The Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36

This one’s special to me.

Over the past year, the idea of owning an Oyster Perpetual 36 was pretty much set in stone. After falling in love with the Longines Legend Diver 36 and having the privilege to own one, it made me learn a lot about my own preferences. Simply put, I guess I’ve found my niche in the world of watch collecting (at least for now). For the past 2 years, the watches that I resonated with were all under 38mm in diameter, looked aesthetically balanced and were comfortable to wear.

In many ways, the OP is close to being perfect for me. It’s versatile, low profile, somewhat basic, yet at the same time, exudes class. It checks all the right boxes to make it something that’s worthy of being worn till I’m old and grey. Agreeably, there’s no vintage charm here and there might never be considering how it’s built, but there’s a certain timelessness that comes with something as simple and pure as the OP, especially one with a black dial.

Come to think of it, my first hands-on experience with an OP was in a Rolex boutique while trying to get on the waiting list not too long ago. Yup, pretty crazy to know how much I wanted it, considering the fact that I’ve not seen one in person until then. While trying it on, the black sunray dial was the first thing that caught my attention. Because again, as great as it looked in pictures, how a dial interacts with light under regular lighting conditions might vary vastly. Thank God that this matched my expectations.

After getting tons of wrist time over recent months, it still gets me each time I witness the sunray effect kicking in whenever I flick my wrist to check the time (I admit, I do it more than I should, even in situations when I shouldn’t…). Under certain lighting conditions, the dial gives off a hint of grey while under others, looking flat black. The white gold hands and indices on the other hand, bring the watch alive by reflecting light in a manner that must be experienced to fully appreciate. With most of the surfaces being brushed, these little things really elevate the OP from being just a boring steel watch. In some way, I’d associate it a lot with a silver Porsche 911. It’s not in-your-face by any means but still manages to catch the right amount of attention while looking great effortlessly.

On my 16cm wrist, there’s no overhang from the case thanks to the sweet 43mm lug-to-lug length. No complaints on the oyster bracelet either. Although some might complain that it doesn’t come with a Glidelock clasp, that’s perfectly fine by me because 1) I don’t adjust my bracelet much and 2) even when there comes a time where I need to, the Easylink 5mm extension does the job.

As with a lot of things that I fall for, they often remain somewhat overlooked by many, and frankly, that’s just the way I’d like to keep it. I love the OP because it’s as pure as it gets and is one for the purists. It’s not trying to emulate its more popular 36mm sibling, the Rolex Explorer, nor does it resemble the funky Air King. In a way, it comes off as a if you know, you know watch. It’s a simple, time-only piece that does exactly what it’s supposed to. With watches like this, it’s not all about the spec sheet. But more so, how it makes you feel. Is this the most bang for your buck luxury watch? No. As a matter of fact, it’s far from it. It doesn’t have a date, there’s no crazy power reserve and the lume isn’t outstanding by any means. But none of that matters as long as it puts a smile on your face.

Here’s to many more adventures with this one.