Sell

Index

Home

Learn

Service

About

Marketplace

Get the app

About Us

Buyer Protection

The Wristcheck Grade

Authenticity Guarantee

Wristcheck Watch Glossary

The Wristcheck App

Our Team

Careers

Book An Appointment

Watch Care & Service

Shipping, Returns and Warranty

How to Buy

Visit Us

Contact Us

<a href="https://wa.me/85223181777?text=Hi%2C%20I%E2%80%99m%20interested%20in%20buying%20or%20selling%20a%20watch." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Want to buy or sell a watch? WhatsApp us</a>!

WCNEW100 for US$100 off orders over US$5,000

<a href="https://wa.me/85223181777?text=Hi%2C%20I'm%20interested%20in%20a%20specific%20watch.%20Can%20you%20source%20it%20for%20me%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Looking for a watch? WhatsApp us and we’ll source it!</a>

Own <a href="https://wristcheck.com/buy/sell-your-watch--a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">these watches</a>? Consign to save 2% on fees. <a href="https://wa.me/85223181777?text=Hi%2C%20I'd%20like%20to%20sell%20my%20watch%20to%20save%202%25%20on%20seller%20fees.%20Can%20you%20help%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WhatsApp us for details</a>.

Looking to buy a watch? <a href="http://wristcheck.com/buy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shop Now</a>

Interested in Rolex watches? <a href="http://wristcheck.com/buy/rolex" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shop now</a>

Interested in AP watches? <a href="http://wristcheck.com/buy/audemars-piguet" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shop now</a>

Interested in Patek watches? <a href="http://wristcheck.com/buy/patek-philippe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shop now</a>

Interested in Cartier watches? <a href="http://wristcheck.com/buy/cartier" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shop now</a>

Interested in Omega watches? <a href="http://wristcheck.com/buy/omega" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shop now</a>

Interested in Tudor watches? <a href="http://wristcheck.com/buy/tudor" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shop now</a>

Interested in Bulgari watches? <a href="http://wristcheck.com/buy/bulgari" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shop now</a>

Not sure where to start? <a href="https://wa.me/85223181777?text=Hi%2C%20I%20would%20like%20to%20get%20a%20quote%20to%20sell%20my%20watch.%20Would%20you%20be%20able%20to%20help%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WhatsApp us</a> to get a quote!

WCNEW500 for US$500 off orders over US$20,000

WCNEW1000 for US$1,000 off orders over US$30,000

We accept alternative payment methods. Contact payments@wristcheck.com for details.

Looking for a watch? <a href="imessage://concierge@wristcheck.com&amp;body=Hi%20I%20want%20to%20learn%20more%20about%20Wristcheck." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Message us</a> on iMessage

Banner_0.jpeg

All Categories

logo.png

All articles featuring the Rolex Oyster Perpetual

Oyster Perpetual

The Most Popular Rolex Watches On Wristcheck

The Perfect Graduation Day Watch For Any Degree Holder

Everything You Need To Know About Dive Watches

Inspired by the aquatic life of a shellfish, here’s how Hans Wilsdorf’s revolutionary Oyster case became the ultimate blueprint for tool watches

&nbsp;

When Mr Hans Wilsdorf founded his watchmaking company in 1905, I don’t imagine that he believed that he was laying the foundations for arguably one of the most significant and enduring brands in history. Rolex is more than simply a watch company, it’s a pan-global luxury marque without peer. He also founded Tudor, which he envisaged as a more utilitarian cousin to the ‘coroneted’ head of the family, with all the quality of Rolex but at a more pocket-friendly price point. Central to the success of both has been Wilsdorf’s finest invention, the Oyster case.&nbsp;

The shellfish that lives aquatic life inspired a system that would hermetically seal the movement inside the case of Oyster watches. This was achieved by two main principles – screws and seals. Wilsdorf developed a winding and setting crown that screwed down against the side of the case, making the traditionally vulnerable stem hole impervious to moisture. The same principle was applied to the caseback, which screwed down to the mid-case and was additionally sealed with a rubber gasket. The crystal was sealed too – in the early years via a pressure-fit system and later via a crystal-retaining ring. These systems have continued to make modern Rolex and Tudor watches waterproof today and, I’m sure, for many years into the future.

