L, its overall composition provides greater durability and resistance to impact and the effects of daily wear in extreme conditions.
- Hypoallergenic Profile: Despite its higher nickel content, the nickel is bound within the stable crystalline structure of the alloy, which reduces the likelihood of skin irritation or allergic reactions.
The 42 mm Oyster case of the Sky-Dweller is water rated to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet). The primary case is crafted from a solid block of Oystersteel. Its case-back, edged with fine fluting, is hermetically screwed down with a special tool that allows only Rolex watchmakers to access the movement. The Twinlock winding crown, fitted with a double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. The sapphire crystal, which features a Cyclops lens at 3:00 for easy reading of the date, benefits from an anti-reflective coating. Fully assembled, the watch has a height of 14.1 mm and a lug-to-lug length of 50.5 mm, by far, the largest of the Oyster Perpetuals made. Total weight is approximately 180 grams.
The dial of the Rolex Sky-Dweller M336934-0004 is officially described as "Intense White" by the manufacturer. The design philosophy of the dial is a masterpiece of both elegance and complex functionality. It successfully integrates multiple functions without appearing cluttered, maintaining the classic, clean Rolex aesthetic.
It has a straight walled polished chapter ring where the brand name is etched and repeated all around except for the section between 7:00 and 5:00. In this location, the serial number of the watch is etched.
The dial has an "intense white" hue with a subtle sunburst finish, which gives it a luxurious, dynamic appearance that plays beautifully with the light. The white color offers excellent contrast, enhancing legibility. At the extreme edge of the dial, short thin lines are painted black and 12 square apertures have been cut into the dial for the annual calendar display. A small, deep red rectangle appears in one of the 12 windows located just above each hour marker around the dial's circumference. This indicator is part of the "Saros" annual calendar mechanism. The revolutionary Saros annual calendar was inspired by the astronomical phenomenon of the same name. The Greek term Saros has been used since antiquity to designate an approximately 18-year cycle of alignment patterns between the Sun, the Earth and the Moon, at the end of which they are at the same position in relation to one another and in the same area of the sky.
The Saros annual calendar, whose qualities are attributable to an ingenious patented mechanism, automatically differentiates between 30-day and 31-day months. It displays the correct date throughout the year and requires only one adjustment a year – on 1st March. The mechanism consists of only four gear wheels and two gear ratios added to the Rolex instantaneous date calendar. This construction of extreme simplicity ensures the great reliability of the system.
The months of the year are marked by 12 discreet apertures around the circumference of the dial, outside the hour markers: January at 1:00, February at 2:00, and so on. The current month is indicated in red.
Rolex uses modern, rectangular index hour markers and filled with Rolex's proprietary Chromalight display, which emits a long-lasting, bright blue glow in low light conditions. Due to the placement for the off-center dual time zone display, the hour markers for 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00 and 8:00 are truncated somewhat. The 12:00 marker is the Rolex logo while the 3:00 marker is an aperture displaying the date.
An off-center, rotating 24-hour disc displays the reference time or dual time zone, with a fixed inverted red triangle pointing to the hour. The 24-hour format clearly distinguishes between day and night hours in the second time zone. Within this disc is where Rolex prints the watch's abilities boldly in black. Despite housing both an annual calendar and a dual time zone display, the dial is surprisingly clean.
Protecting the dial is a sapphire crystal with the signature Rolex Cyclops lens positioned at 3:00 over the date aperture.
The
Rolex coronet (signet) on the sapphire crystal is located at 6:00 centered just below where the hour marker is. The coronet is laser-etched and typically difficult to see with the naked eye. It becomes most visible when viewed at an angle, often with a magnifying glass or a bright light.
With the addition of the solid gold fluted bezel, the watch weighs more than an all-steel Rolex. One of the advantages of the steel and white gold design is that it pairs with pretty much anything.
The fluted bezel is not just a decorative piece but part of the Ring Command System that enables the rotating bezel to act as a crown function selector. This patented mechanism of interaction between the rotatable bezel, the winding crown and the movement, developed by Rolex, allows the user to select the watch’s functions one by one; calendar (date and month), local time or reference time by turning the fluted bezel counterclockwise by one, two or three positions respectively. The selected function can then be rapidly adjusted in either direction using the winding crown, which has only one setting position and with no restrictions. A selector wheel positioned on the outside edge of the movement ensures the interaction between the rotatable bezel, the winding crown and the movement.
The simple and intuitive Ring Command system is a complex mechanism consisting of around 70 components. At the heart of this system are a double cam and levers that engage various gear trains inside the movement according to the function selected. One of these cams is activated by pulling out the winding crown; the other is driven by rotating the bezel to activate setting wheels located in the middle case of the watch.
