The Rolex “Tiffany” Oyster Perpetual Doesn’t Exist
To start, let me make one thing perfectly clear: the Rolex “Tiffany” Oyster Perpetual doesn’t exist. When something is turquoise blue, it’s not automatically “Tiffany Blue”. In Rolex’s current lineup you will find three references with that soft shimmering color that reminds me of a tropical sea, not a New York jeweler. The first reference is the Oyster Perpetual 31 and the models that follow measure 36, and 41mm. But good luck buying any of them, because Tiffany Blue is the watch color of 2021. Dealers don’t have ‘em, and on the secondary market, prices are soaring. The watch world has lost its marbles. Once again.
The hype is real. Since Patek Philippe dropped the Nautilus 5711 signed Tiffany & Co. in the characteristic color of the jeweler, that tropical shade of blue became the most coveted shade in the (watch) world. And it became even hotter when not long after the drop, one of the 170-piece series that retails for $52,635 was auctioned for no less than $6,503,000 (including buyer’s premium). The fire had gotten out of control apparently, and all of a sudden there was a run on watches with dials in more or less the same blue Tiffany & Co. has been using since 1845 and trademarked in 1998. One brand that does a similar color is Rolex. Unfortunately, I’m inclined to say, because steel Rolex watches are already hyped.
Picture courtesy of Xupes
The Rolex “Tiffany” Oyster Perpetual doesn’t exist — and yet it does somehow
More hype is not what we need. On the contrary, I presume a lot of people have a secret wish for 2022 that the watch market — read, “Rolex” — will calm the hell down. The release of the Nautilus with its dial in Tiffany Blue — it’s light robin egg blue, to be precise — caused the perfect storm. One brand that can’t meet demand by far incidentally promotes another brand that can’t satisfy its customers through its desperate dealers, and the secondary market explodes.
Have a look at secondary watch dealers and places like Chrono24, and you will see what I mean. There are a couple of 41mm Oyster Perpetual models with a “Tiffany Blue Dial” for five-digit prices. There’s even one with an asking price of €89K! On the official Rolex website, this watch — the reference 124300 — has a price of €5,600.
Up go the prices
The Rolex website also shows that there’s a turquoise blue reference 277200 that measures 31mm with a price of €4,900. And if that’s too small, the 36mm reference 126000 that, in an ideal world, costs €5,300 is a medium-sized alternative. A 39mm Oyster Perpetual — reference 114300 — existed just a few years ago. You can find those customized with the current turquoise blue dials, but then you’re really dealing with a model that does exist!
Do you think going smaller is the smart way of getting your hands on a legit “Tiffany blue” OP?
The 39mm model was axed in 2020 and replaced by the larger 41mm Oyster Perpetual. Do you think going smaller is the smart way of getting your hands on a legit “Tiffany Blue” OP? Think again. The 31mm version goes for €22K, and the 36mm model reaches up to €31K. And there are plenty around. The 39mm (the best size, in my opinion) customized versions are a bit less common. Again, it’s because they are merely frankenwatches. The ones I found have a price of around €9K, although that may change very soon.
Picture courtesy of Millenary Watches
Keeping it real
But we have to keep things real, people. Let’s get our facts straight and ignore the hype because technically, the Rolex “Tiffany” Oyster Perpetual doesn’t exist — in any size! The Oyster Perpetual is the entry-level Rolex. This model grants you access to the world of Rolex, but doesn’t come with VIP perks, like a Cyclops or a ceramic bezel, for instance. But hey, what did you expect for roughly €5K? What you get is a solid watch, with a great movement and bracelet. It’s a timeless watch that’s not too flashy. Well, that’s not entirely true. In 2020, Rolex decided it was time to brighten up the Oyster Perpetual collection. Rolex is often seen as a conservative company, but it did bring us the wild Milgauss with its green crystal once. And with a wild and crazy selection of dial colors for the OP, the brand surprised us all once again.
Picture courtesy of Bulang and Sons
The magic color of 2021
As things go with Rolex, these brightly colored dials quickly got a nickname. The new dials were referred to as “Stella dials” after the original Stella dials that Rolex once produced for the Day-Date and very rare examples of the Datejust. The orange and the yellow stood out most when I saw them. I liked them, but they didn’t hit me as hard as the 39mm OP in purple once did. Anyway, the light blue version looked a bit pale between the more vivid yellow and orange iterations. And I certainly can’t remember anyone screaming “Tiffany!” in ecstasy. But the times, they are a-changing, and now “Tiffany” is the magic word. “Tiffany Blue” is the magic color of 2021.
Rolex Explorer 1016 signed Tiffany & Co. Picture courtesy of Amsterdam Vintage Watches
No sign of Tiffany & Co.
It’s good to know that the turquoise blue Rolex uses is not identical to the blue used by Tiffany & Co. The two brands had a close relationship that started in the late 1950s. There were of course Tiffany & Co. signed Rolex watches in the past, but that ended along with the partnership in the early 1990s.
Since there’s no partnership between Rolex and Tiffany & Co., the almost similar dial color is purely “coincidental”.
I won’t go over the whys and whens right now, but it’s an interesting story to dive into. Since there’s no partnership between Rolex and Tiffany & Co., the almost similar dial color is purely “coincidental”. If the Oyster Perpetual everyone is lusting over now would have been a collaboration between the two brands, the dial color would have been that of the co-signed Patek Philippe Nautilus. But there’s literally no sign of Tiffany & Co. on the dial of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
Picture courtesy of Millenary Watches
The “it” watch
The current light blue Rolex Oyster Perpetual has no connection with Tiffany & Co. In other words, it’s just a light blue watch; there’s no “deeper meaning” behind the dial color. But meaning is something that is under threat in the world of watches nowadays. It’s all about status, trends, and hyped-up prices. More people than ever want to up their status, mimic the omnipresent influencers, and buy Rolex watches like they buy the right designer sneakers, for instance. Right now, the Rolex “Tiffany” Oyster Perpetual is the “it” watch. What model will be next? We will probably find out soon enough because the frenzy regarding Rolex watches in particular doesn’t show any signs of settling down.
If you still want to torture yourself after reading this, you can visit the official Rolex website and configure your ideal Oyster Perpetual. But if you choose the turquoise blue-dialed version, please beware that the color is not the same as Tiffany & Co.’s light robin egg blue and that you can’t buy the watch at your local dealer. It’s like I said — the Rolex “Tiffany” Oyster Perpetual doesn’t exist. Not in the real world, anyway.
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