Rolex Oyster Perpetual is where “Rolex” begins, literally. All modern Rolex watches start with Oyster Perpetual and then a pinch of salt is added by Rolex to conjure some other brilliant timepieces.
It is fair to say that the Oyster Perpetual is the quintessential Rolex. Also, it is one of the best selling Rolex models, as this is usually the first luxury watch bought or is on the shortlist when one is about to make a luxury watch purchase.
While selecting a timepiece, one may spend a lot of time to decide on a watch that may be only 1mm larger or smaller than the desired size. So, it’s fair to be confused between the watches where the size difference is as much as 5mm. When we enter the world of luxury watches we pick a watch which gives pleasure in wrist wear and works the best with our lifestyle, personal taste, wrist size and preference.
OP36 vs OP41, the differences:
In the Rolex Oyster Perpetual range, fortunately, there are multiple dial colors to pick but unfortunately the size options are still limited and what’s on offer may leave you confused as to what is the right size for you. The most popular sizes when considering a Rolex Oyster Perpetual are 36mm and 41mm, famously known as the OP36 and the OP41.
When comparing OP36 vs OP4, more often than not, you can easily get confused between them despite trying them both on and even holding them side by side. Due to the size difference, it’s very likely to find one a bit too small for your wrist while the other a touch too large. While the difference on paper may appear to be 5mm in size, in real life the wearability and feel may be much different than that. Without holding them side by side and without analyzing them up close the only thing you would know is that these are more or less same watches with the only difference in the size but when you start to analyze them the differences are not quite as they sound and also from the design perspective, they’re not very similar
Dial Layout:
in terms of dial layout, they look about the same when viewed in isolation but when they are together you can notice that OP41 has not only much longer hour indices but are much thicker too. This also means that there’s a lot more Lume on OP41 than there is on OP36. While all the minute markings and also the text on the dial is exactly the same in both of these watches, the dial hands are relatively longer on OP41 than they are on OP36. For reference, check the gap between hour hand and hour markers on the OP41 and compare with the OP36. Also the minute hand on the OP41 meets the dial markings on point, whereas on the OP36 there’s a gap between the tip of minute hand and the dial minute markings.
Some of the most sought after dial colors in Rolex Oyster Perpetual range are available at calibre24. Please click here to view them
Hour Markers
While the hour markers look about the same on both of these watches, what’s more interesting is that OP36 has markers with all of its four sides with chamfer and polished edges. Whereas if you see the hour markers on OP41 the chamfered edges are limited to the sides along the length of each our index with the shorter side of each index, let’s say the smaller side of rectangular index the edges receive no beveling. It’s clear that the hour indices on OP36 are much more intricate. Interestingly even Date Just 36 doesn’t come with all four sides of chamfered edges on each hour index, so the experience on the OP36 in this context is truly unique and one of its kind.
Dial Size:
The size of the dial on the OP41 measured at the crystal on top is 33.43mm as compared to the OP36 which is 30.05mm. The OP41 is 3.4 mm bigger than the OP36 which is a significant difference, and you do feel the face of the OP41 to be far more substantial on the wrist.
As the Oyster Perpetual range has no date window, the dial also feels a bit bigger than normal 41mm watches like the DJ41.
Case Size:
As the primary difference between these watches is the size, let’s look at what does the difference in the size mean and if the difference of 5mm (as it appears on paper) is actually as substantial as it sounds or is there something more to it?
Measured at the outer extremity of the bezel, the size on the OP41 one is 39.8mm and when you compare the same dimension on the OP36, the bezel measurement comes at 35.17mm.
This dimension in both of these watches is slightly less than the reading when you measure the case diagonal-size just above the crown. Measuring the case dimension on this position for the OP41 came out at 39.52mm as compared to the OP36 which returned the reading of 36.05mm. This is interesting because while this size confirms that the OP36 case measures the same as its marketed size of 36 mm the size of the OP41 is only 39.5 mm as opposed to its marketed size of 41mm. Accordingly, in theory the OP41 is 5mm bigger in size, but in reality, the additional feel on the wrist is a 3.5mm heftier case only.
Lug to Lug Dimensions:
Lug to Lug determines how the watch wears or contours to wrist. The case height measured on the OP36 is 43.13mm and measuring the same Lug to Lug on the OP41 returns the reading of 47.35mm. This again means that while they are set to be 5 mm different in their sizes the difference in lug to Lug or how these watches wear on the wrist is a little less i.e. around 4mm.
Case thickness:
The thickness of the cases we have 11.75mm case thickness on the OP41 and in case of the OP36, the case is ever so slightly thinner and measures at 11.67mm. The difference is very small but since the case size is also smaller on OP36 it does look much less substantial and relatively thinner on the wrist as opposed to the OP41.
Bracelet:
OP41 comes with a wider bracelet that measures 21mm at the case as opposed to the OP36, that has the bracelet width of 20mm at the case. Both bracelets taper down to the same size and at the clasp we have the same width of 17.6 mm on both of these watches.
The clasps are identical on both of these watches and so is the machining and workmanship. Both watches also come with an upgraded clasp system to offer a 5mm extension link and there’s also micro adjustments on offer on both of these watches.
Weight:
Being smaller of the two, the OP36 is naturally lighter of the two. Adjusted to 6.5″ in wrist, the OP36 on my scale weighs at 119g, while scaling the weight of the OP41 adjusted to same bracelet length, it came out at 131g. So both watches are relatively lighter in general, but the OP36 naturally takes the lead in lightness. Each link weighs 3g on both of these watches so as you add or remove links, you’ll change the total weight accordingly.
Lume:
Putting the watches in the dark, we have very similar and symmetric lume on both of these watches. This lume shot is another example where you can see that the OP41 has not just much longer hour markers than the OP36 but also much thicker too.
Wearability:
On the wrist both of these watches have a different wrist profile span and experience to offer. My wrist size is 6.5″ and the wrist span is 55mm. So despite my wrist not being on the larger side, I can easily wear both of them without any problems. With the OP41, what’s on offer is a lot more wrist presence and substance. While it can easily slip under the cuff, due to its larger size it is a much louder watch that almost always looks like a sports watch.
With the OP36 although the case size may suggest that it’s a small watch; thanks to the wider bracelet at 20mm the substance on wrist it offers is actually not as less as the name would suggest. It’s not a big watch at all and accordingly, while it is also a casual watch with all brushed finish; due to its smaller size it can easily be used as a dress watch, thanks to the polished bezel, case sides, beveled hour markers and dial hands.
Conclusion:
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36mm and 41mm are both the watches with similar technical specs with the only difference in how they wear and look on the wrist. If you have a wrist span of 50 mm or more, then you can wear either of them without any issues. But if the span of your wrist is at or under 47mm or you simply prefer smaller watches, the OP36 might be your best option.
But above all what will determine your decision is what kind of wear and fit you like. If you like a louder and a statement watch with bolder looks and larger face that’s hard to go unnoticed, the OP41 will float your boat better. But if you want a quieter Rolex experience and a watch with an understated size and form, the OP36 is indeed a quite achiever between the two. Or let’s just say that the OP41 is the modern form of the latest Rolex Oyster Perpetual line and the OP36 while still being modern has something else to offer… A vintage vibe!
If you have a wrist span of 50 mm or more, then you can wear either of them. But if the span of your wrist is at or under 47mm, then the OP36 might be your best bet.
