In 1926, ROLEX sealed a wristwatch against water and dust and named it the Oyster. A century later, the house marks the anniversary with an Oyster Perpetual 41 whose dial carries two words where ‘Swiss Made’ usually sits: ‘100 years’.
The Essentials
- The Oyster, created in 1926, was the first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch by ROLEX; its case was patented.
- In October 1927, the British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze wore an Oyster across the English Channel, a swim of more than ten hours.
- For the centenary, ROLEX presented on 14 April 2026 an Oyster Perpetual 41 in yellow Rolesor, reference 134303, with a slate dial marked ‘100 years’ at 6 o’clock.
- There is no separate ‘Oyster Perpetual 100’: the anniversary watch is named simply Oyster Perpetual 41.
- On the ROLEX website for the United Arab Emirates, its suggested retail price is AED 38,550, VAT included (read on 30 October 2026).
1926: A Case Built Like an Oyster
The Oyster had a predecessor. In 1922, ROLEX presented the Submarine, in which the watch sat inside a second, outer case whose bezel and crystal were screwed down. To wind it or set the time, the wearer had to open that outer case. The principle was sound; daily use was less so.
The answer came in 1926. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of ROLEX, introduced a hermetically sealed case in which the bezel, the case back and the winding crown were screwed down against the middle case. ROLEX describes it as the world’s first waterproof wristwatch case, conceived in 1926 and patented. Wilsdorf chose the name for a simple reason: like an oyster, the watch could remain an unlimited time under water without harm to its parts.
The ambition reached beyond waterproofness. Pocket watches still reigned, and wristwatches were often regarded as jewellery rather than instruments. The Oyster set out to match the precision of a large marine chronometer in a case small enough for the wrist.
1927: Ten Hours in the Channel
Claiming that a watch is waterproof is one thing; proving it is another. In October 1927, the young British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze crossed the English Channel wearing a gold Oyster. She spent more than ten hours in the cold water between France and England, and the watch emerged in perfect working order.
ROLEX celebrated the swim with a full-page advertisement on the front page of the Daily Mail. The house regards that moment as the birth of the Testimonee concept, and the swim strengthened a conviction of Hans Wilsdorf: excellence is demonstrated in the field, over time and under pressure.
1931 and After: From a Case to a Collection
With waterproofness achieved, the next challenge was energy. In 1931, ROLEX invented and patented a self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor, and the word ‘Perpetual’ has been joined to the Oyster ever since. Precision, waterproofness and self-winding: the three founding challenges had been met.
The Oyster then became a family. Rolesor, the meeting of gold and Oystersteel, has featured on ROLEX watches since the early 1930s and was trademarked as a name in 1933. The Oyster bracelet, with its three broad links, followed in the late 1930s. Oyster watches flew over Everest with the first expedition in 1933, and the house went on to entrust them to explorers, pilots, divers and mountaineers whose feedback refined each generation.
Today, every model in the Oyster Perpetual collection is fitted with an Oyster case. It is the thread that links watches as different as the Datejust 41 and the simplest Oyster Perpetual, and each of them repeats the promise made in 1926: a precise, robust and waterproof watch for every activity.
2026: The Oyster Perpetual 41 That Marks the Centenary
For the hundredth anniversary, ROLEX turned to its most essential watch. The Oyster Perpetual 41 reference 134303, presented on 14 April 2026, comes in a yellow Rolesor version: yellow gold for the domed bezel and the winding crown, Oystersteel for the case and for the entire bracelet. On yellow Rolesor models the centre links of the bracelet are usually gold; here they are steel, a configuration ROLEX describes as unprecedented.
The anniversary is written in the details. The slate dial is a new colour for the Oyster Perpetual range, and at 6 o’clock the inscription ‘100 years’ replaces the usual ‘Swiss Made’. Each five-minute interval on the minute track is marked by a green square, the name ROLEX is printed in the same green, the house’s emblematic colour, and the winding crown bears the number 100 in relief.
Inside beats calibre 3230, developed and manufactured by ROLEX, with the Chronergy escapement, a blue Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock absorbers and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The 41 mm Oyster case is waterproof to 100 metres, the Oyster bracelet closes with an Oysterclasp and the Easylink comfort extension link, and the watch carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, with a precision of −2/+2 seconds a day after casing.
Reference: 134303 · Case: 41 mm, yellow Rolesor · Dial: slate · Movement: calibre 3230, self-winding, approx. 70 hours · Water resistance: 100 m · Price in the UAE: AED 38,550
Our launch report, Rolex Honours the Oyster Legacy with the Perpetual 41, looks at the watch in detail. The same April release added an Oyster Perpetual 36 with a multicoloured lacquer dial decorated with the Jubilee motif, and the Oyster Perpetual 28 and 34 in 18 ct gold.
A Centenary Beyond the Watch
The anniversary also reaches certification. In 2026, ROLEX strengthened its Superlative Chronometer certification with three new testing criteria, resistance to magnetism, reliability and durability, which now join precision, waterproofness, self-winding and power reserve. Every new watch still leaves the manufacture with the green seal and an international five-year guarantee.
In June, the Oyster Story exhibition opened at the West Bund Dome in Shanghai, from 10 to 28 June 2026, bringing together historic and contemporary watches, components and a cinema room retracing the history of the Oyster. ROLEX presented it as the opening of a broader programme of centenary celebrations. The house tells the whole story, chapter by chapter, on its Oyster Story pages.
The Anniversary Oyster in the UAE
On the ROLEX website for the United Arab Emirates, the Oyster Perpetual 41 reference 134303 is listed at AED 38,550, a suggested retail price including VAT, read on 30 October 2026. ROLEX watches are sold and maintained only by Official ROLEX Retailers, and the full technical sheet is on the reference page on rolex.com. For the wider Gulf picture, our guide to ROLEX prices in Saudi Arabia covers the collection in riyals, and the Watches and Wonders 2026 report places the anniversary within the year’s other releases.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the ROLEX Oyster invented?
ROLEX created the Oyster in 1926. It was the brand’s first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch, with a patented case whose bezel, case back and winding crown screw down against the middle case. 2026 therefore marks its hundredth anniversary.
Is there a ROLEX Oyster Perpetual 100?
Not under that name. The watch created for the centenary is the Oyster Perpetual 41 reference 134303 in yellow Rolesor. It is recognisable by its slate dial with ‘100 years’ at 6 o’clock, its green five-minute markers and a winding crown bearing the number 100.
How much is the Oyster Perpetual 41 ‘100 years’ in the UAE?
AED 38,550, the ROLEX suggested retail price including VAT, as shown on rolex.com for the United Arab Emirates on 30 October 2026. It is sold only through Official ROLEX Retailers.
How waterproof is the Oyster Perpetual 41?
Its Oyster case is guaranteed waterproof to 100 metres (330 feet). The middle case is crafted from a solid block of Oystersteel, the fluted case back is hermetically screwed down, and the Twinlock winding crown has a double waterproofness system.
