More than a century after its founding, having overcome the challenges of precision, waterproofness, robustness and autonomy, the Rolex Manufacture is starting a new chapter in its watchmaking journey by embarking on the quest for superlative slenderness.
A legacy of innovation
Taking inspiration from the aesthetics of the first Oyster Perpetual watches, Rolex drew on over a century of technological innovations, as well as its industrial independence, to rewrite its founder's vision for the future. Following the path paved by Hans Wilsdorf from the outset, the brand is above all distinguished by its watchmaking prowess.
The new 1908 is by no means a nostalgic timepiece. While the slenderness of its 18 kt gold or 950 platinum case borrows from the standards of the early years of Rolex, the performance of its completely new calibre 7140 meets the stringent norms of the Superlative Chronometer certification.
Slenderness, the Rolex way
The presence of a transparent case back, a rare feature for the brand, allows the refinement and technicality of the self-winding movement – fitted with a Syloxi hairspring, a Chronergy escapement and Paraflex shock absorbers and guaranteeing a power reserve of approximately 66 hours – to be fully admired. The demand for slenderness is a challenge that Rolex teams have overcome by creating a case that is approximately one third smaller than that of models in the Oyster Perpetual collection, without compromising the performance of the movement. It has also been designed to anticipate the superlative requirements of precision and reliability. This quest for slenderness has involved the development of innovative technical solutions in order to perfectly master the assembly of the oscillator, for example.
The thrill of delicacy
The work carried out on the design of the 1908 reveals Rolex’s mastery of craftsmanship. Encompassed by its domed and fluted bezel, the sleek dial draws inspiration from the original Oyster Perpetual watches of 1931. Every detail, from the hands to the hour markers, is adjusted to a hundredth of a millimetre. Like a living landscape, the transparent case back reveals the delicate finishes of calibre 7140, including the Rolex Côtes de Genève decoration and the openwork oscillating weight in gold.
The 1908 is the definitive reflection of watchmaking prowess in perpetual movement.
