Reference:2940 - Revision history

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

2026-09-05T01:21:09Z

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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	<small>[[Reference:bubbleback\|Bubbleback]] -> '''2940'''</small>		<small>[[Reference:bubbleback\|Bubbleback]] › '''2940'''</small>
	[[File:Ref 2940 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 2940 Bubbleback steel 1942\|1942 steel Bubbleback]]		[[File:Ref 2940 hero.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=Rolex 2940 Bubbleback steel 1942\|1942 steel Bubbleback]]

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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)

2026-09-05T00:37:14Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:37, 5 September 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2940 Bubbleback}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2940 Bubbleback}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex Bubbleback 2940 (1940–1949) — Production & Dial Guide \| ~~BezelBase~~		\|title=Rolex Bubbleback 2940 (1940–1949) — Production & Dial Guide \| Rolexopedia
	\|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback: the steel, center-seconds, export-friendly expression of the earlier 3131 formula. Its broad dial range reflects the few markets Rolex still had open in the 1940s.		\|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback: the steel, center-seconds, export-friendly expression of the earlier 3131 formula. Its broad dial range reflects the few markets Rolex still had open in the 1940s.
	\|image=Ref 2940 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 2940 hero.webp

Admin: Fix ligne-mark bold bug: replace ''' with ′′′ prime marks

2026-08-08T17:59:25Z

Fix ligne-mark bold bug: replace ''' with ′′′ prime marks

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:59, 8 August 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	\| movement		\| movement
	\| Cal. ~~9¾'''~~, 17 jewels (some 18j); some examples Cal. 630		\| Cal. 9¾′′′, 17 jewels (some 18j); some examples Cal. 630
	\|-		\|-
	\| case materials		\| case materials
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	[[File:Ref 2940 full.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=2940 rose-numeral dial Phillips lot\|Phillips Geneva 2015 lot, rose-numeral dial]]		[[File:Ref 2940 full.webp\|thumb\|right\|250px\|alt=2940 rose-numeral dial Phillips lot\|Phillips Geneva 2015 lot, rose-numeral dial]]
	The 2940 is the volume wartime Bubbleback. The 3131 and its sweep-seconds twin 3132 had proven in 1936 that the two-piece Oyster could be manufactured at scale; the 2940 is the reference that made the same case architecture available in steel and inexpensive gold cap. It carries the sweep-seconds configuration that the 3132 pioneered, a center-mounted seconds hand running off Cal. ~~9¾'''~~ rather than a subsidiary register at 6, and pairs it with a case sized for a masculine wartime wrist. Production runs from roughly 1940 through 1949, with the concentrated peak falling in the five years from 1942 through 1947.		The 2940 is the volume wartime Bubbleback. The 3131 and its sweep-seconds twin 3132 had proven in 1936 that the two-piece Oyster could be manufactured at scale; the 2940 is the reference that made the same case architecture available in steel and inexpensive gold cap. It carries the sweep-seconds configuration that the 3132 pioneered, a center-mounted seconds hand running off Cal. 9¾′′′ rather than a subsidiary register at 6, and pairs it with a case sized for a masculine wartime wrist. Production runs from roughly 1940 through 1949, with the concentrated peak falling in the five years from 1942 through 1947.

	Within the Bubbleback range, the 2940 sits beside the sub-seconds 2764, the more mixed-metal 3065, and the engine-turned 3372. Steel examples are the standard configuration. 14K gold-top over steel sits above them, and solid 9K gold is the scarcest material. The documented serial range runs from the low 200,000s to the high 600,000s, which fits roughly 1942 to 1949. Unlike later sports references, the 2940 does not break into neat generations. The variation is in dials, hands, and case metal.		Within the Bubbleback range, the 2940 sits beside the sub-seconds 2764, the more mixed-metal 3065, and the engine-turned 3372. Steel examples are the standard configuration. 14K gold-top over steel sits above them, and solid 9K gold is the scarcest material. The documented serial range runs from the low 200,000s to the high 600,000s, which fits roughly 1942 to 1949. Unlike later sports references, the 2940 does not break into neat generations. The variation is in dials, hands, and case metal.
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	The 2940's movement is non-hacking. Pulling the crown to the setting position stops the hands from advancing but the seconds continue to sweep; setting to the exact second requires a fractional backlash adjustment that is second nature on contemporary vintage Rolex but foreign to any Rolex made after the introduction of hacking seconds in the 1970s.		The 2940's movement is non-hacking. Pulling the crown to the setting position stops the hands from advancing but the seconds continue to sweep; setting to the exact second requires a fractional backlash adjustment that is second nature on contemporary vintage Rolex but foreign to any Rolex made after the introduction of hacking seconds in the 1970s.

