Reference:176200: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 16:13, 9 October 2026

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 reference 176200 on Oyster bracelet — Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 reference 176200

The 176200 is the 26 mm steel Oyster Perpetual with no date. A Rolex Certified Pre-Owned record dates one example to 2007; Rolex still listed the reference in its August 2020 catalogue. The exact production start and final delivery dates are not established by those records. It uses automatic Calibre 2231, also listed for the 31 mm 177200. Published specifications and auction examples document several dial layouts, but no complete factory dial register is available.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	176200
family	Oyster Perpetual
catalogue name	Oyster Perpetual 26
documented span	example dated 2007; listed in Rolex catalogue on 9 August 2020
case	26 mm Oystersteel; monobloc middle case
bezel	domed
crystal	scratch-resistant sapphire
crown	screw-down Twinlock
water resistance	100 m / 330 ft
movement	self-winding Calibre 2231; 31 jewels; chronometer certified
bracelet	steel Oyster, three-piece links, Oysterclasp
current 28 mm model	276200, Oyster Perpetual; a different case size and reference

Where it sits in the line

The 176200 is the 26 mm model; the similarly numbered 177200 is 31 mm. Rolex's archived specifications list Calibre 2231 for both. They are separate references and case sizes.

Production outline

Rolex's 9 August 2020 catalogue still listed the 176200. A 3 September snapshot no longer lists the reference. These catalogues date when the 176200 disappeared from Rolex's listings, not the final watch assembled or delivered. Rolex currently identifies ref. 276200 as a 28 mm Oyster Perpetual; it differs in both size and reference number from the 176200.

The 176200 examples in the cited records use Calibre 2231; none documents a movement change during the model’s catalogue life. Case serials can help date an individual watch, but Rolex did not publish a complete serial-to-production-year chart. See Reference:Serial-numbers for the limits of serial dating.

Movement notes

Calibre 2231 is an automatic chronometer movement. Rolex lists it for both the 26 mm 176200 and 31 mm 177200. Auction descriptions identify 31 jewels on examined examples.

Dial map

Rolex's archived specifications list silver and red grape dials. Auction catalogues add two documented examples: a white dial with black Arabic numerals, and a silvered dial with luminous rectangular indexes. Together they show four dial presentations; they do not establish the full catalogue or the production dates of each option.

Sotheby's describes a circa-2017 red grape example with a purple sunburst dial. Bonhams records a white dial with black Arabic numerals on a watch sold in 2012. Heritage's 2026 catalogue describes a silvered dial with luminous rectangular indexes. Christie’s also lists a 176200 with a 28 mm case, which conflicts with the 26 mm size in Rolex’s archived specifications and the Sotheby’s and Heritage records; the Christie’s measurement appears to be a catalogue error.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Rolex specifies a 26 mm Oystersteel case with a domed bezel, sapphire crystal, screw-down Twinlock crown and 100 m water resistance. The watch has no date display and therefore no Cyclops lens. A Christie’s catalogue page gives a conflicting 28 mm dimension for a lot listed as 176200; the archived Rolex specification and two auction records give 26 mm. Check the case reference and measurements on the individual watch rather than relying on that single listing.

Bracelet and clasp

The cited examples have a steel Oyster bracelet with a folding Oysterclasp. Rolex describes the modern Oyster bracelet as three-piece links; the examples here do not establish one clasp code or bracelet configuration for the entire 176200 run. A bracelet or clasp date code dates that component, not the watch head. See Reference:Bracelets for clasp-code limits.

Related references

Oyster Perpetual 31 (177200) — same period and Calibre 2231, 31 mm case
Oyster Perpetual family index

Auction record

sale	lot	date	catalogue description
Bonhams, Watches & Wristwatches	312	8 Aug 2012	White dial with black Arabic numerals; Calibre 2231; guarantee card and box listed
Sotheby's, Fine Watches	108	7 Mar 2023	Circa-2017 red grape dial; Calibre 2231; guarantee dated June 2017
Heritage Auctions, Fine Jewelry & Timepieces	54135	15 Jun 2026	Silvered dial with luminous rectangular indexes; Calibre 2231, 31 jewels

