Rolex evoked the wonders of the galaxy with its Space-Dweller watch of 1963, followed it up four years later with the Sea-Dweller extreme dive watch and then set about catering for the international jet set with the Sky-Dweller travel number of 2012. So that left just one place for the mighty brand to cover.

Enter the Land-Dweller, the first new Rolex sports watch in two decades and the most talked-about timepiece launch of the past year – not least after tennis legend and Rolex testimonee Roger Federer was snapped wearing one while out and about before its official unveiling (accidentally on purpose, of course).

As watch-savvy readers will know, the Land-Dweller is an integrated bracelet design – ie the bracelet and case blend seamlessly together, rather than the bracelet or strap being attached using a case with conventional lugs and bars, a style Rolex hasn’t offered since the demise of the battery-powered Oyster quartz model in 2001. The original precursor to such quartz-powered Rolex watches was the Reference 5100, launched in 1969 after the maker, along with 21 other watch companies, established a consortium, the Centre Electronique Horloger, to develop the first Swiss-made quartz movement.

But while the Land-Dweller’s appearance harks back to those quartz watches of the past (which are attracting fresh interest from collectors), it’s entirely 21st century in terms of its state-of-the-art, made-for-the model Calibre 7135 self-winding movement. Operating at the high frequency of 5HZ (that’s 36,000 vibrations per hour) for increased accuracy, the movement alone has warranted 16 patent applications, and includes features such as the maker’s silicon Syloxi hairspring and its Paraflex shock absorber system.

Unusually for Rolex – which has a reputation for gradual improvements made over years and decades – the movement is new almost from the ground up, featuring a technically advanced double-wheel silicon escapement called Dynapulse. But while there’s a considerable amount of micro engineering tech going on, the movement is so svelte that the Land-Dweller’s case measures just 9.7mm from top to bottom – making it the slimmest model in the brand’s lynchpin Oyster Perpetual line-up. And, like every Rolex, it’s built tough, with a screw-down crown and 100m water resistance, for those off-terra-firma moments.

The distinctive honeycomb-pattern dial is intriguing, too. On a watch by a lesser manufacturer, it might simply have been printed. But in the case of the Land-Dweller, it’s created using a femtosecond laser (a device similar to the type used in eye surgery), which not only cuts the “cell” shapes but also etches the fine lines between each one. The applied hour markers on top are treated with glow-in-the-dark Chromalight, a composite made using ceramic powder combined with a polymer and luminous pigment that’s baked into solid blocks before being machined to form inserts.

The hands, too, have been especially designed for the Land-Dweller, as has its unique (and patented) flat-link Jubilee bracelet – another highly engineered component that incorporates ultra-hard-wearing tungsten carbide and ceramic. Flipping the watch over, meanwhile, reveals a sapphire crystal caseback that gives a view on to that beautifully finished movement (claimed to be accurate to plus/minus two seconds per day) and the distinctive fluted retaining ring that keeps the Oyster case water resistant down to 100m.

A range of sizes and metals promise to give the watch wide appeal. Currently available options include an Oystersteel and white gold version in 36mm (£12,800) and 40mm (£13,700); an Everose gold version in 36mm (£39,200) and 40mm (£43,000); a 40mm in platinum (£57,100); and a 36mm in Everose gold with diamond hour markers and a diamond-set bezel (£82,450). Want one? Join the queue at Watches of Switzerland…

Prices from £12,800; watches-of-switzerland.co.uk; rolex.com