Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36 116000
Oyster Perpetual → 116000

The 116000 is the 36 mm, steel, no-date Oyster Perpetual fitted with calibre 3130. Rolex's 2014 product material lists Red Grape, White Grape and Steel sunray dials; auction records also show black, blue and silver-blue examples. The reference was in use by 2007 and disappeared from Rolex's catalogue in the 2020 model change.
Core facts
| Detail | Documented information |
|---|---|
| Reference | 116000 |
| Model | Oyster Perpetual 36; hours, minutes and centre seconds, no date |
| Catalogue period | Documented by circa-2007 auction examples; listed by Rolex in August 2020 and replaced in the September 2020 catalogue refresh |
| Case | 36 mm Oyster, 904L steel in Rolex's 2014 specification; monobloc middle case, screw-down back and Twinlock crown |
| Bezel and crystal | Smooth domed bezel; scratch-resistant sapphire crystal |
| Water resistance | 100 metres / 330 feet |
| Movement | Calibre 3130, automatic, 31 jewels, COSC-certified, 28,800 vph and approximately 48 hours of reserve |
| Balance spring | Blue Parachrom balance spring with Breguet overcoil; stop-seconds |
| Bracelet | Oyster bracelet, reference 70200 in Rolex's 2014 product sheet; three-piece links and folding Oysterclasp |
Where it sits in the line
This is the 36 mm no-date member of the Oyster Perpetual range. The 176200 and 177200 use the same basic format in smaller cases; the 114200 is a separate 34 mm Air-King with calibre 3130. Rolex's 2014 material lists the 116000 alongside the 31 mm 177200, with separate movement and dial specifications: calibre 3130 for the 116000 and 2231 for the 177200.
Rolex's August 2020 catalogue still listed the 116000. Its September 2020 refresh showed the 126000 in the 36 mm position, with calibre 3230. These snapshots bracket the catalogue changeover; individual final delivery dates remain undocumented.
Production outline
Auction catalogues place examples in circa 2007 and describe watches made in 2008. Christie's lot M919877 carries a circa-2007 date and a Rolex warranty dated December 2009; Antiquorum separately describes a 2008 black-dial watch. These early records establish the reference before its later color dials.
Some Phillips catalogue copy calls the 116000 a new 36 mm model released in 2014. Christie's and Antiquorum had already catalogued 116000 examples from circa 2007 and 2008. Rolex's 2014 press material describes updated Oyster Perpetual versions and lists new dial colors. The evidence places the 2014 change in the dial offering, not the reference's introduction.
Movement notes
Rolex's 2014 specification gives calibre 3130, 31 jewels, a frequency of 28,800 beats per hour, an approximately 48-hour reserve and COSC certification. It also lists a blue Parachrom balance spring, Breguet overcoil, variable-inertia balance and stop-seconds. Auction records for watches dated circa 2007, 2008, 2014 and 2015 identify calibre 3130. The cited sources support the reference-level fitment; individual service history still belongs to the watch being examined.
Dial map
The dial record includes more than one layout. Antiquorum's circa-2008 black example has luminous Arabic quarters and a minute track. Fratello describes a blue dial with a concentric centre and a radial band carrying the chronometer wording. Sotheby's catalogues a silver-and-blue dial in a circa-2015 watch.
Rolex's 2014 product sheet lists Red Grape, White Grape and Steel, each with a sunray finish. Robert-Jan Broer called the last color Steel Grey in a 2015 Fratello article; the manufacturer sheet says Steel. The dial names in those sources differ slightly.
Case, bezel, crystal and crown
Rolex specifies a 36 mm 904L steel case with a domed bezel, sapphire crystal, Twinlock screw-down crown and 100-metre water resistance. Christie's and Sotheby's also measure 116000 examples at 36 mm. Antiquorum's Club Tijuana catalogue gives 37 mm for its individual watch; that entry records a lot measurement, while Rolex's published case specification is 36 mm.
