One of the biggest news coming from Geneva in March was Rolex’s decision to discontinue an entire line of Classic watches. The 55-year-old Cellini line was replaced with the Perpetual 1908 at Watches and Wonders.
The new dress watch, named after the year the Rolex name was trademarked, touts a completely revamped design. Rolex equipped the 1908 with an exhibition case back — a first for the brand in decades — and a minimalist design with a so-called observatory-style hour hand.
Since March, the Perpetual 1908 had been rarely spotted. Roger Federer was the first to wear it, at the Met Gala, a month after its release, a perfect match for his black tuxedo. Last week, tennis pro Iga Świątek strapped an 1908 after winning the WTA Finals in Cancun. Still, more than seven months after its official release, the dress watch by Rolex was nowhere to be seen at authorized dealers.
Following my article about Ms. Świątek, a public relations official at Rolex SA in Geneva told me the 1908 is coming to the U.S. market in November. The watch will be hitting the stores right in time for Christmas.
It’s too soon to gauge the demand; Rolex is a brand known for impossible-to-get sports model. Still, Rolex is expected to announce more complications to the Perpetual 1908 line at Watches and Wonders — slated to start on Apr. 9, 2024 — perhaps a second time zone or a moonphase.