By Meor Amri Meor Ayob
Baselworld 2014 is currently underway in Switzerland. Every horologist I know is excited about it and the chance to visit such an event is a wish of many. Unfortunately, this year I have to sit it out and view the event remotely.
Although I may have the chance to manhandle the beauties personally, with the power of the internet, I am flooded with a lot of information to satisfy my craving.
The first brand that I will explore is Rolex.
For Baselworld 2014, Rolex released new versions with unique dials of its classic Oyster Perpetual model in 31 mm and 36 mm.
The Oyster Perpetual is the entry level Rolex, with size option of either 31 mm or 36 mm, the Oyster Perpetual is unisex and has become a typical gift from a parent to a child. This watch have no other function than a time display. With its famed waterproof Oyster case and the self-winding Rolex Perpetual movement, this simplistic design has become synonymous with style and elegance.
The Oyster Perpetual is an officially certified chronometer. The Oyster case has a waterproof rating up to a depth of 100 metres. It is crafted from a solid block of corrosion-resistant 904L steel.
The screw down winding crown, fitted with the patented Twinlock double waterproof system, helps protect the case from leaks. The crystal is sapphire.
The 36 mm Oyster Perpetual is equipped with calibre 3130, a self-winding mechanical movement is a certified Swiss chronometer. The oscillator uses a blue Parachrom hairspring that offers great stability when exposed to temperature variations and remains up to 10 times more precise in case of shocks than a traditional hairspring. For the 31 mm Oyster Perpetual, it is equipped with the caliber 2231.
The new dials for the 36 mm Oyster Perpetual are tabulated below.
White grape, sunray finish Red grape, sunray finish Steel, sunray finish
I personally like the Red dial.
Below are the new dials for the 31 mm Oyster Perpetual.
White lacquer Azzurro blue, sunray finish
For this series, I like the Azzurro blue dial.
Since I have three kids, the 36 mm version is a nice set to get to give to them. Unfortunately, this plan remains a dream at the moment. At least now I have a target to aim for. For more info, please visit rolex.com
Meor Amri Meor Ayob – Contributing Editor
Meor Amri is a passionate watch collector from Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Having bitten by the horology bug in 2010, he has written extensively about the watch scene and has assembled a large collection of watches (excessively!!) on his own free time.
His blogs on the same subject are: Watch Collection Hobby & My Horological Photos
