The Artisans de Genève Arolla Project transforms a professional chronograph into a study of glacial color, transparency and exposed mechanics.
Commissioned by a private client and based on a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116500, the watch was inspired by the Arolla Glacier in the Swiss Alps. Its distinctive blue tones are expressed through a sapphire dial, an invisibly set gemstone bezel, a skeletonized calibre 4130 and a bespoke translucent blue rubber strap developed by Rubber B.
The strap was not selected after the watch had been completed. It was created specifically for the private project, allowing the glacier-inspired color and transparent character to continue beyond the case.
The completed watch brings together sapphire crystal, blue gemstones, hand-finished mechanics, white gold, Oystersteel and Swiss-Made rubber within one coherent composition.
The Arolla Project was independently personalized for private use. Artisans de Genève and Rubber B are independent companies and are not affiliated with, authorized by, sponsored by or endorsed by Rolex SA.
Quick Answer: What Is the Artisans de Genève Arolla Project?
The Arolla Project is an independently personalized Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116500 inspired by the Arolla Glacier.
Artisans de Genève fitted the watch with a blue sapphire dial, an 18-karat white-gold bezel invisibly set with 36 blue sapphires, a hand-skeletonized calibre 4130, an openworked X-shaped rotor and a sapphire display case back.
Rubber B developed an exclusive translucent Arolla-blue rubber strap specifically for the commission, allowing the color and transparency of the glacier to continue from the watch case to the wrist.
Artisans de Genève Arolla Project Specifications
| Feature | Arolla Project |
| Original watch | Rolex Cosmograph Daytona |
| Base reference | 116500 |
| Case diameter | 40 mm |
| Original case material | Oystersteel |
| Custom bezel | 18-karat white-gold base |
| Gem setting | 36 invisibly set blue sapphires |
| Dial | Transparent blue sapphire |
| Base movement | Rolex calibre 4130 |
| Movement | Automatic, skeletonized and hand-finished |
| Movement finishing | Sandblasted, polished and hand-beveled |
| Rotor | Geometric openworked X-shaped rotor |
| Hands | Sandblasted central sections |
| Pushers | Millerighe-style finishing |
| Case back | Sapphire crystal |
| Strap | Bespoke translucent Arolla-blue Rubber B strap |
| Project type | Private personalization |
The underlying reference 116500 is an Oystersteel Daytona. The white-gold component is the newly manufactured gemstone bezel rather than the original watch case.
Inspired by the Arolla Glacier
The Arolla Glacier in the Swiss Alps provided the central inspiration for the project.
Rather than reproduce the landscape through an engraving or painted scene, Artisans de Genève interpreted the glacier through color, material and texture.
The design focuses on three visual characteristics:
- The transparency of glacial ice
- The intense blue visible within deep ice formations
- The contrast between smooth frozen surfaces and fractured ice caves
These elements influenced the use of blue sapphire crystal, translucent rubber, gemstones and the rough finishing applied to the exposed movement.
Transparency as a Design Principle
Transparency appears throughout the Arolla Project.
The sapphire dial reveals the calibre beneath it.
The openworked movement exposes its chronograph architecture.
The sapphire case back presents the movement from the reverse.
The translucent blue Rubber B strap allows light to pass through the material.
The invisible gemstone setting minimizes the amount of visible metal between the blue sapphires.
Every principal component contributes to the same concept. The watch does not simply contain several transparent details; its complete visual identity was developed around light, color and mechanical visibility.
The Rolex Daytona 116500 Foundation
The private client supplied a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116500 as the foundation for the personalization.
Introduced in 2016, the reference 116500LN featured a 40 mm Oystersteel case, a black Cerachrom ceramic bezel, screw-down chronograph pushers and Rolex calibre 4130.
Its original configuration included:
- A 40 mm Oystersteel case
- A black ceramic tachymeter bezel
- A conventional three-register dial
- A closed steel case back
- A self-winding calibre 4130
- A three-piece Oyster bracelet
- Approximately 72 hours of power reserve
- Water resistance to 100 metres
The Arolla Project retained the recognizable proportions and chronograph identity of the Daytona while transforming nearly every visible surface around them.
An Oystersteel Daytona With a White-Gold Bezel
The distinction between the original watch and its custom bezel is important.
