If you’re just starting out on your watch collecting journey, it’s completely understandable to feel a little anxious (if not completely terrified) about some of the price tags you’ll see. Complicated luxury watches are never cheap, and it’s certainly true that there are some luxury replica watches that sell for about the price of a fairly decent house – however, not all luxury watches cost a fortune. Almost every brand has a catalog of models that range in value from exceptionally expensive to surprisingly affordable. The word “affordable” is, of course, open to interpretation. You won’t find anything under four figures, but it may be a surprise when you learn how low you will go in this area.
Another thing to remember is that these luxury watchmakers gained the reputation they enjoy today, most importantly through their dedication to quality. A zero (or two) has been removed from the price end of entry-level watches compared to their flagship counterparts, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been put together half-heartedly or lack the same quality as their more premium counterparts. They’re still designed and built by the same people in the same facilities, and (generally) use many of the same materials as models that cost thousands of dollars more.
In many ways, the Oyster Perpetual is the quintessence of Rolex. The name comes from two of the company’s groundbreaking innovations: the waterproof Oyster case and the self-winding perpetual calendar movement invented in 1926 and 1931 respectively. Between them, they did more to popularize the wristwatch as a basic accessory for both sexes than anything else before or since.
Technically speaking, everything replica Rolex produces today (except for the Cellini line) is an Oyster Perpetual, as all of the brand’s products are water-resistant to at least 100 meters and driven by automatic movements. The full name of the Submariner is actually Oyster Perpetual Submariner, the Datejust is Oyster Perpetual Datejust, and so on.
Since the 1930s, however, there has been the simple Oyster Perpetual series, usually the most modest and minimalist group of replica watches offered by the brand. This continues to this day with over 30 models in 5 different sizes, the cheapest new Rolex models you can buy (at least at retail).
The Oyster Perpetual is quite obvious. With a wide range of sizes (28mm, 31mm, 34mm, 36mm, and 41mm) and a variety of dial designs – from the understated to the outrageous – Rolex’s entry-level offering is designed to appeal to any man or woman looking for a great watch that they can pair with anything and last a lifetime.
However, just because it represents a gateway to Rolex, that doesn’t mean that the Oyster Perpetual Edition falls short in any way. Although no longer available in precious metal (although you will find many on the vintage market), the stainless steel used by the brand is the very tough and corrosion-resistant 904L alloy that you will find in all the other stainless steel watches in the collection.
Likewise, all of the movements are the latest from Rolex’s industry-leading workshops. the 41mm and 36mm models are both powered by the new generation Cal. 3230 with Chronergy escapement, 70-hour power reserve, and proprietary blue Parachrom hairspring. The smaller three versions all include the Cal. 2232, another superb mechanism that offers a 55-hour reserve and benefits from a Syloxi silicon hairspring and if anything, a Rolex Parachrom.
All in all, the fake Rolex Oyster Perpetual is as good a choice as a three-handed, time-only everyday wearer can get. Robust and versatile, it’s a watch that never seems to go out of style. Perhaps most importantly, this is a Rolex steel watch you have at least a 50/50 chance of finding at an authorized retailer – although that depends on the dial color you want. The turquoise blue, coral red, green and yellow versions all trade for about twice their official retail price.