A new classic, style meets innovation, the complex essential: the Rolex 1908, with its fascinating interactions between opposite poles, is one of the most interesting new products presented by Rolex at Watches & Wonders 2023.
It’s no secret that the fortunes of the Rolex brand are more closely tied to professional models, but this time the Maison has decided to enrich its prestigious catalog with this beautiful new dress watch, partly to fill the void left by the Cellini series, which has now gone out of production.
Elegant, classic yet markedly contemporary. The name is a tribute to a historic date for Rolex, 1908, the year when Hans Wilsdorf registered the crowned brand in Switzerland, giving rise to incredible and unstoppable success: from that moment on, for watchmaking, nothing was ever the same.
Inspired by a 1931 Oyster Perpetual, this entirely new timepiece overcomes the challenge of offering a slimmer profile in line with the Brand’s canons and inaugurates the Perpetual collection, which revisits watchmaking tradition through the lens of Rolex and its pioneering spirit.
The style of the Rolex 1908 is decidedly characterized by understated elegance, essential design and profiles of superlative subtlety, together with what, for Hans Wilsdorf, were the indispensable attributes of a self-winding wristwatch: chronometric precision, water resistance, autonomy, comfort and durability.
No room for nostalgia, however: if the subtlety of the 18k gold (white or yellow) case is inspired by the stylings of Rolex’s early years, the brand-new 7140 movement elevates this watch to the highest state-of-the-art standards in meeting the rigorous criteria of Superlative Chronometer certification.
So let’s discover together the details of the Rolex 1908, available in four versions: yellow gold and black dial, yellow gold and white dial, white gold and black dial, and white gold and white dial.
Dial of essential beauty
The Rolex 1908 sports a dial that is extremely elegant in its essentiality, available in deep white or deep black. Prominent are the Arabic numerals 3, 9 and 12 and faceted hour markers, in 18k yellow or white gold, which stand out against the deep white or deep black dial. At 6 o’clock we find the small seconds counter, topped by the words “Superlative Chronometer” certifying the watch’s performance. The hands are also made of gold: the hour hand is distinguished by a perforated circle just before the tip, while the minute hand is gladius-shaped.
Protected by a domed sapphire crystal, this sophisticated dial features a delicate “chemin de fer” minute track along the edge.
The 39 mm case is characterized by extreme subtlety, making this model both elegant and discreet, and, like the crown, it is made of gold, 18K yellow or white, depending on the model. As a reminder, having its own foundry, Rolex boasts unparalleled savoir-faire in the production of the finest 18K gold alloys.
Also characteristic of this timepiece is the bezel, which is divided into two parts: it is domed at the top and knurled at the bottom.
Sapphire crystal caseback
Another distinguishing feature of the Rolex 1908 is the transparent sapphire crystal case back, a true rarity for Rolex (this year, moreover, it was also introduced on the Daytona in platinum Reference 126506). The transparent case back makes it possible to appreciate the quality of the finishing of the brand new movement: an openworked oscillating weight in 18K yellow gold and the Côtes de Genève Rolex decoration-a reinterpretation of a decoration well known in traditional watchmaking-from which it differs by the addition of a polished groove between each striation.
By choosing a sapphire crystal case back – virtually scratch-resistant – Rolex wants to show how important the aesthetics of the movement and not just its performance are, going in line with what has become a fairly obvious preference of us consumers.
The new 7140 caliber
As we said, the transparent case back makes it possible to admire the beating heart of the Rolex 1908: the new caliber 7140, a self-winding movement with two central hands and small seconds at 6 o’clock. The development of this slim caliber, entirely designed and manufactured by Rolex, led to the filing of no less than five patent applications. Caliber 7140 is equipped with a Syloxi balance spring, Chronergy escapement and Paraflex shock-absorbing device and provides a power reserve of approximately 66 hours, offering exceptional chronometric performance (-2/+2 seconds per day).
The real challenge here was balancing the high performance of the caliber with the watch’s extremely slim aesthetic. Indeed, the Rolex teams worked to reduce the thickness of the case by a third compared to the watches in the Oyster Perpetual collection, without sacrificing the performance of the movement in any way: to this end, innovative technical solutions were developed, for example, to ensure perfect assembly of the regulating organ.
Caliber 7140 is a true gem of manufacture that meets the strict criteria of the Superlative Chronometer certification in terms of precision and reliability.
The alligator strap and Dualclasp.
The subtle elegance of the Rolex 1908 is matched by an alligator leather strap, either matte brown or matte black, depending on the variation, with tone-on-tone stitching. The inner lining pays homage to the Maison’s signature color, green.
The strap features an 18k yellow or white gold Dualclasp clasp with two symmetrical folding foils that, due to its specially designed morphology, remains centered on the wrist at all times for maximum comfort and allows effortless operation of the opening and closing mechanism.
Our opinion
With this model Rolex finally offers its adherents an extraordinary “dress watch,” inaugurating a new line in its catalog, which has always been more oriented toward “professional” rather than “classic” models.
The Rolex 1908 carries out this mission to the best of its ability, interpreting with the unmistakable Rolex style the typical canons of formal watches: the slim line, essential aesthetics, few frills and much substance. Definitely innovative, for the Swiss Maison, is the transparent case back, which is after all essential to admire the superb mechanism that animates this watch, the brand new caliber 7140. In short, Rolex again manages to amaze by inserting, in a (seemingly) classic line, elements of great innovation and avant-garde.
Available in four versions, which play with the color of the dial (white or black, defined by Rolex as “intense”), and the strap (matte brown or matte black) this timepiece has, in short, nothing taken for granted. It certainly seems that, with this model, Rolex has remained true to founder Hans Wilsdorf’s mantra that “Rolex will have to think and act differently from others.”
Technical details
Reference: 52508
Case: 39 mm, 18K yellow or white gold, polished finish
Dial: deep white or deep black
Winding crown: 18k gold, domed
Water resistance: up to 50 meters
Movement: Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding, with caliber 7140, Rolex manufacture; precision -2/+2 sec./day, with recessed movement
Functions: Hours and minutes at center, small seconds at 6 o’clock; seconds stop for exact time setting
Regulating organ: silicon Syloxi hairspring with patented geometry. Paraflex high-performance shockproof device
Winding: Automatic bi-directional with Perpetual rotor; power reserve of about 66 hours
Certification: Superlative Chronometer (COSC + Rolex certification with encased movement)
Price: Euro 22,150.00 (yellow gold model) and Euro 23,450.00 (white gold model)
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