&nbsp;
<img alt="Rolex OP" data-caption="One of the first Rolex Oysters introduced in 1926" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5a515fd6-e5ab-45b4-9155-474b6d9b3703" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/131/Rolex-Oyster-1926-watch-%2520a%2520blog%2520to%2520watch.jpeg" width="1568" /><img alt="Rolex OP" data-caption="The Oyster case was the world's first waterproof case thanks to its patented system of screwing down the bezel, caseback and winding crown against the middle case" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d076bd5b-0854-4c26-b99e-e2bdf94caa71" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/131/Untitled%2520design_1.png" width="1568" />
&nbsp;

The first Oysters began to appear in 1926 as manual-wind watches. In 1931, Rolex patented the first self-winding mechanical movement and so the Oyster Perpetual was born. Tudor Oyster watches started to appear in 1946 and in 1952 the ‘Oyster Prince’ was introduced. Prince was Tudor’s equivalent of Rolex’s ‘Perpetual’ and signified that the watch was automatic. The Oyster Perpetual line has always been a fun and interesting focus for collectors as the watches have been made with seemingly endless dial variations over the decades. The 2020 launch of the Stella-esque lacquer dials in a range of breath-taking hues is testament to how collectible and in demand these watches still are.

Such a robust and reliable watch design became the ultimate blueprint for tool watches. By tool watches, I mean timepieces that were tools of the trade for professionals in the field and adventurers exploring new frontiers. Hans Wilsdorf pioneered the concept of ambassadors through what he termed Testimonees; people who took the watches to the extremities of human endeavour. The earliest example is Mercedes Gleitz, who in 1927 swam the English Channel wearing a Rolex Oyster. During the following three decades, adventurers exploring Mount Everest and Greenland, racing drivers and the military were given Rolex and Tudor Oysters to test in the field and provide invaluable research and development feedback for Wilsdorf and his team.

&nbsp;
<img alt="Rolex OP" data-caption="English swimmer Mercedes Glitz wore the Rolex Oyster around her neck as she attempted to swim the English Channel in 1927" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="954aeaea-6ee0-444e-a7d3-402fe9269e99" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/131/Rolex-Oyster-Mercedes-Gleitze-English-Channel-Swimm.jpeg" width="1568" />
&nbsp;

The most logical development of a waterproof watch is to use it for diving. Long before the advent of wrist-mounted dive computers, divers needed a reliable timing device that would allow them to measure elapsed time. More than simply being convenient, this was a matter of life or death and the demand for such watches, alongside the rise in popularity of recreational diving in the 1950s and 60s, increased dramatically. This gave birth to the dive watch and Rolex was there at the cutting edge the whole time. The birth of the Submariner took place in 1953 with a watch that was waterproof to an astonishing 100 metres. The base of the Submariner was a beefed-up Oyster case that was fitted with a rotating bezel that allowed the wearer to measure elapsed time. A highly-legible dial and hands were essential and so Rolex utilised the so-called Mercedes-pattern hands. These hands had been occasionally used on Oysters since the 30s, but now became synonymous with the Submariner.

The Submariner continued to be field tested by professionals and underwent a number of changes including, in 1954, the depth-rating being doubled to 200-metres and the introduction of protective crown guards on the case in 1959. Commercial diving developed quickly and by the 1960s deep sea divers were working for long periods in pressurised environments breathing Heliox, a mixture of oxygen and helium. During decompression, the tiny helium molecules that had entered the watches would build up and need to escape the watch. This caused the watch crystals to explode off the Submariner, which led to the development of Helium Escape Valve and the eventual launch of the most robust Oyster case to date, the Seadweller. 
&nbsp;
<img alt="Rolex OP" data-caption="The base of the first Rolex Submariner was a beefed-up Oyster case fitted with a rotating bezel that allowed the wearer to measure elapsed time" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e590acd3-88eb-41da-9709-389ab453afa4" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/131/1953_First_Submariner-HR-copy_0.jpeg" width="1568" /><img alt="Rolex OP" data-caption="The winding crown of Rolex watches is made up of about 10 parts and is screwed hermetically onto the watch case. In fact, the twinlock and triplock winding crowns use two or three sealed zones to ensure watertight security akin to a submarine’s hatch&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9c88fb28-dd38-45e6-bbb4-593a0e4fc091" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/131/Rolex%2520Oyster_078.jpg" width="1568" />
&nbsp;

