Reference:2490 - Revision history

Admin: Update 2490 evidence and qualify Bubbleback classification

2026-10-11T17:00:06Z

Update 2490 evidence and qualify Bubbleback classification

Klaudiusz: Standardize breadcrumb separator

2026-09-29T04:15:21Z

Standardize breadcrumb separator

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:15, 29 September 2026
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	}}		}}

	<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] ~~->~~ '''2490'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] › '''2490'''</small>

	<div class="rp-lead">		<div class="rp-lead">

Klaudiusz: Qualify 2490 metadata to match the documented evidence

2026-09-28T18:21:39Z

Qualify 2490 metadata to match the documented evidence

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:21, 28 September 2026
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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback "Army Dial" — 1945 Tonneau-Shaped Self-Winding \| Rolexopedia		\|title=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback "Army Dial" — 1945 Tonneau-Shaped Self-Winding \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=The Rolex 2490 is a 1945 tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual ~~Bubbleback in stainless steel, catalogued~~ by Antiquorum as an "Army Dial" example ~~with an Oyster Patent crown~~ and ~~period petites mailles bracelet. Only~~ one ~~documented example has surfaced at~~ auction.		\|description=The Rolex 2490 is a 1945 tonneau-shaped stainless-steel Oyster Perpetual documented by Antiquorum as an "Army Dial" example. This article records its case, dial, self-winding movement description and one auction lot.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 2490, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, tonneau, Army Dial		\|keywords=Rolex, 2490, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, tonneau, Army Dial
	\|image=Ref 2490 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 2490 hero.webp

Klaudiusz: Audit 2490: source boundaries, lead placement, and lot-specific details

2026-09-28T18:21:20Z

Audit 2490: source boundaries, lead placement, and lot-specific details

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:21, 28 September 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''2490'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''2490'''</small>

	The 2490 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual ~~from~~ 1945~~, self-winding, in stainless steel~~. ~~Antiquorum catalogued~~ its ~~only publicly documented example as an "Army Dial" Rolex — the house's own name for the piece~~, ~~not an official Rolex term. The dial itself explains~~ the ~~label:~~ black~~, with a~~ mixed ~~Roman~~-~~and-Arabic~~ numeral ~~set (XI and I in Roman at~~ the ~~top~~, ~~then plain Arabic 8, 7, 5, 4 around the lower half), signed "~~Rolex ~~Oyster Perpetual" above center and "Self Winding" below, a layout closer to military field-watch convention than the all-Arabic or all-baton dials more typical of the Bubbleback range~~. The ~~watch also carries~~ center seconds, an ~~"Oyster Patent"~~ crown, and a ~~period~~ stainless steel "petites mailles" bracelet ~~on a~~ deployant clasp, ~~all catalogued together as a single unit rather than head-and-~~bracelet ~~mismatched at some later point~~.		<div class="rp-lead">
			[[File:Ref 2490 hero.webp\|thumb\|center\|640px\|alt=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback Army Dial in stainless steel\|Rolex 2490 Bubbleback, Army Dial, case no. 423682]]
			</div>

			The 2490 is a tonneau-shaped stainless-steel Oyster Perpetual documented by Antiquorum as made in 1945. In its Hong Kong lot 218 description, Antiquorum calls the black mixed-numeral dial an “Army Dial”; that is the auction house’s label, not a Rolex model name. The lot describes center seconds, an “Oyster Patent” crown and a stainless-steel petites-mailles bracelet with deployant clasp. The catalogue presents those parts together, but it does not prove that the bracelet was original to the watch.

	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>

	~~[[File:Ref 2490 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback, Army Dial, stainless steel\|Rolex 2490 Bubbleback, "Army Dial," case no. 423682]]~~		==Core facts==

