Rolex Perpetual Padellone: Why This New Rolex Matters to Collectors

Rolex has returned to one of the most unusual complicated watches in its history. Introduced on 15 September 2026, the Rolex Perpetual Padellone revives the name and visual language of reference 8171, a triple-calendar moonphase produced between 1949 and 1952 and known to collectors as the “Padellone”, or “large frying pan”, for its 38mm case.

The original ref. 8171 is significant because it sits outside the Rolex formula most associated with the modern brand. It combined the day, date, month and moonphase in an automatic wristwatch, and was one of only two Rolex models with a complete calendar and moonphase before the 2017 Cellini Moonphase.

The 2026 Perpetual Padellone retains that complication set but changes the mechanism substantially. Its new calibre 7190 operates at 5Hz and incorporates Rolex's patented Haplos system. The annual calendar distinguishes between 30- and 31-day months, requiring adjustment only when February changes to March. At midnight, the day, date and month advance simultaneously in a fraction of a second.

The watch measures 39mm and is offered in 18 ct Everose gold or 950 platinum. Its moonphase display uses a blue hand with a crescent-shaped tip, while the day and month appear in apertures at 12 o'clock. Rolex says the movement is covered by 30 patent applications, two of them exclusive to the model.

For collectors, the important distinction is that this is not a straightforward vintage reissue. The ref. 8171 provides the historical reference point, but the Perpetual Padellone uses a new annual-calendar architecture and contemporary movement technology. It brings one of Rolex's less familiar complications back into the current collection, giving the modern Perpetual line a direct link to a relatively short and specialised chapter of the brand's history.