Rolex just surprised us with a watch we probably did not expect to see this way, this soon. And there is a very good reason why it was unveiled in Milan.
Rolex has introduced a new watch that immediately caught our attention. Not just because of what is inside the case, but because of where the inspiration comes from.
The new watch takes its name, and much of its character, from one of the most iconic complicated Rolex watches of the past: the Ref. 8171, better known among collectors as the Padellone. Produced in the early 1950s, the watch earned its nickname from its unusually large, flat 38 mm case, especially generous for its time.
And then there is Milan. Instead of waiting for Geneva and the usual Watches & Wonders spotlight, Rolex chose to present the new Padellone here, at a time of year far removed from the major watch fairs. It feels like a fitting choice. Milan has long been one of the most important places for vintage watch collecting, and the city has played a major role in the culture that surrounds collecting today. Bringing a watch inspired by one of Rolex’s most collectible vintage references here feels almost like bringing the story back to where part of it began.
From the 8171 to the new Padellone
At first glance, the connection with the original is obvious. But this is not a simple reproduction of the 8171. Rolex has taken the idea of the historic complete calendar and rebuilt it, with a completely modern movement and a very different level of technical sophistication.
The new Padellone comes in a 39 mm case, offered in three configurations: 18 ct Everose gold on an alligator leather strap, Everose gold with the new Settimo bracelet, and 950 platinum with the iconic ice-blue dial.
The case is water-resistant to 50 metres and keeps the refined proportions and characteristic details of the 1908, including its fluted and domed bezel.
Like the 8171, the new watch displays the day, date and month, but Rolex has taken the concept much further. The new calibre 7190 features an annual calendar, meaning that the watch automatically distinguishes between 30- and 31-day months and only needs to be corrected once a year, at the end of February.
Even more interesting is the way it happens. At midnight, the day, date and month change simultaneously and instantaneously.
It is a small detail to look at, but a rather big one mechanically. The movement operates at 5 Hz and incorporates Rolex’s new patented Haplos system, with the calibre protected by 30 patent applications. It is a good example of what makes this watch interesting: the design clearly looks back to the past, while the mechanics are very much about pushing the 1908 forward.
And this is perhaps where the new Padellone separates itself from the original 8171.
Yes, the inspiration is clear. Yes, Rolex is deliberately bringing back the idea of a vintage complete-calendar watch. But the new model does not try to become the 8171 again. It has a strong identity of its own, and that identity is firmly connected to the 1908, the collection Rolex has been using to explore a more elegant and traditionally watchmaking-oriented side of the brand.
Why the Padellone makes sense
In the first couple of days since its presentation, much of the conversation around the new Padellone has focused on one question: who is this watch actually for?
The obvious answer would be vintage collectors. The people who know the 8171, who appreciate its place in Rolex history and who have followed the evolution of Rolex’s calendar watches over the decades.
But I don’t think that is the whole story. To me, the new Padellone seems to be aimed at two different audiences.
The first is a new type of Rolex collector: someone who might not necessarily be interested in the usual sports-watch icons, but who is increasingly attracted to complications, traditional watchmaking and more elegant cases. Rolex has something very useful in its archive here, a watch that is both recognisable and genuinely important, and has reinterpreted it in a modern way on a collection that, despite being part of the Rolex family, still sits somewhat in the shadow of the brand’s more famous sports models.
The second audience could be collectors who already look beyond Rolex when it comes to complicated watches. Think of those who collect Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and other high-end watchmaking pieces, particularly their more elegant and traditionally shaped models.
The Padellone gives that collector another option, this time from Rolex. A watch with a genuinely sophisticated complication, a new movement and a design that is much more about watchmaking than sport.
And perhaps that is exactly why this watch is so interesting. The new Padellone is not simply Rolex looking backwards. It is Rolex taking something that collectors already know and love, giving it a completely contemporary mechanical interpretation.
We have seen the pictures. Now we want to see it on the wrist.
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