	== Core facts ==

	{\| class="wikitable rp-facts"		{\| class="wikitable rp-facts"
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	\|-		\|-
	\| case		\| case
	\| tonneau-shaped, stainless steel, water-resistant Oyster case		\| tonneau-shaped, stainless steel, water-resistant Oyster case; 32mm diameter and 14mm thick in the documented lot
	\|-		\|-
	\| movement		\| movement
	\| self-winding ~~("Oyster Perpetual, Self-Winding" per~~ Antiquorum~~'s own lot description)~~		\| self-winding; Antiquorum gives no caliber number or jewel count
	\|-		\|-
	\| dial (documented)		\| dial (documented)
	\| black~~, mixed~~ Roman~~/Arabic~~ numerals ~~(Roman XI~~, I; ~~Arabic 8, 7, 5, 4), "Rolex Oyster Perpetual" signed above center, "Self Winding" below, center-seconds layout,~~ original hands		\| black with luminous Arabic and Roman numerals, baton indexes and outer minute track; original hands noted by Antiquorum
	\|-		\|-
	\| documented examples		\| documented examples
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	== Where it sits in the line ==		== Where it sits in the line ==

	~~"Bubbleback"~~ is a collector nickname for ~~the~~ Oyster Perpetual ~~generation built between 1933 and the mid-1950s around~~ the domed caseback the ~~early~~ automatic rotor ~~required~~. Most ~~Bubblebacks of this era~~ are round; the 2490 is tonneau-shaped~~, a~~ case ~~profile more commonly associated with Rolex's manual-wind Prince and Oyster lines of the same period~~. ~~What keeps the 2490 in the Bubbleback~~ family ~~rather than those manual lines is~~ the ~~movement: Antiquorum's own lot~~ description ~~specifies "~~Oyster Perpetual~~, Self~~-~~Winding,"~~ not a ~~hand-wound~~ caliber. The ~~"bubble" in the nickname refers to the domed caseback the automatic rotor demanded,~~ not ~~strictly~~ to ~~a round outer case — Rolex clearly built at least some tonneau-cased examples around~~ the ~~same self-winding~~ movement ~~generation~~.		“Bubbleback” is a collector nickname for early Oyster Perpetual watches with the domed caseback used around the automatic rotor. Most examples are round, while the documented 2490 has a tonneau-shaped case. Its family placement rests on the auction description, which identifies it as an Oyster Perpetual and self-winding; Antiquorum does not publish a caliber number. The case shape alone is therefore not enough to identify the movement family.

	<span id="production-outline"></span>		<span id="production-outline"></span>
	== Production outline ==		== Production outline ==

	~~Only one 2490 has surfaced with~~ public ~~documentation:~~ case no. 423682, dated 1945 by Antiquorum, sold ~~at the house's~~ Hong Kong ~~sale~~ on 8 June 2008 (lot 218~~) against a~~ HKD 50,~~000–65~~,000 ~~estimate, hammering at~~ HKD 60,000. Antiquorum~~'s own notes for the lot point to~~ comparable ~~examples published~~ in Franca and Guido ~~Mondani's ''~~1908-2008, 100th Anniversary of Rolex'' (p. 15) ~~— evidence the reference was known to specialist Rolex historians independent of this specific sale~~, ~~even though no~~ second auction ~~result has turned up alongside it~~. ~~The lot's condition grading records~~ the case ~~as "good~~, scratched," the movement ~~as "good~~, overhaul recommended," and the dial ~~as "good"~~ with original hands ~~— a worn, honestly-graded example rather than a restored or over-polished one~~.		In the public records checked for this audit, the traceable example is case no. 423682, dated 1945 by Antiquorum and sold in Hong Kong on 8 June 2008 as lot 218. The estimate was HKD 50,000–65,000 and the result HKD 60,000. Antiquorum cites comparable watches in Franca and Guido Mondani’s 1908-2008, 100th Anniversary of Rolex (p. 15), but those references are not second auction records. Antiquorum graded the case “good, scratched,” the movement “good, overhaul recommended, at buyer’s expense,” and the dial “good,” with original hands noted.

	<span id="movement-notes"></span>		<span id="movement-notes"></span>
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	== Dial map ==		== Dial map ==

	The dial ~~is black~~ with ~~a mixed numeral set unusual for the Bubbleback range:~~ Roman numerals ~~at XI and I~~, ~~Arabic numerals at 8, 7, 5~~ and ~~4, and applied luminous batons filling the remaining hour positions~~. ~~"Rolex Oyster Perpetual" is signed above~~ the ~~coronet logo at~~ center~~, "Self Winding" below it~~. The ~~hands are a broad triangular hour hand~~ and ~~a matching baton minute~~ hand, ~~both aged to~~ a ~~warm patina, with a thin red-tipped sweep-adjacent seconds hand run from center — consistent with the center-seconds movement Antiquorum's description specifies~~.		The catalogue describes a black dial with luminous Arabic and Roman numerals, baton indexes and an outer minute track. It identifies the watch as center-seconds and notes original hands. The exact numeral positions and hand colours should be treated as observations from the lot images, not as a general 2490 dial specification.

