Rolex Perpetual Padellone: A New Calendar Watch with a Rich History
The new Rolex Perpetual Padellone turns a historic collector’s nickname into an official model name—and combines a full calendar, moon phase, and modern mechanics with a legendary reference from the brand’s own history.
“Padellone” originally referred to the Rolex Reference 8171, a calendar watch from the late 1940s and early 1950s that was exceptionally large by the standards of the time. Its 38-millimeter case seemed so imposing at the time that Italian collectors gave it the nickname “Padellone”—literally “the big pan.” Today, this reference is among the most sought-after complicated vintage Rolex models.
Now, for the first time, Rolex is turning this collector’s name into a model name of its own. The new Perpetual Padellone draws inspiration from its historic predecessor without simply copying it. It combines a full calendar and moon phase with an entirely new caliber, modern mechanics, and the understated elegance with which Rolex has been developing its Perpetual collection since 2023.
An Unusual Chapter in Rolex History
The original Reference 8171 was produced between 1949 and 1952 in relatively small numbers. It was available in stainless steel as well as in various gold versions. Along with the 6062 model, it was one of the few historic Rolex wristwatches to combine a full calendar with a moon phase display.
However, the two models differed fundamentally in their construction. The 6062 was designed as an Oyster with a screw-down case back, while the 8171 had a stamped case back. At 38 millimeters, the Padellone was also remarkably large for its time. It was precisely these proportions and the complex display—featuring the day of the week, month, hand-operated date, and moon phase—that later established its special status among collectors.
Rolex is now revisiting this story in a surprisingly direct way. The new Padellone not only takes its name from the original but also adopts its key design principles: the day of the week and month appear in two windows below the 12 o’clock position, the date runs along a scale on the outer edge of the dial, and the moon phase display opens at the 6 o’clock position.
But the similarity ends where technology begins.
A calendar with its own Rolex logic
The Perpetual Padellone features a fully automatic calendar displaying the day of the week, date, month, and moon phase. The day of the week and month change simultaneously and instantly at midnight.
The calendar system automatically distinguishes between months with 30 and 31 days. A correction is required only once a year, during the transition from February to March. In this way, Rolex combines the classic layout of a full calendar with the convenience of an annual calendar.
The various displays can be adjusted independently of one another. The calendar and moon phase can be set using the adjustment buttons on the side of the case.
The moon phase display is particularly appealing. On a fully visible, blue-enameled disc, the new moon and full moon appear as more than just simple symbols. The design evokes a more poetic image of the night sky and deliberately recalls historic moon phase displays.
This brings the watch to a point where Rolex becomes unusually emotional. The movement remains precise and controlled, yet the dial allows for something that rarely comes through so clearly with this brand: poetry.
The 7190 Caliber
Inside, the watch is powered by the new Caliber 7190 automatic movement. It is an evolution of Caliber 7135, which Rolex introduced in 2025 with the Land-Dweller.
Rolex Caliber 7190
The movement operates at a frequency of 5 hertz and features technical innovations such as the Dynapulse escapement and the Syloxi balance spring. For the Padellone, the architecture was expanded to include the new calendar mechanism and moon phase display. In total, the movement is protected by 30 patent applications, two of which pertain exclusively to this caliber.
The newly developed Haplos system, which distinguishes between months with 30 and 31 days, plays a central role. An additional driver and an annual lever handle the corresponding calendar control.
As with the Perpetual 1908, the movement remains visible through a transparent case back. This is still remarkable in the modern world of Rolex: the mechanics are not concealed but are explicitly made part of the design.
39 millimeters and classic proportions
The size also reflects the historical model. The new Padellone measures 39 millimeters—just one millimeter more than its historical predecessor, the 8171. Rolex thus remains remarkably faithful to its proportions, even though perceptions of watch sizes have changed fundamentally since the 1950s.
The case is available in either 18-karat Everose gold or 950 platinum. The fluted bezel echoes a classic Rolex motif, yet appears more refined here and blends more harmoniously with the elegant lines of the Perpetual collection.
Rolex Perpetual Padellone in Everose gold with a Settimo bracelet, in platinum with a leather strap, and in Everose gold with a leather strap
The dial also reflects this same understated style. The Everose models feature a light, matte dial, while the platinum version boasts Rolex’s signature ice-blue color. The combination of Arabic numerals, faceted hour markers, an outer date scale, and a deep-blue moon phase creates an exceptionally classic Rolex aesthetic.
The Settimo Bracelet Makes a Comeback
The Everose version looks particularly sleek with the Settimo bracelet. Rolex introduced this seven-row gold bracelet in 2025 for the Perpetual 1908. Its very small links are deliberately reminiscent of the elegant bracelets found on historic dress watches and combine a jewelry-like appearance with great flexibility.
In the Padellone collection, the Settimo is now available in Everose gold. Models with alligator leather straps are also offered—in black for the platinum version and in brown for the Everose version.
The metal bracelet, in particular, clearly illustrates the direction Rolex intends to take with the Perpetual collection. It is less about sportiness and ruggedness and more about a distinct form of modern, classic watchmaking.
When Rolex introduced the Perpetual 1908 in 2023, the brand launched a new line distinct from the familiar Oyster collection. Classic proportions, precious-metal cases, visible movements, and understated design elements were intended to reinterpret the watchmaking tradition. In 2025, the Settimo bracelet was added. Now, the Padellone becomes the second model in this collection.
And that changes their meaning.
The Perpetual collection is no longer limited to just one elegant three-hand watch. With a full calendar, moon phase, and its own new movement, Rolex is venturing into territory that the brand has rarely occupied so clearly in its modern history.
The historic reference 8171 offers more than just a design. It offers a piece of the brand’s own watchmaking heritage, one that has remained alive for a long time, particularly among collectors.
Perhaps that is precisely why the name is so well chosen: Rolex could have given this watch a new name. Instead, the manufacturer calls it “Padellone.”
A nickname becomes an official name. And a vintage legend becomes a new chapter in the history of Rolex watchmaking.
