Rolex

Oyster Perpetual Watches

Rolex is not just only a symbol of status as we have known about it today, its watches consist of some of the most significant inventions of horology history. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual is exactly the purest piece that defines the essence of a Rolex watch. 

First launched in 1931, this classic Rolex watch is one of the longest running collections. Its watches are the epitome of timeless form and feature which is solidly rooted in the pioneering origins of Rolex. Simple, elegant, incredibly built yet comparatively affordable, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is considered as the most suitable entry watch to enjoy the heritage of Rolex. Its lineup includes numerous exciting variations of sizes and colors that cater its audiences for different styles. 

When we talk about a Rolex watch, many people would think of the most discussed models, say a Rolex Daytona or Rolex Submariner. Among its fellows, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch is usually less mentioned. The Oyster Perpetual is actually the purest form of what Rolex has achieved as a definitive Swiss wristwatch. With its simple and elegant design, the artistic taste of Rolex Oyster Perpetual has set the watch apart as the symbol of timeless and classic style. 

To trace the root of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, we should take a deeper look at two of the great inventions of Rolex prior to the birth of the watch. The name “Oyster Perpetual” refers to the brand’s groundbreaking innovations that compose the watch. 

The name Oyster refers to the first truly waterproof watch case invented and patented by Rolex’s founder Hans Wilsdorf in 1926. He named it Oyster because he created the case to be durable and tough as a stubborn oyster shell. 

On the other hand, the "Perpetual" came later as the invention used in a self-winding movement of the brand. Rolex released the first self-winding watch Oyster Perpetual in 1931. The "perpetual" in an Oyster Perpetual Movement refers to the perpetual rotor of the mechanism to run on the energy provided by the movements of the wearer's wrist instead of manual winding. The motion of the wrist causes the rotor's movement to back and forth, thus it winds the mainspring and powers the watch.

As the lineup of Rolex expanded, this name does not just refer to one specific collection but it also became a prefix to the other Rolex collections including the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day Date and some others. 

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual featured almost the same looks as what Rolex is producing today. Many watch lovers were amazed by the distinctive details of the watch design at the time, including the curved outer case with the round bezel, the slim lugs and the polished lines. 

The Rolex Oyster watch has been highly admired for its mechanism. The self-winding caliber of the Oyster Perpetual Movement is entirely designed and manufactured in-house by Rolex. All the in-house movements have gone through the special examination from the laboratories owned by the brand. The movements are tested in various conditions on the precision, water resistance, power reserve, durability and more. After passing all the tests the newer Rolex calibers will be granted the mark of “Superlative Chronometer”. 

Besides, the movements of later models of Oyster Perpetual are also COSC certified as a chronometer for its accuracy and precision within +2 and -2 seconds a day. 

The Oyster Perpetual had long been considered as the Rolex watches for women because of the smaller sizes of its models from 26 to 36 mm diameter. Then, larger sized Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches, 39 mm and 41 mm were released in 2015 and 2020 respectively. The audiences of Rolex Oyster Perpetual have widened. 

The design of Rolex Oyster Perpetual lies between two main types of watches, making the watch neither too dressy nor too sporty for its wearers. Thus, it is a perfect everyday watch that can be worn for all occasions.

The current Oyster Perpetual watch collection offers more than 30 iterations of models. They remain the most affordable and classic watches in the Rolex collections. Let’s explore some newer Oyster Perpetual models to see which one you should get.

Oyster Perpetual 39 

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 was introduced in 2015. It was the first larger sized Rolex OP watch that is considered as a Rolex watch for men. It is a fantastic size that has been proportioned for almost every wrist of both men and women. With the simple yet sportily elegant look and wearer friendly size, the Rolex OP 39 has instantly become one of the best selling Rolex models. 

The watch is available with 5 dial color options you can choose from including the classic black or white, as well as grey, blue and purple. This timeless watch goes well with every occasion naturally. 

Few years later the Rolex OP 39 was replaced by the new Oyster Perpetual 41 mm. Instead of offering Oyster Perpetuals in sizes of 28, 31, 34, 36, and 39mm, the range is provided now with a jump of 5 mm between the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 mm and the OP 41 mm. 

Oyster Perpetual 41

In 2020, Rolex introduced a new 41 mm version of Oyster Perpetual and replaced the OP 39. In addition to the size, there are also new dial options that the OP 41 delivered to the market. 

The new Oyster Perpetual 41 mm is available in 7 options of dial colors. There are 2 standard dial options and bright colors options known as the “Stella-inspired” colors. The 2 classic color dials include a new sunburst finished silver and a sunburst finished black, while the “Stella-inspired” options include the brighter colors that are sunburst blue, turquoise, coral red, yellow and green.

As for the movement, Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 is powered by the advanced in-house caliber 3230, which is the same movement also used in the new Rolex Submariner 124060. Compared to the old generation of OP movements, its accuracy, stability, and power reserve are highly improved. Just like the other new movements of Rolex, the movement 3230 caliber is both Superlative Chronometer certified and COSC certified that ensures its high level of performance. 

The Oyster Perpetual is known as the purest Rolex that contains every essence you would need from a Rolex. Despite its understated success, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is surely an amazing choice as a luxury everyday watch that turns heads.