The crown’s foundational offering, the Oyster Perpetual forms the basis of just about every modern sports Rolex. Featuring a “perpetual” movement - which just means automatic - and an “oyster” case - which just means hermetically sealed/waterproof - the Oyster Perpetual is arguably one of the most important watches from the Genevan Giants. Besides its rich history, it is also just a fantastically wearable piece, with it being more than capable of tackling everyday wear and tear in its stride.
Offered here we have the Oyster Perpetual ref. 116034 from back before the Oyster Perpetual became a collection devoted to pure utilitarianism as we know it today with the exception of the bright pops of colour that the modern reference has. While the current collection is offered only with a steel bezel and dials with applied stick indices, our example boasts a fluted white gold bezel like what you’d find on models such as the Day-Date, Datejust, Sky-Dweller, and so on.
Furthermore, it also boasts an intriguing 3-6-9 silver dial that gives it a design flair similar to the Explorer. Measuring 36mm in diameter and presented with an entirely-brushed Oyster bracelet, the ref. 116034 wears and feels like Explorer but with a more luxurious twist thanks to its bezel, and that’s not a balance that any variant from any of Rolex’s current catalogue can say that it strikes. Full of personality but also restrained and focused on the task at hand, the ref. 116034 is exactly what you want from a Rolex.
