About the Watch

In 1931 Rolex patented a self-winding watch movement, this was one of the first movements to be wound through the means of a rotor ‘weight’. This weight moved as the wearer moved their arm and wrist, constantly winding the mechanism. Hence the moniker ‘Perpetual’ as it would be perpetually wound. At that early juncture in Rolex’s history, the first Perpetual movements were not solely designed and produced by Rolex. They were originally modules that consisted of rotor assembly mechanisms that could be bolted onto the back of an existing movement, called the Hunter from movement maker Aegler. Though some of the Rolex reference history is vague and lost to the annuls of time, the first documentation with true indication of the first Oyster Perpetual model was in 1950 when the Oyster Perpetual makes its first appearance. The year 1964 saw the first Ladies Oyster Perpetual featuring the 26 jewel calibre 1130, all with plastic crystals, a small case at 24.6mm diameter and available with oyster or jubilee bracelets. Reference 6618 was stainless steel with a smooth bezel, no fluted bezels here! From 1974 the Lady’s Oyster Perpetual got an upgrade to the new calibre 2030 this time featuring 28 jewels and it saw one of the first introductions of the Hack function. Reference 6718 was the first with this new movement and similar to the 6618 was all in steel with a smooth bezel and exactly the same case dimensions. The Lady’s version kept going until 1998 with two additional calibres being the difference, from 1983 till 1995 saw the introduction of the calibre 2130 and from 1995 until 1998 saw the calibre 2135 surface. This was the first time the Lady’s Oyster Perpetual increased its size from 24.6 to 25.9 almost a mid-size. These new calibres now have 29 jewels but to the owners the biggest difference was the inclusion of sapphire crystal. Reference 67180 was the first of the 5 figure reference Lady’s Oyster Perpetuals.

About the Brand

Known the world over, Rolex is a benchmark for prestige and quality in watchmaking. Since its creation, the brand has placed the reliability of its products uppermost. It submits virtually its entire movement production for testing by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres to obtain COSC certification. Rolex is also renowned for its after-sales service which is performed by staff who have been specially trained, often in Rolex's own schools in countries around the globe, including the United States and Japan. Rolex was founded by Hans Wilsdorf. A Bavarian watchmaker who emigrated to Switzerland, he immediately put his natural flair for products and business acumen at the service of a brand that would soon forge an international reputation. He was succeeded in 1963 by André Heiniger, whose son Patrick took over at the helm in 1992. Bruno Meier in 2009 then Gian Riccardo Marini in 2011 were successively appointed at the head of the business, a limited company (société anonyme) that is wholly owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. In 2014, Jean-Frédéric Dufour, previously Chief Executive of Zenith, was named as the new CEO. Such a reputation hasn't gone unnoticed among collectors, as recent auction results demonstrate. At a 2013 sale in Geneva, for example, a Daytona Chronograph in steel achieved an absolute record price of US$ 1.1 million. The brand hones its image through associations with prominent and well-respected personalities chosen from the arts and sports. Also, in 1976 Rolex launched its Awards for Enterprise which each year single out innovative projects that promote sustainable development. The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative gives young artists a privileged opportunity to benefit from the experience of masters in their field.