Oyster Perpetual 39mm Blue Dial Review

[LeSamourai]

Hello All,

Long time lurker, first time posting. It has always been a pleasure reading this great forum and learning great knowledge from its members. As my first post, I wanted to share my initial thoughts on the new Oyster Perpetual 39mm 114300 Blue Dial, I was fortunate enough to purchase a little over a week ago.

Introduction -

As soon as the new Oyster Perpetual 39mm was announced at Basel, I knew it was going to be a strong contender for my next watch purchase. As I get older I now tend to have a preference for simple timeless watches with clean dials, that can fit into any situation, and can easily fly under the radar. I also like watches that can go undetected, and don't attract attention, unless you are a watch enthusiast in the know. I had been keeping my eye on the 39mm Explorer, but decided to wait until the new Oyster came out before making my final decision. As soon as I tried on the Blue Dial Oyster, I knew I had to go home with it.

Case and Bracelet -

The watch sits perfectly on my 6.5" wrist. The 39mm size is perfect for my personal taste. It looks big enough to have strong wrist presence, but not too large as to scream "look at me, look at me". I have been fortunate enough to previously own a GMT Master II ceramic, a Datejust yg two-tone, and I currently also own a Submariner LV. I can easily say that this new Oyster Perpetual, is the most comfortable metal bracelet watch I have ever owned (Rolex or any brand). The watch feels sturdy when you manipulate it, but it is also light on the wrist. The Oyster bracelet is great (as usual) and the clasp is a size I prefer. The clasp on my Sub is great and it has the capability of Glidelock micro-adjustments on the fly, which the OP 39mm clearly does not have, but I have always felt the clasp on the Sub was a little too large (long) for the bracelet and watch. The size on the OP 39mm is perfectly proportional.

Dial -

The hands are proportional to the case and dial, and can easily be read in almost any lighting condition. If the lume has not been fully charged, the only time it is a little difficult to read the time is in extreme darkness, because the non-lumed hour markers tend to blend into the blue dial somewhat. Yet this is forgivable because this is not a "sport" model, and again it has to be very dark for there to be any difficulty and have no lume charge. There is lume on the 3, 6, and 9 hour markers, and when charged they work great. Lastly, the color of the blue dial is truly hypnotic. Depending on the light, it can be very dark blue (almost black), or it can be a bright sunburst blue that is beautiful.

Performance -

Setting the time and turning the crown, yields a very satisfying and sturdy feel with absolutely no play in the movement at all. This is a workhorse movement (same as the Explorer) and I am confident it will perform like every other Rolex I have ever owned. Right now after 12 days of owning the watch, it is running at plus 2 seconds per day. It might settle in a little more with time, but I will be extremely happy if it stays the way it is.

Final Thoughts -

This watch should not for a second be considered as an "entry-level" or "poor man's entry" (or whatever other silly name) into the Rolex brand in any way shape or form. After only 12 days of owning it, I can easily say that this is a watch I will never part with. Other Rolexes have come and gone, but this watch is perfect for my personal taste, and I am keeping it forever. This watch and the Jaeger Le-Coultre Geophysic I purchased earlier in the year, are tied for my favorite watches I have ever owned. The model has a rich history behind it and it is perfectly suited for any occasion or situation. It has enough refined elegance to go to a fancy dinner or special occassion, yet it can also look perfect with jeans and a t-shirt.

Glad I could share my thoughts, and I am attaching the obligatory pics -

[mikelcch]

Congrats! Great looking watch!

[Cru Jones]

Nice write up and combo pic with the LVc.

[GFONG]

Congrats! Thanks for the review.

[James A.]

Great looking pair. Surprised not to have seem more of the 114300 on TRF!

[HogwldFLTR]

Originally Posted by James A.

Great looking pair. Surprised not to have seem more of the 114300 on TRF!

There have been a fair number but they're still rolling them out. I'm certain the limited dial choice doesn't help.

Congratulations on picking a winner; I love it.

[jon_jon]

Great review. Congratulations on your new addition!

[OrangeSport]

Great write up. I have a similar, but different, pairing of Oyster Perpetual and Submariner:

[Hairdude1]

Great write up

[joli160]

Welcome

[fmc000]

Welcome and nice watch and write-up.

[Rogdogg]

Nice review. Thanks for taking the time to write it

[travisb]

Welcome! Enjoyed the write up.

[OmegaJJH]

Great write up and huge congrats.

I agree - there is no such thing as an 'entry level' Rolex. It's a Rolex!

[Number3]

Excellent review and what a great first post!