Sources

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 176200 Oyster Perpetual 26}}
 {{#seo:
-|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 (176200) — 2007–2020, Cal 2231 &#124; Rolexopedia
+|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 (176200) — catalogue records and dial variants &#124; Rolexopedia
-|description=The 176200 was the Oyster Perpetual 26 — the smallest steel Rolex of its generation, 2007 to 2020, Cal 2231, silver and red grape dials documented. Discontinued in 2020 when Rolex dropped the 26mm size entirely and moved the entry-tier line to 28mm.
+|description=Rolex reference 176200 is a 26 mm steel Oyster Perpetual with Calibre 2231. Catalogue records include it in 2020; auction records document four dial presentations, without establishing a complete factory list or production endpoints.
 |keywords=Rolex, 176200, Oyster Perpetual 26, Oyster Perpetual, specifications, reference guide
-|image=Ref 176200 hero.webp
+|image=Ref_176200_hero.webp
 |image_alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 176200 on Oyster bracelet
 |type=Article
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 <small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -&gt; '''176200'''</small>
-The 176200 is the Oyster Perpetual 26 — a 26mm steel Oyster running from 2007 to 2020, the smallest size in that generation's five-strong entry-tier lineup and the only one Rolex chose not to carry forward when it rebuilt the Oyster Perpetual line in 2020. Its close reference number has led it to be conflated with the 177200, a genuinely different watch one size up; the two share a caliber and not much else.
+<div class="rp-lead">
+[[File:Ref_176200_hero.webp|thumb|center|640px|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 reference 176200 on Oyster bracelet|Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 reference 176200]]
+</div>
-<span id="core-facts"></span>
+The 176200 is the 26 mm steel Oyster Perpetual with no date. A Rolex Certified Pre-Owned record dates one example to 2007; Rolex still listed the reference in its August 2020 catalogue. The exact production start and final delivery dates are not established by those records. It uses automatic Calibre 2231, also listed for the 31 mm 177200. Published specifications and auction examples document several dial layouts, but no complete factory dial register is available.
-[[File:Ref 176200 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 176200 on Oyster bracelet|Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26, ref. 176200]]
+==Core facts==
-== Core facts ==
+{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
+! detail !! value
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
-! detail
-! value
 |-
-| reference
+| reference || 176200
-| 176200
 |-
-| family
+| family || Oyster Perpetual
-| Oyster Perpetual
 |-
-| common name
+| catalogue name || Oyster Perpetual 26
-| "Oyster Perpetual 26," "OP26"
 |-
-| production
+| documented span || example dated 2007; listed in Rolex catalogue on 9 August 2020
-| 2007–2020
 |-
-| case
+| case || 26 mm Oystersteel; monobloc middle case
-| 26mm steel Oyster, monobloc middle case, domed bezel
 |-
-| crystal
+| bezel || domed
-| scratch-resistant sapphire
 |-
-| crown
+| crystal || scratch-resistant sapphire
-| Twinlock screw-down
 |-
-| water resistance
+| crown || screw-down Twinlock
-| 100m / 330 feet
 |-
-| movement
+| water resistance || 100 m / 330 ft
-| caliber 2231, self-winding, ~48h reserve, COSC certified
 |-
-| dial (documented)
+| movement || self-winding Calibre 2231; 31 jewels; chronometer certified
-| silver, red grape
 |-
-| bracelet
+| bracelet || steel Oyster, three-piece links, Oysterclasp
-| Oyster, flat three-piece links, Oysterclasp
 |-
-| successor
+| current 28 mm model || 276200, Oyster Perpetual; a different case size and reference
-| none directly — Rolex discontinued the 26mm size in 2020; the entry-tier line's smallest size became the 28mm 276200
 |}
-<span id="where-it-sits-in-the-line"></span>
+==Where it sits in the line==
-== Where it sits in the line ==
+The 176200 is the 26 mm model; the similarly numbered 177200 is 31 mm. Rolex's archived specifications list Calibre 2231 for both. They are separate references and case sizes.
-The 176200 shares its launch year, caliber family and general design language with the 116000 (36mm), 177200 (31mm) and Air-King 114200 (34mm) — the 2007 refresh that put Rolex's entry-tier Oyster catalogue onto COSC-certified, engraved-rehaut movements across every size then offered. It is the smallest of that group and, along with the 39mm size introduced later in 114300, one of only two sizes Rolex chose to retire outright in 2020 rather than carry forward under a new reference.
+==Production outline==
