Reference:8171 - Revision history

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2026-04-30T04:23:03Z

Resize hero: 340px -> 250px

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	[[File:Ref 8171 hero.jpg\|thumb\|right\|~~340px~~\|alt=Rolex 8171 Padellone hero\|Rolex 8171 Padellone, yellow gold, triple-calendar moonphase]]		[[File:Ref 8171 hero.jpg\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 8171 Padellone hero\|Rolex 8171 Padellone, yellow gold, triple-calendar moonphase]]
	<small>Padellone → '''8171'''</small>		<small>Padellone → '''8171'''</small>

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2026-04-30T04:17:43Z

De-orphan: forward-link to pre-daytona-chronographs

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	The 6305 is the first Datejust with a Cyclops (1954): Oyster-cased, single date complication, Cal. 1030. It is the Oyster-cased continuation of the dress-with-date programme, while the 8171 and 6062 are the non-continuation of the dress-with-full-calendar programme.		The 6305 is the first Datejust with a Cyclops (1954): Oyster-cased, single date complication, Cal. 1030. It is the Oyster-cased continuation of the dress-with-date programme, while the 8171 and 6062 are the non-continuation of the dress-with-full-calendar programme.

			The Padellone sits at the chronograph-and-complication tail of the same era as the [[Reference:pre-daytona-chronographs\|pre-Daytona chronograph]] line; the 8171 carries the calendar-and-moonphase complication while the 3525 / 4xxx / 6034 / 6234 / 6238 references carry the chronograph complication into the 6239 and the Cosmograph Daytona.

	<span id="collecting-considerations"></span>		<span id="collecting-considerations"></span>

Admin: Audit: dedupe Sources block by URL

2026-04-29T20:46:23Z

Audit: dedupe Sources block by URL

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	* [https://www.coronet.org/ Coronet — 8171 history]		* [https://www.coronet.org/ Coronet — 8171 history]
	* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/watches Phillips — 8171 geneva may 2019]		* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/watches Phillips — 8171 geneva may 2019]
	* [https://www.phillips.com/auctions/watches Phillips — 8171 geneva nov 2019]
	* [https://www.christies.com/ Christie's — 8171 sleeping beauty 2002]		* [https://www.christies.com/ Christie's — 8171 sleeping beauty 2002]
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/ Sotheby's — 8171 2020 steel]		* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/ Sotheby's — 8171 2020 steel]
	* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/ Sotheby's — 8171 2023 yellow gold]
	* [https://www.bonhams.com/ Bonhams — 8171 precision gold]		* [https://www.bonhams.com/ Bonhams — 8171 precision gold]
	* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/rolex-8171/ Le Monde Edmond — 8171]		* [https://le-monde-edmond.com/rolex-8171/ Le Monde Edmond — 8171]

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2026-04-29T03:23:36Z

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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 8171 ~~"Padellone" Triple Calendar Moonphase~~ — BezelBase		\|title=Rolex 8171 Cellini — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase
	\|description=The 8171 is the complication flagship. Launched around 1949 and produced for roughly three years, it is — with its Oyster-cased sibling the 6062 — one of…		\|description=The 8171 is the complication flagship. Launched around 1949 and produced for roughly three years, it is — with its Oyster-cased sibling the 6062 — one of…
	\|keywords=Rolex, 8171, Padellone, specifications, reference guide		\|keywords=Rolex, 8171, Padellone, specifications, reference guide
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	\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:45:22Z		\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:45:22Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:36:~~50Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:50:58Z
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	\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:45:22Z		\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:45:22Z
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Admin: Lexical slop sweep: filler adverbs, load-bearing, stands as, breadcrumb, register

2026-04-27T13:31:08Z

Lexical slop sweep: filler adverbs, load-bearing, stands as, breadcrumb, register

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	\|-		\|-
	\| total production		\| total production
	\| ~~approximately~~ 1,000–1,200 units (collector estimate)		\| about 1,000–1,200 units (collector estimate)
	\|-		\|-
	\| case diameter		\| case diameter
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	The naming follows the same diminutive-augmentative pattern as the Bubbleback-era ''Ovetto/Ovettone'' distinction. ''Ovetto'' (little egg) is the 32mm Bubbleback. ''Ovettone'' (big egg) is the 36mm Big Bubbleback, including the 4467. For the 8171, the augmentative -one operates on ''padella'' directly. The 38mm case was, for a 1950s dress watch, conspicuously large. A period-correct dress watch of 1950 was 32–34mm, often 30mm. A 38mm dial sat on the wrist like a flat, wide plate, hence a big pan.		The naming follows the same diminutive-augmentative pattern as the Bubbleback-era ''Ovetto/Ovettone'' distinction. ''Ovetto'' (little egg) is the 32mm Bubbleback. ''Ovettone'' (big egg) is the 36mm Big Bubbleback, including the 4467. For the 8171, the augmentative -one operates on ''padella'' directly. The 38mm case was, for a 1950s dress watch, conspicuously large. A period-correct dress watch of 1950 was 32–34mm, often 30mm. A 38mm dial sat on the wrist like a flat, wide plate, hence a big pan.