Reference 116500 is an Oystersteel Daytona. For the Arolla Project, Artisans de Genève replaced the original ceramic bezel with a specially manufactured component using an 18-karat white-gold base.
The correct description is therefore:
An independently personalized Oystersteel Rolex Daytona reference 116500 with a custom white-gold sapphire-set bezel.
The Invisible-Set Blue Sapphire Bezel
The most immediately recognizable component of the Arolla Project is its gemstone bezel.
Artisans de Genève replaced the standard black ceramic tachymeter bezel with an 18-karat white-gold component set with 36 blue sapphires.
The gemstones use an invisible-setting technique that minimizes the visible metal separating each stone.
Why Invisible Setting Matters
Traditional gemstone settings use visible prongs or channels to secure the stones.
With invisible setting, grooves are cut into the gemstones so they can be supported from beneath. The technique creates the appearance of a continuous surface of color.
For the Arolla Project, this was particularly appropriate.
The 36 blue sapphires form an uninterrupted glacial frame around the dial. The white-gold base remains visually restrained beneath them, allowing the color of the gemstones to dominate.
Thirty-Six Blue Sapphires
The bezel contains 36 stones selected to create a consistent progression of blue around the case.
Color matching is essential. A visibly lighter or darker sapphire would interrupt the circular composition.
The setting also had to preserve the geometry of the Daytona case while securing each stone around the sapphire dial.
The completed bezel replaces the watch’s traditional motorsport scale with a ring of blue inspired by frozen Alpine landscapes.
The Blue Sapphire Dial
The dial is manufactured from blue-tinted sapphire crystal.
Unlike an opaque metal dial, the sapphire surface allows the skeletonized movement to remain visible from the front of the watch. The chronograph counters and hour indications appear to float above the calibre rather than conceal it.
A Demanding Material
Sapphire is highly resistant to scratching once completed, but it is difficult to shape and finish.
The material must be:
- Cut to exact dimensions
- Drilled for the hands and registers
- Polished without developing cracks
- Colored consistently
- Installed without excessive pressure
A minor error during machining can compromise the complete component.
The challenge becomes greater when the sapphire must remain sufficiently clear to reveal the movement while retaining an intense and uniform blue color.
Preserving the Daytona Identity
Although the sapphire dial changes the visual character of the watch, the familiar three-register chronograph arrangement remains recognizable.
The counters preserve the functional identity of the Daytona.
The transparent spaces reveal the modified calibre.
The dial therefore balances two objectives: maintaining the visual language of the original chronograph while allowing the skeletonized movement to become the principal focus.
A Skeletonized Rolex Calibre 4130
Beneath the blue sapphire dial is an extensively modified Rolex calibre 4130.
Artisans de Genève dismantled the movement before developing new bridge shapes and removing material from selected components. The calibre was then sandblasted, polished, beveled and reassembled.
Openworking Developed for the Project
The skeletonization was created specifically for the Arolla commission.
The automatic and chronograph bridges received new shapes, openings and geometric structures. These modifications expose the gear train and chronograph components while preserving the mechanical support required for the movement to operate.
Skeletonization requires careful balance.
Removing more material provides greater visibility, but the remaining bridges must retain enough strength to hold pivots, wheels and chronograph components in precise alignment.
The movement therefore had to satisfy two objectives:
- Reveal its mechanical architecture
- Preserve the structural integrity of calibre 4130
Textures Inspired by an Ice Cave
The movement does not rely exclusively on polished and reflective surfaces.
Artisans de Genève also introduced rough, sandblasted textures intended to evoke the interior walls of an ice cave.
These surfaces contrast with the smooth sapphire dial and polished gemstones surrounding them.
The transparent components represent the clarity of the glacier.
The roughened movement recalls the fractured and irregular formations concealed beneath the ice.
This contrast between delicacy and raw structure defines the character of the watch.
The Geometric X-Shaped Rotor
The automatic winding rotor was reconstructed in an openworked X-shaped form.
The geometric design permits a clearer view of the movement while retaining the automatic winding function of calibre 4130.
Why the Rotor Matters
A conventional automatic rotor covers a large portion of the movement as it turns.
In a skeletonized watch, that can obscure the finishing and open architecture below it.
The Arolla Project’s X-shaped rotor reduces this visual interruption. Its narrow arms allow more of the calibre to remain visible through the sapphire case back as the rotor moves.
