Reference:2240: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 16:51, 11 October 2026

Mat silver dial with applied gold indexes, Antiquorum Geneva 1995

Antiquorum catalogued two 32 mm steel Oyster Perpetuals as ref. 2240 in 1995. Both have centre seconds and a self-winding, 19-jewel movement. The entries support the reference’s place among early Oyster Perpetual automatics, but they do not show a reference engraving or caseback. The Bubbleback classification remains probable rather than confirmed.

Arthur Johnson & Sons attributed a domed-back Rolex Oyster to ref. 2240 in two March 2026 listings of the same watch. The photographs show the case profile and movement number 31706; they leave the case number and reference engraving out. The dial is signed “Rolex Oyster,” without “Perpetual.” Its case has Bubbleback form, while the reference attribution remains unverified.

Core facts

detail	value
reference	2240
family	Oyster Perpetual; Bubbleback classification probable, not fully documented
production	no documented range; Antiquorum dates individual examples to the 1930s and 1940s
case diameter	32 mm in both Antiquorum records; Arthur Johnson gives no diameter
case shape	tonneau
case	steel tonneau, polished and satin-finished on the two Antiquorum examples; screw-down back and crown
caseback profile	not shown on the Antiquorum watches; domed on the Arthur Johnson watch attributed to ref. 2240
bezel	smooth, polished
crystal	material not stated in the catalogues
crown	screw-down
winding	self-winding
seconds	centre seconds
movement	9¾ lignes, rhodium-plated, 19 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring. No caliber number published
case materials	stainless steel on all three attributed watches
dials documented	two Antiquorum watches wear different mat-silver layouts; the Arthur Johnson attribution has a silvered Roman sector dial; original fitment unproved
dial designations	"Oyster Perpetual, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified"; "Oyster Perpetual Chronomètre"; "Rolex Oyster"

Where it sits in the line

Both Antiquorum entries describe a 9¾-ligne, 19-jewel automatic movement with centre seconds, and list screw-down backs and crowns. The catalogues do not name a caliber or describe the case as two-piece.

The 1873 and 2765 are manual-wind Oysters with flat backs in their cited records. Their tonneau outlines resemble the 2240 examples, but the catalogue descriptions distinguish their movements and casebacks.

Production outline

The auction record consists of two Antiquorum lots in 1995 and two Arthur Johnson listings of one watch in March 2026. Antiquorum dated its Hong Kong example to the 1930s and its Geneva example to the 1940s. The catalogues do not publish case numbers. Arthur Johnson recorded a £800 hammer on 7 March and reoffered the same watch on 14 March, when the hammer was £680; the reason for the reoffer is not stated.

These are catalogue dates for individual watches, not a production range. All three attributed watches are steel. None of the cited lots gives a case number that could test its date against serial-number guidance.

Movement notes

Antiquorum describes the 9¾-ligne movement as rhodium-plated, with 19 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring and centre seconds. Both entries call it self-winding. The catalogues do not supply a caliber number.

A centre-seconds 600-series Perpetual, such as Cal. 630, is a possible identification, not a confirmed one. Arthur Johnson’s photographs show movement number 31706 but no caliber marking. The watch’s reference engraving is also outside the published views.

Dial map

The three attributed watches have different dials. The auction photographs document each watch as catalogued; they do not establish original delivery configuration.

The Geneva example has a mat-silver dial with applied gold indexes and radium-filled bâton hands. “Oyster Perpetual” appears below the coronet, with “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” above six o’clock. The Hong Kong example is also mat silver, with painted Arabic numerals at every hour, an outer minute track with five-minute markers, “Chronomètre” above six, and bâton hands described by Antiquorum as radium-filled.

The Nottingham watch has a silvered dial with a faint sector pattern, applied Roman numerals at even hours and batons at odd hours, a printed outer minute track, gilt leaf hands and centre seconds. Its dial surface is heavily crazed. The signature reads “Rolex Oyster.”

Rolex’s 2021 brochure dates the phrase “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” to the late 1950s, when it first appeared on Datejust and Day-Date dials. Antiquorum dates the Geneva watch to the 1940s, so its dial inscription and catalogue date conflict. The available lot images do not resolve whether the dial was replaced or refinished, or whether the watch was misdated.

Hong Kong lot: painted Arabic numerals
Arthur Johnson listing: Roman sector dial

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Antiquorum describes both watches as 32 mm steel tonneau cases with polished and satin finishes, screwed backs and crowns. Its catalogue calls them waterproof. The listings do not specify the crystal material or internal case construction.

