Rolex Gets Playful With New Colour Drops For Its Oyster Perpetual Watches

Lavender; warm, sandy beige; and pistachio – all playful, pleasing pastel colours that tend to bring to mind the likes of delightful luxury confections. Refreshingly, it’s Rolex that’s bringing these charming hues to the fore by way of new lacquered dials characterised by vibrant lacquering and a smooth matt finish. As part of its new creations for 2025, the Swiss watchmaker has enhanced its Oyster Perpetual range with a trio of lacquered dials in soft, muted pastel hues that feel decidedly dreamy and ultra‑sophisticated. Long a canvas for the brand to flex its creative muscle through innovative dial designs, the Oyster Perpetual now sports faces in the three pastel shades, each in a different size.

A NEW CHAPTER IN COLOUR

Lavender debuts on the compact 28mm model while soothing beige turns up on the mid‑sized 36mm. Pistachio – arguably the coolest and, some might say, most gender‑neutral of the three new hues – makes its mark on the 41mm, which also gets a redesigned Oyster case and a slimmer Oysterclasp for a more ergonomic fit. To achieve these colours, lacquer is meticulously applied onto the brass plate of the dial base layer by layer in a controlled environment to avoid any form of contamination. Making these new dials even more covetable is their matt finish – a texture that’s not seen anywhere else in Rolex’s current catalogue. The effect? A refreshing and fashion‑forward take on pastels – think of them as pretty with a modern edge, especially when all three watches possess the full weight of Rolex’s engineering prowess.

PRETTY AND TOUGH

The Oyster Perpetual is a direct descendent of the original Oyster – the world’s first waterproof wristwatch unveiled in 1926. Whether it’s the 28mm, 36mm or 41mm model, the timepiece’s Oyster case is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres, thanks to its middle case, crafted from a solid block of Oystersteel and crowned with a domed, polished bezel, and its hermetically screwed‑down case back.In addition, the Twinlock winding crown on the Oyster case is fitted with a double waterproofness system and screwed down securely, while the crystal (read: the transparent cover that sits over the dial) is made of virtually scratch‑proof sapphire and benefits from an anti‑reflective coating. What all this ultimately means is optimal protection for the movement the case houses.

DESIGNED TO LAST

Powering these new Oyster Perpetual timepieces are two self‑winding mechanical movements entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex: calibre 2232 for the 28mm model, and calibre 3230 for the 36mm and 41mm. Both were introduced five years ago, and are known for their outstanding performance in precision, power reserve, reliability and convenience.Calibre 2232 features Rolex’s patented Syloxi hairspring, which is made of silicon and has a patented geometry to deliver precise timekeeping no matter the position. It’s also anti‑magnetic and highly resistant to shocks because of its paramagnetic nickel‑phosphorus escape wheel and Paraflex shock absorbers. With a self‑winding system via a Perpetual rotor, it offers a power reserve of approximately 55 hours. Meanwhile, calibre 3230 incorporates Rolex’s patented Chronergy escapement, which boasts high energy efficiency while being resistant to strong magnetic fields. Its blue Parachrom hairspring – made from a proprietary paramagnetic alloy – offers great stability in the face of temperature variations as well as high resistance to shocks. Its power reserve? A solid 70 hours, thanks to its barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency.

PERFORMANCE GUARANTEED

Ensuring that the new Oyster Perpetual watches perform is the Superlative Chronometer certification awarded by Rolex. Every one of the brand’s watches undergoes a series of rigorous tests conducted in‑house and that follow the official certification of movements by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute, or COSC. To be certified as a Superlative Chronometer, a timepiece must, for example, demonstrate an accuracy of within 2 seconds per day – stricter than the COSC’s own benchmarks of within ‑4 and +6 seconds per day. There are also tests for precision, waterproofness, power reserve and self‑winding efficiency. One can distinguish the mark of the Superlative Chronometer status from the green seal and international five‑year guarantee that accompanies every Rolex watch.

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

The exterior of these latest Oyster Perpetual timepieces is equally dependable. Each features a case crafted from Oystersteel, a steel alloy specially developed by Rolex and that’s in the same league as those used in the aerospace industry. Besides being highly corrosion‑resistant, it’s known to develop an exceptional finish when polished – and maintain it even in the harshest environments.The Oyster bracelet that’s signature to Rolex’s entire Oyster range adds to the allure. Introduced in the late 1930s, it’s composed of broad and flat three‑piece links that rest comfortably against the skin. Any Oyster Perpetual watch has the added flex (both figuratively and literally) of the folding Oysterclasp, which boasts an Easylink comfort extension link. A Rolex invention, this feature allows the wearer to easily adjust the bracelet length by approximately 5mm tools‑free, so one can switch up the way to wear one’s watch – snug or loose – easily. Now how’s that for some seriously sweet watches?