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A Rolex FOMO Moment? Meet The New Perpetual Padellone
When The Crown breaks tradition with a late-year-ish product announcement, you know something is up. What happens to be up is a fairly unRolex-ish classic annual calendar and moonphase timepiece.
Rolex downplayed its surprise unveiling of the new Rolex Perpetual Padellone as a natural expansion of the Perpetual collection, but the complete annual calendar and moonphase watch carries a great deal of differentiation from the lion’s share of what most view as Rolex’s sports watch DNA.
Certainly, Rolex’s outlying, Cellini-replacing, vintage-inspired 1908 timepiece has been without a spiritual sibling since its introduction three years ago, but the Perpetual Padellone’s bringing together of cutting-edge technical precision and atypical traditional design makes it more a big brother than a new little sister.
Out of the Pan…
Named for a collector-coined moniker for the 1950s-era Rolex Ref. 8171 (“padellone” is an Italian word for a large pan), the compelling display of date (on an outer gauge with a dedicated blued third hand), day (in an aperture below noon), month (right next to day)—which all jump simultaneously, making it an “instantaneous” calendar—and an as trad as you can get full-to-new moonphase indicator at six o’clock (crafted in two colors of meteorite) is as serious a change-up for the watchmaker as much as it creates natural comparisons to other more traditional watchmakers that travel in this kind of lane.
…Into The Fire
Available in a 39mm case size (just slightly bigger than the original Padellone) in either 18k Everose gold or 950 Platinum, the Perpetual Padellone is powered by the Caliber 7190, a build-on to the Caliber 7135 movement and its dynapulse escapement that debuted with last year’s Land-Dweller introduction. And, as a “Perpetual” line extension, the new Padellone carries 50 meters of water resistance, something the original lacked owing to its era of production.
Everose models are available on an elegant multi-link Everose Settimo bracelet (with a concealed clasp) or black alligator leather strap, with clean, but dimensionally grained, gleaming white dials. The platinum execution is only offered on an alligator strap, but features an eye-catching grained ice blue dial.
The coin-edge bezel fluting, fluted crown, and grained dials all hold up the classical message of the timepiece, but some unexpected clean details inject modernity over fussiness: For example, an Arabic “3” and “9” replace the bar indices as you travel along the dial.
Final Thoughts
Please remember, when the 1908 came out three years ago, the upload was slow, very slow. Expect the same here. Pricing runs from CHF 52,500 in Everose gold on strap, CHF 59,000 in platinum on strap, and CHF 64,800 in Everose gold on Settimo bracelet.
You can learn more at the Rolex website.
Technical Specifications | Rolex Perpetual Padellone
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds (with stop seconds) in the centre - instantaneous complete annual calendar with Haplos system - instantaneous date with secure rapid-setting - instantaneous day and month - moonphase
Movement
Calibre 7190 (based on 7135) - in-house - Superlative Chronometer (–2/+2 sec./day, after casing) - automatic with bidirectional self-winding - 35 jewels - Dynapulse escapement, impulse rocker, distribution wheels and transmission wheel in silicon - 66-hour power reserve - 36,000 vibrations/hour - Syloxi hairspring in silicon, balance staff in ceramic, balance wheel with variable inertia, traversing balance bridge, optimised high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers
Case
39mm diameter x 12.20mm thickness x approximately 45mm lug-to-lug - 950 platinum or 18k Everose gold case, polished - domed and fluted bezel - correctors on the sides for calendar functions - domed sapphire crystal with AR coating - screwed caseback with sapphire crystal - push-pull crown
Strap
20mm lug width - Everose model available with Everose gold Settimo bracelet, seven-link, polished, concealed Crownclasp, or matt brown alligator leather strap with green calfskin lining and tone-on-tone stitching - Platinum model available with matt black alligator leather strap with green calfskin lining and tone-on-tone stitching
Buckle
Concealed Crownclasp on the Everose gold Settimo bracelet - Dualclasp double folding clasp on the alligator leather straps
Water Resistance
5 ATM (50 m / 165 ft)
References
53505-0002 )Everose gold, leather strap), 53505-0003 (Everose gold, Settimo bracelet), 53506-0002 (platinum)
Price
CHF 52,500 (Everose, leather), CHF 64,800 (Everose, Settimo), CHF 59,000 (Platinum, leather)
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