In Rolex’s portfolio of celebrated timepieces, the Oyster Perpetual is often the least talked about. But this simple, pure watch really deserves icon status as the perfect Rolex watch that pares down the watchmaker’s essential qualities of restrained, elegant design, over-engineered details, and performance-driven movements that together make a classic, neat and uncomplicated watch that looks good on any occasion, on any wrist.

The range has a direct link to the original Oyster, the world’s first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, offering the brand’s notable characteristics of chronometric precision, the waterproof Oyster case – guaranteed to a depth of 100 metres – and self-winding movement via the Perpetual rotor, with a power reserve of around 70 hours. The uncluttered displays of hours, minutes and seconds make for clear and legible reading, and the case is made of Oystersteel, Rolex’s proprietary steel alloy, which is particularly resistant to corrosion. Oystersteel is also used for the Oyster bracelet, which was created at the end of the 1930s, and its robust three-piece link system in which the link tops are satin-finished and the sides are polished. It’s also fitted with the folding Oysterclasp and Easylink extension system that allows the wearer to adjust the length of the bracelet by around 5mm.

The latest generation of the Oyster Perpetual collection, introduced last autumn, featured versions of the 36mm available with a rainbow range of vivid coloured dials. A new model was also introduced, the Oyster Perpetual 41. Two notable iterations stood out, one available with a silver sunray-finish dial, featuring hands and hour markers in 18ct yellow gold, and a second version with a bright black sunray-finish dial and hands and hour markers in 18ct white gold. Also in the range are some of the bright colours that feature in the 36mm collection, including coral red, green, bright blue, turquoise blue, and yellow. Featuring a smooth, polished bezel, all the new versions are powered by the in-house calibre 3230, and every model has a Chromalight display, in which the hands and hour makers are coated or filled with a luminescent material that emits a long-lasting blue glow in dark conditions.

Whether you’re looking for a vibrant response to the monochrome of lockdown, or a sleek and handsome silver dial, this suave timepiece does the job to perfection, rooted in the purest origins of Rolex.

£4,700; rolex.com