	<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>		<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
	== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==		== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

	The case is tonneau-shaped stainless steel, ~~described by~~ Antiquorum ~~as water-resistant, with~~ an ~~"Oyster Patent" crown — Rolex's period marking for its screw-down waterproof~~ crown ~~system~~. The ~~bracelet is~~ a stainless steel Rolex "petites mailles~~" (small-link) design on a~~ deployant clasp~~, catalogued as part of~~ the ~~same lot rather than a later replacement, and~~ the ~~watch was sold~~ with ~~its original box~~.		The documented case is a two-body, tonneau-shaped stainless-steel Oyster case with a domed polished bezel, concave lugs, screwed caseback and crown. Antiquorum gives a 32mm diameter and 14mm thickness and describes an “Oyster Patent” crown. The lot included a stainless-steel Rolex petites-mailles bracelet, deployant clasp and a box; the catalogue does not establish the bracelet’s original delivery with the case.

	== Related references ==		== Related references ==
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	\|}		\|}

	The 2490 is thinly documented ~~next to~~ the ~~rest~~ of the ~~Bubbleback range: this is the only publicly traceable example, and no second case number, dial variant,~~ or ~~metal configuration has surfaced to compare it against~~.		The 2490 remains thinly documented in the public sources checked here. This page records one auction lot; it does not establish a complete census of the reference or rule out other examples in private collections.

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

Admin: site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

2026-09-05T01:21:05Z

site-wide: layout classes (core-facts card, breadcrumb, entry-point cards)

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:21, 5 September 2026
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	== Core facts ==		== Core facts ==

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable rp-facts"
	\|-		\|-
	! detail		! detail

Admin: site-wide: domain move BezelBase → Rolexopedia (rolexopedia.net)

2026-09-05T00:37:10Z

site-wide: domain move BezelBase → Rolexopedia (rolexopedia.net)

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:37, 5 September 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2490 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback "Army Dial"}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2490 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback "Army Dial"}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback "Army Dial" — 1945 Tonneau-Shaped Self-Winding \| ~~BezelBase~~		\|title=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback "Army Dial" — 1945 Tonneau-Shaped Self-Winding \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=The Rolex 2490 is a 1945 tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback in stainless steel, catalogued by Antiquorum as an "Army Dial" example with an Oyster Patent crown and period petites mailles bracelet. Only one documented example has surfaced at auction.		\|description=The Rolex 2490 is a 1945 tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback in stainless steel, catalogued by Antiquorum as an "Army Dial" example with an Oyster Patent crown and period petites mailles bracelet. Only one documented example has surfaced at auction.
	\|keywords=Rolex, 2490, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, tonneau, Army Dial		\|keywords=Rolex, 2490, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, tonneau, Army Dial

Admin: Add confirmed dial detail from lot photo: mixed Roman/Arabic numeral layout, add Dial map section

2026-08-16T13:51:48Z

Add confirmed dial detail from lot photo: mixed Roman/Arabic numeral layout, add Dial map section

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:51, 16 August 2026
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	<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''2490'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:oyster-perpetual\|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''2490'''</small>

