Rolex introduced the Perpetual Padellone on September 15, 2026, launching a complex, vintage-inspired dress watch equipped with an annual calendar, a moonphase display, and a high-frequency 5Hz movement built with the Dynapulse escapement in 18k Everose gold or 950 platinum.
Rolex has expanded its dress watch portfolio with the introduction of the Perpetual Padellone family, a complicated timepiece that merges nostalgic design cues from mid-century models with modern watchmaking architecture according to reporting from Revolution Watch. The new model steps outside the brand’s traditional exhibition schedule, joining rare off-cycle releases like the Daytona Le Mans and the Deepsea Challenge.
Origins of the Padellone Reference 8171
The name of the new family revives one of the rarest historical pieces in the brand’s catalog. Born in 1949, the original Rolex Reference 8171 Triple Calendar Moonphase was an oversized, complex watch produced for only a few years before going out of production in 1953 as detailed by Monochrome Watches. Scholarship indicates that roughly 1,000 to 1,200 examples of the watch were made, distributed across steel and yellow gold variants.
Measuring 38mm in diameter, the vintage piece earned the Italian nickname large frying pan
due to its unusual proportions for the era. It stood apart from the waterproof Oyster models of the period by featuring a snap caseback while housing an automatic Perpetual movement with a 360-rotor designated as caliber A295 CPL alongside reference 6062 as the brand’s only historical triple-calendar moonphase configurations.
Movement Architecture and the Dynapulse Escapement
While the exterior honors a vintage unicorn, the internal engineering draws on recent mechanical innovations. Powering the new collection is the Caliber 7135, an evolution of the architecture first introduced in the Land-Dweller noted Revolution Watch. The movement integrates the Dynapulse escapement, representing the first all-new widely produced Swiss escapement design since Omega launched the Co-Axial in 1999.
The system builds on Breguet’s natural escapement design by utilizing silicon components and a central impulse rocker. Operating at a high frequency of 5Hz, the movement achieves top-tier chronometric performance while driving a center seconds hand that glides with distinct smoothness. This foundation differs from the thinner Caliber 7140 found in the standard 1908 models, which incorporates the Syloxi silicon hairspring and the Chronergy escapement—a redesign of the lever escapement that improved its efficiency by 15 percent.
Case Specifications and Dial Craftsmanship
The Perpetual Padellone is housed in a 39mm case crafted from 18k Everose gold—marking a first for the collection—or 950 platinum reported Monochrome Watches. The case measures 12.2mm in thickness with a lug-to-lug distance of 45.1mm, creating a balanced profile on the wrist.
The dial features an instantaneous, energy-efficient annual calendar styled after the triple date layout of the 8171. It pairs a central pointer date with two windows at 12 o’clock displaying the day on the left and the month on the right. At 6 o’clock, a double-hemisphere moonphase indicator draws inspiration from the 2017 Cellini Moonphase model. The base of the moon disc utilizes blue Grand Feu enamel strewn with stars, while the twin moons are fashioned from meteorite—with the new moon treated in dark blue PVD to create a subtle play of textures alongside laser-engraved dial finishes.
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