Macro Monday: Rolex Triple Calendar Moonphase

This week we have an Atom Moore macro of a Rolex Vintage Moonphase. Released in 1950, the Rolex Reference 8171 triple calendar moonphase, often called a "Padellone," is immediately eye-catching with its clean artistry. The nickname, Italian for “big frying pan,” is inspired by the watch’s large size of 38mm. The triple date moonphase watch was originally available in steel, but later models were also produced in yellow gold and pink gold, with matching hands and markers.

The model features a caliber A295 CPL automatic jeweled movement. The dial is an opaline with blue Arabic date tracking, with twin display apertures of month and day along with the moonphase disc that has a background of lovely, deeply saturated navy blue featuring a gold moon. The moon has crisp, fine detail and its design harkens back to the influential 1902 film A Trip to the Moon directed by Georges Méliès. It makes this piece a true work of art, elevated from simply mechanic function and sure to be a prize piece of any collection.