	Cal. 630 is cited on some 2940 examples and is the formal numbered caliber for the ~~9¾'''~~ sweep-seconds configuration. The two designations refer to the same movement family under different naming conventions. The ligne measurement (~~9¾'''~~) is older, and the numbered caliber (630) is the catalog reference Rolex used in service documentation. A 2940 described with Cal. ~~9¾'''~~ and a 2940 described with Cal. 630 are, in practice, the same watch.		Cal. 630 is cited on some 2940 examples and is the formal numbered caliber for the 9¾′′′ sweep-seconds configuration. The two designations refer to the same movement family under different naming conventions. The ligne measurement (9¾′′′) is older, and the numbered caliber (630) is the catalog reference Rolex used in service documentation. A 2940 described with Cal. 9¾′′′ and a 2940 described with Cal. 630 are, in practice, the same watch.

	<span id="dial-variants"></span>		<span id="dial-variants"></span>

Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-08-04T00:20:05Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

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Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-08-04T00:11:36Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:11, 4 August 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2940 Bubbleback}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2940 Bubbleback}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex Bubbleback 2940 (1940–1949) — Production & Dial Guide \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex Bubbleback 2940 (1940–1949) — Production & Dial Guide \| BezelBase
	\|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback: the steel, center-seconds, export-friendly expression of the earlier 3131 formula. Its broad dial range reflects the few markets Rolex still had open in the 1940s.		\|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback: the steel, center-seconds, export-friendly expression of the earlier 3131 formula. Its broad dial range reflects the few markets Rolex still had open in the 1940s.
	\|image=Ref 2940 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 2940 hero.webp
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	\|modified_time=2026-06-~~29T01~~:18:~~56Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-07-18T12:52:32Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
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Klaudiusz: Internal linking: related references + component links

2026-07-18T12:52:32Z

Internal linking: related references + component links

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:52, 18 July 2026
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	The 2940 trades primarily through specialist dealer inventory and the secondary auction market rather than at major Geneva houses. Phillips and Heritage have handled examples; Sotheby's and Christie's have occasionally included 2940s in mid-tier vintage lots; Antiquorum and Bonhams have listed them in catalog sales. The bulk of market activity happens through vintage Rolex specialist dealers, forum-adjacent private sales, and platforms like Chrono24 and 1stDibs. Price discovery is accordingly uneven, and a given configuration can trade at widely varying prices depending on venue and market conditions.		The 2940 trades primarily through specialist dealer inventory and the secondary auction market rather than at major Geneva houses. Phillips and Heritage have handled examples; Sotheby's and Christie's have occasionally included 2940s in mid-tier vintage lots; Antiquorum and Bonhams have listed them in catalog sales. The bulk of market activity happens through vintage Rolex specialist dealers, forum-adjacent private sales, and platforms like Chrono24 and 1stDibs. Price discovery is accordingly uneven, and a given configuration can trade at widely varying prices depending on venue and market conditions.


			== Related references ==

			* [[Reference:3595\|Bubbleback 3595]] — 1941–1949
			* [[Reference:3065\|Bubbleback 3065]] — 1937–1950
			* [[Reference:2764\|Bubbleback 2764]] — 1937–1948
			* [[Reference:3131\|Bubbleback 3131]] — 1936–1948
			* [[Reference:4467\|Bubbleback 4467]] — 1945–1949
			* [[Reference:3458\|Bubbleback 3458]] — 1934–1948

			See also the [[Reference:bubbleback\|Bubbleback family index]], [[Reference:Movements\|movement reference]], [[Reference:Bracelets\|bracelet & clasp guide]], and [[Reference:Serial-numbers\|serial numbers by year]].

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

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2026-06-29T01:20:18Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

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	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
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Admin: SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

2026-06-29T01:18:56Z

SEO: clickable title + og:image + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:18, 29 June 2026
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	{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2940 Bubbleback}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:Rolex 2940 Bubbleback}}
	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex 2940 ~~Bubbleback~~ — Production, Dial ~~Variants, Serial Ranges~~ \| BezelBase		\|title=Rolex Bubbleback 2940 (1940–1949) — Production & Dial Guide \| BezelBase
	\|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback: the steel, center-seconds, export-friendly expression of the earlier 3131 formula. Its broad dial range reflects the few markets Rolex still had open in the 1940s.		\|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback: the steel, center-seconds, export-friendly expression of the earlier 3131 formula. Its broad dial range reflects the few markets Rolex still had open in the 1940s.
	\|image=Ref 2940 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 2940 hero.webp
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	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~29T02~~:48:~~42Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-06-04T04:40:17Z
	\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large		\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
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Admin: SEO: capitalize schema.org @type to "Article" for rich-result eligibility

2026-06-04T04:40:17Z

SEO: capitalize schema.org @type to "Article" for rich-result eligibility

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:40, 4 June 2026
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	\|image=Ref 2940 hero.webp		\|image=Ref 2940 hero.webp
	\|image_alt=Rolex 2940 Bubbleback steel 1942		\|image_alt=Rolex 2940 Bubbleback steel 1942
	\|type=~~article~~		\|type=Article
	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-17T22:14:06Z		\|published_time=2026-04-17T22:14:06Z

Admin: Remove Category:Working Draft — published pre-2020 in-scope reference

2026-05-31T02:07:16Z

Remove Category:Working Draft — published pre-2020 in-scope reference

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:07, 31 May 2026
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	[[Category:Bubbleback]]		[[Category:Bubbleback]]
	~~[[Category:Working Draft]]~~