Bracelet and clasp
Rolex identifies the bracelet as Oyster reference 70200. Its 2014 material describes three-piece links, satin-finished steel with polished edges, and a folding Oysterclasp. Auction catalogues document individual bracelets with different lengths and clasp stamps; those details date or describe the bracelet in the lot, not every 116000.
Logo-dial watches
Phillips catalogues a circa-2014 blue-dial 116000 made for the Sultanate of Oman. The guarantee card is dated 1 March 2014, and the accompanying packaging carries the Khanjar emblem. Antiquorum records a 116000 with a Club Tijuana logo dial and a caseback engraving reading “13/69 S.H.K. 2010–2011.” Its catalogue dates the watch circa 2008 and describes it as one of 69 pieces for the club's 2011 promotion. The circa-2008 date sits beside a 2010–2011 engraving; Antiquorum leaves the discrepancy unresolved. These logo dials belong to individual orders or promotional contexts; Rolex's standard 2014 color list is separate.
116034, fluted white-gold bezel
Reference 116034 is a separate 36 mm steel Oyster Perpetual with a fluted white-gold bezel. Dorotheum catalogues one example as circa 2008 with calibre 3130 and measures that watch at about 37 mm. This record describes one 116034; it gives no full production span or basis for a general price comparison with the 116000.
Selected auction records
| Sale record | Watch and catalogue details | Estimate or result |
|---|---|---|
| Christie's, lot 5878955 | Case M919877, circa 2007; calibre 3130, 31 jewels; black dial with engine-turned centre and white Arabic numerals; 36 mm. Warranty dated 6 December 2009. | Not listed on the public lot page |
| Antiquorum, New York, 10 June 2010, lot 200 | Catalogue dates it to 2008; matte black dial with luminous Arabic quarters; calibre 3130, 31 jewels; 36 mm case, 12 mm thick. | Estimate USD 2,000–3,000; sold USD 3,000 |
| Phillips, Hong Kong Watch Auction XII, lot 858 | Circa 2014; blue dial; case H2Q25557; calibre 3130, 31 jewels; 36 mm; made for the Sultanate of Oman. | Estimate HKD 45,000–85,000; sold HKD 100,800 |
| Antiquorum, New York, 9 April 2014, lot 83 | Club Tijuana logo dial; case Y4Y37907; catalogue says circa 2008 and records the 2010–2011 caseback engraving. | Estimate USD 5,000–8,000; sold USD 7,500 |
| Sotheby's, 2022, lot 623 | Circa 2015; silver-and-blue dial; case 59'440'6Q6; calibre 3130, 31 jewels; 36 mm; Oyster bracelet and warranty card. | Estimate CHF 3,000–5,000 |
The selected lots record dated examples, dial layouts and sale-specific measurements. They provide no factory production ledger or complete dial register.
Related references
Sources
- Rolex, Oyster Perpetual 36 ref. 116000, archived official product page, 2018
- Rolex, Baselworld 2014 product press material, 116000 specification and updated 31/36 mm dials; copy hosted by 100percentpassion
- Rolex, Oyster Perpetual product specifications, 2014, pp. 29–30; copy hosted by The Watch
- Rolex, Oyster Perpetual catalogue, 9 August 2020
- Rolex, Oyster Perpetual catalogue, 3 September 2020
- Rolex, 2020 Oyster Perpetual 36 brochure, ref. 126000
- Christie's, ref. 116000, case M919877, circa 2007
- Antiquorum, ref. 116000, New York, 10 June 2010, lot 200
- Sotheby's, ref. 116000, lot 623, circa 2015
- Phillips, ref. 116000, Hong Kong Watch Auction XII, lot 858, circa 2014
- Antiquorum, Club Tijuana logo-dial ref. 116000, New York, 9 April 2014, lot 83
- Ben Hodges, Fratello, 2020, blue concentric 116000 dial
- Robert-Jan Broer, Fratello, 4 May 2015, 2014 White Grape, Red Grape and Steel Grey dial names
- Dorotheum, ref. 116034, circa 2008, 14 March 2024