Rolex Perpetual 1908
Cutting-edge classicism
Elegant, classic and decidedly contemporary, the Perpetual 1908 immortalizes Rolex’s age-long daring spirit. Both heir to the brand’s aesthetic heritage and to its watchmaking innovations, it perpetuates the manufacture’s quest for excellence. An illustration of Rolex watchmaking know-how and Superlative Chronometer certified, it brings classicism into the future.
The 1908 perpetuates Rolex’s original daring spirit
Ever since 1908, the year the brand was created, Rolex has pursued the founding conviction of Hans Wilsdorf, for whom the future of the wristwatch was inseparable from superlative performance. The 1908 brings together all the essential attributes of a self-winding wristwatch in his eyes: chronometric precision, waterproofness, autonomy, comfort and durability.
Classic style, perpetually reinvented
While the revolutionary innovations introduced by Hans Wilsdorf concerned the technical attributes of the wristwatch, they also stemmed from a powerful aesthetic vision. The silhouette of the case and the dial design of the 1908 reinvent the classic – and already very modern – spirit of the first Oyster Perpetual models. A true aesthetic signature, its finely domed and fluted bezel reflects a quest for delicacy in shape.
A sleek design linking the past to the present
Featuring 3, 9 and 12 numerals and a small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, the 1908, available in 18 ct yellow or white gold and in 950 platinum, reinterprets the style of a 1931 Oyster Perpetual while giving it resolutely modern features. The dial is a model of elegance and sophistication: Arabic numerals and faceted hour markers in 18 ct gold against an intense white or intense black dial, or against an ice blue dial featuring a guilloché rice-grain motif. Protected by a domed sapphire crystal, it displays a fine railway-track minute scale around the rim. The 1908 is fitted with hands of different styles: a sword shape for the minutes and an open circle for the hours.
Refinement and comfort
Most 1908 models are fitted with a leather strap, with the exception of the 18 ct yellow gold version, which is offered exclusively with the Settimo bracelet. The brown or black alligator-leather strap features tone-on-tone topstitching and a green inner lining, a discreet tribute to the brand’s signature colour. Its Dualclasp folding clasp, crafted in 18 ct yellow or white gold or in 950 platinum, enhances comfort by hugging the contours of the wrist. The Settimo bracelet, made of 18 ct yellow gold, reveals refined links with an incomparable richness of reflection. Equipped with a Crownclasp concealed clasp, it offers a harmonious design that evokes the jewellery-inspired bracelets of certain antique watches.
A transparent case back for an exciting reveal
By offering a watch that reveals its movement through a transparent case back, Rolex innovates while echoing its watchmaking tradition. Calibre 7140 reveals a cut-out oscillating weight in yellow gold with three arms, engraved “Chronometer Perpetual” and benefiting from an optimised ball bearing. The movement boasts remarkable finishes, including the exclusive Rolex Côtes de Genève – a famous traditional watchmaking decoration, reinterpreted with a polished groove between each stripe. This sapphire window, virtually scratch-proof, provides evidence that for Rolex, the aesthetics of the movement are as important as its performance.
Calibre 7140: performance and elegance
To power the 1908, Rolex’s watchmaking engineers developed calibre 7140, a completely new self-winding movement that displays the time via two central hands and a small seconds at 6 o’clock. Several patents have been filed for this movement entirely developed and manufactured in-house. Its avant-garde design incorporates several major innovations from the manufacture to deliver outstanding performance: a silicon Syloxi hairspring, a nickel-phosphorus Chronergy escapement – both resistant to high magnetic fields – and Paraflex shock absorbers, which protect the oscillator and the pallet wheel against potential shocks to the watch.
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