Domed coin-edged screw-down caseback of a Rolex attributed to reference 2240 — Domed, coin-edged screw-down back on the Arthur Johnson watch attributed to ref. 2240; no reference engraving was shown

The Arthur Johnson photographs show a pronounced domed back in a coin-edged screw ring. The auctioneer reports that its crown does not screw down. The case number and reference engraving are not visible, so these features cannot be assigned securely to ref. 2240.

Christie’s technical catalogue for a ref. 2764 calls it a Bubbleback without describing the back profile. That wording is a useful comparison for auction descriptions; it does not establish the 2240’s case construction or caliber.

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

The cited photographs show all three attributed watches on leather straps. They do not document a factory bracelet or end-link fitment for ref. 2240.

Auction record

Venue	Date	Lot	Dated by catalogue	Dial	Estimate	Result
Antiquorum, Geneva (Hôtel des Bergues)	1995-04-22	304	1940s	Mat silver, applied gold indexes, bâton radium hands	CHF 2,600–2,800 (USD 2,200–2,400)	Not published
Antiquorum, Hong Kong (Hotel Furama Kempinski)	1995-06-14	29	1930s	Mat silver, painted Arabic numerals, bâton radium hands	HKD 15,000–18,000 (USD 2,000–2,200)	Not published
Arthur Johnson & Sons, Nottingham	2026-03-07	7353	Not dated	Silvered sector, applied Roman numerals, gilt leaf hands	Not published	GBP 800 hammer recorded; reoffered one week later
Arthur Johnson & Sons, Nottingham (The Saturday Auctions)	2026-03-14	7287	Not dated	Silvered sector, applied Roman numerals, gilt leaf hands	Not published	GBP 680 hammer

Antiquorum publishes estimates but no realised prices for its two lots. Arthur Johnson’s photographs show the same watch in both March listings: lot 7353 on 7 March and lot 7287 one week later. The reported £800 and £680 hammers belong to successive listings of one object.

The two Antiquorum catalogues identify separate ref. 2240 watches with self-winding, 9¾-ligne, 19-jewel movements and centre seconds. Arthur Johnson’s lot records a domed-back watch attributed to ref. 2240; the published views do not verify that reference.

Related references

Bubbleback 2764: Cal. 620N "Super Precision"
Bubbleback 2940: centre-seconds contemporary
Bubbleback 3131: the 1936 two-piece case transition
Oyster Chronometer 2765: the manual flat-back that shares the list but not the mechanics
Oyster Royal 1873: manual flat-back Oyster

Geneva lot 304
Hong Kong lot 29
Arthur Johnson lot 7287
Caseback on the attributed watch