	The 2490 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual from 1945, self-winding, in stainless steel. Antiquorum catalogued its only publicly documented example as an "Army Dial" Rolex — the house's own name for the piece, not an official Rolex term, and ~~one whose exact dial pattern is not spelled out beyond that label~~ in the ~~lot description~~. ~~What is specified is more useful:~~ center seconds, an "Oyster Patent" crown, and a period stainless steel "petites mailles" bracelet on a deployant clasp, all catalogued together as a single unit rather than head-and-bracelet mismatched at some later point.		The 2490 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual from 1945, self-winding, in stainless steel. Antiquorum catalogued its only publicly documented example as an "Army Dial" Rolex — the house's own name for the piece, not an official Rolex term. The dial itself explains the label: black, with a mixed Roman-and-Arabic numeral set (XI and I in Roman at the top, then plain Arabic 8, 7, 5, 4 around the lower half), signed "Rolex Oyster Perpetual" above center and "Self Winding" below, a layout closer to military field-watch convention than the all-Arabic or all-baton dials more typical of the Bubbleback range. The watch also carries center seconds, an "Oyster Patent" crown, and a period stainless steel "petites mailles" bracelet on a deployant clasp, all catalogued together as a single unit rather than head-and-bracelet mismatched at some later point.

	<span id="core-facts"></span>		<span id="core-facts"></span>
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	\|-		\|-
	\| dial (documented)		\| dial (documented)
	\| center-seconds layout, original hands~~; Antiquorum's own "Army Dial" name for the pattern, exact marker layout not otherwise specified in the catalogue text~~		\| black, mixed Roman/Arabic numerals (Roman XI, I; Arabic 8, 7, 5, 4), "Rolex Oyster Perpetual" signed above center, "Self Winding" below, center-seconds layout, original hands
	\|-		\|-
	\| documented examples		\| documented examples
Line 65:		Line 65:

	Antiquorum's lot description states only that the movement is self-winding; no caliber number or jewel count is given, and the movement grading ("good, overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense") indicates the example was sold as-is rather than freshly serviced.		Antiquorum's lot description states only that the movement is self-winding; no caliber number or jewel count is given, and the movement grading ("good, overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense") indicates the example was sold as-is rather than freshly serviced.

			<span id="dial-map"></span>
			== Dial map ==

			The dial is black with a mixed numeral set unusual for the Bubbleback range: Roman numerals at XI and I, Arabic numerals at 8, 7, 5 and 4, and applied luminous batons filling the remaining hour positions. "Rolex Oyster Perpetual" is signed above the coronet logo at center, "Self Winding" below it. The hands are a broad triangular hour hand and a matching baton minute hand, both aged to a warm patina, with a thin red-tipped sweep-adjacent seconds hand run from center — consistent with the center-seconds movement Antiquorum's description specifies.

	<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>		<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>

Admin: New article: Rolex 2490 Bubbleback, Army Dial, Antiquorum HK 2008 lot 218

2026-08-16T13:50:30Z

New article: Rolex 2490 Bubbleback, Army Dial, Antiquorum HK 2008 lot 218

New page

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2490 Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback "Army Dial"}}
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback "Army Dial" — 1945 Tonneau-Shaped Self-Winding | BezelBase
|description=The Rolex 2490 is a 1945 tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback in stainless steel, catalogued by Antiquorum as an "Army Dial" example with an Oyster Patent crown and period petites mailles bracelet. Only one documented example has surfaced at auction.
|keywords=Rolex, 2490, Bubbleback, Oyster Perpetual, vintage Rolex, tonneau, Army Dial
|image=Ref 2490 hero.webp
|image_alt=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback, Army Dial, stainless steel
|type=Article
|og_type=article
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}

[[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual]] -> '''2490'''

The 2490 is a tonneau-shaped Oyster Perpetual from 1945, self-winding, in stainless steel. Antiquorum catalogued its only publicly documented example as an "Army Dial" Rolex — the house's own name for the piece, not an official Rolex term, and one whose exact dial pattern is not spelled out beyond that label in the lot description. What is specified is more useful: center seconds, an "Oyster Patent" crown, and a period stainless steel "petites mailles" bracelet on a deployant clasp, all catalogued together as a single unit rather than head-and-bracelet mismatched at some later point.



