Here is something you don’t see every day: a watchmaker dismantling and revicing a Rolex 3135 movement.

Looking at this video reminded me of what a great movement Caliber 3135 is. Its less fancy movement finish and less exclusive image is counterbalanced by the fact that the movement never likely to be fickle or give any trouble.

Rolex Caliber 3135

Automatic Caliber 3135 is the successor to Rolex Caliber 3035, which was a modern, strong, reliable, and more accurate departure from the brand’s previous slower-beating movements.

Used to power the Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller, Yacht-Master, Milgauss, and Submariner models, it is also the base movement for the slightly larger-sized Cellini models introduced at Baselworld 2014 (see Does Rolex Make Dress Watches? The Cellini Range Answers That With A Resounding Yes).

Thanks to its slightly larger base plate, Rolex is able to add modules to Caliber 3135 to create complications like the second time zone and the unusual date display in the Cellini collection.

A Rolex balance with Parachrom hairspring

The regulating system

Caliber 3135 has been in regular use at Rolex since about 1988 with periodic upgrades.

One such enhancement came about in 2000: the addition of Rolex’s blue Parachrom hairspring, which required five years of research by physicists and material engineers according to the Geneva-based brand. The Parachrom hairspring warranted two patents: one for the chemical composition of the alloy and one for the surface treatment added in 2005.

A Rolex balance composed of the Parachrom hairspring, balance wheel with Microstella screws, and balance staff

This new process modifies the spring’s surface with the goal of reinforcing its long-term stability. It is this treatment that creates the unique blue color that sets the Parachrom apart from other hairsprings. Rolex also provides another explanation for wanting the blue color: “It has been a sign of prestige reserved for only the most accurate timepieces.”

Rolex’s own Paraflex shock protection in Caliber 3135

The Parachrom hairspring is non-magnetic and shock-resistant in particularly effective ways thanks to its unusual paramagnetic alloy containing niobium, zirconium, and oxygen. According to Rolex, a Parachrom hairspring is ten times more resistant to shocks than traditional hairsprings.

Rolex balance with Parachrom hairspring

The hairspring, of course, combines with the balance wheel to determine the precision of the watch by the regularity (isochronism) of its oscillations. Rolex’s engineers invented the Microstella screws in 1957, a variable inertia system enabling the fine regulation of the wheel’s inertia. Microstella screws continue to be used to this day with the only difference being that they are now made of gold.

Inserting the balance into Rolex Caliber 3135

The fine adjustment is performed by lightly screwing or unscrewing what Rolex calls the nuts in opposing pairs to retain the wheel’s poise.

The rotor

Invented by Rolex in 1931, the automatic winding rotor is a half‑moon-shaped oscillating component that winds in both directions using the movement of the wearer’s wrist as its impetus.

Rolex calls this the “perpetual rotor.”

Rolex Caliber 3135 disassembled; note the red Teflon-coated gear wheels in the left-hand column of components (photo courtesy The Watch Gallery)

In the video and in the photo of the disassembled movement above, it is easier to see the red gear wheels (on the far left) that normally just peek out from behind the automatic assembly. These are coated with Teflon to increase the rotor’s efficiency as it rotates to wind the mainspring.

The components making up Rolex’s bi-directional winding system

Caliber 3135 is additionally officially certified by the Swiss authority C.O.S.C. as a chronometer-grade precision movement.

One great little detail to note is that even though all Rolex models, and many models of other brands, tend to write “C.O.S.C.” on the dial when they are certified, the Cellini models mentioned above dispense with this and all other verbiage on the dial with the exception of “Rolex Genève Cellini” and “Swiss Made.”

Rolex Caliber 3135

This delightful happenstance reinforces my thought that Rolex wants us to focus on the elegance of the new Cellini models rather than the mechanical reliability and excellence of their tried-and-tested movements.

Caliber 3135, which industry insiders might lovingly call a “workhorse,” has been in reliable use so long that it is free of the types of bugs that plague new movements.

As James Bond well knows, Rolex is equally at home under the cuff of a tux as it is battling the bad guys

Which makes it an excellent choice to use inside an elegant dress watch. After all, when you’re out for the evening in a tuxedo, that’s pretty much the last thing you want to be thinking about.

For more information, please visit www.rolex.com.