From SwissWatchExpo… Spotlight on: The Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
5 Things to know about the purest Rolex watch.
While watch lovers find joy in collecting, there is merit to having that watch that one
could wear at every occasion. And the Oyster Perpetual, Rolex’s most basic watch, fits
the bill.
Intentionally, and almost defiantly simplistic, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual offers a variety
of styles, and is a storied watch through and through. Here are 5 things to know about
the Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
The Oyster Perpetual is a direct descendant of the first water proof watch, the Rolex
Oyster. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, saw that a more active future was beckoning,
and always strived to make watches that people can rely on – from the seas to mountains.
In 1926, he led the company in creating the world’s first water-and-dust proof wristwatch.
The hermetically sealed watch protected the movement from elements and marked a milestone
in horology.
Christened the “Oyster Perpetual”, the watch became Rolex’s standard 100m water
resistant watch. So what’s in a name?
The word Oyster is derived from the original 1926 Oyster case, whose name Hans Wilsdorf
got from sealed Oysters. It was meant to provide optimal protection for the movement and to
be opened only by professional tools.
The word Perpetual, meanwhile, comes from Rolex’s Perpetual self-winding movement,
introduced in 1931. The mechanism keeps the watch’s mainspring under continuous tension,
thus giving it a stable source of energy.
This is why every watch that Rolex manufactures today – except for the Cellini – has
the words “Oyster Perpetual” on its dial. It certifies that the watch has a screw-down
caseback, and is running on the perpetual self-winding movement.
As the simplest expression of the Oyster, the design of the Oyster Perpetual, until
today, is distilled to the most important elements.
All models have just three hands – hours, minutes and center seconds. It’s wound using
the Twinlock screw-down crown, is paired with the Oyster bracelet and Oysterclasp fastener,
and has Chromalight for lume.
This is what makes the Oyster Perpetual so wearable. It’s neither a dress watch, nor
a sport watch – and while the steel on steel construction makes it look casual, it’s
still appropriate to wear with a suit and tie.
Despite the simplistic design, the Oyster Perpetual is available in about 30 iterations,
and more sizes than any other Rolex watch.
The Oyster Perpetual comes in varying colors, bezels, and sizes. Until recently, it was
available in 26-31-34 and 36 mm sizes. This made the Oyster Perpetual a “vintage sized”
watch for men.
In 2015, Rolex launched a 39 mm size. Aside from the larger case, Rolex also added new
colorways for the Oyster Perpetual – a classic black and white dial across all five sizes.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is Rolex’s most accessible watch, and one that’s often touted
as the best “one-and-only watch”, if the wearer prefers.
At about half the price of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona and around $1,000-$2,000 less than
the Rolex GMT-Master and Submariner, the Oyster Perpetual is an excellent entry to the Rolex
brand.
With a rich history that paved the way for today’s watches, and a design that’s both
contemporary and timeless, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual earns a rightful spot in every watch
collection.
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