It wasn’t just dive watches that the Oyster case was used for though. Other sports watches also were Oyster-cased such as the Explorers, GMT-Master, Milgauss and the mighty Daytona. Away from sports watches, the Oyster was also a key ingredient in dressier watches. In 1945 The Oyster Datejust was launched with the date change that occurs ‘just’ as the watch ticks over midnight. This doesn’t sound very impressive, but in the mid-1940s it was a technical marvel. Over its seven decades of production, &nbsp;the Oyster Perpetual Datejust has been made in countless variations and styles. The proportions of its classic 36mm Oyster case has been interpreted in a number of sizes and can now even be bought in a larger size than the Submariner, the Datejust 41, in mid-size with the Datejust 31 and Lady Datejust at 26mm. And the common theme in them all? The timelessly elegant Oyster!

&nbsp;
<img alt="Rolex OP" data-caption="Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="adb8f6c4-b715-487e-a7ab-0cb26c33e1a1" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/131/Rolex%2520Oyster_075.jpg" width="1568" />
&nbsp;

The Rolex Oyster: A Lesson in Timeless Design

The Coronet gives its quintessential ‘anti-watch’ timepiece a 21st century update, including a Stella-inspired dial reminiscent of a certain rather iconic eggshell blue

When Rolex debuted five ‘new’ colourways across its best-selling Oyster Perpetual range last September, these effervescent facelifts were greeted with a reception that seemed better suited to Paris during the Watch the Throne tour. Within hours of release, the watch community was already branding each colour with its own signature moniker: from the electric yellow ‘Pikachu’ to a cheery, surprisingly unobtrusive shade of ‘bubblegum’ pink. Looming above all of these however was the ‘turquoise’: available in a swathe of mechanical calibres and sizes between 31mm-41mm.
<img alt="Rolex GMT Master II Ref. 126710BLRO 40mm and Oyster Perpetual in Turquoise 41mm" data-caption="Rolex GMT Master II Ref. 126710BLRO 40mm and Oyster Perpetual in Turquoise 41mm" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36814e22-b42a-41fc-ba1f-2bd73aa741ee" data-image-style="" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/18/593A3374_0.jpg" />
It doesn’t take a genius to understand why, out of all these shades, the turquoise managed so effortlessly to capture the imagination of neophytes and serious collectors alike — a phenomenon bound to continue way past 2020. Superficially, there’s an obvious meta-allure to the turquoise OP: suggesting in the mind of the average consumer a highly specific, universally recognized shade of blue. (Since my notion of a ‘good day’ doesn’t involve being accosted by the lawyers of a global jewellery conglomerate, that’s about as specific as I can make my description. You get the idea.)&nbsp;
<img alt="Rolex Oyster Perpetual in Turquoise" data-caption="Rolex Oyster Perpetual in Turquoise" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="055ca613-307a-4668-b8c9-794b50e74c32" data-image-style="" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/18/593A3324_0.jpg" />
This seemingly universal adulation has diminished in recent months — undercut by the usual grievances that go together with Rolex collecting like peanut butter and chocolate — but despite that, I’m still convinced that the turquoise OP is an exceptionally solid bit of watchmaking. In particular, the 36mm and 41mm iterations make for fantastic daily wearers. Detractors have slammed them as unoriginal ‘fashion watches’ *audible gasp* levelled at a millennial audience; and while those observations aren’t necessarily untrue, to reduce the turquoise range thus would be wildly dismissive. Here’s why.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

