Why hasn’t Rolex made a full calendar perpetual watch?

[DoctorA]

I’ve been obsessing lately about a full calendar prudential watch with year, month, day and date.

IWC, and JLC among others make great examples of that model but why not rolex?
Is it too complicated for Rolex to make?

[Hub6152]

Rolex is already well established as a “tool” watch brand and isn’t an haute horlogerie brand. I’m sure they could if they wanted to but what would be the point!

[DoctorA]

Originally Posted by Hub6152

Rolex is already well established as a “tool” watch brand and isn’t an haute horlogerie brand. I’m sure they could if they wanted to but what would be the point!

This would be the point!

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by DoctorA

This would be the point!

Actually totally not! Rolex isn’t IWC.

[rominvicta]

Originally Posted by DoctorA

This would be the point!

This point as you call it, I have for already 13 years. And it was sent to HQ for repairs at least 5 times. On January 1st, 2017 year as of it was 2027. Shall I continue? And I have not had a Rolex (true for latest 15 years) that needed anything apart of regular maintenance! And maintenance I do between 7 and 10 year period! So I hope Rolex will never ever have the same reliability as IWC.

[Macnavara]

Originally Posted by Hub6152

Rolex is already well established as a “tool” watch brand and isn’t an haute horlogerie brand. I’m sure they could if they wanted to but what would be the point!

Whats the point of the skydweller then...

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by Macnavara

Whats the point of the skydweller then...

Read the other comments please, more than adequately answered already...

[Likestheshiny]

Rolex focuses on basics, not complications. Rolex seems pretty happy to leave the fancier complications to the "haute" brands a tier above them. That's why it was such a big deal when Rolex made an annual calendar.

[Hub6152]

And the other thing is who would buy a Perpetual calendar Rolex? How many would they need sell to justify the R&D costs to develop something like that which is extremely reliable enough. Look at how unreliable certain haute Horlogerie brands can be. Owners accept it because they’re part of a small club but Rolex simply wouldn’t want any unreliability being attached to their name.

[badass09]

I think rolex has made some in the cellini line.

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[Tha Baron]

Originally Posted by DoctorA

I’ve been obsessing lately about a full calendar prudential watch with year, month, day and date.

IWC, and JLC among others make great examples of that model but why not rolex?
Is it too complicated for Rolex to make?

Rolex is a luxury brand first, watch company second...

[Likestheshiny]

This would be the point!

The fact that you can look to an excellent, existing watch with a full calendar (one of many) actually seems to be contrary to your point. Why would Rolex jump to do something that plenty of other brands are already doing?

And, perhaps more importantly, if you want a full calendar so much, why wouldn't you buy one of the excellent ones already available? If a watch like the IWC is your goal, why not buy the IWC?

Rolex has made date/day/month/moon calendars, but you'll have to go vintage.

[DoctorA]

Originally Posted by Likestheshiny

The fact that you can look to an excellent, existing watch with a full calendar (one of many) actually seems to be contrary to your point. Why would Rolex jump to do something that plenty of other brands are already doing?

And, perhaps more importantly, if you want a full calendar so much, why wouldn't you buy one of the excellent ones already available? If a watch like the IWC is your goal, why not buy the IWC?

Rolex has made date/day/month/moon calendars, but you'll have to go vintage.

That’s a good question. But there are plenty of divers made by many other watch makers. Many GMT watches by others yet Rolex still makes those

I honor and like Rolex brand and history and rather than getting an iwc I’d rather a Rolex. Hence my question that was clearly misunderstood by some!

I put the iwc picture only for reference and not that rolex should do the same!
Patek makes a full perpetual so as AP and many other luxury as well as tool watchmakers so I’m not buying the luxury or the tool watch argument

[jvb.nc]

Originally Posted by DoctorA

Many GMT watches by others yet Rolex still makes those

Rolex started that idea with PanAm.

i agree with a lot of posters here. a) if they did it most likely it would be a cellini niche watch. b) i like that i can bang around my rolex. try doing that with a perpetual. c) as much as i like rolex, in fact love them, if i wanted a perpetual calendar (i do) i would go outside the crown. but i’d probably spring for an MB&F which is totally different than anything else.

e) the skydweller is amazing. annual calendar, not perpetual. but still. lordy that’s a sweet watch.

