Rolex Perpetual 1908
Cutting-edge classicism
Elegant, classic and decidedly contemporary, the Perpetual 1908 immortalizes Rolex’s age-long daring spirit. Heir to the brand’s aesthetic heritage as much as to its numerous innovations in watchmaking, the watch perpetuates the brand’s pursuit of excellence. This fine example of Rolex’s watchmaking prowess, with Superlative Chronometer certification, brings classicism to the future.
![Rolex 1908 [M52508-0008] in 18 ct yellow gold with a intense white dial, domed and fluted bezel, and 18 ct yellow gold bracelet.](https://kirkfreeport.net/wp-content/themes/kf2015/src/images/rolex/collection/2025/upright_watch_assets_landscape/m52508-0008.webp)
![Rolex 1908 [M52506-0002] in platinum with a ice blue, rice-grain motif dial, domed and fluted bezel, and matt brown alligator leather bracelet.](https://kirkfreeport.net/wp-content/themes/kf2015/src/images/rolex/collection/2025/upright_watch_assets_landscape/m52506-0002.webp)
![Rolex 1908 [M52509-0002] in 18 ct white gold with a intense black dial, domed and fluted bezel, and matt black alligator leather bracelet.](https://kirkfreeport.net/wp-content/themes/kf2015/src/images/rolex/collection/2025/upright_watch_assets_landscape/m52509-0002.webp)
![Rolex 1908 [M52508-0006] in 18 ct yellow gold with a intense white dial, domed and fluted bezel, and matt brown alligator leather bracelet.](https://kirkfreeport.net/wp-content/themes/kf2015/src/images/rolex/collection/2025/upright_watch_assets_landscape/m52508-0006.webp)
Classic style, perpetually reinvented
While Hans Wilsdorf’s revolutionary innovations concerned the technical features of the wristwatch, they were also the fruit of an extremely strong aesthetic vision. The silhouette of the case, as well as the design of the 1908’s dial, reinvent the classic – yet very modern – spirit of the original Oyster Perpetual watches. An aesthetic signature, its finely domed and fluted bezel is testimony to a quest for delicacy in all of its forms.
A sleek design linking the past to the present
With its 3, 9 and 12 numerals and its small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, the 1908 watch, available in 18 ct yellow or white gold as well as in 950 platinum, revisits the style of an Oyster Perpetual from 1931 and resolutely endows it with modernity. The dial is a model of elegance and sophistication: Arabic numerals and faceted index hour markers in 18 ct gold against an intense white or intense black dial, or an ice blue dial featuring a guilloché rice-grain motif. Protected by a domed sapphire crystal, it features a delicate ‘railway’ minute track around the circumference. The 1908 is equipped with hands of distinctive styles: the minute hand is shaped like a two-edged sword, while a hand with a pierced circle marks the hours.
Refinement and comfort
The 1908 watches are fitted with a leather strap, with the exception a version in 18 ct yellow gold, exclusively equipped with the Settimo bracelet. The brown or black alligator leather strap features a tone-on-tone topstitching and green inner lining, a discreet tribute to the watchmaking brand’s signature colour. Its Dualclasp, crafted from 18 ct yellow or white gold or 950 platinum, enhances the comfort of the wearer by hugging the shape of the wrist. The Settimo bracelet is crafted from 18 ct yellow gold and its delicate links create a sparkle of reflected light. Fitted with a concealed Crownclasp, its harmonious design evokes the jewellery-inspired bracelets that graced some elegant vintage watches.
A transparent case back for an exciting reveal
By offering a watch that reveals its movement through a transparent case back, Rolex continues to innovate whilst echoing its watchmaking tradition. Calibre 7140 bears a cut-out oscillating weight in yellow gold with three arms, engraved with the words ‘Chronometer Perpetual’ and benefiting from an optimized ball bearing. The movement boasts some remarkable finishes including the exclusive Rolex Côtes de Genève – a celebrated traditional watch decoration, reinterpreted with a polished groove between each band. The window, made of virtually scratchproof sapphire, provides proof that, for Rolex, the aesthetics of the movement are as important as its performance.