-The reference gets far less individual editorial attention than its 36mm and 39mm siblings — no dedicated hands-on review from Monochrome or Fratello has been located, likely reflecting its position as the smallest, lowest-profile size in a catalogue that was itself considered unremarkable before 2020. Rolex's own archived catalogue lists it as a "You may also like" cross-reference from the 176200's own product page pointing toward the "OYSTER PERPETUAL 31" — Rolex's own site copy distinguishing the two sizes rather than treating them as a single model.
+Rolex's 9 August 2020 catalogue still listed the 176200. A 3 September snapshot no longer lists the reference. These catalogues date when the 176200 disappeared from Rolex's listings, not the final watch assembled or delivered. Rolex currently identifies ref. 276200 as a 28 mm Oyster Perpetual; it differs in both size and reference number from the 176200.
-<span id="production-outline"></span>
+The 176200 examples in the cited records use Calibre 2231; none documents a movement change during the model’s catalogue life. Case serials can help date an individual watch, but Rolex did not publish a complete serial-to-production-year chart. See [[Reference:Serial-numbers]] for the limits of serial dating.
-== Production outline ==
-The 176200 entered the catalogue in 2007 as part of the same coordinated refresh that introduced the 116000, 177200 and Air-King 114200, running caliber 2231 rather than the caliber 3130 fitted to the two larger references. It remained in the catalogue through August 2020 — Rolex's own site listed the 176200 as late as an archived 2019 snapshot — before being dropped entirely in the September 2020 relaunch of the Oyster Perpetual line, which replaced the smallest entry-tier size with a new 28mm reference (276200) rather than continuing a 26mm option.
+==Movement notes==
-<span id="movement-notes"></span>
+Calibre 2231 is an automatic chronometer movement. Rolex lists it for both the 26 mm 176200 and 31 mm 177200. Auction descriptions identify 31 jewels on examined examples.
-== Movement notes ==
-Caliber 2231 is the smaller-diameter movement family Rolex fitted to the 26mm and 31mm Oyster Perpetual sizes, distinct from the caliber 3130/3132 family used on the 34mm, 36mm and 39mm references of the same generation. It shares the self-winding architecture, bidirectional Perpetual rotor winding, and COSC chronometer certification standard across the line, scaled down for the smaller case.
+==Dial map==
-<span id="dial-map"></span>
+Rolex's archived specifications list silver and red grape dials. Auction catalogues add two documented examples: a white dial with black Arabic numerals, and a silvered dial with luminous rectangular indexes. Together they show four dial presentations; they do not establish the full catalogue or the production dates of each option.
-== Dial map ==
-Two configurations are documented: a silver dial and a red grape dial, both with applied stick hour markers and baton hands. The documented range is narrower than the 116000's or 114300's, consistent with the reference's thinner editorial coverage generally — further colors likely existed across a 13-year run but are not independently confirmed here.
+Sotheby's describes a circa-2017 red grape example with a purple sunburst dial. Bonhams records a white dial with black Arabic numerals on a watch sold in 2012. Heritage's 2026 catalogue describes a silvered dial with luminous rectangular indexes. Christie’s also lists a 176200 with a 28 mm case, which conflicts with the 26 mm size in Rolex’s archived specifications and the Sotheby’s and Heritage records; the Christie’s measurement appears to be a catalogue error.
-<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
+==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
-== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
-mm monobloc-middle Oyster case in Oystersteel, domed smooth bezel, sapphire crystal without a Cyclops lens, Twinlock screw-down crown, 100m water resistance — the same construction language as the rest of the 2007-generation entry-tier line, scaled to the smallest case in it.
+Rolex specifies a 26 mm Oystersteel case with a domed bezel, sapphire crystal, screw-down Twinlock crown and 100 m water resistance. The watch has no date display and therefore no Cyclops lens. A Christie’s catalogue page gives a conflicting 28 mm dimension for a lot listed as 176200; the archived Rolex specification and two auction records give 26 mm. Check the case reference and measurements on the individual watch rather than relying on that single listing.
-<span id="bracelets-and-clasps"></span>
+==Bracelet and clasp==
-== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==
-Oyster bracelet, flat three-piece links, folding Oysterclasp — consistent with the 176200's siblings across the 2007 generation.
+The cited examples have a steel Oyster bracelet with a folding Oysterclasp. Rolex describes the modern Oyster bracelet as three-piece links; the examples here do not establish one clasp code or bracelet configuration for the entire 176200 run. A bracelet or clasp date code dates that component, not the watch head. See [[Reference:Bracelets]] for clasp-code limits.