Sources

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{#seo:
-|title=Rolex 2240 Bubbleback — Self-Winding Oyster Perpetual &#124; Rolexopedia
+|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual 2240: documented examples and family attribution &#124; Rolexopedia
-|description=Rolex reference 2240: two self-winding Oyster Perpetual catalogue records, movement and dial evidence, and the unresolved Bubbleback caseback attribution.
+|description=Two 1995 Antiquorum lots identify self-winding 2240 watches. Their casebacks are undocumented; a later domed-back attribution lacks a visible reference number.
 |image=Ref 2240 hero.webp
 |type=article
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 </div>
-Two Antiquorum catalogues from 1995 identify ref. 2240 as a 32mm steel Oyster Perpetual with
+Antiquorum catalogued two 32 mm steel Oyster Perpetuals as ref. 2240 in 1995. Both have centre seconds and a self-winding, 19-jewel movement. The entries support the reference’s place among early Oyster Perpetual automatics, but they do not show a reference engraving or caseback. The Bubbleback classification remains probable rather than confirmed.
-centre seconds and a self-winding, 19-jewel movement. That makes its Bubbleback classification
-probable. Neither catalogue shows a reference engraving, movement, or caseback, so the identity
-and domed-back construction have not been documented together on one watch.
-Arthur Johnson & Sons attributed a domed-back Rolex to ref. 2240 twice in March 2026. Its
+Arthur Johnson & Sons attributed a domed-back Rolex Oyster to ref. 2240 in two March 2026 listings of the same watch. The photographs show the case profile and movement number 31706; they leave the case number and reference engraving out. The dial is signed “Rolex Oyster,” without “Perpetual.” Its case has Bubbleback form, while the reference attribution remains unverified.
-photographs show the case profile and movement number 31706, but no case number or reference
-engraving. The dial reads Rolex Oyster rather than Oyster Perpetual. It is useful evidence for a
-Bubbleback-form watch, but not a securely identified ref. 2240.
@@ Line 42: / Line 36: @@
 |-
 | case diameter
-| 32mm
+| 32 mm in both Antiquorum records; Arthur Johnson gives no diameter
 |-
 | case shape
@@ Line 81: / Line 75: @@
 |}
-==Where it sits in the line==
+== Where it sits in the line ==
-Both Antiquorum descriptions specify centre seconds, self-winding, 19 jewels and a 9¾-ligne
+Both Antiquorum entries describe a 9¾-ligne, 19-jewel automatic movement with centre seconds, and list screw-down backs and crowns. The catalogues do not name a caliber or describe the case as two-piece.
-movement. Those details place the watches among early Oyster Perpetual automatics, but they do
-not identify a caliber or case generation. The catalogues describe screw-down backs and crowns;
-neither calls the case two-piece or shows it disassembled.
-References 1873 and 2765 are useful contrasts because catalogued examples are manually wound,
+The [[Reference:1873|1873]] and [[Reference:2765|2765]] are manual-wind Oysters with flat backs in their cited records. Their tonneau outlines resemble the 2240 examples, but the catalogue descriptions distinguish their movements and casebacks.
-and ref. 1873 is explicitly described with a flat back. Their similar tonneau outlines do not
-prove that they share case construction with ref. 2240.
-==Production outline==
+== Production outline ==
-Four online auction appearances have been located, representing three watches. Antiquorum sold
+The auction record consists of two Antiquorum lots in 1995 and two Arthur Johnson listings of one watch in March 2026. Antiquorum dated its Hong Kong example to the 1930s and its Geneva example to the 1940s. The catalogues do not publish case numbers. Arthur Johnson recorded a £800 hammer on 7 March and reoffered the same watch on 14 March, when the hammer was £680; the reason for the reoffer is not stated.
-two different examples in 1995. Arthur Johnson listed the same watch on 7 and 14 March 2026,
-first with a recorded £800 hammer and then at £680. The reason for the reoffer is not published.
-Antiquorum dated one watch to the 1930s and the other to the 1940s. Neither listing gives a case
+These are catalogue dates for individual watches, not a production range. All three attributed watches are steel. None of the cited lots gives a case number that could test its date against [[Reference:Serial-numbers|serial-number guidance]].
-number, and the Arthur Johnson photographs show no case number or reference engraving. These
-dates remain catalogue estimates for individual watches; they do not establish a production
-range. All three attributed watches are steel.
-==Movement notes==
+== Movement notes ==
-Both Antiquorum catalogues describe the movement as self-winding, 9¾ lignes and 19 jewels, with
+Antiquorum describes the 9¾-ligne movement as rhodium-plated, with 19 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring and centre seconds. Both entries call it self-winding. The catalogues do not supply a caliber number.
-a lever escapement, monometallic balance, Breguet balance spring and centre seconds. Automatic
-winding rests on the explicit catalogue descriptions, not on the size: Rolex also used 9¾-ligne
