Almost all modern Rolex watches have the words “Rolex Oyster Perpetual” in their name, but the replica Rolex portfolio actually consists of only two main collections of watches: the Professional and the Classic. These are timepieces with water-resistant Oyster cases. The Professional line contained perhaps the most recognizable names, such as the Submariner, Daytona, Explorer and GMT-Master tool watch models. Each was designed to do a specific job, whether it’s recording dive times, lap times, or time in another country.
The Classics also have some heavy hitters, such as the Day-Date and Datejust, the former being the ultimate statement of prestige and achievement, and the latter being an iconic all-rounder that is often considered the quintessential Rolex watch. Overall, the Classic is the simplest of the bunch, both aesthetically and in terms of complications.
Technically speaking, every watch produced by Rolex is an Oyster Perpetual. The name comes from the water-resistant “Oyster” case, which makes each watch water-resistant to at least 100 meters, and the self-winding “constant-motion” movement developed by the brand in the early 1930s. As a result, the model we commonly refer to as the “Sea-Dweller” is actually officially known as the “Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller” – and this is true for the vast majority of Rolex self-winding watches with water-resistant cases.
However, there has always been a separate line of replica watches where everything extraneous is stripped away, leaving only three hands to tell the time, not even something as inconspicuous as a date display. This is officially the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the brand’s least expensive and arguably most comprehensive offering. While the Oyster Perpetual represents the entry point to Rolex ownership, the model has become almost inaccessible at the retail level since the collection’s most recent update in 2020.
Like its closest cousin, the Datejust, the modern Rolex Oyster Perpetual was created to appeal to as many people and tastes as possible. It currently comes in a total of five different sizes, starting at 28mm and going all the way up to 41mm.
Delving into its long history, you will find a number of precious metal versions in 9K, 14K and 18K gold – both yellow and pink. It was also one of the first fake Rolex watches to be released in Rolesor, the brand’s own term for the two-tone fusion of stainless steel and yellow gold on a single watch. Today, all Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches are forged entirely from stainless steel, underscoring the brand’s longstanding status as an entry-level model.