Rolex Cellini 2016 / Hands-on: New Editions including the Brown Dual Time and the Blue Date (Live photos, specs & price)

Until 2014, the vision of a dress watch by Rolex was covering two options: the Day-Date or the Datejust on one side and the Cellini on the other side. However, there was an issue. The two first watches are not really dressy and the old Cellini were… Not really successful. But in 2014, Rolex launched the new Cellini, a round, classical and very elegant watch, which immediately became a hit. Only available in traditional white and black dial, the Rolex Cellini gets (a bit) fancier this year, with new colors for the dials, including a brown Dual Time and the Blue Date. Overview.

Unitif 2014, in the Rolex catalogue, the name Cellini was synonym of the Prince, a shaped-watch, with a rectangular case and, as only real piece of interest, being the one and only Rolex watch with a visible movement. This could however not hide the fact that the Cellini Prince was not traditional, elegant and, mainly, on par with the actual standards of the brand and with the expectations of collectors. Rolex’s answer came at Baselworld 2014, in the shape of a very traditional watch, with a round case, simply named Cellini. However, apart from its name, the new Cellini are nothing but the descendant of the previous Prince. Playing on the traditional side of watchmaking, it even boasts some vintage appeal, with references to old Bubbleback timepieces. Combine this with elegant dials and hands, a superbly executed case and interesting and unprecedented (for Rolex) complications, and you’ll obtain what is certainly the best dress Rolex since decades.

The 2016 Rolex Cellini Dual Time Brown Dial / Everose Gold ref. 50525

The Rolex Cellini was introduced right from the beginning as an entire collection, including 3 watches: a simple time-only (3 hands), a date (with a sub-dial and a date by hand) and a dual-time (again, with a sub-dial and not a re-interpretation of a GMT-Master II). Considering the classical and restrained vocation of these watches, Rolex decided to start with 2 colors only, seen as essential for such a watch: opaline white and black – that could be mix in a choice of white gold or pink (Everose) gold, with black or brown dial. Clearly not void of elegance, this early choices however remain (too) traditional and at Baselworld 2016, the “Crown” brings some fancier (relatively speaking) editions. You’ll now have a brown dial mixed with pink gold and a blue dial mixed with white gold. 2 easy choices for sure, but in the end, it simply works.

The Golden Ticket – Rolex Cellini Dual Time Brown Dial / Everose Gold ref. 50525

The flagship edition of the Rolex Cellini collection, the Dual Time, will now be available with an easy but desirable configuration, playing on warm tones – a combination that Rolex uses since a few years now on the Day-Date and on the Sky-Dweller. Using the in-house Everose gold (Rolex own pink gold alloy, supposed to have a better resistance to wear and to keep its pink color for a longer period), the Rolex Cellini Dual Time adds some chocolate brown to its guilloche dial, with the iconic “Rayon flammé de la gloire” pattern. Hands and indexes are, of course, matching with the case. The alligator strap also plays with the same codes, as being made in dark brown leather. The watch itself remains untouched – see our in-depth review for more details – with its Dual Time complication. For travelers’ watches, Rolex usually chose the GMT hand concept – see the GMT-Master II – but here, the display is different. A sub-dial at 6 indicates a second-time zone with two hands, the hour hand being independently adjustable by one-hour increments via the crown. It also features a day-and-night indication in a dedicated window.

Besides being warmer – of course – this brown dial / Everose edition of the Rolex Cellini Dual Time also emphasizes the guilloche pattern, being more lively than on the white or black editions. Not as restrained as the two others, it remains elegant and, like the others, very well proportioned. This 2016 Rolex Cellini Dual Time Brown Dial / Everose Gold ref. 50525 is priced at 17.750 Euros (with 20% VAT), the same price as the other editions.

Specifications

• Case: 39mm diameter – 18k Everose (pink) gold – sapphire crystal on front – 50m water resistant
• Movement: Calibre Rolex 3180 – automatic – 48h power reserve – 28,800 vibrations/h – hours, minutes and seconds on the central axis, second time-zone and day-and-night at 6
• Certified Superlative Chronometer / 5 years warranty
• Strap: brown alligator leather with gold pin-buckle
• Ref. 50525 – price: 17.750 Euros.

Ice Cubes – Rolex Cellini Date Blue Dial / White Gold ref. 50519

While the first one was all about warm colours, the new Rolex Cellini Date is its complete opposite. With its white gold case and dark blue dial, it also plays on classical codes – such a color mix is never a bad option. Dark blue dials at Rolex are usually linked to a white gold or stainless steel case, and rarely to gold (except for the very traditional yellow gold / blue dial combination of the Submariner). And without surprises, in the context of the Cellini, it works great. The blue color is applied on the guilloche dial, with hands and indexes matching the case. The strap on its side is dark blue, to give echo to the dial. The rest of the watch remains technically the same, with a date indicated by a hand, in a sub-dial at 3 – also something rather unusual for Rolex, more prone to the window at 3 with cyclops… but the Cellini is not an Oyster and it has to be different. The date by hand is certainly more refined.

This combination of blue and white metal is certainly less traditional and, on the contrary of the brown one, it gives the watch a less formal, more daily look to the Cellini. It becomes easier to match with a pair of jeans but still remains a winner with a suit. This 2016 Rolex Cellini Date Blue Dial / White Gold ref. 50519 will be priced at 16.350 Euros (with 20% VAT), the same price as the other editions.

Specifications

• Case: 39mm diameter – 18k white gold – sapphire crystal on front – 50m water resistant
• Movement: Calibre Rolex 3165 – automatic – 48h power reserve – 28,800 vibrations/h – hours, minutes and seconds on the central axis, date by hand at 3
• Certified Superlative Chronometer / 5 years warranty
• Strap: blue alligator leather with gold pin-buckle
• Ref. 50519 – price: 16.350 Euros.