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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 176200 Oyster Perpetual 26}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 (176200)}}
{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 (176200) — 2007–2020, Cal 2231 | Rolexopedia
|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 (176200) — Calibre 2231 | 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=Reference guide to the 26 mm Oyster Perpetual 176200: its documented 2007 appearance, Calibre 2231, dated dial examples and 2020 catalogue transition.
|keywords=Rolex, 176200, Oyster Perpetual 26, Oyster Perpetual, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex 176200, Oyster Perpetual 26, calibre 2231, red grape dial, silver dial, Oystersteel
|image=Ref 176200 hero.webp
|image=Ref 176200 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 176200 on Oyster bracelet
|image_alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 26 reference 176200 in steel on an Oyster bracelet
|type=Article
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|og_type=article
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}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -&gt; '''176200'''</small>
<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] → '''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 in steel on an 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, shared with the 31 mm 177200. Auction records show several dial layouts; the examples cited here do not amount to a complete factory dial list.
 
[[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"
{| class="wikitable rp-facts"
! detail !! value
|-
|-
! detail
| reference || 176200
! value
|-
|-
| reference
| family || Oyster Perpetual
| 176200
|-
|-
| family
| catalogue name || Oyster Perpetual 26
| Oyster Perpetual
|-
|-
| common name
| documented span || example dated 2007; listed in Rolex catalogue on 9 August 2020
| "Oyster Perpetual 26," "OP26"
|-
|-
| production
| case || 26 mm Oystersteel; monobloc middle case
| 2007–2020
|-
|-
| case
| bezel || domed
| 26mm steel Oyster, monobloc middle case, domed bezel
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal || scratch-resistant sapphire
| scratch-resistant sapphire
|-
|-
| crown
| crown || screw-down Twinlock
| Twinlock screw-down
|-
|-
| water resistance
| water resistance || 100 m / 330 ft
| 100m / 330 feet
|-
|-
| movement
| movement || self-winding Calibre 2231; 31 jewels; chronometer certified
| caliber 2231, self-winding, ~48h reserve, COSC certified
|-
|-
| dial (documented)
| bracelet || steel Oyster, three-piece links, Oysterclasp
| silver, red grape
|-
|-
| bracelet
| closest later size || 276200, Oyster Perpetual 28; a new size in the 2020 range, not a same-size successor
| Oyster, flat three-piece links, Oysterclasp
|-
| successor
| 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 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.
The 176200 belongs to the late-2000s Oyster Perpetual generation. The similar reference numbers can cause confusion: 176200 is 26 mm, while 177200 is 31 mm. Both use Calibre 2231. The 36 mm 116000 and 34 mm Air-King 114200 belong to the same period, but are separate references and model lines.


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 removed the 26 mm size in its 2020 catalogue refresh. The new range started at 28 mm with reference 276200. That model filled the smallest-size position in the range, but it is not a direct replacement in case size or reference number.


<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
== 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.
Rolex's archived specifications identify individual 176200 configurations, and its catalogue still listed the reference on 9 August 2020. A snapshot dated 3 September 2020 shows the refreshed range. These catalogue records bracket the changeover; they do not establish the exact date of the last watch assembled or delivered.
 
The cited 176200 records identify Calibre 2231. No evidence reviewed here establishes 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.


<span id="movement-notes"></span>
== Movement notes ==
== 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.
Calibre 2231 is an automatic chronometer movement. Rolex used it in both the 26 mm 176200 and 31 mm 177200. Auction descriptions identify 31 jewels on examined examples. The shared calibre does not make the watches the same size or interchangeable as complete cases.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
== Dial map ==
== 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.
The surviving records consulted here show more than the silver and red grape dials named in earlier versions of this page. Rolex's archived specifications include silver and red grape configurations. Auction catalogues also document a white dial with black Arabic numerals, and a silvered dial with luminous rectangular indexes. These are specific documented watches, not proof of the full dial catalogue or of production dates for 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 has a listing under 176200 that gives a 28 mm case; Rolex’s archived specifications and the Sotheby’s and Heritage records identify the reference as 26 mm, so the Christie’s dimension appears to be a catalogue error. The listing is not used here for the watch’s specifications.


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


26mm 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:116000|Oyster Perpetual 36 (116000)]] — larger no-date Oyster Perpetual
* [[Reference:114200|Air-King 114200]] — same 2007 launch year
* [[Reference:114200|Air-King 114200]] — separate model line from the same period
* [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]]
 
See also the [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet and clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number guide]].
 
== Auction record ==


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]].
{| 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 ==
== 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 Oyster Perpetual 26, ref. 176200 — archived Rolex specification, 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 Oyster Perpetual 26, ref. 176200 — archived Rolex silver-dial specification, 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 Oyster Perpetual catalogue, 9 August 2020]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20200903185812/https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual.html Rolex Oyster Perpetual catalogue, 3 September 2020]
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/fine-watches-5/reference-176200-oyster-perpetual-grape-a Sotheby's, lot 108, red grape dial, 2023]
* [https://images1.bonhams.com/original?src=Images/live/2015-04/28/S-22785-0-1.pdf Bonhams, Watches & Wristwatches, lot 312, sold 8 August 2012]
* [https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/wristwatch/rolex-oyster-perpetual-26-ladies-wristwatch-ref-176200/a/5592-54135.s Heritage Auctions, lot 54135, 15 June 2026]
* [https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/watches-online-hong-kong-edit/rolex-oyster-perpetual-ref-176200-201/321810 Christie's, lot 201 — catalogued as 176200, but lists a 28 mm case]
* [https://www.rolex.com/watches/oyster-perpetual/m276200-0010 Rolex Oyster Perpetual 28, reference 276200 — current successor-size specification]
* [https://www.tourneau.com/watches/rolex-certified-pre-owned/oyster-perpetual-176200-VRX9733594.html Tourneau Certified Pre-Owned listing, 176200 dated 2007]


[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]
[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]
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