Rolex Cellini

The Cellini collection is the most classic line from Rolex. Details such as Roman numerals, guilloché dials, fine-tipped lancet hands, and precious materials characterize the look of this series. These classic touches separate the Cellini from sportier Oyster models such as the Submariner and the Daytona.

The current Rolex Cellini collection resulted from the success of the rectangular Cellini Prince, which was produced from 2005 to 2015. This manual watch's design paid homage to the Rolex Prince from 1928, which also had a rectangular case. Since 2014, round Cellini watches with automatic in-house calibers have also been available, including models with a dual time function or a moon phase display. The Cellini Time is a particularly tidy watch that forgoes all the bells and whistles to simply display the time using three hands.

The series is named after Italian goldsmith and sculptor Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), one of the Renaissance's most important artists. Reminiscent of this European cultural epoch – the word "renaissance" means "rebirth" – these Rolex watches represent a fresh interpretation of traditional watchmaking. They combine classic elegance with modern technology and are truly state of the art.

You can buy a simple, never-worn Cellini Time with three hands in Everose gold (ref. 50505) for around 12,700 USD. Pre-owned watches are slightly less expensive at about 12,400 USD. If you decide on a mint-condition Cellini Time, you can save over 3,700 USD off the official list price by purchasing on Chrono24. Should you prefer the white gold model (ref. 50509), be sure to set aside about 13,100 USD for a new timepiece or around 11,200 USD for a pre-owned one. Prices for models with diamond-studded bezels sit around 18,500 USD.

A white gold Rolex Cellini Date with a pointer date and the reference number 50519 costs almost 15,200 USD in mint condition and 12,600 USD pre-owned. The Everose gold version with the reference number 50515 sits in a similar price range. As before, you can save a few thousand dollars off the official list price by purchasing online.

If you like to keep an eye on two time zones at once, the Cellini Dual Time is the right dress watch for you. The second time zone is displayed on this model via a subdial at 6 o'clock. This subdial also has a small window at 9 o'clock that lets you know if it's day or night in the other time zone. With the reference number 50525, this dual-time watch in rose gold demands about 16,700 USD new and 13,800 pre-owned. The white gold editions bear the reference number 50529 and cost around 15,800 USD in mint condition, while pre-owned models only cost 13,600 USD.

Introduced in 2017, the Cellini Moonphase features a blue enamel moon phase indicator at 6 o'clock and is the highlight of the Cellini collection. The disc-shaped display rotates in accordance with the cycle of the moon and displays the current moon phase with the help of an arrow above the subdial's 12 o'clock position. Rolex uses a small, circular piece of meteorite to represent the full moon and a silver-trimmed circle to represent the new moon. This moon phase display will remain accurate for 122 years. What's more, the Cellini Moonphase features a pointer date that indicates the date via a central hand and a scale around the edge of the dial.

These functions make this Rolex the most complicated model within the Cellini collection. It is reminiscent of the historic models ref. 6062 and 8171 from the 1950s, which are extremely rare and highly coveted. Since the Cellini Moonphase has only been on the market for a short period of time, there are very few pre-owned models available. Mint-condition examples in Everose gold with the reference number 50535 cost around 24,500 USD.

The Cellini collection distinguishes itself from its Rolex siblings by its streamlined, delicate look. The case is 39 mm in diameter, a size suitable for almost every wrist. Both men and women can wear this luxury watch. It is available in either 18-karat white or Everose gold. Everose gold, Rolex's unique gold alloy, is produced in their foundry along with their other gold alloys. Thanks to downward sloping lugs and bent spring bars, there is only a small space between the case and strap. Cellini watches come with a stitched, rembordé alligator leather strap in black, blue, or brown, featuring an 18-karat gold buckle.

The unusual bezel is made up of two individual bezels, one domed and the other delicately fluted. The silver, brown, blue, rose gold, or black dials are either varnished or guilloché patterned and are visible under the scratch-resistant sapphire glass. Along with applied indices and lancet hands, the watch features long Roman numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock and "Cellini" written in cursive script above the 6 o'clock position. Neither the indices nor the hands feature any luminous material. Thanks to the screw-down crown and case back, the watch is water resistant to 50 m (5 bar, 164 ft) . Most dress watches can only withstand pressures of 3 bar (30 m, 98 ft), meaning they are only protected against splashes of water.

In the standard version of the Cellini Time, Rolex keeps it simple. The streamlined, three-hand watch rejects any additional functions. If you'd prefer to have a date display, the Cellini Date is the right watch for you. The date is shown in a small subdial at 3 o'clock. For those who travel a lot, the Cellini Dual Time is ideal. A subdial at the 6 o'clock position with two hands displays the time in a second time zone. A day/night display is located at the 9 o'clock position on the subdial. When the sun is shining, a sun is visible, and when it's nighttime, a moon. Rolex offers an alternative timepiece with GMT-function in their GMT Master II, which belongs to the Oyster collection. Fans of watches with moon phase indicators will find what they are looking for in the Cellini Moonphase.

The same in-house movement that powers the Explorer or Oyster Perpetual models ticks away inside the Cellini watches. The automatic movement 3132 without a date display has a power reserve of 48 hours and winds the hairspring bidirectionally. Its balance wheel oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 alternations an hour. Since the movement has a stop-seconds mechanism, you can set the time to the exact second.

The balance wheel's blue hairspring is made of a niobium-zirconium alloy and, therefore, is unaffected by magnetic fields. Furthermore, it's more resistant to shocks than regular hairsprings. Rolex named this innovative development "Parachrom Bleu." The oscillator can "breathe" more freely thanks to the special hairspring, whose outermost coil is raised and bent in towards the center (Breguet overcoil), which counteracts the effects of gravity and results in higher accuracy. The position of the balance wheel, kept stable and precise thanks to the traversing balance bridge, also increases the movement's accuracy. This differs from conventional movements, which have a so-called balance cock that stores the oscillation system and is considered less stable.

Rolex has the accuracy of all its in-house calibers certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). The 3132 is regulated via the typical Rolex Microstella system with the Microstella nuts located on the balance wheel. Standard movements are usually regulated via a regulator, which lengthens or shortens the hairspring. Paraflex shock protection, another Rolex development, protects the movement against shocks and extreme conditions. The caliber has a diameter of 28.5 mm and is 5.37 mm thick.

The version featuring the pointer date utilizes the modified caliber 3165. The Cellini Dual Time is powered by the in-house movement 3180, which enables its dual time zone function. The year 2017 saw the release of the caliber 3195, which ticks away inside the Cellini Moonphase. This movement features a pointer date in addition to its moon phase indicator. In terms of power reserve and accuracy, these three movements are all comparable to the caliber 3132 from the Cellini Time.

Similar to Rolex's sports watches, none of the Cellini models feature a transparent, sapphire glass case back. Instead, every case back in this collection is polished to a nice sheen. Even though you can't see them, Rolex decorates many of their movement components. For example, the winding rotor has a sunburst pattern, the screw heads are all polished, and the bridges are beaded. Automatic Rolex movements are some of the best movements on the market today.

Without exception, the Cellini collection is full of watches defined by their classic characteristics. Materials such as white and Everose gold raise their value and emphasize the traditional design. The design of this watch has a timelessly elegant feel along with a clear, clean dial. Different dial and strap colors appeal to different tastes, while those who love extra features – such as date displays and second time zones – will find something just right for them. The most reliable calibers, defined by their robustness and precision, power the watches in this series. Any watch from the Cellini collection goes perfectly with a suit or tuxedo. Watches in mint condition are priced in the low five-figure range, while vintage watches are in the four-figure range.