THE ROLEX PERPETUAL PADELLONE
Rolex revives one of its most intriguing vintage legends with the new Perpetual Padellone
There are Rolex watches that need no introduction. And then there are those that make even seasoned collectors stop and look twice.
The new Rolex Perpetual Padellone belongs firmly in the latter category.
Unveiled on September 15, 2026, the newest addition to Rolex’s Perpetual collection brings together an elegant 39 mm precious-metal case, an instantaneous complete annual calendar and a poetic moonphase display. Beneath its traditionally styled exterior sits one of Rolex’s newest generations of mechanical technology, including the brand’s Dynapulse escapement and a newly patented annual-calendar mechanism called Haplos.
But the name is perhaps the most intriguing part.
A NAME FROM THE PAST
“Padellone” is the Italian nickname given to Rolex Reference 8171, an exceptionally rare triple-calendar wristwatch produced around the late 1940s and early 1950s. The name, loosely translated as “large frying pan,” referred to the watch’s unusually broad proportions for its era.
The Ref. 8171 displayed the day, date, month and moonphase—an unusually sophisticated combination for Rolex at the time—and has since become one of the company’s most coveted vintage references.
More than seven decades later, Rolex has brought the name back.
The new Perpetual Padellone isn’t a reproduction of the original. Instead, it takes the spirit of that early complicated Rolex and reinterprets it using contemporary design and mechanical technology.
CLASSIC PROPORTIONS, MODERN EXECUTION
At 39 mm, the new Padellone retains a refined, relatively restrained presence on the wrist.
The precious-metal case combines a gently domed upper bezel with subtle fluting below, while polished and carefully chamfered surfaces give the watch a sophisticated interplay of light. A sapphire crystal protects the dial, while a transparent caseback offers an unusual glimpse into the Rolex movement within.
The design sits naturally within the Perpetual family that began with the Perpetual 1908 in 2023, but the Padellone introduces considerably more complexity.
And then there is the dial.
A WINDOW TO THE NIGHT SKY
At first glance, there is a lot happening.
The dial combines a fine grained finish with a satin-finished outer date track. A distinctive blue central hand, ending in a crescent-moon-shaped pointer, travels around the circumference to indicate the date.
At 12 o’clock, two windows display the day and month, while at 6 o’clock sits the watch’s most poetic element: the moonphase.
The moonphase disc is crafted from blue enamel and follows the lunar cycle. But Rolex has added an extraordinary detail: the representations of the full moon and new moon are made from meteorite.
The full moon reveals the natural material, while the new moon receives a dark-blue PVD treatment. Against the blue enamel sky, silver stars complete the scene.
It is an unusual combination of science, craftsmanship and poetry—and perhaps the most visually captivating element of the watch.
THE CALENDAR THAT CHANGES INSTANTLY
The Perpetual Padellone is an annual calendar, meaning it automatically recognizes the difference between 30- and 31-day months. Unlike a perpetual calendar, however, it requires one manual correction each year: when February gives way to March.
Rolex’s new Haplos mechanism is responsible for making that possible.
But the cleverness doesn’t end there.
At midnight, the day, date and month change simultaneously and instantaneously, rather than gradually advancing. Rolex says the transition occurs in a fraction of a second, keeping all three indications perfectly aligned.
It is precisely the sort of mechanical theatre that makes a complicated watch fascinating.
THE TECHNOLOGY BENEATH
The Perpetual Padellone is powered by Calibre 7190, a new automatic movement operating at 5 Hz, or 36,000 vibrations per hour.
The movement is the subject of 30 patent applications, including two specifically associated with the Padellone. It incorporates Rolex’s Dynapulse escapement, a Syloxi hairspring and other technologies developed to improve efficiency, precision and resistance to magnetic fields.
Power reserve is approximately 66 hours.
And unlike many traditional Rolex movements hidden behind a solid caseback, Calibre 7190 is deliberately put on display. Through the sapphire back, the wearer can admire Rolex’s Côtes de Genève finishing and a skeletonized gold oscillating weight.
It is a subtle but significant departure for a company whose movements have traditionally been appreciated primarily for what they do rather than what they look like.
THREE EXPRESSIONS OF THE PADELLONE
Rolex is introducing the Perpetual Padellone in three configurations, combining precious-metal cases with either the brand’s new Settimo bracelet or alligator leather straps. The collection includes versions in 18 ct Everose gold and platinum, with different dial and strap combinations.
Despite their differences, all three share the same fundamental character: restrained elegance on the outside, considerable mechanical sophistication underneath.
A NEW CHAPTER FOR AN OLD NAME
The appeal of the Perpetual Padellone isn’t simply that Rolex has revived a famous vintage reference.
It is that the company has taken an obscure but important piece of its history and continued the idea rather than simply copied it.
The original Ref. 8171 represented a more complicated, dressier side of Rolex at a time when the company was establishing many of the foundations that would define its future. The new Padellone revisits that philosophy with modern materials, contemporary proportions and some of Rolex’s most advanced mechanical developments.
It is elegant without being conservative. Complicated without appearing overly technical. And perhaps most importantly, it feels distinctly Rolex without looking like another variation of an existing icon.
The name may mean “large frying pan.”
But the new Perpetual Padellone is anything but ordinary.
For more information, visit www.lugaro.com
