Candy Pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual 31 and 36: A Brief History
Watch dial colors are a lot like car colors. The majority of them are “non-colors” (like white, silver, grey and black), with champagne and blue also being common. But Rolex made waves in 2020 when they released a lineup of brightly colored lacquer dials for three sizes of their Oyster Perpetual models (31mm, 36mm and 41mm). The Candy Pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual, offered in 31mm and 36mm, was immediately popular.
The other colorful dials introduced that year (yellow, red, green, and turquoise) have remained very popular too, as has the Celebration dial released in 2023. For whatever reason, Rolex never offered these colorful lacquer dials on the Oyster Perpetual 28 or 34. More typical “sunburst” dials are available in all five sizes.
Candy Pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual 31
The Oyster Perpetual 31 is arguably the hottest women’s Rolex watch on the market right now, if not the hottest women’s luxury watch period. The Candy Pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual 31 was discontinued in 2022, when yellow and red dials were discontinued altogether. Based on sales listings for the Oyster Perpetual 31, Candy Pink is by far the rarest color of all, and it sells for around $11,000 while the other colors are closer to $9,500.
The Rolex caliber 2232 that powers the Oyster Perpetual 31, considered a “ladies’ movement,” has a Syloxi hairspring–an innovation that most men’s Rolex watches don’t have. Its power reserve of 55 hours is more than sufficient, and it doesn’t seem to suffer from the notorious amplitude issues of the Rolex 32xx movement.
For many women, the OP31 is a perfect GADA watch. The Easylink comfort adjustment link in the clasp is a pretty beloved feature for many owners, allowing them to easily keep the size comfortable when their wrist swells in the summer etc.
Candy Pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36
Many people expected the Candy Pink Oyster Perpetual 36 to be one of the Rolex models discontinued in 2024, but it’s still in the catalog for now. 36mm is a great traditional size for men’s watches, but at this point, the Oyster Perpetual 36 is widely considered to be a unisex watch.
The Candy Pink OP36 has double-baton markers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, plus black squares on the minute track at each hour. Although some assume that pink watches are generally for women, plenty of male collectors enjoy wearing the Candy Pink OP36.
Luxury Bazaar listed a Candy Pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 for $10,500 in July of 2024 and it got snapped up almost immediately. As of late 2024, market price is closer to $12,000. That’s not much less than the once-ultra-hot turquoise or Celebration dials (now around $14,000) and not much more than the 31mm Candy Pink model, interestingly.
Specs
| Specification | Oyster Perpetual 31 | Oyster Perpetual 36 |
|---|---|---|
| Reference Number | 277200-0009 | 126000-0008 |
| Case Material | Oystersteel | Oystersteel |
| Case Diameter | 31mm | 36mm |
| Case Thickness | 10.8mm | 11.6mm |
| Lug-to-Lug Length | 36.6mm | 43.5mm |
| Water Resistance | 100m | 100m |
| Movement Caliber | 2232 | 3230 |
| Power Reserve | 55 hours | 70 hours |
| Bracelet | Oyster bracelet with Easylink clasp | Oyster bracelet with Easylink clasp |
| Crystal | Sapphire | Sapphire |
| MSRP (Oct. 2024) | (Discontinued 2022, other colors available at $5,650) | $6,100 |
| Market Price (Oct. 2024) | $11,000 | $12,000 |
Candy Pink vs. Pink Sunburst
The Candy Pink Rolex Oyster Perpetual dials are lacquered and thus have a slight gloss to them, but they’re not exactly shiny. The regular sunburst pink dials offered by Rolex are more shimmery, with a bit more of an “orangey” hue.
Sunburst pink dials are cool, too, but there’s something special about the Candy Pink color. I expect demand will remain strong for these for years to come.
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