Rolex Oyster Perpetual has played a major role in shaping the Swiss watch manufacturer into what it is today. Today, there are plenty of options available to choose from when it comes to picking up the Oyster Perpetual. Here’s everything you need to know about the watch.
Oyster Perpetual
Inquire about Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Rolex Oyster Perpetual is a basic yet functional wristwatch from the Swiss watch manufacturer. While it might not have the most appealing look in the Rolex catalog, it is a timepiece that determines the two major achievements of the brand. These two achievements have helped the brand shape into what it has become today. Not just the brand itself, but they have also played a major role in shaping the watch industry.
Before understanding in-depth about the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, one should first understand the three words it comprises of. Rolex, as we all know, is a Swiss watch brand founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905.
In the early days of watchmaking, watches had to be kept away from water as even the moisture used to spoil the movement. Hans Wilsdorf took this as a serious issue and resolved it with the release of the Rolex Oyster in 1926. It was the world’s first water-resistant wristwatch and it came in the Oyster case.
Once that issue was solved with the Oyster case, Wilsdorf took on another challenge. He wanted to create watches with automatic self-winding movements. At the time, people had to manually wound their watch, and if they forgot, the watch would stop running. With automatic watches, that was not the case as these watches had a free-spinning rotor that winds the movement for as long as the power reserve is made to last.
In 1931, Rolex introduced the world’s first self-winding mechanism. The patented technology used a Perpetual rotor giving the movement its name. When Rolex combined the Perpetual movement with an Oyster case watch, the Oyster Perpetual was born.
Every Rolex watch produced after 1931, had the opportunity to have a self-winding movement and a water-tight case. Many of those watches even came with the Oyster Perpetual branding on the dial.
Even though the Oyster Perpetual plays a major role in the history of Rolex watches, there were not many Oyster Perpetual models in the past. Yes, most of the self-winding watches produced after 1931 are considered Oyster Perpetuals but the line itself was taken over by Datejust and other models. It was only in the year 2014 when Rolex released a new line of Oyster Perpetual.
It is worth noting that all the Oyster Perpetual models only have the time feature and do not come with any sort of complications.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual is a simple yet classy-looking wristwatch from the Swiss watch manufacturer. When picking up an Oyster Perpetual, there are not many types of configurations available. All you get to pick is the right case size and the dial that you would like to have. Unlike other Rolex models, you cannot select the material as these watches only come in Oystersteel. You do not get to choose the bracelet also as they come fitted with the Oyster bracelet.
Currently, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is available in five different case sizes including 28mm, 31mm, 34mm, 36mm and 41mm. This not just gives users the options but also allows them to get a watch that would best fit their wrist. The only thing you can choose besides the case size is the dial style. So, it does not really matter which case size you pick, it should just fit right.
In terms of the dials, there are plenty of options available. These dials are available in solid colors and have hour markers with long-lasting blue luminescence. Currently, the dials are available in Bright Black, Candy Pink, Bright Blue, Turquoise Blue, Green and Silver colors. The color options for the dial may vary depending on the case size you pick.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual is known for its simplicity. Even though it might not sound like a compliment, it is one since some of the world’s best ideas are born from simplicity. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is one of those watches that do just one thing and do it rather well. The impressive timepiece has very little to know about but there are a few things that you should definitely take note of.
Here are the things that you should know about the Rolex Oyster Perpetual:
Rolex Oyster Perpetual has a simple yet functional design. The watch does what it is designed to do and that is to tell the time. But the reason behind its desirability lies in its impressive history. It was a watch that helped Rolex shape into what it is today. Also, a simple design means that the watch can fit any attire.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual is now available only in the Oystersteel material. In the past, there have been gold and two-tone versions of the watch. But, now the watch is available only in stainless steel. The Oyster Perpetual also does not have any variant with a diamond-fit bezel or dial. Although that is something you can do with aftermarket customizations.
The all-new Rolex Oyster Perpetual models are powered by the Calibre 3230 self-winding movement. The Perpetual movement offers a precision of -2/+2 sec/day and promises a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. As for the functions, the timepiece just shows the date using the center hour, minute, and seconds hands.
One of the most attractive looking Rolex Oyster Perpetuals has to be the one with the Rolex Tiffany. Having a Tiffany dial here does not mean that the dial comes with Tiffany & Co. stamping. Instead, it is a turquoise blue dial that has a close resemblance to the Tiffany blue color. This has attracted a lot of attention and people have given it the nickname Rolex Oyster Perpetual ‘Tiffany’.
If you are just getting started with Rolex watches in UAE, the Oyster Perpetual could be a great entry gateway. But that is not always the case. While Oyster Perpetual models are relatively easy to get, there is the popular reference 1018 which is extremely rare. They are so rare that they are regarded as collectibles by watch aficionados. At first glance, it might just look like any other Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch. But that is not the case.
To begin with, the size of 1018 is slightly different when compared to the other references. The watch features a 36mm case and a lug-to-lug width of 20mm. The rare timepiece is 11.5mm thick. If you look closely, you will realize that the specs of 1018 have quite a lot in common with the Explorer Reference 1016. It is worth pointing out that the Oyster has a slightly slimmer profile.
While there is not much information available about the timepiece, it looks like it belongs to the 1960s. The reason why there are not many examples of it available is that at the time people were leaning more towards the Explorer or the Datejust for a 36mm watch. At the time, a 36mm Oyster Perpetual was not really common. Though, this contradicts today’s Oyster Perpetual catalog, where Rolex has 26mm, 31mm, 34mm, 36mm, and 39mm models available.
In terms of other specs, reference 1018 can be found with both calibers 1560 and 1570. While the caliber 1560 was in use until 1965, Rolex transitioned over to the much-improved caliber 1570, which was used until the 1980s. Some of the major improvements seen on the new caliber include a slightly faster beat rate and hacking seconds. The caliber 1570 also powered the Explorers, Submariners, and other Oyster Perpetual models of the time.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual has been seen on the wrists of Roger Federer, Lebron James, Sylvester Stallone, and Mark Wahlberg among others.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual with a Turquoise blue dial also referred to as the ‘Rolex Tiffany’ is available on WatchMaestro for a price of AED 210,000.
Find a watch you own
Browse our catalogue
