Rolex’s New Perpetual Padellone Revives a Cult-Favorite Vintage Watch

Unlike the rest of the watch industry over the past decade, Rolex has released very few, if any, vintage-inspired watches. In fact it releases very few new collections or models at all. But when it does, it's a blockbuster. The name of the new Perpetual Padellone, launched today, is taken from the nickname of the watch that inspired it, the reference 8171, a triple calendar (day, date, month) with a moon phase display. The 8171 was a rare complication made by Rolex only for a few years in the late 1940s and early 1950s in very small numbers. Recently, it has become an auction darling, selling in the mid-six figures to upwards of $1-million, depending on case material and condition. The name "Padellone" was not the official name of the watch, but a nickname bestowed by collectors.