[Chrispare]

Congrats

[busytimmy]

Nice review !!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Skyrider01]

Great review, and I share your sentiments!
Mine is almost a month old and I love it as a daily wearer. It's been running at +1 sec/day.
I pair it with a BLNR

[Danny83]

Very nice

[namussuz bilo]

[tkerrmd]

sharp looking watch!

[AS1]

Great first post, loved the review and it's a fantastic wrist shot too. Congrats!

[tomchicago]

Wow wow wow these 39mm OP's are awesome. Haven't seen in person yet my AD is so so so lame.

[tomchicago]

Gotta say in those side-by-side shots with the tool watches...OP be like "You're trying too hard. This is how it's done."

[Muzz]

I agree great watch and definitely a tremendous value!!! Love the profile on the wrist!!

[tomcorkery]

thank you for the review. Im looking to add this one as well. Hope it sinds to me like yours does.

[ap1]

thanks for writeup = looks great

[watchwatcher]

Yeah...totally agree that a simple, clean watch that looks great with whatever you wear is a staple in the collection. Love the blue dial on yours. Welcome and congrats!

[LeSamourai]

Thank you all for the warm welcome into the forum ! I really appreciate your comments and kind words. Looking forward to participating more in this great community

[Sal_UKSheffield]

Originally Posted by LeSamourai

Hello All,

Long time lurker, first time posting. It has always been a pleasure reading this great forum and learning great knowledge from its members. As my first post, I wanted to share my initial thoughts on the new Oyster Perpetual 39mm 114300 Blue Dial, I was fortunate enough to purchase a little over a week ago.

Introduction -

As soon as the new Oyster Perpetual 39mm was announced at Basel, I knew it was going to be a strong contender for my next watch purchase. As I get older I now tend to have a preference for simple timeless watches with clean dials, that can fit into any situation, and can easily fly under the radar. I also like watches that can go undetected, and don't attract attention, unless you are a watch enthusiast in the know. I had been keeping my eye on the 39mm Explorer, but decided to wait until the new Oyster came out before making my final decision. As soon as I tried on the Blue Dial Oyster, I knew I had to go home with it.

Case and Bracelet -

The watch sits perfectly on my 6.5" wrist. The 39mm size is perfect for my personal taste. It looks big enough to have strong wrist presence, but not too large as to scream "look at me, look at me". I have been fortunate enough to previously own a GMT Master II ceramic, a Datejust yg two-tone, and I currently also own a Submariner LV. I can easily say that this new Oyster Perpetual, is the most comfortable metal bracelet watch I have ever owned (Rolex or any brand). The watch feels sturdy when you manipulate it, but it is also light on the wrist. The Oyster bracelet is great (as usual) and the clasp is a size I prefer. The clasp on my Sub is great and it has the capability of Glidelock micro-adjustments on the fly, which the OP 39mm clearly does not have, but I have always felt the clasp on the Sub was a little too large (long) for the bracelet and watch. The size on the OP 39mm is perfectly proportional.

Dial -

The hands are proportional to the case and dial, and can easily be read in almost any lighting condition. If the lume has not been fully charged, the only time it is a little difficult to read the time is in extreme darkness, because the non-lumed hour markers tend to blend into the blue dial somewhat. Yet this is forgivable because this is not a "sport" model, and again it has to be very dark for there to be any difficulty and have no lume charge. There is lume on the 3, 6, and 9 hour markers, and when charged they work great. Lastly, the color of the blue dial is truly hypnotic. Depending on the light, it can be very dark blue (almost black), or it can be a bright sunburst blue that is beautiful.

Performance -

Setting the time and turning the crown, yields a very satisfying and sturdy feel with absolutely no play in the movement at all. This is a workhorse movement (same as the Explorer) and I am confident it will perform like every other Rolex I have ever owned. Right now after 12 days of owning the watch, it is running at plus 2 seconds per day. It might settle in a little more with time, but I will be extremely happy if it stays the way it is.

Final Thoughts -

This watch should not for a second be considered as an "entry-level" or "poor man's entry" (or whatever other silly name) into the Rolex brand in any way shape or form. After only 12 days of owning it, I can easily say that this is a watch I will never part with. Other Rolexes have come and gone, but this watch is perfect for my personal taste, and I am keeping it forever. This watch and the Jaeger Le-Coultre Geophysic I purchased earlier in the year, are tied for my favorite watches I have ever owned. The model has a rich history behind it and it is perfectly suited for any occasion or situation. It has enough refined elegance to go to a fancy dinner or special occassion, yet it can also look perfect with jeans and a t-shirt.

Glad I could share my thoughts, and I am attaching the obligatory pics -

Perfect pair imo
Looking at pairing an OP blue dial to my newly acquired HULK