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Rolex Pearlmaster 34
Ref. 81405RBR
Sits in Rolex’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rolex watches we list, which start at £6,150.
Price range £6,150 to £125,000 across 41 Rolex watches in stock.The Pearlmaster was Rolex's answer to a question the Datejust could not quite address: what does the house produce when the brief is purely jewellery, with mechanical watchmaking as the foundation rather than the point? Introduced at the top of the Datejust family and discontinued in 2022, it existed to showcase the Geneva workshops' gem-setting at its most serious — every surface of this reference earning its diamonds through factory-set work rather than aftermarket addition. The bezel carries 36 stones, the lugs are set, and the dial is fully paved in a Roman configuration, all placed by Rolex's own craftspeople. The Calibre 2235 inside is certified to Superlative Chronometer standard, holding to within two seconds daily, and carries a Parachrom hairspring that makes it notably resistant to shocks and magnetic fields — the kind of movement that asks nothing of its owner for years at a stretch. The Pearlmaster bracelet is five-piece solid Everose gold throughout, and the Crownclasp closes the loop without interruption: from above, the watch reads as a continuous band of metal and stone, with no visible break at the wrist.
- Reference
- 81405RBR
- Brand
- Rolex
- Collection
- Pearlmaster
- Case size
- 34mm
- Case thickness
- 12mm
- Lug width
- 17mm
- Case material
- Rose gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Rose gold
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 2235
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Rose gold
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 48 hours
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf founded Wilsdorf & Davis in London in 1905 with his brother-in-law Alfred Davis, importing Swiss movements and casing them in England. He registered the name Rolex in 1908 — short, pronounceable in any language, and easy to fit on a dial.
Wilsdorf's conviction was that the wristwatch, then regarded as a woman's ornament and hopelessly fragile, could be made accurate and durable. He proved the first half in 1910 by obtaining the first chronometer certification for a wristwatch, and the second in 1926 with the Oyster case, sealed by a screw-down crown and caseback. Mercedes Gleitze swam the Channel wearing one in 1927, and Wilsdorf bought the front page of the Daily Mail to say so — arguably the first modern watch marketing campaign.
The Perpetual rotor followed in 1931, giving automatic winding in a form the whole industry eventually copied. The company relocated to Geneva during the First World War to escape British wartime duties.
The professional models arrived in a compressed burst in the 1950s: Submariner, Explorer, GMT-Master, Milgauss, and later the Daytona. Each was built for a specific job — diving, exploration, aviation, laboratory work, racing — and each became a design template.
Wilsdorf left his shares to a private foundation on his death, so Rolex answers to no shareholders. It remains the largest producer of certified chronometers in Switzerland by a wide margin.
- 1905
- Hans Wilsdorf founds Wilsdorf & Davis in London.
- 1908
- The Rolex name is registered.
- 1926
- The Oyster case introduces genuine water resistance.
- 1931
- The Perpetual rotor brings modern automatic winding.
- 1953
- The Submariner and Explorer launch.
- 1963
- The Cosmograph Daytona arrives.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (2,731), Watches Under 37mm (1,771), Automatic Watches (1,699), Women's Watches (1,676) and Solid Gold Watches (138).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 34mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Rolex's more premium watches
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 48 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
17mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's, though at 34mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £125,000. There is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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