Hands-On With The With The Rolex Oyster Perpetual In Two Of Three Soft New Shades
Of course, I was impressed by the new Land-Dweller, but I wasn’t charmed by it. To be honest, it’s been a while since The Crown launched a watch that charmed me. Yes, every watch is of superb build quality and a benchmark, but just like a Mercedes S-class, a modern Rolex is not exactly lovable. Whether the execs in Geneva agree with me is not clear, but the brand just launched the Rolex Oyster Perpetual with dials in three soft shades. The new pastel beige, pistachio, and lavender dials are available for the “OP” 28, 31, 34, and 36. The 41mm version only comes in two “flavors” — beige and pistachio. I went hands-on with a 41mm pistachio and a 36mm beige Oyster Perpetual.
The three new colors Rolex introduced during Watches and Wonders 2025 look alive. They’re soft-spoken creations that stand out in a world filled with exuberant radiant sunray dials. The new pastel colors for the Oyster Perpetual line could be described as “muted lavender, a warm sandy beige, and a fresh pistachio green” because that’s how Rolex writes about them. But I can sum up my first reaction to seeing them at WAW with one word: charming. To me, that was the biggest surprise. Modern Rolexes are impressive and even a bit intimidating, especially the sports models with their sturdy cases and shiny ceramic bezels. These Oyster Perpetuals, however, feel much more inviting.
Trying on the Rolex Oyster Perpetual in two of three soft new shades
Let’s start with a few words on the colorway that eluded our photographer. The lavender dial is not as muted as Rolex wants you to believe. It’s also nowhere near as shiny and purple as the 2014 “Grape,” but the hue is intense. It’s like Provence in full bloom. Every year between June and August, the lavender fields bloom in Provence, and seeing that on a beautiful sunny day is an enriching and soothing experience for the senses. It’s “Wow…” with a sigh at the end. Get it? Well, that’s how I felt when I saw the lavender OP. And more or less the same happened when I tried on the 36mm beige and 41mm pistachio.
I do like the 36mm OP on my wrist, and the 41mm version doesn’t look ridiculous on me, but it does make me wonder why Rolex discontinued the 39mm size in 2020. The jump from 36 to 41 is odd when there are also cases with 28, 31, and 34mm diameters. The ideal size of an OP for me (and many others, I’m sure) is 39mm. Anyway, let’s find my favorite current size and color.
Quite the charmers
Rolex nailed the colors. The ice-cream-like shade of green is sweet and creamy, giving the OP a sporty, elegant, and playful look. The absence of a date and, thus, a Cyclops also creates a less in-your-face appearance than most of the brand’s other references. This is an understated Rolex with a twist.
However, the 41mm Oyster Perpetual is not just a watch with a pretty new face. The 41mm models have a new reference number, 134300, and an updated steel Oyster case with more elegant proportions. Also, the Oyster bracelet of the 41mm model flaunts a more slender clasp. These may be little changes and almost impossible to notice when doing a flash hands-on during a hectic watch event, but over time, a string of little improvements make for serious evolution. And that is precisely the strong trademark of Rolex. Constant improvement makes (near) perfect.
The beige 36mm OP also fits my wrist well. It’s like with clothes: sometimes you wear something slim (36mm), and other times you wear something with a relaxed fit (41mm). Yes, I’d also like to have the opportunity to wear something with a tailored fit (39mm), but I think I already made that very clear. In either tested size, the matte lacquered pastel dials combine the color’s softness with the applied indexes’ strong looks. These opposites create balance. These OPs are an expression of Rolex’s softer side. The absence of a Cyclops and fluted bezel makes the OP a Rolex you wear for yourself, not for someone else. And although the pastel-colored versions are very 2025, the vibe is a bit vintage. While they’re not straight-up retro, with a bit of imagination, you could see the beige and pistachio dials as weathered and softened by time and light.
Hard facts
Inside the Oyster Perpetual 36 and 41, it’s business as usual. You get the automatic 4Hz caliber 3230. The movement features Paraflex shock absorbers and a blue Parachrom hairspring. It also offers Superlative Chronometer certification with an accuracy rating of ±2 seconds per day and a power reserve of 70 hours.
I won’t give you every price of every size of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual line, but I will tell you that the 36mm OP (ref. 126000) costs €6,400 and the 41mm (ref. 134300) €6,700.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree that these pastel-colored Oyster Perpetual models are charming and much-needed in a watch world that’s more and more about showing off the cliché hyped models?
