Rolex releases the new Perpetual Padellone watch
The latest Rolex watch takes its inspiration from a 1940s model and maintains its elegant silhouette
In the late 1940s, Rolex introduced the reference 8171 watch, nicknamed the ‘Padellone’ (or ‘large frying pan’, translated from the Italian) thanks to its wide, flat case and unusually elongated proportions for a watch of the era. Now, this early piece, which was available through to the 1950s, is the inspiration for the new Perpetual Padellone watch.
Rolex Ref 8171 in stainless steel
The new watch is the second to join the Perpetual collection, which launched in 2023 with the 1908 model, and maintains the elegant silhouette of its predecessor. Measuring in at 39mm, it features traditional design accents throughout, from the bezel with a domed upper part and a fluted lower section, to a grained finish on the dial.
An instantaneous annual calendar, requiring only one adjustment a year, provides aesthetically pleasing efficiency in the change of day, date and month; they flip simultaneously at midnight, a process that takes a fraction of a second. A moonphase, on a clearly visible blue enamelled disc, features the full moon and a new moon crafted in meteorite, the latter of which is also treated with a dark blue PVD coating. A face on the moon nods to a similar detail on the original 8171 watch.
Three versions of the Perpetual Padellone watch are available: in 18ct Everose gold with the seven-link metal Settamo bracelet; in platinum with a blue dial and black matt alligator leather strap; and in 18ct Everose gold with a brown alligator leather strap.
