The New 2023 Day-Date and Oyster Perpetual
TIME STAMPED WITH EMOTION
With these versions of the Day-Date 36, Rolex brings an unexpected creative twist to one of its iconic models. By displaying a new emotion each day, the watch brings an element of spontaneity into the wearers’ daily life and allows them to invest the reading of time with their changing mood. Rolex unveils three new variants of its Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36, full of joy and energy. Crafted from 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, these watches have adopted an original face. Rather than showing the day of the week, the arc-shaped aperture at 12 o’clock displays an inspirational keyword in English – ‘Happy’, ‘Eternity’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Peace’, ‘Faith’, ‘Love’ and ‘Hope’.
The window at 3 o’clock reveals daily one of 31 exclusive emojis in place of the date. Entirely created using champlevé enamelling, the dial is striking for the depth and intensity of its gleaming colours and decoration. The motif is inspired by a jigsaw puzzle. Turquoise blue, red, fuchsia, orange, green and yellow pieces fit together on a single-colour background, each representing one of the key moments in life. The hours are marked by 10 baguette-cut sapphires in six different hues set according to the main colour of the dial, which is turquoise blue on the 18 ct yellow gold and 18 ct white gold versions, and orange on the watch in 18 ct Everose gold.
EVERY DIAL A DISCOVERY
The new Day-Date 36 welcomes dials made of decorative stone in shimmering tones that evoke the atmosphere of the Mediterranean coast. Rolex unveils three new versions of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 with radiant dials in decorative stone studded with diamond-set hour markers and Roman VI and IX. Made of 18 ct Everose gold, the first variant is presented with a dial in green aventurine, a stone with a finely crystallized surface. The second is crafted from 18 ct yellow gold and its dial is cut from carnelian, an orangey-colour stone typified by lines of varying shapes and sizes forming an artful cameo of patterns.
EXCLUSIVITY ACCORDING TO ROLEX
At its launch in 1956, the Day-Date was a major innovation: it was the first calendar wristwatch to indicate, in addition to the date, the day of the week spelt out in full in an arc-shaped window at 12 o’clock on the dial – a technical feat at the time. The day of the week is available in a choice of 26 languages. Watches in the Day-Date range are made only of precious metals – 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, or 950 platinum. Worn by many of the world’s political figures, directors and visionaries, the Day-Date is instantly recognizable, in particular thanks to its emblematic President bracelet, whose evocative name, together with the eminent figures who have worn it, ensured the Day-Date became known as the ‘presidents’ watch’.
PERPETUAL CALIBRE 3255
The new versions of the Day-Date 36 are equipped with calibre 3255, a movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex that was released in 2015 and fitted on this model in 2019. A distillation of technology, this self-winding mechanical movement delivers outstanding performance in terms of precision, power reserve, convenience and reliability. Calibre 3255 incorporates the patented Chronergy escapement, which combines high energy efficiency with great dependability. Made of nickel-phosphorus, this escapement is resistant to strong magnetic fields
PRESIDENT BRACELET
The new variants of the Day-Date 36 are fitted on a President bracelet in 18 ct yellow or white gold for those with a turquoise blue puzzle-motif dial, or in 18 ct Everose gold for the orange puzzle-motif dial. Created specially for the launch of the prestigious Oyster Perpetual Day-Date in 1956, this three-piece link bracelet, made only from 18 ct gold or 950 platinum, is still reserved exclusively for the Day-Date and precious metal versions of the Datejust. The President bracelet is equipped with an elegant concealed folding Crownclasp and includes patented ceramic inserts – designed by Rolex – inside the links to enhance its flexibility on the
wrist and its longevity.
SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER CERTIFICATION
Like all Rolex watches, the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 is covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015. This designation testifies that every watch leaving the brand’s workshops has successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria, following the official certification of the movements by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
Dial Colors Created by Nature
The decorative stones of the new Day-Date 36 models offer a rich expression of nature’s color and have been valued for centuries. Vibrant hued turquoise and carnelian have been found in jewelry dating back to 3000 BC in Egyptian tombs. Aventurine, first discovered in the 18th century, possesses a natural glimmer that perfectly complements the 18 ct Everose gold version of the Day-Date 36. Because two natural stones are never identical, none of the new Day-Date timepieces will look exactly alike.
