ROLEX GENEVE CELLINI: THE ULTIMATE DRESS WATCH

Imagine what it means to be the middle child of a luxurious family. That is exactly the situation of the Cellini model in the Rolex family. More often than not, this watch model gets overlooked.

The Rolex Geneve Cellini most times lives in the shadow of breakthroughs like the Daytona model. Also, this watch does not enjoy that global acceptance that models like the Day-Date enjoy. Yet, the Rolex Cellini has a fixed spot in the brand’s collection. This timepiece remains Rolex’s most ingenious and underemphasized model.

When you consider the continuity in the design of Rolex Oyster timepieces, Rolex Cellini watches are a different kind entirely. This model features an extremely diverse compilation of variations. You get a vast collection of movement varieties, case shapes, material preferences, and bracelet designs.

This brand places priority on variation and revolutionary styling. This is different from the usual consistency you notice with most luxury wristwatch models. Hence, this explains the reason behind the Cellini model’s failure to achieve quite the exact kind of feat as Rolex’s Oyster models.

In simple words, you might have difficulties referencing a Geneve Cellini wristwatch as a model produced by the Rolex watchmaking brand.

Nevertheless, this text is to enable a better comprehension of this often unnoticed but exceptionally admirable timepiece model. In this regard, here is a leeway into the amazing world of the Rolex Cellini dress watches.

Titbits About The Rolex Geneve Cellini Dress Watch

The first launching of this timepiece happened in 1968.
This model gets its name from an Italian goldsmith and sculptor, Benvenuto Cellini
Rolex Geneve Cellini is Rolex’s sole collection of dress watches.
The materials used for crafting this timepiece are either platinum or solid gold.
Both the mechanical movements and the quartz movement can power this wristwatch model.
According to history, this wristwatch model features some non-traditional case shapes in times past.
This model does not utilize the Rolex’s Waterproof Oyster Case feature.

History Of The Rolex Geneve Cellini Dress Watch

The journey of the Rolex Geneve Cellini dress watch began in 1968. From that time till now, the Rolex Cellini collection continues to serve as home to the brand’s non-Oyster dress timepieces.

Rolex got the name for this collection after the Florentine painter, sculptor, and goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini. This man was famous for developing classics during the Renaissance period. Most of his works are still reviewed and praised today.

The original type of Cellini watches came as slim gold dress watches. They featured time-only dials and got their power from manual-winding movements. Clearly, these watches were in every way different from the robust Rolex Oyster timepieces of the moment.

So, when you consider models such as the GMT-Master, Submariner, Datejust, Explorer, and Day-Date, this model stands differently. The “Oyster” identification in distinguished Rolex watches relates to its water-resistant Oyster case feature. Contrarily, Cellini watches never featured Oyster cases at all.

Timeline Of Rolex Cellini Dress Watches

Rolex introduced the Cellini Collection in 1968
The Cellini Midas was next in the 1970s
The 1980s welcomed Cellini Octagon
For the 1990s, it was time for the Cellini Danaos
In that same decade, there was the Cellini Cestello
Then, the Ladies’ Cellini Cellissima came next in the same decade.
The turn of a new millennium gave us the Cellini Cellinium
By 2005, it was time for the Cellini Prince version of this collection.
In 2015, there was a revamp. And, the entire Cellini collection welcomed the entry of three new members. They were the Cellini Dual Time, Cellini Date, and Cellini Time
Finally, in 2017, we had the Cellini Moonphase

Rolex Geneve Cellini: Different Strokes For Different Folks

In the following ten years after production, Rolex widened the scope of the Cellini model. A collection of models came into the picture. We had the eight-sided Cellini Octagon, then the asymmetrical Cellini Midas (modeled after the limited edition Rolex King Midas watch from the mid-1960s). Then, there was the cushion-shaped Danaos and the Prince model inspired by Art Deco.

Not minding the watch design, all Rolex Cellini timepieces are a product of precious metals. Most times you get to find the ones with gold materials. And, sometimes, you get the platinum version.

Then, in 2014, Rolex gave this model of wristwatches a new twist. By taking out a page from the Oyster lineup handbook, the entire Geneve Cellini collection witnessed a redesign.

With this design, the collections appeared more unified. Presently, all new versions of the Cellini timepieces come with a new set of features. They include:

The 39mm cases
Bezels in double steps
Flared winding crowns
Leather straps.

Three years later, in 2017, the brand launched its maiden Moonphase timepiece. The last time the brand released anything of this nature was in the 1950s. But, this time it was the Cellini Moonphase reference 50535 that broke the jinx.

Modern Models Of The Rolex Geneve Cellini And Their References

It was until 2014, till there was the full breakout of the Cellini collection. From that time, every one of the modern models of this brand has certain features in common. These features include:

Circular 39mm cases. They are either in Everose gold or 18k white gold
These models now have double bezels that have smooth and fluted textures
They now come with flared screw-down winding crowns.
The dials come with the inscriptions of Rolex Genève and Cellini on them.
They are made with an input of sapphire crystals
Their case backs are now fluted
The leather straps of these watches come with Everose gold or 18k white gold buckles
Automatic movements. These movements are verified as a chronometer. Also, they come with a 48-hour power reserve capacity.
A water-resistance that covers for as deep as 50m

Presently, there are four major versions of the Cellini collection in the present catalog of this luxury watchmaking brand. And, you can get any of these four main versions from an authorized vendor like Diamonds By Raymond Lee.

