Reference:2940: Difference between revisions
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== Where it sits in the line == | == Where it sits in the line == | ||
[[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. | ||
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== The two-piece case == | == The two-piece case == | ||
[[File:Ref 2940 profile.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=2940 Bubbleback profile bulge|1946 example, profile shows Bubbleback caseback bulge]] | |||
The 2940 uses the two-piece case architecture the 3131 introduced in 1936: a round mid-case with the bezel integral to the case middle, closed at the back by a screw-down caseback that threads directly into the case. No separate bezel ring. No discrete movement-holder. The case measures 31–32mm in diameter with a lug-to-lug of roughly 38–38.5mm and a lug width between 16 and 17mm. The bezel is smooth and domed, polished, unmarked, set slightly proud of the crystal aperture. | The 2940 uses the two-piece case architecture the 3131 introduced in 1936: a round mid-case with the bezel integral to the case middle, closed at the back by a screw-down caseback that threads directly into the case. No separate bezel ring. No discrete movement-holder. The case measures 31–32mm in diameter with a lug-to-lug of roughly 38–38.5mm and a lug width between 16 and 17mm. The bezel is smooth and domed, polished, unmarked, set slightly proud of the crystal aperture. | ||
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== Dial variants == | == Dial variants == | ||
[[File:Ref 2940 dial-detail.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=2940 dial close-up rose numerals sub-seconds|Applied rose numerals + sub-seconds register]] | |||
The 2940 carries the widest dial catalog of any Bubbleback reference. Some of this breadth reflects Rolex's pre-war practice of configuring dials to retailer specification; some of it reflects the reference's long production run across multiple export markets; some of it reflects refinishing activity over the subsequent eight decades. | The 2940 carries the widest dial catalog of any Bubbleback reference. Some of this breadth reflects Rolex's pre-war practice of configuring dials to retailer specification; some of it reflects the reference's long production run across multiple export markets; some of it reflects refinishing activity over the subsequent eight decades. | ||
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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. | ||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||