Dial Colors Crafted by Rolex Artisans
Rolex is celebrating all of the eye-catching lacquer dial colors that were first introduced in 2020 in the new Oyster Perpetual timepieces. In contrast to the natural stones featured in the new Day-Date watches, the dial colors in the new Oyster Perpetual watches are entirely created by humans. The richly hued lacquer is created by Rolex artists using a proprietary technique, assuring that the color will never change or fade over time. Just as the mechanics of a Rolex watch are made to last, the bright, exuberant dial colors of the new Oyster Perpetual will last a lifetime and beyond.
AN EFFERVESCENCE OF EXCELLENCE
Alive with colour, vitality and positivity, the new lacquered dial of the Oyster Perpetual in 31 mm, 36 mm and 41 mm is dotted with many-coloured bubbles that joyfully reunite the five hues introduced to the range in 2020. Rolex brings in a new dial decoration for its Oyster Perpetual range, recognized for its pure lines and universal elegance. Named ‘Celebration’, this brand-new motif is available for the Oyster Perpetual 31, Oyster Perpetual 36 and Oyster Perpetual 41.
THE ESSENCE OF THE OYSTER
Watches in the Oyster Perpetual range are direct descendants of the original Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch, on which Rolex has built its reputation since 1926. These timepieces benefit from all the fundamental features of the Oyster Perpetual collection – chronometric precision, a waterproof Oyster case, and self-winding of the movement via a Perpetual rotor. Displaying hours, minutes and seconds, made exclusively of Oystersteel and featuring a sophisticated finish, they represent chronometer wristwatches in their purest form. Timeless in their essence, they are continually reinterpreted and have gradually been endowed with the brand’s successive technical innovations. The varied and constantly evolving colours and design of the dials ensure the Oyster Perpetual never loses its fresh and contemporary appeal.
THE OYSTER CASE, SYMBOL OF WATERPROOFNESS
A paragon of robustness and elegance, the Oyster case of the new versions of the Oyster Perpetual 31, Oyster Perpetual 36 and Oyster Perpetual 41, respectively 31 mm, 36 mm and 41 mm in diameter, is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet). The middle case is crafted from a solid block of Oystersteel. Its case back, edged with fine fluting, is hermetically screwed down with a special tool that allows only Rolex watchmakers to access the movement. The Twinlock winding crown, fitted with a double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. The crystal is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire and benefits from an anti-reflective coating. The waterproof Oyster case provides optimal protection for the movement it houses.
PERPETUAL CALIBRES 2232 AND 3230
The Oyster Perpetual 31 is equipped with caliber 2232; the Oyster Perpetual 36 and the Oyster Perpetual 41 with calibre 3230. These movements, entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex, were both unveiled in 2020 and introduced to these models the same year. A distillation of technology, these self-winding mechanical movements deliver outstanding performance in terms of precision, power reserve, convenience and reliability. Calibre 2232 is fitted with a Syloxi hairspring that is produced by Rolex and patented fields.
OYSTER BRACELET
The new variants in the Oyster Perpetual range are fitted on an Oyster bracelet. Developed at the end of the 1930s, this three-piece link bracelet remains the most universal in the Oyster Perpetual collection and is known for its robustness. Made of Oystersteel, the Oyster bracelet of these new variants is equipped with a folding Oysterclasp and the Easylink comfort extension link – developed by Rolex – that allows the wearer to easily adjust the bracelet length by approximately 5 mm.
SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER CERTIFICATION
Like all Rolex watches, the Oyster Perpetual 31, Oyster Perpetual 36 and Oyster Perpetual 41 are covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015. This designation testifies that every watch leaving the brand’s workshops has successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria, following the official certification of the movements by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
The in-house certification tests apply to the fully assembled watch, after casing the movement, guaranteeing superlative performance on the wrist in terms of precision, power reserve, waterproofness and self-winding. The precision of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer is of the order of −2 /+2 seconds per day – the rate deviation tolerated by the brand for a finished watch is significantly smaller than that accepted by COSC for official certification of the movement alone. The Superlative Chronometer status is symbolized by the green seal that comes with every Rolex watch and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.