	"Padellone" is now the universal collector-market term for the reference. Phillips, ~~Sotheby’s~~, ~~Christie’s~~, Bonhams, and Antiquorum all use it in lot titles.		"Padellone" is now the universal collector-market term for the reference. Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, and Antiquorum all use it in lot titles.

	<span id="the-38mm-case"></span>		<span id="the-38mm-case"></span>
	== The 38mm case ==		== The 38mm case ==

	At 38mm, the 8171 was ~~approximately~~ 4–6mm larger than its dress-watch contemporaries and roughly 2mm larger than the 6062. The case is round with tapered, fluted lugs and a smooth stepped bezel. No decorative fluting, no engine-turning, no anniversary flourish. The visual weight lives in the diameter and in the dial: eight pieces of information (hour, minute, second, day, month, date, moonphase, moon age indicator) sit inside the chapter ring, arranged around apertures at 12 and 6 and a peripheral date track read by a central blued-steel pointer.		At 38mm, the 8171 was about 4–6mm larger than its dress-watch contemporaries and roughly 2mm larger than the 6062. The case is round with tapered, fluted lugs and a smooth stepped bezel. No decorative fluting, no engine-turning, no anniversary flourish. The visual weight lives in the diameter and in the dial: eight pieces of information (hour, minute, second, day, month, date, moonphase, moon age indicator) sit inside the chapter ring, arranged around apertures at 12 and 6 and a peripheral date track read by a central blued-steel pointer.

	Case construction is two-piece: mid-case and snap-on caseback. The caseback snaps into the mid-case with a friction fit and is opened with a caseback knife rather than a threaded spanner. This is standard watchmaking practice for dress watches of the period, and it is the opposite of the Oyster approach. The 8171's caseback carries a serial number and the Rolex coronet but no depth rating, no "Oyster" engraving, and no model-line marking.		Case construction is two-piece: mid-case and snap-on caseback. The caseback snaps into the mid-case with a friction fit and is opened with a caseback knife rather than a threaded spanner. This is standard watchmaking practice for dress watches of the period, and it is the opposite of the Oyster approach. The 8171's caseback carries a serial number and the Rolex coronet but no depth rating, no "Oyster" engraving, and no model-line marking.
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	The 8171 did not found a line. No 8171 successor reference exists. Rolex did not continue the complete-calendar-moonphase programme past the 1950s, did not reissue a 38mm non-Oyster dress complication, and has not revisited the moonphase as a series production complication in any wristwatch reference since. The 8171 and the 6062 are a closed chapter.		The 8171 did not found a line. No 8171 successor reference exists. Rolex did not continue the complete-calendar-moonphase programme past the 1950s, did not reissue a 38mm non-Oyster dress complication, and has not revisited the moonphase as a series production complication in any wristwatch reference since. The 8171 and the 6062 are a closed chapter.

	What the 8171 did establish was that Rolex could, when it chose to, produce a complete-calendar-plus-moonphase complication at the same level of finish and chronometer certification as its three-hand watches. The A.295 CPL movement was not an outsourced module in the Datocompax sense; it was an in-house Aegler platform with an added complication. The 8171 and 6062 ~~demonstrated~~, briefly, what a complicated Rolex could look like. The firm's subsequent decision to orient around sport-watch specialization (Submariner, GMT-Master, Day-Date, Daytona) relegated that demonstration to a single reference pair and closed the door on a path the 8171 had opened.		What the 8171 did establish was that Rolex could, when it chose to, produce a complete-calendar-plus-moonphase complication at the same level of finish and chronometer certification as its three-hand watches. The A.295 CPL movement was not an outsourced module in the Datocompax sense; it was an in-house Aegler platform with an added complication. The 8171 and 6062 showed, briefly, what a complicated Rolex could look like. The firm's subsequent decision to orient around sport-watch specialization (Submariner, GMT-Master, Day-Date, Daytona) relegated that demonstration to a single reference pair and closed the door on a path the 8171 had opened.