-== Related references ==
+==Related references==
-* [[Reference:177200|Oyster Perpetual 31 (177200)]] — same generation, same caliber family, one size up
+* [[Reference:177200|Oyster Perpetual 31 (177200)]] — same period and Calibre 2231, 31 mm case
-* [[Reference:116000|Oyster Perpetual 36 (116000)]]
+* [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]]
-* [[Reference:114200|Air-King 114200]] — same 2007 launch year
-See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].
+See also the [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet and clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number guide]].
+==Auction record==
+{| class="wikitable"
+! sale !! lot !! date !! catalogue description
+|-
+| Bonhams, Watches & Wristwatches || 312 || 8 Aug 2012 || White dial with black Arabic numerals; Calibre 2231; guarantee card and box listed
+|-
+| Sotheby's, Fine Watches || 108 || 7 Mar 2023 || Circa-2017 red grape dial; Calibre 2231; guarantee dated June 2017
+|-
+| Heritage Auctions, Fine Jewelry & Timepieces || 54135 || 15 Jun 2026 || Silvered dial with luminous rectangular indexes; Calibre 2231, 31 jewels
+|}
-* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131210191936/http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=24967 "new mid-size oyster perpetual 177200", Rolex Forums thread, Oct 2007 — period confirmation of the summer 2007 launch]
 == Sources ==
-* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190714075712/https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual/m176200-0016.html Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26, ref. 176200 — official specifications, archived] (rolex.com via Wayback Machine, 2019)
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190714075712/https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual/m176200-0016.html Rolex SA, "Oyster Perpetual 26, reference 176200, archived technical specification", Rolex via Internet Archive, 2019]
-* [https://web.archive.org/web/20181111064644/https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual/m176200-0015.html Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26, ref. 176200, silver dial — official specifications, archived] (rolex.com via Wayback Machine, 2019)
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20181111064644/https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual/m176200-0015.html Rolex SA, "Oyster Perpetual 26, reference 176200, silver-dial specification", Rolex via Internet Archive, 2018]
-* [https://www.watchguys.com/pages/rolex-oyster-perpetual-guide Robertino Altieri, "Rolex Oyster Perpetual Buyer's Guide: History & Prices", WatchGuys]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20200809001853/https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual.html Rolex SA, "Oyster Perpetual catalogue page, pre-September-2020 refresh", Rolex, 2020-08-09]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20200903185812/https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual.html Rolex SA, "Oyster Perpetual catalogue page, post-September-2020 refresh", Rolex, 2020-09-03]
+* [https://images1.bonhams.com/original?src=Images/live/2015-04/28/S-22785-0-1.pdf Bonhams, "Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 176200, white Arabic dial, lot 312", Bonhams, 2012-08-08]
+* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/fine-watches-5/reference-176200-oyster-perpetual-grape-a Sotheby's, "Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 176200, grape dial, lot 108", Sotheby's, 2023-03-07]
+* [https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/wristwatch/rolex-oyster-perpetual-26-ladies-wristwatch-ref-176200/a/5592-54135.s Heritage Auctions, "Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 reference 176200, lot 54135", Heritage Auctions, 2026-06-15]
+* [https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/watches-online-hong-kong-edit/rolex-oyster-perpetual-ref-176200-201/321810 Christie's, "Rolex Oyster Perpetual reference 176200, lot 201", Christie's Hong Kong, 2026]
+* [https://www.tourneau.com/watches/rolex-certified-pre-owned/oyster-perpetual-176200-VRX9733594.html Tourneau / Bucherer, "Rolex Certified Pre-Owned Oyster Perpetual reference 176200, 2007", Tourneau, 2026]
+* [https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual/m276200-0010 Rolex SA, "Oyster Perpetual 28, reference 276200, technical specification", Rolex]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20181111064658/https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual/m177200-0016.html Rolex SA, "Oyster Perpetual 31, reference 177200, archived technical specification", Rolex via Internet Archive, 2018]
-[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]
+[[Category:Oyster-Perpetual]]