I had quite the wild ride last week, mainly due to receiving the phone call for the Oyster Perpetual Ref. 124300 with the “Stella” green dial in 41mm. I was not really expecting this, and the watch was not on my radar at all, as I already own an older air-king that to me is very similar to the modern OP line of watches. Despite owning something with a similar case and bracelet, I was due for a collection refresh – and this green dial was quite unique in the images of I’ve seen.
What I wasn’t expecting was how beautiful the green dial was in person when I went to go pickup the watch from the store. The combination of the color with the baton markers, and the sheer size of the dial really made this watch entirely different from what I was expecting. On paper, yes, the OP line looks like it will be almost identical to watches with the OP case from the past, but in reality this is a very different watch, and we’ll get into the details below as to why that is.
Hue of the Stella Green
Let’s start off with the real attraction of this watch, which is not the perfection that Rolex is known for in terms of build quality and innovation – but this time rather the pastel like Stella green dial. I had never seen this dial in person before buying it, and my very first impression when I saw it was – wow – this green is identical to the iconic Rolex box. It really is a prelude to the Rolex brand green.
I would describe the green as a creamy pastel, with a semi-gloss finish, and at times looking like it has a matte finish. The shade of the green shifts depending on the light, from bright Rolex emerald, to soft pastel, and then in darker settings it can be extremely dark and almost one shade lighter than black or a deep navy.
The simplicity of the dial allows the color to make a statement, unlike the contrasting green bezel and black dial of the Submariner Date 126610LV. Really all you have going for you here is a beautiful green backdrop within the stainless steel bezel frame. As we know, this watch is of course time only, and the baton markers around the dial accentuates the simplicity and elegance. You’ll also notice the double baton markers at 3, 6, and 9, which I wasn’t sure about at first but they’ve grown on me, and allow the time to be picked up just a touch quicker.
If you’re not already aware, this watch was awarded it’s “Stella dial” nickname due to a collection of Rolex Day-Date watches from the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. They featured a series of fun and bright dial colors. This new line of Oyster Perpetual’s are sort of a low key re-issue of those watches.
Size and Fit
Sometimes, talking about size and fit with Rolex can be redundant, as most of their watches compliment nearly any wrist size. Nearly the entire professional and classic range suit small to large wrists, although there are some outliers like the modern Explorer II with the 42mm case size as well as the very large Deepsea.
As someone who really prefers a tailored fit on wrist, I’m very careful with size choice. I really don’t appreciate oversized watches on my small 6.5 inch wrist. Not only do they look awkward, but it’s uncomfortable to lug around a heavy chunk of steel on the wrist, especially if you’re not going to be making use of the features of the watch.
The OP 41mm we have here today is larger than what I’d normally wear for a time only watch, but I’ll tell you right now, something about its slightly oversized look on my wrist is hitting the spot. It’s a touch larger than usual for me, but the watch is very slim and sporty looking which I think is helping it jive with certain attire that I’m choosing to pair with it. Also, instead of having the bracelet sized quite tight like I do with the rest of my Rolex collection, I have this watch a touch loose, and it’s sitting with an air of elegance showing off that special anniversary green dial.
Just to give you something to compare it to, I feel this 41mm OP wears smaller than the 40mm Explorer 1 – I don’t know why, but it just feels that way. I’ll have to get the callipers out one day and update this section with precise specs.
Movement
The Oyster Perpetual 41mm is using the in-house Rolex caliber 3230, which is a newer no-date movement from the crown. It’s currently used in their new generation air-king, the smaller 36mm OP, Deepsea Challenge RLX, and the Explorer 40mm. As you can see it’s quite widely used since it’s a very reliable movement, which we’re all accustomed to from Rolex.
The movement has a nice 70 hours of power reserve, bringing this watch to the next level for daily wear. The 3230 beats at 28,800 VPH, with a bidirectional rotor, and it’s COSC certified. The OP line has gradually evolved to become sportier over time, so in a way you can consider this a sports watch. Emphasis is placed on the reliable functioning of the movement that’s able to withstand some knocking around, and less so on high horology artwork – which is why Rolex does not really go out of their way to emphatically decorated their mechanical movements.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day I’m very pleased with this watch. It’s a lot more than I though it would turn out to be, as it’s not simply an Oyster Perpetual with a new dial color there’s more to it than that. This is a watch that’s now part of a very coveted “Stella dial” collection with a niche heritage, that is slowly being discontinued by Rolex. Will we ever see these Stella dials again sometime soon? Probably not.
Out of all the Stella dials in this OP collection, the green one could very well be the most wearable, as the color is quite tame compared to the others which consist of a Tiffany blue, bright yellow, orange, and pink. The green one comes off as slightly more subdued than the rest, but it has its moments to shine when outdoors under the sun.
For more information visit the official Rolex website here.
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