Today, we take a look at what is arguably the least known and least recognizable collection in the royal archives: the Rolex Cellini. Different from many other watches in the Rolex catalog, which have a clear purpose and a defined aesthetic, the Rolex Cellini collection has been a collection of Rolex replica watches of all shapes and sizes for many years.
The Rolex Cellini collection takes its name from the famous Italian goldsmith and sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. The name was chosen for Rolex’s exquisite, often gem-set collection of formal watches to celebrate the elegant lines and impeccable craftsmanship of the artist’s work.
For a brand that has built its reputation on making highly reliable tool watches, producing luxury-oriented dress watches may sound like an unusual move; however, it was the ingenious work of Mr. Rene-Paul Jeanneret that led to a new shift in the brand’s direction. As Rolex’s marketing director, Jeanneret spearheaded the production of the Rolex Collector story, creating the premise of owning several Rolex watches for different uses and occasions – the concept of the “tool watch” – rather than just one watch to be worn for all of life’s activities.
By the early 1960s, this mantra of owning multiple copy watches had become part of Rolex’s marketing language, and it didn’t take long for the public’s purchasing perspective to shift. Dedicated tool watches like the Rolex Submariner and GMT-Master were successful, making way for a dedicated dress watch, the fake Rolex Cellini.
While many of the earliest Rolex Cellini watches followed a fairly classic and conservative aesthetic, the collection expanded into bold, angular designs in the 1970s, a hallmark of the era. During this period, Rolex hired famous designers like Gérald Genta to design some of their new watches, and watches like the “King Midas” and the Ref. 4651 had many of the unique design features that characterized the watches born during this era.
As Rolex continues to flush out the look of its Cellini collection, the overall aesthetic of the line has shifted back to classic and traditional designs. Instead of the bold and angular lines of the 1970s, the new generation of replica Rolex Cellini watches return to simple and timeless designs, finished to the exacting standards of all Rolex creations, with subtle touches of refined luxury.
Many of the design cues that originally appeared on early 21st century Cellini watches can still be found on the modern Cellini timepieces that Rolex sells today. While these new Cellini watches are modern in terms of build quality and materials, they can also be seen as contemporary counterparts to the earlier Cellini dress watches that Rolex first brought to market many years ago.
