At 100, Rolex's Most Historic Watch Is Getting Weird (EXCLUSIVE)
If there’s one name that keeps watch nerds in suspense for the other 364 days of the year, it’s Rolex. In the days leading up to Watches & Wonders, where the industry’s biggest players unveil their novelties for the year ahead, AI-warped Rolex predictions flood the feed, rumors spiral into “what ifs,” and every whisper starts to sound plausible. This year, though, the speculation reached a crescendo when news broke that the Coronet was throwing a centennial party for the Oyster – and subtlety wasn’t on the guest list.
Hold up: what’s an Oyster, and are we adding hot sauce to it? Not this time. Rolex brought the heat back in 1926 with a timepiece widely regarded as one of the most important watches ever made. Why? Because it was the first truly waterproof and dustproof wristwatch.
Today, it might look like one of the simplest models in Rolex’s lineup in terms of function — it's what watch nerds call “time-only,” meaning no moonphase, no chronograph, no extra mechanical theatrics — but don’t let that fool you. The Oyster is a kingpin in the Rolex dynasty as we know it.
It’s better known in watch lingo as the “OP” today, picking up the “P” for Perpetual in 1931 when Rolex made it self-winding — no hand-winding required, just let it do the work for you as you wear it. That kind of hard work is exactly what’s being celebrated at the Oyster's big 1-0-0, and Rolex is being anything but quiet about it.
The birthday celebrations come to full fruition in the Oyster Perpetual 36, with a dial that takes logomania to the max. It's built around a graphic, multicolored motif of ten contrasting hues. Like a rainbow crossword where the answer is always Rolex, the famous five letters are repeated to form a graphic known as the Jubilee motif, here repeated across a grid of lacquered squares.
Originally introduced in the 1970s, the motif is now being revived for the centenary as the Swiss watchmaker reworks it in a punchier palette, each shade applied one after the other. And it’s a maximalist’s dream (I can confirm), a candy-hued mosaic of letters that proves even the most established name in watchmaking isn’t afraid to get extra when the occasion calls for it.
Honorable anniversary mentions go out to the two-tone OP 41, a more moderate tribute to the birthday bash with a crown that reads "100," while "100 years" sits in place of the usual "Swiss Made" verbiage in the 6 o’clock position on a slate-grey dial. This is as subtle as the centenary gets and why not? After all, heavy is the head that wears the crown and Rolex have been hustling to earn this legacy since 1905.
A bébé 28mm gold OP with an apple-colored dial is also getting in on the action, as does a new Day-Date in mighty 40mm — for those that need a clear label to remind them it’s Monday — crafted in a new gold alloy, with a bright green aventurine dial and baguette-cut diamonds to indicate the hours.
There’s personalities aplenty at this horological party, but the ensemble isn’t really the point: Rolex is. If 100 years of the Oyster have proved anything, it’s that the Crown doesn’t RSVP to the latest affair or trend. It sets the agenda entirely, remaining the guest list everyone wants to get onto.
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