209
Rolex
Ref. 2508
An exceptionally well-preserved yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with flat bezel
Full-Cataloguing
- Chronograph
- This reference most notably features a flat bezel
- Possibly one of the best preserved reference 2508s to come on the auction market
Please see the Archivio Pucci Papaleo digital archive record here.
Introduced in the mid 1930s the Rolex reference 2508 is a favorite amongst collectors due to its oversized case, flat bezel, and classic no frills design that is, compared to the rest of the brand’s production, more in-line with those of two other historical Genevan brands: Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.
The Rolex reference 2508 was first launched in the mid 1930s. Sporting a large, masculine case with a classic “Calatrava” design, it’s amongst the most attractive chronograph models by any brand from this formative era of wristwatch design. Reference 2508 can be categorized into two different generations, the first fitted with oval pushers and the second fitted with rectangular pushers.
This example is without a doubt one of the best preserved 2508s to ever appear on the market and preserved in most probably unpolished condition. It sports an incredibly crisp case, with sharp edges and extremely deep engravings to the back. All satin finishes as impressive and remarkable, with sharp edges from the edge of the chronograph pushers, to the edge of the flat bezel and the underside of the lugs. All these features become even more extraordinary when one considers that the watch was born in 1938!
Rolex
Swiss | 1905Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.
One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.