The Most Uninspired Rolex Dial Design? Meet the Champagne Concentric

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe I’ve found the most disappointing dial design ever created for Rolex - and it's called the Champagne Concentric and it is a Datejust 31 dial.

At first glance, this dial appears to be manufactured for the 2135 movement; likely an early version, judging by the engraving on the back (it is not laser etched, but engraved, which makes it an early 90s version). From a functional standpoint, it’s flawless—no damage, perfect condition. Yet aesthetically? It’s a disaster.

The concentric design comes in several colors: black, blue, silver, and champagne. It is a very interesting design featuring deep lines engraved in circles on the dial surface. While the black version has a certain intrigue, the silver and champagne variations are, frankly, dreadful. The engraved lines are so deep that they distort the dial’s print, making it almost unreadable. I tried photographing it under different lighting conditions and angles, hoping to capture some redeeming quality - but no matter what I did, the dial still looked bad.

I believe the difference lies in the type of coating applied to the dial. Black dials typically feature an enamel finish - a durable, thick glossy layer that provides depth and richness to the color. In contrast, silver and champagne dials use a plating process, where an ultra-thin layer of silver or gold is deposited over a brass base. This plating creates a luxurious metallic sheen but is far more thinner than enamel, making the concentric line appear deep.

Interestingly, I’ve seen this design on a Datejust 36, and it doesn’t suffer from the same issue. However, the smaller Datejust models - 26mm and 31mm - share this unfortunate aesthetic flaw. Still, it remains a beautifully preserved piece of horological history. Who knows? One day it might become highly collectible, celebrated as a rare symbol of Rolex’s design misstep.