The Cellini Time with seconds, minute, and hour
Cellini Date with seconds, minute, hour, and date sub-dial at the 3 o’clock position
The Cellini Dual Time with dual time zones. The sub-dial of the second time zone features indicators for both day and night
Cellini Moonphase that comes with seconds, minute, hour, date, and Moonphase indicators.

Rolex Cellini Time

The Rolex Cellini Time is the simplest contemporary version of the Cellini watch. As one can deduce from the watch’s name, it serves the function of time-telling brilliantly. The timepiece comes with a trio of arrows displayed on the dial. These arrows point to the seconds, minute, and hour.

References

Geneve Cellini Time comes with two references.

- The Cellini Time ref. 50509 made in 18k white gold
- The Cellini Time ref. 50505 made in 18k Everose gold.

Leather Strap

You can get each version with a black or a brown leather strap. The leather strap is then fitted with a buckle. For uniformity sake, the buckle is a product of the exact metal material as the case.

Dial

The Rolex Cellini Time comes in various varieties as regards the dial. There is the version with a white dial and another version with a black dial. Both of these dials feature large Roman figures. These large figures are at the four poles. They appear together with long baton-style hour arrows that are halved by the inner minute track.

Movement

When you check out the interior of this timepiece, you will discover the automatic and chronometer-verified Caliber 3132 movement.

Rolex Cellini Date

The Cellini Date comes with the inclusion of a date indicator. However, instead of the window that uses the usual feature on every Rolex Oyster watch, this model tries something new. It tells the date through a subsidiary dial fixed at the 3 o’clock position.

References

There are two Rolex Cellini Date varieties. They are the Cellini Date ref. 50515 in Everose Gold and the Cellini Date ref. 50519 in white gold.

Dial

The dials of the Rolex Cellini Date come with a different kind of decoration. This watch employs the popular guilloché technique. Hence, you have lines emitting from the middle towards the rim.

This model offers subtle dial color varieties like silver or black. In addition to this, Rolex again delivers an incredible blue dial edition of the Cellini Date. This edition finishes off with a coordinating blue leather strap.

Movement

The movement that powers the Cellini Date is the Caliber 3165 automatic movement.

Rolex Cellini Dual Time

The Rolex Cellini Dual Time enables the wearer to read two time zones all at once.

Dial

Local time appears through the central hour, minute, and seconds hand. For the second time zone, you have it on a sub-dial fixed at the 6 o’clock position.

Note that the second time zone display abides by the 12-hour format instead of the 24-hour one. Due to this, Rolex adds a day and night pointer through the appearance of a sun or a moon in a little window. The window is right at the auxiliary time zone sub-dial.

The decoration of the dial is thanks to a guilloché motif. Then, this gets an addition in the featured lengthened and split applied hour pointers.

References

There are two Rolex Cellini Dual Time references. They are the Cellini Dual Time ref. 50525 in Everose gold and the Cellini Dual Time ref. 50529 in white gold. Both versions provide you with the options of a silver or black dial.

Movement

The Rolex Cellini Dual Time gets power from the in-house Caliber 3180 self-winding movement.

Rolex Cellini Moonphase

After three years when there was a redesign of the entire Cellini collection, Rolex introduced another classic. This is the Cellini Moonphase.

The wristwatch debuted at Baselworld 2017. The last time the brand released anything of this nature was in the 1950s. But, this time it was the Cellini Moonphase reference 50535 that broke the jinx.

References

Similar to other Cellini watches, the Rolex Cellini Moonphase comes in a 39mm case. Yet, you can only get it in 18k Everose gold. Therefore, you have only one version. That version is the Cellini Moonphase ref. 50535.

Dial

The watch comes with a white lacquer dial. More so, the date comes forth through a blue hand with a crescent moon tip that points at the figures around the rim of the dial.

There is a blue enameled disc positioned at 6 o’clock. This disc is an indicator for the existing moon phase of the lunar cycle. Plus, the moon itself comes up as a small disc of meteorite.

Movement

The Cellini Moonphase runs on the self-winding Caliber 3195.

Halted Models Of The Rolex Cellini

These models are no longer produced by Rolex. They are simply vintage and halted Cellini models. They are available at Diamonds By Raymond Lee.

Interestingly, there are certain features all of these halted models have in common. They are:

Time-only displays
Rolex Genève and Cellini featured on the dial
Valuable metal non-Oyster cases in platinum or solid gold
Leather straps or precious metal bracelets

Notable Halted Cellini Models

There are certain popular Cellini models dug out of outmoded Rolex catalogs. They are:

The Cellini Midas

Revolutionary styles with a display of asymmetrical cases. It takes inspiration from the popular solid gold Rolex Midas from the years before.

Cellini Classic

They have leather straps, circular and tiny cases, and manual-winding movements.

The Cellini Danaos

The cases’ cushion shape is vintage-inspired.

Cellini Cestello

Incredibly slim cases that come with flat bezels and hinged lugs are features of this model.

The Cellini Cellissima

These are ladies’ watches with circular or oblong cases.

Cellini Prince

The rectangular case is a product of the Art Deco of the 1928 Rolex Prince timepiece.

The Cellini Cellinium

They come with circular platinum cases in 35mm and 38mm sizes.