WHEN TIMES ALIGN

Unveiled in autumn 2026, the Padellone is a watch with an instantaneous complete annual calendar. This technological masterpiece imbued with elegance perfectly embodies the spirit of the Perpetual collection, launched in 2023 with the 1908 model, at the core of which lies the celebration of the watchmaking art in its noblest form. Named after an earlier Rolex timepiece with a complete calendar – reference 8171, known to collectors as the ‘Padellone’ – this watch represents a natural continuation of the brand’s heritage.

The Padellone displays the date, day, month and moonphase as well as the hours, minutes and seconds. Available in intense white or ice blue, the dial of this refined creation is decorated with a grained finish across most of its surface and a fine satin finish around the edge. The current date is indicated on this periphery, where the date scale is inscribed in black, by a blue centre hand with a crescent moon at its tip. The day and month are displayed, respectively, in English in two apertures positioned at 12 o’clock. The moonphase is displayed on a blue enamelled disc at 6 o’clock, which makes one complete rotation every lunar month, or 29.53 days. The full moon and new moon on this disc are made from meteorite – the second of the two treated with a dark blue PVD coating. Both feature a pad-printed face and are surrounded by silver stars, which are also pad printed.

At the heart of the Padellone beats calibre 7190, protected by 30 patent applications, two of which are exclusive to it: one for the Haplos system – consisting of only two components added to the Rolex instantaneous date mechanism – which allows the movement to differentiate between 30-day and 31-day months; the other for the instantaneous nature of the day, date and month changes at midnight.

This movement at the cutting edge of horological research stands out for its frequency of 5 hertz, a rate that allows the watch to maintain its chronometric precision regardless of the wearer’s actions and arm movements. Thinner than the majority of Rolex movements – a feature it shares with the Perpetual 1908’s calibre 7140 and the Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller’s calibre 7135 – it nonetheless offers exceptional performance. Like calibre 7135, which also beats at 5 hertz, it benefits from the same pioneering regulating system, composed of the high-performance Dynapulse escapement and a state-of-the-art oscillator.

The Padellone is accompanied by a correction stylus for setting calendar functions. The stylus activates the correctors located on the case sides: month at 2 o’clock, date at 4 o’clock, moonphase at 8 o’clock and day at 10 o’clock.

HARMONIOUS CASE 
The Padellone features a 39 mm case crafted in 18 ct Everose gold or 950 platinum, with graceful lines and a transparent back that allows the refined aesthetics of the movement to be admired as well as the pivoting of the oscillating weight. The curve of the lugs is highlighted thanks to a gentle chamfering on their top edges, while correctors for the calendar functions are positioned on the case sides. The bezel is divided – the lower part embellished with elegant fluting and the upper part domed. Made of sapphire, the domed crystal and the transparent case back benefit from an anti reflective coating. Guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 50 metres (165 feet), the case provides optimal protection for the movement nestled inside.

SETTIMO BRACELET OR LEATHER STRAP 
The Padellone in 18 ct Everose gold is fitted on a Settimo bracelet or a matt brown alligator leather strap. In its 950 platinum version, the watch is paired with a matt black alligator leather strap.

The Settimo bracelet exudes refinement and elegance and feels particularly lightweight. This metal bracelet comprises links made up of seven very small, slightly contoured link elements. It is furnished with a concealed Crownclasp, developed by Rolex, ensuring all-round, seamless visual harmony.

The Padellone’s elegant leather straps feature a green calfskin lining and tone-on-tone stitching. They are equipped with a Dualclasp. This double folding clasp, developed by Rolex, is made from the same precious metal as the middle case.

CALIBRE 7190
The Padellone is equipped with calibre 7190, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. A distillation of technology, this movement carries a number of patents. It offers outstanding performance, particularly in terms of precision, power reserve, convenience and reliability. Based on the design of calibre 7135, which equips the Oyster Perpetual Land-Dweller, calibre 7190 benefits from the same pioneering regulating system – escapement and oscillator – that enables it, too, to beat at a frequency of 5 hertz, or 36,000 beats per hour, thereby measuring time to one tenth of a second. It takes account of 30-day and 31-day months, thanks to the patented Haplos system, consisting of two components – an additional carrier finger and an annual lever – added to the instantaneous date mechanism. Another technical innovation: the annual calendar programming is incorporated into the reverse side of the month disc, informing the annual lever of the current month.

Calibre 7190 incorporates the Dynapulse escapement in silicon – a material resistant to strong magnetic fields – which alone is the subject of seven patent applications. This high-performance sequential distribution escapement significantly enhances the way in which the energy delivered by the barrel is transmitted to the oscillator. Combining high energy efficiency with great dependability, it is the result of nearly ten years of research and development.

The movement is also fitted with a Syloxi hairspring. This patented hairspring is made of silicon, a material that enables it to withstand strong magnetic fields, while also providing great thermal stability and high shock resistance. Its patented geometry ensures the calibre’s regularity in any position. The coils of the Syloxi hairspring in calibre 7190 are especially thick, to confer greater rigidity. This modification grants more power to the hairspring, an essential factor for the movement to beat at 5 hertz.

The oscillator of calibre 7190 also demonstrates excellent resistance to strong magnetic fields. It comprises a balance staff made from high-technology ceramic, patented and exclusive to Rolex, and a balance wheel in optimized brass (an alloy which, like the ceramic, withstands high-intensity magnetic fields) with variable inertia regulated extremely precisely via gold Microstella nuts. The oscillator is held firmly in place by a height-adjustable traversing bridge, enabling very stable positioning to increase shock resistance. It is also mounted on optimized high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers which, in addition to further enhancing the movement’s shock resistance, ensure optimal repositioning of the balance staff after a shock and enable it to pivot smoothly and regularly in any position.

Calibre 7190 is equipped with a self-winding system via a Perpetual rotor, which ensures continuous winding of the mainspring by harnessing the movements of the wrist to provide a constant source of energy. Its oscillating weight is fashioned in yellow gold and cut out. Thanks to its barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of this movement extends to approximately 66 hours.

Visible through the transparent case back, the Padellone’s movement is beautifully finished and decorated. In particular, its bridges are embellished with Rolex Côtes de Genève, an exclusive decoration that differs from traditional Côtes de Genève by the addition of a slight polished groove between each band. Calibre 7190 is also marked with the words ‘Chronometer Perpetual’ and ‘Superlative Adjusted’ engraved on the oscillating weight and on the bridges, respectively.

THE PADELLONE, SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER CERTIFIED 
Like all Rolex watches, the Perpetual Padellone is covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification. Symbolized by a green seal, this in-house certification is strictly controlled by internationally recognized, independent Swiss entities. It ensures the excellent on-the-wrist performance of each of the brand’s watches and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.

In 2026, the Superlative Chronometer certification was expanded to seven testing criteria. Resistance to magnetism, reliability and durability were added to the criteria for precision, waterproofness, self-winding and autonomy, established when the certification was redefined in 2015.

The requirements in terms of precision are particularly stringent. Each Rolex movement is first officially certified as a chronometer. This means that, having passed a series of eliminating tests, it fulfils the criteria governing the ‘chronometer’ designation for wristwatches. For the category of calibres concerned, which includes all Rolex movements, the tolerated rate deviation is –4 and +6 seconds per day.
 
After casing the movement, the precision is then tested again, following a protocol developed by Rolex that simulates real-life wearing conditions, to meet even stricter criteria: the watch’s accuracy must be between –2 and +2 seconds per day. The rate deviation tolerated by the brand for a finished watch is therefore significantly smaller than that accepted for official certification of the movement alone.