EXCEPTIONAL ELEGANCE

Encased in the finest metals and precious stones, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Pearlmaster holds a special place in the Oyster collection, as a watchmaking jewel expressing refinement and elegance

Melissa Kong

The great Italian film director, Federico Fellini, once mused, “All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster’s autobiography.” Poetic and poignant, Fellini’s words brilliantly encapsulate the essence of art, laying bare the intricacies of the complex journey it takes to deliver a beautiful work of creativity and imagination.

In the same way, the Pearlmaster collection is an unequivocal treasure that tells the story of Rolex’s myriad achievements—the perfect autobiography of its expertise in craftsmanship and technical excellence, fused together in a scintillating timepiece that soars above the ebb and flow of fickle trends and fashion.

Material Allure

Launched almost three decades ago in 1992, the Pearlmaster exemplifies a delicate balance of elegance and style, thanks to its elegant lines and precious materials. Made exclusively with Rolex’s proprietary gold alloys, each Pearlmaster is endowed with the highest quality diamonds, rubies, sapphires or emeralds, meticulously adorned in place by Rolex’s own expert gem-setters.

From start to finish, great care is taken each step of the way, starting with selecting the choicest precious metals. In the early 2000s, Rolex set up its own state-of-the-art foundry where it casts its gold. This unusual step for a watchmaking brand allows Rolex to ensure that only the finest of this precious metal is used in its luxury timepieces and, with it, has mastered the art of producing the finest gold cases and bracelets with unmatched sheen and lustre.

Since gold, in its original 24 ct form, is too soft to be feasibly used in watchmaking, it has to be combined with other metals to produce a suitable alloy. Needless to say, Rolex guards its formulas like a top-secret recipe and adds various percentages of silver, copper and other elements, to create its exclusive 18 ct yellow, white and Everose gold.

Forged under an extremely high temperature of 1000°C, the molten alloy is passed through a graphite sieve where droplets are formed while descending into a vat of water. As they touch the water, these droplets cool down immediately, turning into small beads. The beads are then heated again and poured through a water-cooled die to form solid rods of 18 ct gold.