Rolex Perpetual Padellone: Rolex Brings the Annual Calendar and Moonphase Back to Center Stage

Rolex just made one of its most interesting moves in years.

On September 15, 2026, Rolex introduced the Perpetual Padellone, a sophisticated annual-calendar moonphase watch that takes the elegant direction of the Perpetual family and pushes it into true high-complication territory.

At first glance it looks like an elaborately complicated relative of the Perpetual 1908, and the family resemblance is easy to see: elegant proportions, traditional styling, precious metals and a design focused more on classical watchmaking than the sports-watch image for which modern Rolex is best known.

The Return of a Legendary Rolex Name

The name Padellone comes from the historic Rolex Reference 8171, produced around the beginning of the 1950s. Italian collectors gave that unusual 38 mm Rolex the nickname Padellone — roughly translating to “large frying pan” — because it was exceptionally large for its era.

The original 8171 was one of the most unusual watches Rolex ever produced, combining calendar indications with a moonphase and standing apart from the waterproof Oyster watches that would eventually define the company. More than 70 years later, Rolex has revived the idea and officially embraced the collectors’ Padellone name.

An Annual Calendar With an Instantaneous Change

The modern Padellone displays the hours, minutes, seconds, date, day, month and moonphase. The day and month sit in two windows directly below 12 o’clock, while a blue central hand tipped with a crescent moon indicates the date around the outer edge of the dial.

Underneath the dial is Rolex’s patented Haplos annual-calendar mechanism. It automatically distinguishes between 30- and 31-day months, so the calendar needs manual correction only once each year when February changes to March.

At midnight, the day, date and month indications change together in a fraction of a second rather than gradually transitioning over several hours. It is a technically ambitious solution presented in a remarkably traditional-looking watch.

A Moonphase Worth Looking At

The moonphase display at 6 o’clock may be the visual centerpiece of the entire watch. A deep blue sky creates strong contrast against the finely textured dial, while meteorite is used for the lunar elements, bringing a genuinely celestial material into the complication.

The result is unusually expressive for modern Rolex: technical, but also artistic. It is the type of detail that invites a closer look rather than simply announcing itself from across the room.

Everose Gold or Platinum

Rolex is launching the Padellone in 18 ct Everose gold and 950 platinum. The Everose version is paired with an intense white, finely grained dial, while the platinum model receives the ice-blue dial color traditionally associated with Rolex platinum watches.

The case measures 39 mm across and approximately 12.2 mm thick, giving the Padellone restrained proportions considering the amount of mechanical complexity inside. Water resistance is rated to 50 meters.

The Settimo Bracelet Changes the Watch

One of the most striking configurations is the Everose gold Padellone fitted to Rolex’s seven-link Settimo bracelet. Rolex introduced the Settimo bracelet within the Perpetual family, and its many small polished links give the watch a more jewelry-like appearance than an Oyster, Jubilee or President bracelet.

On the Padellone, the combination of Everose gold, the white textured dial, the deep blue moonphase and the polished bracelet gives the watch a vintage high-watchmaking presence without making it feel like a reproduction of an old Rolex.

Calibre 7190: The Bigger Story Inside

Powering the Padellone is the new Rolex calibre 7190. The movement operates at a high frequency of 5 Hz, or 36,000 vibrations per hour, and incorporates Rolex’s Dynapulse escapement architecture.

The movement matters because the Padellone is not simply a vintage design exercise. Rolex has combined the visual language of one of its most fascinating historical complications with some of the company’s newest movement technology.

U.S. Pricing

At launch, reported U.S. retail pricing is approximately $59,000 for the Everose gold model on an alligator strap, $66,200 for the platinum model on a black alligator strap, and $72,800 for the Everose gold model on the Settimo bracelet.

Why the Padellone Matters

The significance of the Padellone goes beyond another expensive Rolex release. For decades, the modern Rolex identity has largely revolved around icons such as the Submariner, GMT-Master II, Daytona, Day-Date and Datejust. The Perpetual 1908 signaled renewed attention to traditional dress watchmaking; the Padellone takes that direction considerably further.

Instead of merely revisiting an old design, Rolex has connected one of the more fascinating chapters of its vintage history with a modern annual calendar, instantaneous indications, a moonphase and contemporary high-frequency movement technology.

Rallo Watches Take

The Perpetual Padellone represents a side of Rolex that modern collectors do not see every year: complicated, elegant, historically inspired and willing to place traditional high watchmaking ahead of the familiar sports-watch formula.

The Everose gold Settimo version has immediate visual impact, while the platinum ice-blue configuration carries the unmistakable signature Rolex collectors associate with the brand’s highest-end platinum pieces.

Either way, the Perpetual Padellone is one of the most important Rolex introductions of 2026 and a model Rallo Watches will be watching closely as availability, collector reaction and secondary-market pricing begin to develop.