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The “Rolex perpetual calendar” described in watch coverage is not a standard Rolex production model. It is a reported yellow-gold Datejust, reference 16238, modified by watchmaker Franck Muller to add calendar displays including a leap-year indicator. The watch’s specifications and history come from published accounts; the available reporting does not independently authenticate the example or establish its current status.
What is the Franck Muller Rolex perpetual calendar?
It is a Datejust reported to have been substantially modified by Franck Muller, not a factory-configured Rolex perpetual-calendar model. Monochrome describes Muller as adding the complication, while Revolution Watch identifies the base watch as a yellow-gold Datejust reference 16238 with a calibre 3135 movement. These are the publications’ descriptions of the example, not independently verified specifications.
Revolution Watch reports four calendar-related displays: month and leap year at 12 o’clock, date at 3, moon phase at 6, and day at 9. It places the modification around 1987, but presents that chronology as part of the story rather than as a date confirmed by documentation.
What does its calendar display do?
The key distinction is leap-year correction. A complete calendar can display the day, date, and month, and may include a moon-phase display, but it does not account for the varying lengths of February through a perpetual leap-year cycle. A perpetual calendar is designed to account for that cycle, so it requires less frequent manual correction under normal operation.
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Monochrome contrasts this modified Datejust with Rolex references 6062 and 8171, saying those models had complete-calendar movements with moon phase but lacked leap-year correction. That comparison is Monochrome’s characterization; it should not be read as an official Rolex technical specification.
How does it differ from a factory Rolex?
| Aspect | Reported Muller-modified Datejust | Standard factory Datejust |
|---|---|---|
| Production status | Reported as a Datejust modified by Franck Muller, rather than a standard factory configuration. (Monochrome; Revolution Watch) | The subject is a factory model; the cited coverage does not specify a comparable factory perpetual-calendar Datejust configuration. |
| Calendar displays | Month and leap year, date, moon phase, and day, as reported by Revolution Watch. | Not stated for a comparable factory configuration in the cited coverage. |
| Authentication and history | Monochrome reported accompanying materials, but the coverage does not establish independent authentication. | Not applicable to the specific modified example. |
The word “unique” appears in the coverage, but neither cited article provides a documented census proving that no other modified example exists. It is best understood as the publications’ description, not a verified count of every watchmaker’s work.
Rank #2
- Imported
- Pre-Loved Condition: Very Good; Minor scratches and wear on case and band.
- Case Size/Width: 36mm, Watch Height: 12mm, Band Width: 20mm, Wrist circumference: 7.0"
- Band material: Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold.
- Case material: Stainless Steel
What is reported about its provenance and sale?
In an article dated October 24, 2013, Monochrome reported that New York specialist Orologio offered the watch with its box, purchase invoice, certificates, a letter from Muller to the intended recipient, and a presentation photograph. The article documents what the seller was reported to have supplied at that time; it does not independently authenticate the watch or papers, confirm a present-day listing, or establish a current price.
Revolution Watch later associated the watch with Jay-Z. The cited account does not establish ownership through documentation, so that association should not be treated as proof that he owned the watch.
Rank #3
- Pre-Loved Condition: Very Good; Light scratching and wear throughout watch
- Length: , Height: , Depth:
- Made in Switzerland
- Oyster clasp closure
- Signature upon delivery required
What should a collector verify?
For a modified high-value watch, the distinction between an interesting published story and a verified provenance record matters. The cited reporting supports the existence of a described example and the historical account of its offering, but does not replace an expert inspection or authentication.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Pre-Loved Condition: Very Good; Light scratching and scuffing throughout hardware
- Length: , Height: , Depth:
- Made in Switzerland
- Oyster clasp closure
- Signature upon delivery required
Rank #4
- Imported
- Pre-Loved Condition: Very Good; Scratches and minor wear on case and band.
- Case Size/Width: 26mm, Watch Height: 11mm, Band Width: 13mm, Wrist circumference: 5.5"
- Band material: Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold.
- Case material: Stainless Steel
- Have a qualified specialist inspect the watch and movement, including the added calendar mechanism and its operation.
- Compare the watch, movement, reference information, and serial details with reliable records; do not infer originality from a box, invoice, certificates, or letter alone.
- Ask for the original documents and evaluate their chain of custody and consistency with the watch.
- Confirm any current seller, availability, and terms directly. A 2013 report is not evidence that the watch remains for sale.
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