<h3>Stella(r) good looks</h3>
<img alt="Folding Oysterclasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link" data-caption="Folding Oysterclasp with Easylink 5 mm comfort extension link" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="06cc32be-973f-4407-b606-7965f02289a8" data-image-style="" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/18/593A3359_0_0.jpg" />
Pundits have already remarked at length about the ostensible ‘novelty’ of the colourful OP dials. The reality is that this isn’t the first time Rolex has dabbled in glorious technicolour. Throughout the 1970s, the company utilised similar shades of blue, green, coral and so forth in order to create ‘Stella’ dials: lacquered surfaces decorated with a spray-painting technique known as giclage that were then fitted to the best-selling Day-Date.&nbsp;
<img alt="The turquoise Oyster Perpetual has proven so influential, connecting nostalgic collectors to a part of Rolex’s heritage" data-caption="The turquoise Oyster Perpetual has proven so influential, connecting nostalgic collectors to a part of Rolex’s heritage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7246404d-da1e-466e-8f38-02f41cbe6b8b" data-image-style="" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/18/593A3343_1.jpg" />
As with many phenomena in the world of luxury watches, history isn’t without a sense of irony. Despite the garishness of the 70s, these Stella Day-Dates weren’t initially sought after; and in conjunction with very small production figures (the dials were notoriously prone to breakage) it would take another 30 odd years for them to appreciate in esteem. It’s for this reason — beyond tenuous links to other brands or cod psychology about <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/pantone-color-of-the-year-2020#:~:text=Two%2520decades%2520after%2520the%2520new,familiar%252C%2520calming%2520shade%2520of%2520azure.">the popularity of blue</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;that the turquoise OP has proven so influential, connecting nostalgic collectors to a part of Rolex’s heritage that can otherwise be difficult to penetrate. (Even at current prices, the larger turquoise OPs can be had for a fraction of what it costs to get your hands on a Stella Day-Date in passable condition.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

<h3>The Cost of Hype&nbsp;</h3>
<img alt="Highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence" data-caption="Highly legible Chromalight display with long-lasting blue luminescence" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1257138-d4fd-4543-bf6a-118dae8a408a" data-image-style="" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/18/593A3370_0.jpg" />
Naturally, any discussion of the ‘value proposition’ offered by these new OPs must make light of the various contexts under which they’ve changed hands. Despite only hitting retailers’ shelves some 3.5 months ago, we’ve already seen them pop up for sale on forums; social media; pre-owned trading platforms; C2C marketplaces; and <a href="https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080220/813/">even at auction</a>. The optics surrounding that last kind of transaction have been particularly polarising. (For the purposes of this article, we’ve cited one example of a 36mm model selling for over twice its retail pricing in order to emphasise just how aggressive Rolex valuations can get, even within a matter of months.) The bottom line? These are hardly ‘rare’ watches by any stretch of the imagination — the sheer volume being traded confirms as much. But if you’re serious about acquiring the two most wearable sizes of an already popular OP — all within a reasonable timeframe I might add — a nominal markup on the sticker price is something you have to anticipate.&nbsp;
<img alt="Superlative Chronometer (COSC + Rolex certification after casing)" data-caption="Superlative Chronometer (COSC + Rolex certification after casing)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c22e10f5-fd59-4eae-948d-486a7292fe5e" data-image-style="" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/18/593A3369_0.jpg" />
Even at a slight premium (to my thinking, 10 percent) the turquoise OP is an excellent all-rounder worthy of serious consideration —&nbsp;more so if you’re a 1 or 2-watch kind of&nbsp;individual. That’s the beauty of these models: at first glance, they’re cheeky, whimsical, and totally easy to comprehend — no matter how (dis)interested you may be in watches. But beneath that cool sea-foam tinted blue, you’ll find a product that puts the ‘superlative’ in ‘superlative chronometer’. Both the 36mm and 41mm models house the latest generation of self-winding Rolex movements, giving the wearer just shy of three days’ power reserve and a preciseness that possesses its own grade of certification. On top of that, there’s the ever-stylish Oyster case and a bracelet that’s considered by many (and rightfully so) to be the gold standard in comfort. In short: a watch that lives up to the hype.&nbsp;