Apr 30, 2026
Description
Vintage. No box/papers & a Passions box/pouch will be given.
This is a mid-1940s Ref.2940 Rolex Oyster Perpetual “Bubble-back” a nickname earned from it’s bulbous screw-lock back cover to accommodate the automatic winding rotor. This watch comes in a 2pc steel Oyster case and except for the dial, is one of the better condition we have come across in recent years.
Just take a look at the pictures & you may find that this watch has never been polished, retaining a good profile for the case with thick lugs and a fantastic back cover with little wear and tear. The lume on the blued steel Pencil hands have been replaced & is showing cracks while the original radium on the dial has turned black. The original dial has troplicalised and shows some flakes but largely legible. The acrylic crystal has been replaced and is clear. The original screw-locking tube is a little worn over the decades so do lock the crown with extra care and these watches are not water-proof nor shock-proof so don’t ever drop them or expose them to moisture. The steel Oyster bracelet has 12 links which is long and is spring-loaded for expansion while the inner deployant buckle is stamped with period correct Rolex markings but the buckle cover could’ve had a later replacement without the Rolex scallop logo but early bracelets were unsigned. Anyway, we’re not putting a premium on this bracelet.
The movement is in very good condition and the rotor winds on a single direction as it should. This is the first automatic movement by Rolex and the first commercially successful automatic watch in the world when launched in the 1930s. An icon and an important model to collect from Rolex but they were small watches as men in those years wore 30mm timepieces.
The serial number of this watch dates it to 1946, just few months after the end of World War Two which was a very difficult period for many people and yet there is joy for the Great War finally ended.
6 months warranty.
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