Rolex Perpetual 1908

written by YWH team 28 March 2023

With the brand new Rolex Perpetual 1908 the world famous watch brand releases a complete new line of classical dress watches. And it kills the old line of classical dress watches named Cellini, on the market since the 1960s. Compared to the rather bold, mostly sporty and robust Rolex models, the Cellini line looked a bit fragile (although it wasn’t) and presumably wasn’t that successful anymore. Time for a new chapter.

The 1908 hasn’t got the conservative aesthetics of the Cellini. Its design is based on an ‘Oyster Perpetual from 1931’ which isn’t that shocking when it comes to looks. But the new design is an attractive offer for a decent dress watch. The name comes from the year the Rolex brand name was registered as a trademark in Switzerland, three years after founder Hans Wilsdorf left London.

Rolex Perpetual 1908 reference 52508 white dial

Rolex Perpetual 1908 reference 52508 black dial

Rolex Perpetual 1908 reference 52509 white dial

Rolex Perpetual 1908 reference 52509 black dial

The Rolex Perpetual 1908 comes in yellow gold and white gold

The 1908 comes in two versions, yellow gold or white gold, each with a matt white or matt black dial and matching leather strap. Inside is Rolex’ calibre 7140, a high quality movement with a power reserve of 66 hours. The good thing is, you can see the movement through the transparent case back. Which gives you the opportunity to enjoy the Côtes de Genève decoration on it, and to see the yellow gold oscillating weight winding the watch.

The price, just above 20k, can be justified by the 18 ct gold that is used, and the renewed Rolex quality, and the watch comes with a 5 year warranty. Given the fact that all popular Rolex models are very hard to buy, this Rolex Perpetual 1908 could become an instant hit.