What does the text on your Rolex mean? 

What do a 1960 Datejust and a brand new Yacht-Master have in common? At first glance, not much. Yet the text on the dial of both watches is largely the same. Not only is this the case with these two models, but with about 95% of all Rolexes produced in the interim. What is so important that rolex has been writing it on virtually every watch for over 60 years? Or in other words: What does the text on your Rolex mean?

The top of the dial reads "Oyster Perpetual. This is an amalgamation of two features that characterize most Rolexes: an oyster case and a 'perpetual' movement. The oyster case is Rolex's famous waterproof case. It is made waterproof by threading the crown and back cover and screwing them to the center case. Multiple rubber gaskets are also used to make the whole thing waterproof.

'Perpetual' translates freely to 'perpetual' or 'forever' and refers to the automatic movement found inside the case that remains wound 'forever'. The movement does not need to be manually wound, but draws its energy from a rotor located on the back of the movement. The movement of the wrist causes the rotor to rotate, thus winding the spring that powers the timepiece.

Automatic watches are the standard today, but were still relatively rare in the 1950s. Rolex bet on this innovation early on and saw that this was the future. The combination of the waterproof case and automatic movement makes Rolex watches very robust and easy to use.

At the bottom of the dial it says "Superlative chronometer officially certified" (SCOC for connoisseurs). This term indicates that the movement is chronometer certified. This means that the movement is of the highest quality and keeps very accurate time! This certification is issued by the independent Swiss instituteContrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), so that the quality standard is guaranteed. Rolex puts almost all of its timepieces through these rigorous tests and regulates its timepieces to a maximum -2 or +2 seconds per day deviation. So it is only right that this achievement is proudly displayed on the dial!

Exceptions

When it comes to Rolex, there are always exceptions that prove the rule. So too now.

Regarding the oyster perpetual text, there are entire model lines that lack this text. The most well-known are the Cellini and the Oysterquartz. The Cellini line is the line of more formal, usually gold, watches. These watches are meant for special occasions and should be thin, so that they fit under the cuff of a shirt. Therefore, a non-waterproof case and a movement without a rotor are often chosen. This allows the whole thing to remain thin.

The oysterquartz, as the name suggests, does have an oyster case, but instead of an automatic winding mechanical movement, it has a battery-powered quartz movement and therefore does not have an oyster perpetual on the dial.

The SCOC text is found only on chronometer-certified timepieces. Some entry-level Rolex models therefore lack this text. Copies from the 1940s and early 1950s may have OCC on the dial instead of SCOC: Officially Certified Chronometer.