Status Upgrade
The ultimate symbol of prestige, the new-generation Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-date 36 looks more distinguished and powerful than ever, writes Tan Wei Lin
Few luxury watches are marked by a lineage as prestigious as the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-date. Its classic, understated aesthetics belie its illustrious history and unique reputation as the “presidents’ watch”, having adorned the wrists of some of the world’s most eminent political figures, directors and visionaries since it was introduced in 1956. Clearly, besides its links to prominent figures, there is something about this timepiece that sets it apart from other luxury watches. Its distinctive day display at 12 o’clock—the Oyster Perpetual Day-date is the first-ever watch to indicate
the day of the week spelt out in full and currently offers the display in a choice of 26 languages—and the fact that it is only available in 18K yellow, white and Everose gold or platinum also places it in the upper echelons of the Rolex stable. Can a watch of its elite rank get even better? Yes, with several interesting and important updates that Rolex has introduced this year. With the addition of new dial executions, the Oyster Perpetual Day-date 36 now offers connoisseurs more aesthetic choices. Of the new combinations, two of them feature a dial design with a concentric gradient: the first, in 18K yellow gold, is presented with a green ombre dial, while
the other, in 18K Everose gold, features a brown ombre dial. Both are embellished with diamond hour markers in 18K gold settings—the diamonds at 6 and 9 o’clock are baguette-cut, a style specific to the Day-date range. The standout among these new-generation Oyster Perpetual Day-date 36 models, in 18K white gold, is particularly special. Its dial, featuring hour markers fashioned from 10 baguette-cut sapphires in rainbow colours, is entirely paved with diamonds. Its bezel is illuminated by 52 brilliant-cut diamonds and the bracelet’s centre links are set with 412 brilliant-cut diamonds. It is a sight to behold—a timepiece of exceptional scintillation with an elegant touch of whimsy, courtesy of the rainbow-toned hour markers. Performance-wise, Rolex has equipped the latest Oyster Perpetual Day-date 36 releases with the calibre 3255, a new-generation movement entirely developed and manufactured in-house. This self-winding mechanical movement led to the filing of several patents—it is designed for optimum performance and offers fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetism, convenience and reliability. The calibre also features the brand’s patented Chronergy escapement, which combines high-energy efficiency with excellent dependability. This is also the first time Rolex has fitted this movement in the Oyster Perpetual Day-date 36, putting it on par with the larger Oyster Perpetual Day-date 40, and officially moving it into a new generation of its eminent family.