	The market recognized the closure retroactively. Through the 1970s and 1980s, 8171s traded quietly. Through the 1990s, collector attention grew. The 2002 Christie's "Sleeping Beauty" sale marked the moment the reference became an apex collector artifact. The 2017 Bao Dai 6062 result at CHF 5M extended that status to the pair. By the late 2010s, Phillips Geneva auctions had established both the yellow gold benchmark (CHF 980,000) and the steel benchmark (CHF 1,028,000) for the 8171 in isolation.		The market recognized the closure retroactively. Through the 1970s and 1980s, 8171s traded quietly. Through the 1990s, collector attention grew. The 2002 Christie's "Sleeping Beauty" sale marked the moment the reference became an apex collector artifact. The 2017 Bao Dai 6062 result at CHF 5M extended that status to the pair. By the late 2010s, Phillips Geneva auctions had established both the yellow gold benchmark (CHF 980,000) and the steel benchmark (CHF 1,028,000) for the 8171 in isolation.

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	\|description=The 8171 is the complication flagship. Launched around 1949 and produced for roughly three years, it is — with its Oyster-cased sibling the 6062 — one of…		\|description=The 8171 is the complication flagship. Launched around 1949 and produced for roughly three years, it is — with its Oyster-cased sibling the 6062 — one of…
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Admin: Trim another small batch of dense reference prose

2026-04-24T21:52:14Z

Trim another small batch of dense reference prose

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	Within Rolex history, the 6062 and 8171 are treated as a pair. Collector vocabulary uses both names without hierarchy. Auction catalogs cross-reference: Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams all describe the 8171 and the 6062 in each other's terms when one surfaces. The 6062 produced the Bao Dai result: Phillips Geneva May 2017, CHF 5,066,000, the black dial diamond-marker example commissioned by the last Vietnamese emperor. That lot is not an 8171 lot, but it is the apex of the complication pair's market history and sits on a watch that is mechanically identical to the 8171 beneath the Oyster case.		Within Rolex history, the 6062 and 8171 are treated as a pair. Collector vocabulary uses both names without hierarchy. Auction catalogs cross-reference: Phillips, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams all describe the 8171 and the 6062 in each other's terms when one surfaces. The 6062 produced the Bao Dai result: Phillips Geneva May 2017, CHF 5,066,000, the black dial diamond-marker example commissioned by the last Vietnamese emperor. That lot is not an 8171 lot, but it is the apex of the complication pair's market history and sits on a watch that is mechanically identical to the 8171 beneath the Oyster case.

	The distinction ~~between them~~ is ~~aesthetic and philosophical~~. The 6062 is ~~Rolex's attempt to put a full~~ complication ~~set inside an Oyster and preserve the firm's waterproof identity~~. The 8171 is ~~Rolex's attempt to put~~ the ~~same~~ complication ~~set inside a dress~~ watch ~~and accept the dress-watch constraints: non-Oyster, larger diameter, dressier lines~~. ~~Neither reference was produced in large numbers. Neither was continued~~ after the mid-1950s. The line of reasoning that produced both, Rolex competing in the complication segment on complication terms rather than waterproofing terms, did not survive the turn toward sport-watch specialization that defined the firm's second half-century.		The distinction is simple. The 6062 is the Oyster complication watch. The 8171 is the dress complication watch. Rolex stopped making either kind after the mid-1950s.

	<span id="auction-record"></span>		<span id="auction-record"></span>
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	The Christie's December 2002 "Sleeping Beauty" sale is the historically important result. Estimated at USD 250,000–350,000, the watch sold for USD 1,145,000 after a multi-country bidding contest, setting at the time a world auction record for a Rolex wristwatch. The "Sleeping Beauty" nickname attached at the moment of sale, a play on the price surprise and on the watch itself, a stainless steel 8171 that had been quiet in the market until that night. The sale restructured collector perception of the 8171 and of complicated Rolex in general; in 2002, seven figures for a non-chronograph Rolex was without precedent.		The Christie's December 2002 "Sleeping Beauty" sale is the historically important result. Estimated at USD 250,000–350,000, the watch sold for USD 1,145,000 after a multi-country bidding contest, setting at the time a world auction record for a Rolex wristwatch. The "Sleeping Beauty" nickname attached at the moment of sale, a play on the price surprise and on the watch itself, a stainless steel 8171 that had been quiet in the market until that night. The sale restructured collector perception of the 8171 and of complicated Rolex in general; in 2002, seven figures for a non-chronograph Rolex was without precedent.

