Cellini by Rolex, CLASSICAL elegance
Baselworld 2014
Press Release
Basel, 26 March 2014
Rolex presents the new Cellini collection, a contemporary
celebration of classicism and the eternal elegance of traditional
timepieces. Consisting of 12 classically inspired models, this
new collection combines the best of Rolex know-how and its
high standards of perfection with an approach that heightens
watchmaking heritage in its most timeless form. The lines are sober
and refined, the materials noble, the finishings luxurious: every
detail respects the codes of the art of watchmaking. But, this new
collection is not suspended in an idealized past. Like the Italian
Renaissance – one of whose most admired artists, Benvenuto
Cellini, goldsmith and sculptor to the popes, inspired the name
of the collection – the Rolex Cellini models mark a return to the
sources of classicism, reinterpreting it in perfect harmony with their
time. These watches, born of Rolex watchmaking tradition, evoke
the finest examples of contemporary monumental architecture,
where grandiose proportions and clean lines are accompanied by
a strikingly modern reading of space and light. The new Cellini
watches are freed of the formal constraints of their heritage, fully
assuming their role as refined guardians of time, symbols of luxury
steeped in values that reveal an authentic art de vivre.
The new Cellini collection celebrates the most fascinating and exalting facets of watchmaking tradition. Here, elegance and nobility are absolute. The cases are available exclusively in 18 ct white or Everose gold cast by Rolex in its own foundry.
Their round shape and classic 39 mm diameter are marks of tradition, while the refined lugs, the polished finish and the double bezel – one domed and the second delicately fluted – add a touch of distinction. An emblematic Rolex feature, this fluting is also present on the case back, serving to screw it down. The case back is domed as in bygone eras. The flared shape of the screw-down crown highlights the refined aesthetics of the Cellini. The dials also bear witness to knowhow and tradition. They are either lacquered or embellished with a black or a silver-plated classic “rayon f lammé de la gloire” guilloche motif and adorned with gold applique hour markers. The layout of the dials is determined by the watches’ different functions, dividing the collection into three families. The Cellini Time models are the quintessential expression of a watchmaking classic, the guardian of hours, minutes and seconds. The Cellini Date models add a date function via a hand on a small sub-dial, blending practicality and elegance. Finally, the Cellini Dual Time models indicate the time in two time zones simultaneously and feature an elegant sun and moon day/night indicator in an aperture on the sub-dial for the second time zone.
All the new Cellini models feature a high-precision self-winding mechanical movement, certified as a chronometer and entirely manufactured by Rolex. In the purest traditional style, these watches are available only with shiny black or brown alligator leather straps, stitched, remborded and with an 18 ct gold buckle; all for the sheer elegance of a gentleman.
Cellini TIME
THE ESSENCE OF A TIMELESS CLASSIC
Hours, minutes and seconds form the essence of everyday timekeeping. The Cellini Time captures the present as if nothing else were of importance; nothing but the magic of the moment. Its simple, clear dial pays tribute to the timeless codes of classic watchmaking, while reinterpreting them with an elegant modernity: stylized, elongated Roman numerals; stretched applique hour markers, which are divided by a minute track that has been moved towards the centre of the dial, closer to the tips of the hands. Faceted and shaped like a two-edged sword, the hands count off each second, each minute and each hour with the full precision of the self-winding chronometer movement at the heart of this prestigious timepiece.
VERSIONS
The Cellini Time model is offered in four versions: with a black or white lacquered dial, and with a 39 mm case in a choice of 18 ct white or Everose gold. It is fitted on a remborded and stitched alligator leather strap with large scales, in shiny black or brown depending on the model, with an 18 ct gold buckle matching the gold of the case.
Cellini DATE
ELEGANCE, DAY IN, DAY OUT
The days go by in an infinite cycle: yesterday, today, tomorrow. Each day that passes is different, each day is essential. The Cellini Date model adds another function to the indication of hours, minutes and seconds: a date display imbued with elegance, tradition and poetry. Located at 3 o’clock, a small gold-rimmed sub-dial with a guilloche motif at its centre shows the full sequence of the dates of the month. Day after day, a small gold hand indicates the current date, as on timepieces of yesteryear. A splendid instrument to project yourself in time, this calendar displays on a single dial, the days gone by and days to come: yesterday, today and tomorrow.
VERSIONS
The Cellini Date model is offered in four versions: with a black or silver dial featuring a “rayon flammé de la gloire” guilloche motif, and with a 39 mm case in a choice of 18 ct white or Everose gold. It is fitted on a remborded and stitched alligator leather strap with large scales, in shiny black or brown depending on the model, and with an 18 ct gold buckle matching the gold of the case.
Cellini DUAL TIME
TIME HERE AND TIME THERE
There the sun is rising, while here the day is drawing to a close. While on the horizon the sun is setting into the night, on the Cellini Dual Time it gradually appears in the aperture at the bottom of the dial. The Cellini Dual Time model grants its wearers the gift of temporal ubiquity. With a quick glance at the dial, they are simultaneously aware of the time here and the time elsewhere. The small gold-rimmed sub-dial at 6 o’clock shows the minutes and hours in a faraway part of the world: the land of your loved ones when you are travelling, the location of business associates on other continents. To differentiate daytime hours from night-time hours, a sun or moon symbol transits the aperture at 9 o’clock on the sub-dial. The large centre hands, shaped like two-edged swords, always accompany the wearers on their journey. The hour hand can be set independently by successive “jumps” to adjust to a new local time zone, without disturbing the functioning of the watch or the chronometric precision of its self-winding movement.
VERSIONS
The Cellini Dual Time model is offered in four versions: with a black or silver dial featuring a “rayon flammé de la gloire” guilloche motif, and with a 39 mm case in a choice of 18 ct white or Everose gold. It is mounted on an alligator leather strap with large scales, remborded and stitched, in shiny black or brown depending on the model, and fitted with an 18 ct gold buckle matching the gold of the case.