Its angular geometry also complements the new cuts developed for the automatic and chronograph bridges.
Automatic Winding Preserved
Unlike certain Artisans de Genève projects that converted calibre 4130 to manual winding, the Arolla Project preserves its automatic operation.
This retains the everyday convenience of the original Daytona while allowing the rotor itself to become an essential part of the personalized design.
The Sapphire Display Case Back
The standard Daytona reference 116500 has a closed metal case back.
Artisans de Genève replaced it with a sapphire crystal display back, revealing the skeletonized calibre and X-shaped rotor from the reverse side.
The display back provides a clear view of:
- The geometric winding rotor
- The reworked bridge architecture
- The sandblasted surfaces
- The hand-executed beveling
- The chronograph mechanism
- The contrast between polished and textured components
The case back completes the project’s commitment to transparency.
The movement can be observed through the blue sapphire dial from the front and through the sapphire crystal from the rear.
The Transparent Arolla-Blue Rubber B Strap
Rubber B developed an exclusive translucent blue rubber strap specifically for the Arolla Project.
The strap was created to reproduce the blue color and transparent character of glacial ice while integrating with the personalized Daytona case.
It was not selected from a standard production collection. It was engineered as part of the private commission.
A Strap Created for the Watch
The Arolla strap was developed around:
- The Daytona reference 116500 case
- The selected glacier-blue color
- The blue sapphire dial
- The sapphire-set white-gold bezel
- The weight of the chronograph
- The overall visual direction of the project
The strap should therefore be described as a bespoke Rubber B execution created specifically for the Arolla Project.
It should not be represented as a standard production color available for every Rolex Daytona.
Transparent, but Different From the Zinal Strap
The Arolla Project followed another Artisans de Genève collaboration involving a transparent Rubber B strap: the Zinal Challenge.
The two designs are visually distinct.
Zinal Challenge
- Clear transparent rubber
- Nearly colorless appearance
- Designed around transparent sapphire and monochromatic metal
- Inspired by the pale surfaces of the Zinal Glacier
Arolla Project
- Translucent blue rubber
- Strong glacier-blue tint
- Designed around blue sapphires and a sapphire dial
- Inspired by the blue ice of the Arolla Glacier
The Zinal strap was designed to appear almost invisible.
The Arolla strap uses transparency to intensify color.
Why Vulcanized Rubber Was Appropriate
Rubber creates a deliberate contrast with the precious and fragile materials used elsewhere in the watch.
The project combines:
- Sapphire crystal
- Blue gemstones
- White gold
- Oystersteel
- Hand-finished mechanical components
- Translucent rubber
The sapphire and gemstones introduce refinement and delicacy.
The rubber strap introduces flexibility and preserves a connection with the Daytona’s professional sports-watch origins.
This prevents the watch from becoming purely ornamental. Despite its gemstones and exposed movement, the strap maintains a contemporary athletic character.
How the Rubber B Strap Completes the Design
The Arolla Project would communicate a different identity on a conventional black strap.
Black would introduce a visual boundary between the vivid blue bezel and the wrist.
A steel bracelet would preserve more of the original Daytona architecture but would interrupt the project’s central study of transparency.
The translucent blue Rubber B strap allows the design to continue through the lugs.
It performs several visual functions:
- Repeats the color of the sapphires
- Extends the blue sapphire dial beyond the case
- Allows light to pass through the material
- Contrasts with the Oystersteel case
- Preserves a sports-watch profile
- Distinguishes the project from a standard Daytona
- Connects the watch directly with the Arolla Glacier
The strap is not simply the component that secures the watch.
It is the element that carries the glacier-inspired concept from the case to the wrist.
A Fusion of Contrasting Materials
The Arolla Project is defined by the relationship between materials that would ordinarily be treated very differently.
Sapphire
Sapphire contributes transparency, color and surface clarity.
It appears in:
- The blue dial
- The 36 bezel gemstones
- The display case back
White Gold
White gold provides the structural base for the gem-set bezel while allowing the setting to remain visually restrained.
Oystersteel
The original steel Daytona case preserves the professional chronograph architecture of reference 116500.
Vulcanized Rubber
The translucent blue Rubber B strap introduces flexibility and continues the glacier color beyond the case.
The Openworked Calibre
The roughened movement surfaces provide the strongest textural contrast. They recall fractured ice and the interior of a glacier beneath the smooth exterior visible above it.
