Rolex Marks a Century of the Oyster Case

In 1926, Rolex patented the Oyster case the waterproof design that quietly made every modern sports watch possible.

A hundred years later, the brand marked the anniversary with a new Oyster Perpetual 41 in stainless steel and yellow Rolesor gold, '100 years' stamped discreetly at six o'clock, alongside a 36mm sibling with a multicoloured lacquer dial referencing Rolex's 1970s Jubilee motif. The brand also reintroduced the Yacht-Master II, a complication built around a programmable countdown bezel for regatta starts.

Reception at the fair was, by the trade's own account, moderate rather than euphoric — but for a house whose waiting lists barely register the difference between 'moderate' and 'must-have', that distinction may not matter much at retail.