What is a Rolex Masterpiece? Complete Guide
Rolex has a bunch of different models and variants in its collection – some more well-known than others. But a lesser-known watch from Rolex is the so-called “Rolex masterpiece”.
But what is this watch and why does Rolex call it a masterpiece? That’s what we’ll find out in this article.
What is a Rolex masterpiece?
The Rolex masterpiece is not a separate model. Instead, it is a series of watches within a model. With that said, it is based on already existing models and has been tweaked and revised to fit become a “masterpiece”. Specifically, the Rolex masterpiece is a combination of the Day-Date and the Pearlmaster. Simply put, if you take the Day-Date, pair it with a Pearlmaster bracelet, give it the iconic rounded edges of the Pearlmaster, and then add some gemstones, you have a Rolex masterpiece.
The Masterpiece name indicates that this is a truly special and unique timepiece. And indeed it is.
Naturally, the Rolex Masterpiece has its beginnings with the launch of the Pearlmaster. In 1992, Rolex released the Pearlmaster collection which was specifically made for women. At this time, Rolex had plenty of ladies’ watches, but these were essentially just men’s watches in smaller sizes. Rolex saw this as a gap they needed to fill in order to better appeal to women. And they filled this gap with the launch of the Pearlmaster. Apart from making it in a smaller size, Rolex designed it to be more of jewelry rather than a tool watch – yet without compromising performance as it still featured Rolex’s iconic Oyster case. Furthermore, they were always made in precious metal to enhance their exclusive and luxurious nature.
With the launch of the Pearlmaster, Rolex also released a brand new 5-link bracelet which reminds a bit of an Oyster bracelet, but with more feminine, rounded links. The Pearlmaster bracelet is also equipped with a concealed Crownclasp.
Introducing the Day-Date Masterpiece
To understand what we are talking about, we can essentially just call it the Day-Date Masterpiece. And to make it even clearer, we can call it a Day-Date Pearlmaster Masterpiece. Because that’s essentially what it is.
Now, whilst the Pearlmaster is a separate model, it is still based on either the Datejust or, the Day-Date. But the Masterpiece is not a separate model in itself. The proper way to address it would be to call it a Pearlmaster, rather than a Day-Date.
In Rolex’s own product catalogs, however, they don’t list it as a Day-Date nor as a Pearlmaster. Instead, Rolex refers to the Masterpieces as “Special edition” watches. Rolex calls them special edition watches for a number of reasons. But it’s safe to say that the total production numbers of these watches are highly limited. These are not just any type of watch that stood in every Rolex AD window. For the most part, they were watches that were delivered to special clients on request. Not only is it difficult and time-consuming to create a special, gem-set timepiece, but it’s also in Rolex’s best interest to keep the production numbers low to uphold their exclusivity.
Over the years, Rolex has released a total of 7 Masterpiece watches. They have been made either in full 18ct yellow gold or in full platinum. To create these masterpieces Rolex of course needs to add some gemstones. And what they all have in common is that their bezels are gem-set and have either a pavé diamond dial or gemstones set as hour markers. On a side note, Rolex did make a few additional Masterpiece watches such as the 18948 “Tridor” which were even rarer than the other seven timepieces.
The first Rolex Masterpiece watches
The first Rolex Masterpiece watch was released in 1999 and has the reference number 18958BR and was made in full yellow gold with a diamond-set bezel and a pavé dial.
In the year 2000, Rolex expanded the Masterpiece collection by releasing released the references 18956SALDV, 18955SACO, 18956SA, 18956BRR, and 18946, all made in full platinum and gem-set with diamonds and/or sapphires.
The biggest change with the introduction of the Masterpiece Day-Date at the time was its revised case shape. In 1999 and 2000, the Day-Date was made in the classic 36mm size. For the first time, a Day-Date watch was now made in a 39mm case which can be viewed as a unisex size. At the same time, the Pearlmaster has always leaned more towards femininity with its rounded lines and more feminine Pearlmaster bracelet. That said, there are still plenty of men who wear and enjoy the 39mm Pearlmaster.
It’s still important to take into consideration the time when they were launched. Because the fact is that Rolex actually released the Masterpiece with the intention of it being a men’s watch. During this time, it became trendy for men to wear ultra-luxury gem-set timepieces. As such, Rolex created the masterpiece as an “Haute Horlogerie” watch and with that in mind, the Masterpiece name is highly appropriate. During the early 2000s, these Masterpiece Day-Dates became the ultimate status symbol for men.
The Day-Date would retain its classic 36mm size up until the introduction of the Day-Date II in 2008 and later the Day-Date 40 in 2015. But despite this, the Day-Date 36 has always remained in production.
The introduction of a 39mm Masterpiece was probably a well-thought-out decision by Rolex to fill the void of a larger Day-Date. Whilst the 36mm Day-Date has always – and will always – be regarded as the most classic size, some people were requesting and looking for something bigger.
At its core, the watch retains the classic features of the Day-Date, meaning a day disc positioned at 12 o’clock and a date window with a cyclops on top at 4 o’clock. But apart from that, the overall design traits of the Masterpiece are taken from the Pearlmaster design and not the day-Date design. What you don’t get for the Masterpiece Day-Date, however, is the iconic President bracelet which is, according to a lot of people, more distinct than the actual watch itself.
As mentioned, the Rolex Masterpiece has only been made in either full 18ct yellow gold or Platinum. Combined with the fact that they are intended as “special editions” and have plenty of gemstones on them, it’s no surprise that they also came with substantial price tags during the time they were in production.
Rolex Masterpiece models
Over the years, Rolex released a few different Masterpiece models. These include:
- 18948 Tridor
- 18948: 2000-2014
- 18958BR: 1999-2014
- 18946: 2000-2014
- 18956BR: 2000-2014
- 18956SA: 2000-2014
- 18956SACO: 2000-2006
- 18956SALDV: 2000-2008
As you can see based on the production years above, the Masterpiece Rolex collection was officially discontinued in 2014.
Furthermore, the Masterpiece watches naturally came with high price tags and were never meant to be mass-producted. Therefore, these watches are rare to see today.
Today, Rolex doesn’t use the Masterpiece name in its marketing or product catalog. This is because the Day-Date Pearlmaster is officially taken out of production. However, Rolex still makes the Datejust Pearlmaster, which is very similar to the Masterpiece Day-Date, only that it doesn’t have a day function. But in design, they’re still extremely similar visually.
Rolex caliber 3155
Naturally, Rolex equipped the Masterpiece watches with the caliber 3155 – the same movement found in the Day-Date watches at that time. It is COSC-certified, is automatic, has a double quickest function, and has a power reserve of 48 hours. The benefit of the double quickest function is that it allows you to rapidly change both the day and the date.
