In recent months, the community of enthusiasts and insiders has been enlivened by an indiscretion that, unlike many others, has a solid basis: the Geneva-based maison would have filed a new patent (the EP4632499A1), relating to a newly developed annual calendar mechanism.
After several “leaks” appeared on the net, here comes the manifestation of the innovation that, if materialized, would mark a relevant technical step for Rolex, but also an interesting return to its historical roots related to complications.

A patent that causes discussion

The paper, published at the European Patent Office, describes a compact, efficient annual calendar system with multiple displays. The schematic shows two side-by-side discs, dedicated respectively to the day of the week and the month, ideally positioned at the top of the dial, while the date is indicated by a central hand that clicks instantaneously at midnight.
A layout that immediately evokes the classic “triple calendars” of the middle of the last century, but with a modern technological footprint and patented solutions to reduce friction and energy consumption.

The mechanism, according to the patent, uses an instantaneous energy storage and release system. Basically, a small secondary spring progressively accumulates the force required to trigger, in a single instant, the three indications of day, month and date. This allows for a synchronized, lag-free jump, typical of high-school achievements.
Rounding out the picture is a program wheel that automatically recognizes 30- or 31-day months, reducing the annual correction to just one: the one at the end of February.

This is not the first time Rolex has tried its hand at an annual calendar. In fact, since 2012, the Sky-Dweller collection has housed a mechanism called “Saros,” in homage to the astronomical cycle that regulates eclipses and celestial movements. The Saros system is integrated into Caliber 9001 and allows for automatic distinction between 30- and 31-day months, with the only adjustment required in March.
However, in the Sky-Dweller the calendar is only one part of a larger complication, which also includes a dual time zone and a 24-hour reference ring.

A callback to the past: references 6062 and 8171

The new patent, on the other hand, seems to suggest an opposite approach: simplifying the complication, returning it to a more “classical” setting, centered only on the calendar. This could pave the way for a new line or an expansion of more elegant collections, such as Cellini (now renamed “Perpetual 1908”), where Rolex could introduce an annual calendar or even a modern “triple calendar.”

To understand the symbolic potential of this patent, one must look back. In the 1950s Rolex produced two of its most iconic and complex watches: the Ref. 6062 and the Ref. 8171, both equipped with full calendar and moon phases.

The 6062, nicknamed the “Stelline” for its star-shaped hour markers, was housed in a 36 mm Oyster case that was waterproof and refined. The 8171, on the other hand, known as the “Big Pan,” was distinguished by its larger size (38 mm) and non-Oyster case, giving it a more classic, “city watch” look.

Detail of calendar on Rolex ref. 8171 “Padellone”

Both models featured the typical day and month configuration in a window below 12 o’clock, with a central date hand: exactly the pattern that the new patent seems to repeat, albeit reinterpreted in a modern and simplified way (without moon phases).
After their discontinuation in the 1950s, Rolex did not return to producing “full” calendar complications for decades, preferring to focus on automatic and sports chronometers. This is precisely why the EP4632499A1 patent has attracted so much interest: it could represent the first step toward a return to the functional elegance that was part of Rolex’s postwar identity.

Although the patent does not mention a specific caliber, it is plausible that the mechanism described could evolve into a new family of automatic movements, perhaps derived from the current 32xx platform.
Rolex engineers appear to have worked to achieve maximum compactness and low power consumption, key elements in maintaining a high power reserve even with a calendar module.

The adoption of an instantaneous trigger system and optimized torque transmission components hints at a design approach typical of the brand: complication yes, but with the reliability and robustness of an “industrial” caliber, not a laboratory one.

In terms of display, all indications are that the layout will be symmetrical and balanced, perhaps with two horizontal windows below 12 o’clock and a central arrowhead hand for the date. An aesthetic language that speaks directly to more traditional collectors.

Many observers have noted that some of the patent’s technical solutions seem “scalable”: the program wheel, the energy storage system, and the trigger mechanism could, with appropriate modifications, be integrated into a perpetual calendar.
If Rolex really decides to push the envelope, it would be a first: the maison has never made a serial perpetual calendar in its history. However, patents do not always anticipate upcoming products.

Conclusions

Patent EP4632499A1 is a clue to Rolex’s future mechanical language.
A language that combines tradition and innovation, recovering a historic aesthetic (6062, 8171) and reinterpreting it with the engineering precision that characterizes modern Geneva production.

Whether it is a new annual calendar, a contemporary “triple calendar,” or a prelude to Rolex’s first perpetual calendar, one thing is certain: if it ever sees the light of day, this movement will represent one of the maison’s most interesting steps in recent decades.
A step that, once again, would demonstrate how Rolex watchmaking is never standing still but, in a constant phase of perfecting itself.

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