Reference:2940: Difference between revisions

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{{#seo:

|title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual "Bubbleback" 2940 — BezelBase

|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback. ~~Introduced around 1940~~ and ~~produced through 1949,~~ it ~~spans~~ the years when ~~Swiss watch production~~ had to ~~keep running…~~

|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback. It takes the earlier two-piece Oyster formula and pushes it into the years when Rolex had to sell across the few markets still open. That pressure helps explain the reference's unusually broad dial range.

~~|keywords=Rolex, 2940, Bubbleback, specifications,~~ reference ~~guide~~

~~|type=article~~

}}

<small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] -> '''2940'''</small>

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The Phillips 2015 result is the headline data point. A steel 2940 with a pink California dial sold at CHF 10,000 on an estimate of CHF 8,000–12,000, a market-range result for the configuration, with the California dial driving the estimate above what a standard Arabic-radium 2940 would command. The Heritage salmon-dial example is less completely documented in the public record but establishes the salmon dial as a documented configuration at auction-house level rather than a dealer-listing curiosity.

Dealer market data ~~for~~ the ~~period 2020–2026 places~~ the ~~reference~~ in a ~~specific price~~ band~~. Average private-sale pricing sits at roughly USD 2,352~~, ~~with dealer pricing at an average of USD 3,455, the dealer premium reflecting both retail margin~~ and the dealer market’s tendency to carry better-condition or more complete examples. The broader price range runs from USD 2,860 at the bottom to USD 11,950 at the top, with the upper figure reflecting rare dial configurations (salmon, sector, 24-hour military), exceptional condition, or precious-metal cases. Five-year market change sits at roughly +36.2 percent, consistent with broader vintage Rolex appreciation over the same period but below the ten-year appreciation that a comparable Submariner or GMT-Master has delivered.

Dealer market data from the 2020s puts the 2940 in a modest but real collector band: standard steel lower, unusual dials and precious-metal cases higher. The watch matters more for variation and originality than for headline prices.

The 2940 sits in the accessible middle of the Bubbleback market. It is not as visually dramatic as the engine-turned 3372. It does not sit at the hinge of history the way the 3131 does, or at the rarity end where the 1858 sits. It is less metal-premium than a solid 18K gold 3131. What the 2940 offers is a wartime Rolex at a sub-USD-5,000 entry point in standard steel configuration, with clear paths to higher price tiers for better dials, better condition, and precious-metal cases. The market reflects that positioning.

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 {{#seo:
 |title=Rolex Oyster Perpetual "Bubbleback" 2940 — BezelBase
-|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback. Introduced around 1940 and produced through 1949, it spans the years when Swiss watch production had to keep running…
+|description=The 2940 is the wartime Bubbleback. It takes the earlier two-piece Oyster formula and pushes it into the years when Rolex had to sell across the few markets still open. That pressure helps explain the reference's unusually broad dial range.
-|keywords=Rolex, 2940, Bubbleback, specifications, reference guide
-|type=article
-}}
 <small>[[Reference:bubbleback|Bubbleback]] -> '''2940'''</small>
@@ Line 188: / Line 185: @@
 The Phillips 2015 result is the headline data point. A steel 2940 with a pink California dial sold at CHF 10,000 on an estimate of CHF 8,000–12,000, a market-range result for the configuration, with the California dial driving the estimate above what a standard Arabic-radium 2940 would command. The Heritage salmon-dial example is less completely documented in the public record but establishes the salmon dial as a documented configuration at auction-house level rather than a dealer-listing curiosity.
-Dealer market data for the period 2020–2026 places the reference in a specific price band. Average private-sale pricing sits at roughly USD 2,352, with dealer pricing at an average of USD 3,455, the dealer premium reflecting both retail margin and the dealer market’s tendency to carry better-condition or more complete examples. The broader price range runs from USD 2,860 at the bottom to USD 11,950 at the top, with the upper figure reflecting rare dial configurations (salmon, sector, 24-hour military), exceptional condition, or precious-metal cases. Five-year market change sits at roughly +36.2 percent, consistent with broader vintage Rolex appreciation over the same period but below the ten-year appreciation that a comparable Submariner or GMT-Master has delivered.
+Dealer market data from the 2020s puts the 2940 in a modest but real collector band: standard steel lower, unusual dials and precious-metal cases higher. The watch matters more for variation and originality than for headline prices.
 The 2940 sits in the accessible middle of the Bubbleback market. It is not as visually dramatic as the engine-turned 3372. It does not sit at the hinge of history the way the 3131 does, or at the rarity end where the 1858 sits. It is less metal-premium than a solid 18K gold 3131. What the 2940 offers is a wartime Rolex at a sub-USD-5,000 entry point in standard steel configuration, with clear paths to higher price tiers for better dials, better condition, and precious-metal cases. The market reflects that positioning.