The 1908 Is the Rolex To Buy — Because They’re Not Selling

Too subtle and too chic, the Perpetual 1908 isn’t selling, which makes it the best dress watch in its class.

Courtesy Rolex
The Rolex 1908 Perpetual Lineup. Courtesy Rolex

The past few years have been odd for Rolex. At the peak of the pandemic speculation mania, there were few watches in higher demand than the Daytona — particularly anything with a Paul Newman look. Authorized dealers operated like a nightclub, refusing clients who weren’t quite up to snuff. Even if you had the cash on hand, the attitude was, “No sir, your money isn’t good here.” Only the luckiest, most respected clients could get onto the years-long waitlist. Reseller prices shot up multiples above retail, and the new money millionaires of the crypto and meme-stocks were happy to pay them, even for random models that had never been particularly in demand.

Have an account? Log In

To continue reading, please select:

Limited Access

Enter your email to read for FREE

Get 1 FREE article

Continue with
or
Unlimited Access

Join the Sun for a PENNY A DAY

$0.01/day for 60 days

Cancel anytime

100% ad free experience

Unlimited article and commenting access

Full annual dues ($120) billed after 60 days

By continuing you agree to our
Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Advertisement
The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use