Sayonara Cellini, Rolex Has Introduced The New Perpetual 1908 Dress Watch

Sayonara Cellini, Rolex Has Introduced The New Perpetual 1908 Dress Watch

The new classic?

It’s the end of an era for the Rolex Cellini, which has been removed from the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer’s lineup. However, when one door closes, another opens. Such is the case here, with Rolex introducing a new dress watch to its lineup; the Perpetual 1908. The addition of the Perpetual 1908 to the Rolex lineup also serves to inaugurate its new Perpetual collection, which the brand describes as “a reinterpretation of traditional watchmaking style imbued with quintessential watchmaking expertise and the aesthetic heritage of Rolex.”

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Taking on elegant, understated proportions, the Rolex Perpetual 1908 features a 39mm case crafted from either yellow or white gold. The inner section of the bezel is domed while the outer part is finely fluted, encircling a sleek black or white dial. The dial features Arabic numerals at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock and faceted hour markers. At 6 o’clock, there’s a small seconds subdial with the words ‘Superlative Chronometer’ above it in an arc shape. The hour hand is distinguished by a circle just before the tip while the minutes hand resembles a double-edged sword. The timepiece is presented on either a brown or black alligator leather strap, fitted with a double-folding clasp.

Inside the Perpetual 1908 is the new calibre 7140, unveiled this year. The movement includes a Chronergy escapement, Syloxi hairspring, and Paraflex shock absorbers, and features bridges finished with Rolex Côtes de Genève stripes. 

The Rolex Perpetual 1908 derives its name from the year Hans Wilsdorf devised the name ‘Rolex’ to sign his creations and registered the brand in Switzerland. Representative of traditional watchmaking expertise imbued with the Rolex touch, the Perpetual 1908 just might be the watch set to shift attention away from the Swiss watch manufacturer’s almost-impossible-to-acquire sports watches and turn it towards dressier timepieces.


Words by Theo Rosen