[kieselguhr]

They have... look up the Rolex Dato Compax




AOW

[arcadelt]

Originally Posted by kieselguhr

They have... look up the Rolex Dato Compax

I'm pretty sure those are just triple-dates or full-calendar watches, not annual or perpetual calendars.

[kieselguhr]

Originally Posted by arcadelt

I'm pretty sure those are just triple-dates or full-calendar watches, not annual or perpetual calendars.

You are right! I stand corrected


AOW

[Chewbacca]

Would work with a Cellini approach.

[Coopdog]

I think the answer to this is Rolex watches are really really good at a couple particular things:
Reliability
Ease of use

Perpetual calendars by their nature are the opposite. They are finicky, hard to service, easy to actually break if you don’t know what you are doing setting them.

When Rolex made the annual calendar for the Skydweller, they got around having hidden pushers by using the bezel as a switch to change what the crown is operating/setting. One of the biggest things noted in all the reviews was how robust it is - easy to set, even if you mess up. Can’t break it by just “doing it wrong.”
I’m sure if Rolex thought there was a market for a more complicated calendar and they could make it with much cleaner execution and mechanics than competitors, they would.


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[thomaspp]

Because Rolex is king of cool


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[Etschell]

Originally Posted by DoctorA

I’ve been obsessing lately about a full calendar prudential watch with year, month, day and date.

IWC, and JLC among others make great examples of that model but why not rolex?
Is it too complicated for Rolex to make?

They cant figure out the design for the little tool needed to set the watch.

In all honesty, this isnt their market.....yet.

[Likestheshiny]

But there are plenty of divers made by many other watch makers. Many GMT watches by others yet Rolex still makes those

Yes, but Rolex was one of the brands to originate those kinds of watches. The sub was one of the first dive watches ever -- Rolex isn't following anyone else in making a dive watch in 2019. If Rolex started making a full-calendar (perpetual or otherwise) watch now, it would definitely be doing something that other brands have been doing very well for years. That's just not Rolex's style.

That's not to say it wouldn't ever happen. Rolex has made an annual calendar and a moon-phase, and put a clear caseback on a watch. But those got a lot of attention specifically because they were an exception to a pretty consistent pattern. Haute complications aren't Rolex's thing, and Rolex would very much be playing catch-up to try to get into that market now. Following other brands isn't something Rolex does often.

[LeftCoastBias]

They did make an annual calendar / triple date...

Ref 8171

[padi56]

Originally Posted by LeftCoastBias

They did make an annual calendar / triple date...

Ref 8171

Yes but not a Rolex made movement but one from ETA Valjoux inside case,the more complications in any watch the more that can go wrong.

[LeftCoastBias]

Originally Posted by padi56

Yes but not a Rolex made movement but one from ETA Valjoux inside case,the more complications in any watch the more that can go wrong.

The Daytona used the el primero movement for years. Does anyone consider it less of a Rolex than the 4130?


- Sent via iPhone. Please excuse any typos or brevity in my message

[Hub6152]

Originally Posted by LeftCoastBias

The Daytona used the el primero movement for years. Does anyone consider it less of a Rolex than the 4130?


- Sent via iPhone. Please excuse any typos or brevity in my message

Different times. Rolex wasn’t a full manufacture back then. They didn’t actually make any of their other movements themselves at the time either.

[georgekart]

Originally Posted by LeftCoastBias

They did make an annual calendar / triple date...

Ref 8171

I mean they make an annual calendar nowadays. Sky Dweller is an annual calendar. The question is Rolex doesn't really make dress watches. Cellini line is all but forgotten. Cellini perpetual calendar would make a lot of sense, but making a whole new model just for perpetual isn't going to happen.

[rominvicta]

Originally Posted by DoctorA

I’ve been obsessing lately about a full calendar prudential watch with year, month, day and date.

IWC, and JLC among others make great examples of that model but why not rolex?
Is it too complicated for Rolex to make?

IMHO one of the reasons Rolex established itself as The Brand is reliability. As of my belief they avoid any complicated additions to movement that will eventually be more susceptible to damages and maintenance. Rolex wants to have service spanned to 10 and more years! Why should they start making PC etc? There are so many brands doing it. We appreciate what Roles does and it has to keep on being like that!

[Pongster]

They did. Once.

https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex...franck-muller/

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Pongster

They did. Once.

https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex...franck-muller/

Rolex themselves have never made a perpetual calendar that was made possible by a third party and as it was not made factory by Rolex not a Rolex watch.