Will Rolex Bring Back the Moonphase in 2026?

The Rolex Cellini Moonphase, reference 50535, was discontinued in 2023 after a six-year run. It was only the second moonphase—a watch complication that tracks the lunar cycle—Rolex had ever made, the first being the ref. 6062 and 8171 in the early 1950s. Now, heading into Watches & Wonders 2026, the moonphase has been absent from Rolex's catalog for three years, and the watch most likely to bring it back is the Perpetual 1908.

Last year's 1908 predictions article flagged the moonphase as the natural first complication for the collection. Since then, the case has gotten stronger. Tudor introduced its first moonphase ever—the 1926 Luna—and the 1908 is now far enough into its lifecycle that a complication variant fits the pattern Rolex established with the Cellini. The vintage ref. 6062 is selling at auction for seven figures. And the 1908 itself, more or less a modern Cellini rebrand with an updated movement, is being received more warmly by collectors than its predecessor ever was.

The Two Times Rolex Made a Moonphase

Rolex ref. 8171 'Padellone' in Yellow Gold. Image Source: Hodinkee

Rolex introduced the ref. 8171 "Padellone"—Italian for "large frying pan," a nickname Italian collectors gave the watch for its unusually large snap-on caseback—and the ref. 6062 in 1949 and 1950, respectively. Both were triple calendar moonphases available in steel, yellow gold, and pink gold, and among the most complicated watches the brand had ever produced. Production ceased by around 1953. The market wasn't ready for a high-end complicated Rolex.

Rolex ref. 6062 in steel. Image Source: Phillips

Those watches are now some of the most valuable vintage Rolexes in existence. The ref. 6062 "Bao Dai," commissioned by the last emperor of Vietnam, sold for $5.06 million at Phillips in 2017, and last October a yellow-gold 6062 with diamond indices set a new reference record at Monaco Legend Group's auction in Monte Carlo, hammering at €5,330,000—roughly $6.2 million USD. The 8171 commands serious money too: a stainless steel Padellone sold at Christie's New York in 2013 for $1.14 million, and another steel example cleared CHF 1,028,000 at Phillips Geneva in 2019.

Rolex didn't return to moonphases until 2017, when they introduced the Cellini Moonphase, reference 50535—their first in roughly sixty-four years. It came in an 18k Everose gold case with a pointer date display, and ran until 2023, when the entire Cellini line was discontinued. That same year, Rolex launched the Perpetual 1908.

The Perpetual 1908: Don't Call it a Cellini

Let's be straightforward about this: the 1908 is the Cellini's successor in every meaningful sense. Rolex updated the movement (cal. 7140, developed specifically for this watch), refined the dial, and gave the collection a new name rooted in the brand's founding year. But the non-Oyster 39mm case design, stepped fluted bezel, and general vibe—it's the same. And honestly, that continuity strengthens the moonphase argument. We had the Rolex Cellini moonphase watch as recently as 2023.

From my perspective, the 1908 seems to be landing better than the modern Cellinis did. I recognize that I'm in a bubble, working in the watch world and talking with enthusiasts more than average Rolex buyers, but it seems the response has been warmer. And it's clear this refreshed 1908 line is getting investment: last year, Rolex added a platinum reference with an ice blue guilloché dial.

Tudor Just Released Its First Moonphase Watch

Last year, Tudor introduced its first moonphase ever. The 1926 Luna arrived at $2,800 in polished steel with a screw-down crown, 100-meter water resistance, and three sunburst dial options. The oversized moonphase aperture appears at 6 o'clock, with a 3 o'clock date window and applied arabic numerals. On the champagne version, Tudor uses what it calls a "phantom effect" where the moon disc darkens as it wanes. Launch reception was genuinely positive—it felt like the Luna breathed new life into the 1926 collection.

Tudor's role within the broader Rolex SA organization is worth understanding here. There are examples of the brand serving as a testing ground of sorts—new materials (titanium), bold colors, and potentially, complications that Rolex eventually adopts in some form. Tudor crossing into moonphase territory for the first time is something Rolex watchers should pay attention to. I haven't seen a 1926 Luna in the wild yet, and I'm not sure how it has performed commercially, but a $2,800 moonphase from a brand like Tudor is a genuinely attractive proposition.

Why This Year

Rolex Cellini Moonphase ref. 50535. Image Source: SwissWatchExpo

The modern Cellini arrived in 2014 in three variations: a time-only, dual-time, and time-and-date. So, it had some simple complications at launch, but the Cellini Moonphase arrived three years after this 2014 redesign. The 1908 launched in 2023. If it follows a similar trajectory, we should expect a complication right about now—and a moonphase, given the history, is the most natural first choice.

There's also a patent worth mentioning here. Last October, Rolex filed EP4632499A1—an annual calendar mechanism with two side-by-side discs for day and month, positioned at the top of the dial, with a central pointer date. The layout closely mirrors the vintage ref. 8171 Padellone. Around the same time, Rolex filed a trademark for the name "Padellone" itself, the collector nickname for that reference. Rolex filing a calendar movement patent and trademarking the Padellone nickname in the same month is hard to read as coincidence. The patent describes an annual calendar, not strictly a moonphase—but the vintage 8171 had both, and the two complications are natural companions on a dial built for this kind of display.

As for the case material for a 1908 Moonphase, I think Everose gold (rose gold) would be an interesting start. The Cellini moonphase was available only in Everose at launch, and we haven't seen the alloy hit the 1908 line yet (only yellow gold, white gold, and platinum). A pointer date display, similar to the Cellini Moonphase's layout, would be a natural dial arrangement. And that's a key point here—because the 1908 uses the new 7140 movement, a 1908 moonphase would introduce a new caliber. Pricing would land considerably above the current $18,900 yellow gold reference—north of $30,000 feels realistic for a gold moonphase with a unique movement.

Final Thoughts

I think we see a complicated 1908 at Watches & Wonders 2026. Whether it's a moonphase alone or something closer to a full triple calendar revival, Rolex has been moving in this direction for a while, establishing the 1908’s role in the catalog. The vintage 6062 has spent the last few years reminding the market how much it wants this complication in a modern Rolex, and now there's a patent and a trademark that point almost directly at it. Rolex has never been a brand that tips its hand early, but when you line up everything from the last three years, it's hard to see this going another W&W without something happening.

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