Like all Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the signed Twinlock winding crown is fitted with a double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. Once unscrewed, it has two set positions. The first (after unscrewing) allows one to manually wind the movement while the second position (by pulling out the crown by another notch) allows one to do the adjustments to the various complications with the help of the Ring Command system.
The case-back is solid without markings and edged with fine fluting. It is hermetically screwed down with a special tool employed by approved watchmakers. You may just be able to see the print "ARMOR". This actually the logo of Luxe Armor, a company specializing is making watch protector film specially designed to protect watches. It is 100% translucent with self healing function, scratch resistant, water resistant, corrosion resistant and high temperature resistant. It leaves no residue after stripping.
As part of the package when I got the watch, the dealer also thrown in for me this protective film for the watch. It has an MSRP of RM404 per application. To be honest, I have not used such services before and I cannot vouch for its usefulness. Only time would tell.
With the addition of the solid gold fluted bezel, the watch weighs more than an all-steel Rolex. One of the advantages of the steel and white gold design is that it pairs with pretty much anything.
The fluted bezel is not just a decorative piece but part of the Ring Command System that enables the rotating bezel to act as a crown function selector. This patented mechanism of interaction between the rotatable bezel, the winding crown and the movement, developed by Rolex, allows the user to select the watch’s functions one by one; calendar (date and month), local time or reference time by turning the fluted bezel counterclockwise by one, two or three positions respectively. The selected function can then be rapidly adjusted in either direction using the winding crown, which has only one setting position and with no restrictions. A selector wheel positioned on the outside edge of the movement ensures the interaction between the rotatable bezel, the winding crown and the movement.
The simple and intuitive Ring Command system is a complex mechanism consisting of around 70 components. At the heart of this system are a double cam and levers that engage various gear trains inside the movement according to the function selected. One of these cams is activated by pulling out the winding crown; the other is driven by rotating the bezel to activate setting wheels located in the middle case of the watch.
Like all Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the signed Twinlock winding crown is fitted with a double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. Once unscrewed, it has two set positions. The first (after unscrewing) allows one to manually wind the movement while the second position (by pulling out the crown by another notch) allows one to do the adjustments to the various complications with the help of the Ring Command system.
The case-back is solid without markings and edged with fine fluting. It is hermetically screwed down with a special tool employed by approved watchmakers. You may just be able to see the print "ARMOR". This actually the logo of Luxe Armor, a company specializing is making watch protector film specially designed to protect watches. It is 100% translucent with self healing function, scratch resistant, water resistant, corrosion resistant and high temperature resistant. It leaves no residue after stripping.
As part of the package when I got the watch, the dealer also thrown in for me this protective film for the watch. It has an MSRP of RM404 per application. To be honest, I have not used such services before and I cannot vouch for its usefulness. Only time would tell.
Underneath the case-back is the Calibre 9002, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. Calibre 9002 incorporates the patented Chronergy escapement, made of nickel-phosphorus, which combines high energy efficiency with great dependability and is also resistant to strong magnetic fields. The movement is fitted with the blue Parachrom hairspring, manufactured by Rolex using a paramagnetic alloy. In addition to resisting strong magnetic fields, this hairspring offers great stability in the face of temperature variations as well as high resistance to shocks. It is equipped with a Rolex overcoil, ensuring the movement’s regularity in any position.
The oscillator of Calibre 9002 has a large balance wheel with variable inertia regulated extremely precisely via gold Microstella nuts. It is held firmly in place by a height-adjustable traversing bridge enabling very stable positioning to increase shock resistance. The oscillator is also mounted on the Rolex-designed, patented high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers, further enhancing the movement’s shock resistance. Calibre 9002 is equipped with a self-winding system via a Perpetual rotor which ensures continuous winding of the mainspring by harnessing the movements of the wrist to provide a constant source of energy. Thanks to its barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of this movement extends to approximately 72 hours.
The Sky-Dweller’s movement is beautifully finished and decorated. It is also marked with the words ‘Chronometer Perpetual’ and ‘Superlative Adjusted’ engraved on the oscillating weight and on the bridges, respectively.
The band for the watch is the classic Jubilee bracelet. The Jubilee, a supple and comfortable five-piece link metal bracelet, was designed and made especially for the launch of the Oyster Perpetual Datejust in 1945. It has a folding Oysterclasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link. Moreover, the clasp also has three micro-adjustment points to better adjust the bracelet for the wearer.
The Chromalight paint used on the watch lights up nicely. I could not take a photo of my watch in the dark, instead, I added a photo from Rolex's own website to show how it would look like.