-manual movements.
-Neither catalogue names a caliber. The centre-seconds layout makes Cal. 630 or a related
+A centre-seconds 600-series Perpetual, such as Cal. 630, is a possible identification, not a confirmed one. Arthur Johnson’s photographs show movement number 31706 but no caliber marking. The watch’s reference engraving is also outside the published views.
--series Perpetual plausible, but the jewel count and hand layout are not enough to make that
-assignment. The Arthur Johnson movement is engraved No. 31706, but its caliber marking and the
-watch's reference engraving are not shown.
-==Dial map==
+== Dial map ==
-[[File:Ref 2240 dial-variant-painted-arabic.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 2240 mat silver dial with painted Arabic numerals at every hour|Painted Arabic numerals and outer minute track, the Hong Kong lot]]
+The three attributed watches have different dials. The auction photographs document each watch as catalogued; they do not establish original delivery configuration.
-The three attributed watches wear different dials. The photographs document their condition at
+The Geneva example has a mat-silver dial with applied gold indexes and radium-filled bâton hands. “Oyster Perpetual” appears below the coronet, with “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” above six o’clock. The Hong Kong example is also mat silver, with painted Arabic numerals at every hour, an outer minute track with five-minute markers, “Chronomètre” above six, and bâton hands described by Antiquorum as radium-filled.
-sale, not original delivery.
-The Geneva example carries a mat silver dial with applied gold indexes and radium-filled
+The Nottingham watch has a silvered dial with a faint sector pattern, applied Roman numerals at even hours and batons at odd hours, a printed outer minute track, gilt leaf hands and centre seconds. Its dial surface is heavily crazed. The signature reads “Rolex Oyster.”
-bâton hands, reading Oyster Perpetual below the coronet and carrying its chronometer
-designation above six o'clock. The Hong Kong example is mat silver, with painted Arabic numerals
-at every hour, an outer minute track
-with five-minute markers, Chronomètre above six, and the same radium-filled bâton hands.
-[[File:Ref 2240 dial-variant-roman.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=Rolex 2240 silvered sector dial with applied Roman numerals and gilt leaf hands|Applied Roman numerals on a sector-style dial signed Rolex Oyster, the Nottingham lot]]
+Rolex’s 2021 brochure dates the phrase “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” to the late 1950s, when it first appeared on Datejust and Day-Date dials. Antiquorum dates the Geneva watch to the 1940s, so its dial inscription and catalogue date conflict. The available lot images do not resolve whether the dial was replaced or refinished, or whether the watch was misdated.
-The Nottingham watch has a silvered dial with a faint sector pattern, applied Roman numerals at the even
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
-hours and applied batons at the odd ones, a printed outer minute track, gilt leaf hands and a
+File:Ref 2240 dial-variant-painted-arabic.webp|alt=Mat-silver Rolex dial with painted Arabic numerals at every hour and outer minute track, Antiquorum Hong Kong lot 29|Hong Kong lot: painted Arabic numerals
-centre seconds hand. Its surface is heavily crazed. The signature reads Rolex Oyster rather
+File:Ref 2240 dial-variant-roman.webp|alt=Silvered Rolex dial with applied Roman numerals and batons, sector track and gilt leaf hands, Arthur Johnson lot 7287|Arthur Johnson listing: Roman sector dial
-than Oyster Perpetual, a warning when assessing the auctioneer's automatic ref. 2240 attribution.
+</gallery>
-The Geneva watch has visible Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified wording. Rolex dates
+== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==
-that designation to the late 1950s, while Antiquorum dates the watch to the 1940s. At least one
-element of that record is therefore wrong. Without a case number and closer dial examination,
-the evidence cannot distinguish a later replacement or refinish from a misdated watch.
-==Case, bezel, crystal, and crown==
+Antiquorum describes both watches as 32 mm steel tonneau cases with polished and satin finishes, screwed backs and crowns. Its catalogue calls them waterproof. The listings do not specify the crystal material or internal case construction.
-Antiquorum describes both watches as 32mm steel tonneau cases, polished and satin-finished, with
-screw-down backs and crowns. It calls them waterproof in period catalogue language. The crystal
-material and internal case construction are not stated.
 [[File:Ref 2240 caseback.webp|thumb|right|300px|alt=Domed coin-edged screw-down caseback of a Rolex attributed to reference 2240|Domed, coin-edged screw-down back on the Arthur Johnson watch attributed to ref. 2240; no reference engraving was shown]]
-The Arthur Johnson watch has a pronounced domed back seated in a coin-edged screw ring. Its crown
+The Arthur Johnson photographs show a pronounced domed back in a coin-edged screw ring. The auctioneer reports that its crown does not screw down. The case number and reference engraving are not visible, so these features cannot be assigned securely to ref. 2240.