Together, these materials create a watch that moves between refinement and industrial structure.
Is the Arolla Project an Official Rolex Model?
No.
The original watch was manufactured by Rolex as a Cosmograph Daytona reference 116500.
The later modifications were completed independently by Artisans de Genève at the request of the watch’s private owner.
Rolex SA did not design, manufacture, approve or authorize the personalized configuration.
The correct description is:
An independently personalized Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116500 by Artisans de Genève.
The Arolla Project should not be described as an official Rolex edition, factory Rolex collaboration or Rolex-produced limited edition.
Can the Arolla Rubber B Strap Be Purchased?
The original translucent blue strap was developed specifically for the private Arolla commission.
It should not be presented as a standard production product available for every Rolex Daytona.
Rubber B manufactures Swiss-Made integrated vulcanized rubber straps for compatible Daytona references, but each production strap must be selected according to the exact model, case generation and clasp configuration.
A standard Rubber B strap may fit a compatible Daytona, but it should not be described as the original Arolla collaboration strap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Artisans de Genève Arolla Project?
The Arolla Project is a privately commissioned personalization based on a Rolex Daytona reference 116500. It features a blue sapphire dial, a gem-set bezel, a skeletonized calibre 4130, a sapphire case back and a translucent Rubber B strap.
What Inspired the Arolla Project?
The watch was inspired by the Arolla Glacier in the Swiss Alps. Its sapphire components, blue color and textured movement finishing were selected to reflect the appearance of glacial ice and ice caves.
Which Rolex Was Used?
The project began with the client’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116500.
Is the Arolla Daytona Made From White Gold?
The underlying reference 116500 is an Oystersteel Daytona. The custom bezel created for the project has an 18-karat white-gold base set with blue sapphires.
How Many Sapphires Are Set Into the Bezel?
The custom bezel contains 36 invisibly set blue sapphires.
Is the Dial Made From Sapphire?
Yes. The dial is made from blue-tinted sapphire crystal, allowing the skeletonized movement to remain visible from the front.
What Movement Is Inside the Arolla Project?
The watch uses an extensively modified version of Rolex calibre 4130. The movement was skeletonized, sandblasted, polished and beveled by hand.
Is the Movement Automatic?
Yes. The Arolla Project retains automatic winding through its custom openworked X-shaped rotor.
Who Made the Blue Strap?
Rubber B developed the exclusive translucent Arolla-blue strap specifically for the private project.
Is the Arolla Strap Fully Transparent?
The strap is best described as translucent or transparent blue. Unlike the clear Zinal strap, it carries a strong blue tint inspired by the Arolla Glacier.
Is the Strap a Regular Rubber B Product?
No. It was developed as a bespoke execution for the privately commissioned Arolla Project.
Is the Arolla Project an Official Rolex?
No. It is an independent personalization and was not authorized or approved by Rolex SA.
Final Assessment
The Artisans de Genève Arolla Project is not defined by a single modification.
Its identity comes from the relationship between every material used in the watch.
The blue sapphire dial reveals the movement.
The 36 invisibly set gemstones form a continuous glacial frame around the case.
The skeletonized calibre introduces rough, fractured textures beneath the polished surfaces.
The X-shaped rotor preserves automatic winding while exposing more of the movement through the sapphire case back.
Rubber B completes the project with a translucent blue vulcanized rubber strap developed specifically for the watch.
The strap carries the color and transparency of the Arolla Glacier beyond the sapphire dial and gemstone bezel. It preserves the athletic character of the Daytona while becoming an essential part of the personalized composition.
Without the blue Rubber B strap, the glacial concept would end at the lugs.
With it, the watch becomes one uninterrupted study of blue ice, transparent materials and exposed mechanics.
The Arolla Project remains one of the clearest examples of how a bespoke strap can become inseparable from the watch it was created to complete.
Daytona personalization in which the strap was not an addition, but an essential part of the original vision.
La Barrichello was independently personalized by Artisans de Genève at the request of its owner. Artisans de Genève and Rubber B are independent companies and are not affiliated with, sponsored by, authorized by or endorsed by Rolex SA. Rolex, Cosmograph Daytona and related trademarks are the property of Rolex SA. Rubens Barrichello did not authorize or sponsor this editorial article.
Follow Us on Instagram