The Wearing Experience
The addition of the five-piece link Jubilee bracelet is a key factor in its comfort. It is known for being supple and comfortable on the wrist, offering better ventilation than the three-link Oyster bracelet.
Overall, the watch is a sophisticated and highly practical luxury travel watch. Its wearing experience is a balance of impressive wrist presence, exceptional comfort from the Jubilee bracelet, and the tactile satisfaction of interacting with one of Rolex's most complex and innovative movements. Below is a video of the watch on my wrist.
The Purchasing Experience
Trying to get the White Rolesor Sky-Dweller new from an AD is a myth. I decided to bypass the wait-list and secure a brand new, full set (box, papers, all booklets) example. Originally I was trying to get one from another grey dealer but the premium was way too high. However, after a recommendation from another dealer, I was introduced to Metz9. This wasn't a 'preowned' piece—it was an unworn 2025 model with a new-style warranty card and original stickers intact.
While you miss the direct AD purchase experience, Metz9 makes up for it with speed and absolute guarantee. Their representative, Faisal was great. They presented the watch in its factory coffin, and we confirmed the card details matched the watch and the year. The watch was literally flawless. Having the latest Calibre 9002 movement and the gorgeous white dial on the Jubilee bracelet was a sight to behold.
They were completely upfront about the premium. The price was certainly higher than the official Rolex retail, but it was competitive with the current international grey market for a truly unworn piece. There were no hidden fees, and the all-in price for immediate gratification was justified by the quality of the set and the high level of trust I had in their established reputation.
Metz9 also gave me a complimentary protective film for the watch made by Luxe Armor. With an MSRP of RM404, the film is expected to provide some form of protection against accidental scratches on the watch surface. A video I got from the dealer showing me the watch after putting the film on it is shown above. Apart from this, I also got a Rolex magazine, a traveling case and branded polishing cloth.
If you are an experienced collector willing to pay a substantial premium for an immediate, guaranteed-authentic, brand-new full set of a high-demand complication like the White Sky-Dweller, Metz9 is the perfect channel. The peace of mind that comes with buying a 'new' luxury piece from a high-calibre reseller is invaluable.
Specifications
Model Reference: M336934-0004
Model Series: Oyster
Material: White Rolesor, combination of Oystersteel (904L) and white gold
Dial: Intense white with highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence
Dial: Intense white with highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence
Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire, cyclops lens over the date
Bezel: Fluted, bidirectional rotatable Rolex Ring Command
Winding Crown: Screw-down, Twinlock double waterproof system
Winding Crown: Screw-down, Twinlock double waterproof system
Band: Jubilee style, five-piece links made out of Oystersteel
Clasp: Folding Oysterclasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link
Clasp: Folding Oysterclasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link
Diameter: 42 mm
Height: 13.8 mm (14.1 mm including Cyclops magnifying glass)
Lug-to-Lug Length: 50.5 mm
Lug Width: 22 mm
Weight: Approximately 180 grams
Waterproof: 100 meters/330 feet
Movement: Calibre 9002, manufacture Rolex
Type: Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding, dual time zones, annual calendar
Type: Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding, dual time zones, annual calendar
Jewels: 40
Frequency: 28,800 BPH
Accuracy: -2/+2 second per day, after casing
Oscillator: Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring. High-performance Paraflex shock absorbers
Winding: Bidirectional self-winding via perpetual rotor
Power Reserve: Approximately 72 hours
Certification: Superlative Chronometer (COSC + Rolex certification after casing)
Functions: Centre hour, minute and seconds hands; 24-hour display on off-centre disc; second time zone; date; annual calendar display via 12 apertures around the circumference of the dial; stop-seconds when time setting
MSRP: RM72,150
Oscillator: Paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring. High-performance Paraflex shock absorbers
Winding: Bidirectional self-winding via perpetual rotor
Power Reserve: Approximately 72 hours
Certification: Superlative Chronometer (COSC + Rolex certification after casing)
Functions: Centre hour, minute and seconds hands; 24-hour display on off-centre disc; second time zone; date; annual calendar display via 12 apertures around the circumference of the dial; stop-seconds when time setting
MSRP: RM72,150
Vendor: Metz 9 (Menara Keck Seng)
Purchase Date: 4 November 2025
Purchase Price: RM85,000
Serial Number: 7Q88Y119
Warranty: Five (5) years from 22 September 2025
The Online Manual
Rolex Sky-Dweller by rolex.com
Photo Gallery
THE IMAGE BELOW IS THE LINK TO MY AFFILIATE STORE
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