The Rolex Reference 8171, known as the “Padellone” (Italian for large frying pan) amongst collectors, is one of the most legendary, best proportioned, and consequently sought after vintage wristwatches ever made by any manufacturer. If one were to ask the worldwide community of watch collectors which model, in their view, should be on the all-time top-ten list of collectors’ watches, Rolex’s large triple calendar reference 8171, would certainly be most often cited. During the end of the 1940s and into the 1950s, much of Rolex’s design efforts concentrated on tool watches for a new world order, where an increasingly active public demanded precision timekeepers that could withstand the harsh environments they encountered. Rolex’s two full calendar watches – the references 8171 and 6062 - were a departure from the tool watch to a complicated wristwatch for the modern gentleman. Whether for business, travel or the weekend, they were the only two models Rolex ever produced indicating the day of the week, month, date, and moon phase until the 2017 introduction of the Cellini Moonphase. Classically styled wristwatches with a lineage reaching back to the days of the pocket watch, they were only in production for a very short period between 1949 and 1952.

Reference 8171 impresses not only with its large 38mm diameter, especially when considering that a large gentleman’s watch in 1950 was around 35mm, but in particular with its harmonious case proportions and sharp edges, facets and angles. As a consequence, the 8171 case is breathtaking when preserved in close to mint condition, such as the current lot. On the opposite side of the scale, when subjected to repeated and unprofessional polishing, most of its charm and beauty is lost. This particular reference 8171 has happily not suffered such a fate. The Rolex crown and case number on the back, notoriously susceptible to rubbing off or disappearing entirely with any unskilled polish, is still quite visible with sharp definition. The brushed finishing to the sides of the case and underside of the lugs is still beautifully present, as is the Helvetia hallmark with the ‘G’ for the Geneva bureau de contrôle below. The lugs are thick and full, and there is a definitive step between the lugs and the case, which is only seen on the best preserved models.

Due to the sheer expanse of the dial, it is what draws the eye first when being evaluated by collectors and aficionados. The current lot has a beautiful and desirable two-tone dial, with the inner dial having aged to an even lemon crème color that harmonizes well with the lustre of the case. The blue numerals on the outer day track are well preserved with no signs of fading or loss. The overall effect is quite sublime.

Fresh-to-the-market, it is even fitted with its original Rolex strap and buckle – both as well-preserved as the case, indicating the watch was hardly ever worn. This timepiece offers collectors the opportunity to own one of the most beautiful and charismatic examples of the reference 8171 in yellow gold to surface in recent memory.