Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15008

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date ref. 15008 with blue dial and yellow-gold case — Meeting Art lists this blue-dial example as a 1986 ref. 15008; the sale is scheduled for 31 October 2026.

The 15008 is a yellow-gold Oyster Perpetual Date. Catalogues and listings date examples from circa 1981 through 1987; one dealer estimates a white-Roman example to 1989–1990 and gives the partial serial L25xxxx. Factory endpoints remain unknown. Four listings identify Cal. 3035, and a movement photo in the stock 45225 listing shows that marking. A 1983 listing reports Cal. 1570 on another example; its movement is not pictured. The 1983 and 1986 Alitalia-engraving listings may describe the same watch.

Core facts

Detail	Documented record
Reference	15008
Model	Oyster Perpetual Date
Case	Yellow gold; 18k in several listings
Size	Usually listed as 34 mm; one dealer gives 35 mm
Movement	Cal. 3035 in four listings; Cal. 1570 in one
Display	Central seconds; date at 3 o'clock
Bezel and crystal	Smooth bezel; acrylic crystal in listed examples
Dials recorded	Blue, silver, champagne, yellow, white Roman, and one UAE Armed Forces crest
Bracelet and strap records	Riveted Oyster bracelets and leather straps; first delivery remains unverified
Dated examples	Examples dated circa 1981–1987; one dealer estimates another to 1989–1990; factory endpoints unknown

Where it sits in the line

The 15008 belongs to Rolex's five-digit Oyster Perpetual Date line. The neighboring 15007 is another five-digit Date with its own case-metal and bezel records. Listings document the 15008 in yellow gold; records for the wider 150xx group leave the full option range unclear.

Production outline

The dates in the table are estimates for individual watches; factory production limits remain unknown.

Date attached to example	Record	What it documents
Circa 1981	RolexForums sale listing	Seller describes a 34 mm 18k yellow-gold case, champagne dial, Cal. 3035, and riveted Oyster 7205 bracelet.
1981	EveryWatch archive of Rabat CPO listing	34 mm yellow-gold watch with Cal. 3035, Plexiglas and white Roman dial; sold as Rolex CPO in 2026.
1983	Sold listing, item 295	Describes a 34 mm 18k example with champagne dial, engraving, and Cal. 1570. It also gives 28,800 A/h, unlike the 19,800 vph stated in the Cal. 1570 entry.
1986	Drouot / Meeting Art, lot 977	Upcoming catalogue describes a 34 mm 18k case, smooth bezel, blue dial and Cal. 3035. The sale is scheduled for 31 October 2026.
1986	1986 listing	Describes a yellow-gold 15008 with yellow dial and an Alitalia 30-years-of-service engraving; no caliber is named.
1987	Momentum Dubai listing	Dealer dates serial 9662xxx to 1987 and describes an 18k case. It gives the case size as 35 mm.	1989–1990 (seller estimate)	Seller stock 45225	Gives serial prefix L25xxxx and identifies Cal. 3035; describes a 34 mm yellow-gold case, smooth bezel, acrylic crystal, white Roman dial and gold Oyster bracelet. A 1stDibs page reproduces the same stock number.

Movement notes

Four reviewed listings identify Cal. 3035. The stock 45225 listing includes a movement photograph visibly marked 3035. The seller assigns the watch to ref. 15008, though no legible case number appears in the accessible photos. A 1983 listing gives Cal. 1570 and 28,800 A/h; the Cal. 1570 entry gives 19,800 vph. That 1570 attribution remains unverified.

Dial map

Catalogues and listings show blue applied batons, silver, champagne, yellow, and white Roman dials. Factory dial options remain only partly documented. One dealer-listed 1987 watch has a silver dial with a UAE Armed Forces crest; the seller identifies its hands as Rolex service replacements. The listing documents the crest on that watch; its first-sale record and dial origin are unknown.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Several records describe 18k yellow gold and measure the case at 34 mm. The UAE-crest listing gives 35 mm. The records leave the reason for that difference unclear; measurement practice or a listing error could explain it. The stock 45225 entry and its 1stDibs copy refer to the same watch.

Auction catalogues, the 2021 forum listing, and stock 45225 describe smooth bezels. A separate seller listing assigned to ref. 15008 describes a fluted bezel and sapphire crystal. The listing shows no legible reference number, so those details remain unverified seller attributions. Other listings describe acrylic crystals. Meeting Art specifies a screw-down crown and caseback. The full factory option list remains unknown.

Outer caseback and lug of the same lot. No legible reference number is shown.

Bracelets, clasps, and packaging

RolexForums describes a riveted 18k Oyster bracelet marked 7205 and dates the bracelet to 1981. Aste Boetto calls its riveted Oyster bracelet original, but gives no first-delivery record. The stock 45225 listing shows another watch on a gold Oyster bracelet; its 1stDibs copy is the same example. Other watches appear on leather straps. Meeting Art lists a gold-colored buckle, while the UAE-crest listing describes a gold-plated pin buckle. Together, the examples document several setups for the reference.

Meeting Art also lists a case, a certificate dated January 1987, a booklet, leather document holders, a cheque holder and a Rolex handkerchief with its lot. The catalogue does not say these accessories were delivered with the watch in 1986.

The watch and accessories shown together in the auction lot; first delivery is not established.

Special branches

Two dealer listings describe 15008 watches with Alitalia-related engravings. A sold listing says a watch engraved for Giorgio Burini was presented for Alitalia's 30th anniversary in 1983. The Italian Chamber of Deputies dates Alitalia's founding to 1946, placing its 30th anniversary in 1976. The 1983 presentation story needs supporting documentation. A separate 1986 listing calls its watch a 30-year service award for an Alitalia pilot or executive. The listings lack matching identifiers, so whether they show the same watch remains unresolved; neither includes award documentation.

Another dealer listing shows a UAE Armed Forces crest on a 15008 with serial 9662xxx. It describes a 2022 Rolex service card and identifies the hands as service replacements. The card records later service; the dial's origin and first delivery remain unknown.

Auction record

Aste Boetto's June 2025 catalogue lists a yellow-gold 15008 with a smooth bezel, silver dial, riveted Oyster bracelet and 34 mm case. Its description omits caliber and gold purity.

Gallery

Blue-dial 15008 listed by Meeting Art as a 1986 example; the 31 October 2026 sale is upcoming.
Outer caseback and lug of the same lot; the catalogue lists an 18k yellow-gold case.
Watch and accessories shown together in the auction lot.

Sources