Rolex 1908 40 mm Silvered Platinum

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions

40 mm

Case thickness

11.3 mm

Case material

Platinum 950

Bezel

Baguette diamond rainbow

Crystal

Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed

Dial

Silvered opaline

Hands

Skeletonised sword hands, white luminescent

Indexes

Diamond-set hour markers

Bracelet / strap

Rubber strap with titanium clasp

Clasp / buckle

Pin buckle in matching case metal

Water resistance

50 m

Movement

Movement / calibre

Calibre 39A — In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer

Movement type

Automatic with micro-rotor

Frequency

28,800 vph (4 Hz)

Power reserve

72 hours

Number of jewels

40 jewels

Complications

Flyback chronograph

Functions

Chronograph, tachymeter, date

Watchmaker

Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.

Production & market

Production period

1983 – 1988

Limited-edition quantity

188 pieces

Current market information

Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.

Designer

In-house design studio

The reference was drawn by the manufacture's internal design office, where case, dial and movement architects work alongside the watchmakers rather than as an outside commission.

Historical significance

Rolex 1908 40 mm Silvered Platinum sits within Rolex's 1908 line, introduced in 1983. It carries the house codes established since 1905 — platinum 950 case, silvered opaline dial and in-house automatic, superlative chronometer — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

• The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
• The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
• The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.