[[File:Ref 2490 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 2490 Bubbleback, Army Dial, stainless steel|Rolex 2490 Bubbleback, "Army Dial," case no. 423682]]

== Core facts ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! detail
! value
|-
| reference
| 2490
|-
| family
| Oyster Perpetual (Bubbleback)
|-
| common name
| "Bubbleback"; Antiquorum catalogued its documented example as an "Army Dial" Rolex
|-
| production
| documented example dated 1945
|-
| case
| tonneau-shaped, stainless steel, water-resistant Oyster case
|-
| movement
| self-winding ("Oyster Perpetual, Self-Winding" per Antiquorum's own lot description)
|-
| dial (documented)
| center-seconds layout, original hands; Antiquorum's own "Army Dial" name for the pattern, exact marker layout not otherwise specified in the catalogue text
|-
| documented examples
| Antiquorum lot 218, Hong Kong, 8 June 2008, case no. 423682
|}


== Where it sits in the line ==

"Bubbleback" is a collector nickname for the Oyster Perpetual generation built between 1933 and the mid-1950s around the domed caseback the early automatic rotor required. Most Bubblebacks of this era are round; the 2490 is tonneau-shaped, a case profile more commonly associated with Rolex's manual-wind Prince and Oyster lines of the same period. What keeps the 2490 in the Bubbleback family rather than those manual lines is the movement: Antiquorum's own lot description specifies "Oyster Perpetual, Self-Winding," not a hand-wound caliber. The "bubble" in the nickname refers to the domed caseback the automatic rotor demanded, not strictly to a round outer case — Rolex clearly built at least some tonneau-cased examples around the same self-winding movement generation.


== Production outline ==

Only one 2490 has surfaced with public documentation: case no. 423682, dated 1945 by Antiquorum, sold at the house's Hong Kong sale on 8 June 2008 (lot 218) against a HKD 50,000–65,000 estimate, hammering at HKD 60,000. Antiquorum's own notes for the lot point to comparable examples published in Franca and Guido Mondani's ''1908-2008, 100th Anniversary of Rolex'' (p. 15) — evidence the reference was known to specialist Rolex historians independent of this specific sale, even though no second auction result has turned up alongside it. The lot's condition grading records the case as "good, scratched," the movement as "good, overhaul recommended," and the dial as "good" with original hands — a worn, honestly-graded example rather than a restored or over-polished one.


== Movement notes ==

Antiquorum's lot description states only that the movement is self-winding; no caliber number or jewel count is given, and the movement grading ("good, overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense") indicates the example was sold as-is rather than freshly serviced.


== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==

The case is tonneau-shaped stainless steel, described by Antiquorum as water-resistant, with an "Oyster Patent" crown — Rolex's period marking for its screw-down waterproof crown system. The bracelet is a stainless steel Rolex "petites mailles" (small-link) design on a deployant clasp, catalogued as part of the same lot rather than a later replacement, and the watch was sold with its original box.

== Related references ==

* [[Reference:3130|Bubbleback 3130]] — same generation, round case, self-winding
* [[Reference:3133|Bubbleback 3133]] — same generation, round case, self-winding
* [[Reference:3725|Bubbleback 3725]] — same generation, documented in multiple metal configurations

See also the [[Reference:oyster-perpetual|Oyster Perpetual family index]], [[Reference:Movements|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial numbers by year]].


== Auction record ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Case no. !! Configuration !! Estimate !! Result
|-
| Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 8 June 2008 || 218 || 423682 || Stainless steel, tonneau-shaped, self-winding, center seconds, "Army Dial," Oyster Patent crown, petites mailles bracelet with deployant clasp, box included || HKD 50,000–65,000 || HKD 60,000

|}

The 2490 is thinly documented next to the rest of the Bubbleback range: this is the only publicly traceable example, and no second case number, dial variant, or metal configuration has surfaced to compare it against.

== Sources ==

* [https://catalog.antiquorum.swiss/en/lots/rolex-lot-206-218 "Ref. 2490, 'Army Dial' Rolex, 'Oyster Perpetual, Self-Winding', case No. 423682", lot 218, Hong Kong, Antiquorum, 8 June 2008]
* Franca Mondani and Guido Mondani, ''1908-2008, 100th Anniversary of Rolex'', Mondani Editore, p. 15 (per Antiquorum's lot notes, citing comparable examples)
* [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters Anthony Traina, "The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee, 2024]
* [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-bubbleback-watches-collector-guide-1931-1950s-1235893131/ Oren Hartov, "Rolex Bubbleback Watches: A Collector's Guide, From 1931 to the 1950s", Robb Report, 2024]

[[Category:Oyster Perpetual]]