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The New Rolex Padellone
There are many things I love about the luxury watch industry, but chief among them has always been its ability to surprise.
Case in point; this week, Rolex brought out a new watch. That in itself is an event. The crown launches an all new watch with the same frequency as Halley’s Comet puts in an appearance. Even more unusual is that they announced it outside of their customary unveiling platform (which used to be Baselworld and is now Watches & Wonders Geneva).
In fact, they did not even debut their latest work in the usual country. Switzerland gave way to Italy, where was Milan chosen for the honor. And when you know exactly what Rolex released, and its inspiration, you will understand why.
The Perpetual Padellone
In hindsight, we should have expected something extra from Rolex this year. Not only is 2026 the 100thanniversary of the brand’s Oyster case but it is also the 30th birthday of one of Patek Philippe’s legions of innovations, the annual calendar. The fact that this new model only features one of those we can gloss over.
The piece in question is called the Perpetual Padellone, and let’s address the name first.
You could be forgiven a little confusion. ‘Perpetual’ in horology terms can refer to one of two main subjects. The first is the perpetual calendar, which this is not—although we have Patek to thank for that too. The other is the Perpetual, as in automatic, movement, a Rolex breakthrough and the name of a collection of watches that, up until this week, consisted only of the 1908 family of self-winding dress models. That is the pertinent definition here.
The other part of the name, Padellone, is even more interesting. It is both the Italian word for ‘large frying pan’ and the a nickname bestowed by Italian vintage watch dealers for a grail-like vintage reference from 1949, the 8171. The moniker was given due to the large-for-the-time 38mm diameter of the watch, and its wide, flat case and thin bezel.
The ref. 8171, and its smaller, Oyster-clad cousin, the ref. 6062, were triple calendar with moonphase models, both retired around 1953 and the last of the type Rolex would make for the next 70-years. Except, what they launched this week goes several steps further.
What Does It Do, And How?
In truth, there have been predictions this type of watch was going to put in an appearance sooner or later. The series the 1908 replaced, the Cellini, was also a family of formal watches but one which played host to a number of diverse complications; something Rolex seems to include in the main Professional and Classic collections only begrudgingly.
The current 1908 range, only in existence since 2023, consists of simple time-and-date models and so was ripe for a bit of added functionality.
So, what do we have? Well, the original ref. 8171 was what’s called a ‘complete’ triple calendar, in that it displayed days, months and years. But that calendar still needed to be adjusted manually for those months with fewer than 31-days in them. Here, with the new ref. 5350X, we’ve got a fully-fledged annual calendar, a brilliant complication which compensates for the months with 30-days and sets itself accordingly, leaving the wearer to have to step in just once a year, at the point February clicks over to March.
It is actually the second annual calendar Rolex has brought out in relatively quick succession. Their most complicated watch to date, the Sky-Dweller, features one alongside its dual time zone function. With this latest release, however, not only is the annual calendar driven by a completely new system, it also combines it with a beautiful moonphase.
The Visuals
Let’s tackle the looks before we delve into the internal gubbins.
The Padellone follows many of the same design cues as the rest of the 1908s. It has the same 39mm case and silhouette, all sweeping curves and graceful lugs as befits a going-out watch. The double bezel styling is identical too, with a domed top half and fluted lower portion.
Of the three models released (there are two in Everose and one in platinum) one of the former also wears the same ultra-supple, seven-link Settimo bracelet you’ll find scattered among the rest of the range; the other two come on either a brown or black leather strap.
So it has the same basic footprint but up front, things change in significant ways.
The job of displaying the month and the day of the week is handled with a fairly standard approach, utilizing two separate apertures just below the 12 o’clock. As for the day of the month, that is given over to a pointer date arrangement. 1-31 numerals are printed around the dial perimeter and an additional hand, topped with a crescent moon, indicates the current one.
Other distinctions from the Padellone’s stable mates can be found in the hour markers, where Arabic numerals are used for the 3 and the 9 but not the 12 to make room for the date windows. It also has a central seconds hand where the time-and-dates have a small seconds sub dial at the 6 o’clock. The reasoning here is obvious; that space was needed for the moonphase disc.
Unlike the original ref. 8171, and almost every other moonphase currently available, the one on the Padellone shows the entire disc. There’s no aperture concealing half of it and so you get to see the representations of both the full moon and the new moon at the same time. Each one is cut from meteorite, with the new moon coated with a dark blue PVD. The disc takes exactly 29.53 days to complete its rotation (one lunar month), and is rated to drift by one day every 122-years. The current phase is indicated by a triangular pointer above the display. Additionally, as with the original, each of the moons has a pad printed face and the blue sky in-between is smattered with stars.
As for the dials themselves, we get crisp white faces on the two Everose models and the signature ice blue with the platinum. All come with the same deeply grained finish, bringing heaps of texture, while the outer edge containing the day of the month numerals is raised and satin brushed.
With the handset, there’s a sword-shaped minute hand, the Breguet-like hour hand with slender stem and hollow ring near the tip, and the crescent-topped pointer date hand is colored blue on all three examples.
What’s Going On Inside?
As mentioned, the ref. 5350X is the second annual calendar Rolex has released recently, but the Padellone and the Sky-Dweller work on completely different mechanisms.
Power comes from the new Cal. 7190 movement, an evolution of the Cal. 7135 found inside the Land-Dweller which launched last year. That means a true high beat 5Hz, or 36,000vph—and it will be interesting to see if that frequency starts to roll out more across the portfolio in the years to come. It also means a Syloxi silicon hairspring, a ceramic balance staff, a 66-hour power reserve and Rolex’s own Dynapulse. The direct-impulse escapement delivers power directly to the balance from the escape wheel, eliminating friction and providing roughly 30% more efficiency than standard Swiss Lever escapements.
As for the annual calendar, that does not rely on a Ring Command bezel as does the Sky-Dweller, but rather (again, true to the original) a series of four correctors set into the case. These little buttons are operated with a stylus and advance the day, date, month and moonphase—although, all being well, you shouldn’t have to try and find the stylus too often.
Finally, a rare sapphire case back gives a view of the work going on, as well as the yellow gold rotor and the proprietary Côtes de Genève finishing on the bridges.
The Cal. 7190 is, obviously, a Superlative Chronometer and subject to Rolex’s own recently tightened up certification requirements.
Final Thoughts
As I’ve said, the appearance of a complicated 1908 model was sort of half anticipated, although the actual timing of it was a surprise.
Is it a pleasant surprise? Absolutely. The Rolex books have been crying out for a bit of nuance, and while it is the brand’s relatively simple models which made them famous, it could well be the more complex ones which keeps them relevant.
What they have come up with this week is an achingly elegant addition, powered by a genuinely impressive next gen movement which is sure to find its audience among the better dressed fan.
As for prices, none are cheap as you might expect. The least extortionate, the Everose on brown alligator strap (ref. 53505-0002), costs $59,000.
The platinum piece on black alligator (ref. 53506-0002) is $66,200. And more expensive than the platinum, the Everose on the Settimo (ref. 53505-0003) will set you back $72,800.
Featured Photo: Mixed art by Oriol Mendivil for BKT Archive.