	Phillips ~~Geneva~~'s 2019 pair is the modern benchmark~~. May 2019 Lot 68, an 18K yellow gold 8171 with a two-tone dial, accompanied by original numbered hang tag and presentation box, sold for~~ CHF 980,000~~, the public benchmark~~ for top-~~condition yellow~~ gold ~~Padellone with documented provenance. November 2019 Lot 175, a stainless steel example described in the Phillips catalog as representing "the benchmark in terms of condition, factory finish~~ and ~~aesthetics" for the steel reference, sold for~~ CHF 1,028,000~~. Two consecutive Phillips cycles, two near-equivalent seven-figure results, one yellow gold and~~ one ~~steel~~. That ~~pairing~~ is the clearest ~~single~~ marker of where the reference sits ~~in the market~~.		Phillips' 2019 pair is the modern market benchmark: CHF 980,000 for a top yellow-gold watch and CHF 1,028,000 for a benchmark steel one. That pair is still the clearest marker of where the reference sits.

	Standard yellow gold 8171 results run well below these landmarks. The 2024 cycle produced results in the USD 100,000–200,000 range for mid-tier examples. Condition, preservation of factory finishes, originality of dial, presence of original paperwork and packaging, and material (gold versus steel) all move the result meaningfully within the tier. Dealer asking prices for yellow gold 8171s typically run USD 120,000–300,000+ depending on configuration; steel examples rarely surface at retail at all.		Standard yellow gold 8171 results run well below these landmarks. The 2024 cycle produced results in the USD 100,000–200,000 range for mid-tier examples. Condition, preservation of factory finishes, originality of dial, presence of original paperwork and packaging, and material (gold versus steel) all move the result meaningfully within the tier. Dealer asking prices for yellow gold 8171s typically run USD 120,000–300,000+ depending on configuration; steel examples rarely surface at retail at all.

Admin: Trim another tier of dense reference prose

2026-04-24T19:43:37Z

Trim another tier of dense reference prose

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	The 8171 was produced in 18K yellow gold, 18K pink gold, and stainless steel. Yellow gold dominates the documented population. The majority of auction lots, dealer listings, and published examples are 18K yellow gold. Pink gold is substantially rarer; collectors estimate the pink gold population at a small fraction of yellow. Steel is the unicorn.		The 8171 was produced in 18K yellow gold, 18K pink gold, and stainless steel. Yellow gold dominates the documented population. The majority of auction lots, dealer listings, and published examples are 18K yellow gold. Pink gold is substantially rarer; collectors estimate the pink gold population at a small fraction of yellow. Steel is the unicorn.

	Dealer consensus ~~places~~ steel production ~~at approximately~~ 800 pieces ~~out of the estimated 1~~,~~000–1,200 total, a figure that circulates in dealer summaries (Amsterdam Vintage Watches) alongside [https://watchesbysjx.com/2019/10/rolex-8171-padellone-steel.html SJX’s 2019 treatment of~~ the ~~steel 8171] (JX Su, 2019), which documents several seven-figure steel results without anchoring a specific production total. The~~ survivor count ~~at auction runs far below 800~~. ~~Steel 8171s appear rarely at public sale, and when they do the results are the highest the reference produces. The~~ mismatch ~~between the estimated steel production number and the observed auction frequency~~ is one of the ~~reference’s~~ open questions.		Dealer consensus usually puts steel production around 800 pieces, though the auction survivor count feels much lower. That mismatch is one of the open questions that still hangs over the steel 8171 story.

	Why steel at all on a dress complication is not documented. Rolex's own mid-century catalog presentation of the 8171 framed it as a precious-metal piece. Steel examples exist, are period-correct, and carry conventional 8171 movement, dial, and caseback markings, but the reference was not designed around a steel variant, and no contemporary Rolex literature promotes steel as an option. The ~~result~~ is that steel Padellones are~~, within the 8171 population,~~ the most sought-after configuration~~. Material incongruity with the dress brief, extreme rarity at public auction~~, ~~and a different aesthetic on~~ the ~~wrist (greyer, colder, more modern than the gold variants) combine. Every seven-figure 8171 result has been a steel example~~.		Why steel exists at all on a dress complication is still not documented cleanly. The practical point is that steel Padellones are the most sought-after configuration, even if the production logic behind them stays unclear.

	<span id="the-dial"></span>		<span id="the-dial"></span>