-would not screw down. The photographs do not show a reference engraving or case number, so this
-construction cannot yet be tied securely to ref. 2240.
-Christie's description of a ref. 2764 shows why Antiquorum's silence is inconclusive: the house
+Christie’s technical catalogue for a ref. 2764 calls it a Bubbleback without describing the back profile. That wording is a useful comparison for auction descriptions; it does not establish the 2240’s case construction or caliber.
-calls the 2764 a Bubbleback but does not describe its back as domed in the technical text. That
-comparison explains the missing word; it does not identify the 2240's case construction or caliber.
-==Bracelets, end links, and clasps==
+== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==
-All three attributed watches were photographed on leather straps. No ref. 2240-specific factory
+The cited photographs show all three attributed watches on leather straps. They do not document a factory bracelet or end-link fitment for ref. 2240.
-bracelet or end-link documentation has been located.
-==Auction record==
+== Auction record ==
 {| class="wikitable"
@@ Line 206: / Line 167: @@
 |}
-Neither Antiquorum page publishes a realised price. The Nottingham entries are not two examples:
+Antiquorum publishes estimates but no realised prices for its two lots. Arthur Johnson’s photographs show the same watch in both March listings: lot 7353 on 7 March and lot 7287 one week later. The reported £800 and £680 hammers belong to successive listings of one object.
-the photographs show the same watch, first listed as lot 7353 and reoffered one week later as lot
-. The reason for the reoffer is unknown, so the £800 and £680 figures should not be treated as
-two independent market observations.
-The secure record is narrower. Antiquorum catalogued two different self-winding ref. 2240
+The two Antiquorum catalogues identify separate ref. 2240 watches with self-winding, 9¾-ligne, 19-jewel movements and centre seconds. Arthur Johnson’s lot records a domed-back watch attributed to ref. 2240; the published views do not verify that reference.
-watches with 9¾-ligne, 19-jewel movements and centre seconds. Arthur Johnson catalogued one
-domed-back automatic watch as ref. 2240 twice, without showing the reference engraving.
 == Related references ==
-* [[Reference:2764|Bubbleback 2764]] — Cal. 620N "Super Precision"
+* [[Reference:2764|Bubbleback 2764]]: Cal. 620N "Super Precision"
-* [[Reference:2940|Bubbleback 2940]] — centre-seconds contemporary
+* [[Reference:2940|Bubbleback 2940]]: centre-seconds contemporary
-* [[Reference:3131|Bubbleback 3131]] — the 1936 two-piece case transition
+* [[Reference:3131|Bubbleback 3131]]: the 1936 two-piece case transition
-* [[Reference:2765|Oyster Chronometer 2765]] — the manual flat-back that shares the list but not the mechanics
+* [[Reference:2765|Oyster Chronometer 2765]]: the manual flat-back that shares the list but not the mechanics
-* [[Reference:1873|Oyster Royal 1873]] — manual flat-back Oyster
+* [[Reference:1873|Oyster Royal 1873]]: manual flat-back Oyster
 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]].
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
+File:Ref 2240 hero.webp|alt=Rolex Oyster Perpetual with mat-silver dial and applied gold indexes, Antiquorum Geneva lot 304|Geneva lot 304
+File:Ref 2240 dial-variant-painted-arabic.webp|alt=Mat-silver Rolex dial with painted Arabic numerals, Antiquorum Hong Kong lot 29|Hong Kong lot 29
+File:Ref 2240 dial-variant-roman.webp|alt=Silvered sector-style Rolex dial with applied Roman numerals and batons, Arthur Johnson lot 7287|Arthur Johnson lot 7287
+File:Ref 2240 caseback.webp|alt=Domed, coin-edged back on a Rolex attributed to 2240, Arthur Johnson lot 7287|Caseback on the attributed watch
+</gallery>
 == Sources ==
@@ Line 231: / Line 195: @@
 * [https://www.arthurjohnson.co.uk/catalogue/lot/350817b99cbeedece0cbed6103e2def4/1d509dfe86f02da2d7cbda445ef6ff1f/the-saturday-auctions-7th-march-2026-lot-7353/ "Arthur Johnson & Sons Lot 7353 — Rolex Oyster 'Bubbleback' attributed to ref. 2240", Arthur Johnson & Sons, 2026-03-07]
 * [https://www.arthurjohnson.co.uk/catalogue/lot/666399e1d8d806483b36d5f21241ba50/1d509dfe86f02da2d7cbda445ef6ff1f/the-saturday-auctions-14th-march-2026/ "Rolex - an Oyster 'Bubbleback' wristwatch, ref. 2240, stainless steel case, automatic movement", Arthur Johnson & Sons, 2026-03-14]
-* [https://newsroom.rolex.com/watchmaking/features/superlative-chronometers Rolex, "Superlative chronometers", Rolex Newsroom]
+* [https://newsroom-content.rolex.com/-/media/project/rolex/newsroom/rolex/rolex-newsroom-int/brochures/en/02_rolex_superlative_chronometer_english.pdf Rolex, Superlative Chronometer Certification brochure, 2021]
 * [https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rolex-bubbleback-and-why-it-still-matters "Buying, Selling, & Collecting: The Rolex Bubbleback And Why It Still Matters", Hodinkee]
 * [https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/lists/rolex-bubbleback-watches-collector-guide-1931-1950s-1235893131/ "A Collector's Guide to Rolex Bubbleback Watches, From 1931 to the 1950s", Robb Report]