Rolex Cellini Cestello

In the traditionally classic line of Rolex's Cellini watches, the Cestello collection is somewhat of a rebel - not so much as to stray from the clean and fluid lines, but enough to stand just a bit apart from the others.

Do not fret: Cellini's basic premise of subtlety rather than glitz is maintained in the Cestello line, as are the hand-winding mechanism, dials without the date function, and leather straps.

The difference lies in a somewhat more modern design of the Cestello's case. The round dial and a smooth bezel are surrounded by an outer square-shaped "casing" that imparts a slightly chunkier look to the watch. I don't mean to say the Cestellos are as "chunky" as Rolex's robust sports models. They just appear heavier and a bit more substantial than their Cellini brethren.

Having said that, the Rolex Cestello watches are very refined. I like almost all of gent's models, and the two ladies' timepieces as well. Although my preference is usually white gold, platinum or stainless steel, I like the yellow gold models in the Cestello collection. One has a white dial and the other a black one, but they are both simple enough for my finicky taste.

My favourites, however, are two 18-carat white gold models; one with a mother-of-pearl dial, and the other with a slate one. True, I am usually partial to all-white dials but these two contrast beautifully with the white gold bezel, numerals, and hands. The overall look is clean, smooth and utterly elegant.

There is, however, one Cestello model I don't care for at all. It is a yellow gold watch with a very busy - I'd even say fussy - dial. I feel like shouting from the rooftops: "A bit less clutter, please," but I doubt Rolex folks would heed my call. Besides, I'm sure the model has its share of fans.

The two gold ladies models I mentioned above, one with a "red wine" leather strap and the other with a black one, are somewhat of an oddity because, unlike all the other women's watches in the Cellini line, they are hand-wound rather than powered by a quartz movement. I have no idea why Rolex set these two models apart, but I will go on a limb and guess that this fine pair is marching to a different ticker.