Reference:bubbleback - Revision history

Admin: De-orphan: forward-link to 3139, 3359, 4220

2026-04-30T04:16:47Z

De-orphan: forward-link to 3139, 3359, 4220

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 | [[Reference:3003|3003]] · [[Reference:3004|3004]] || 1937+ || 10½''' Hunter / Cal. 700, manual, 15–17j || 33–34mm Oyster || First Rolex "Precision" references; opens the 47-year Oyster Precision line that continues alongside the Perpetual
 |}

Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T03:23:56Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:23, 29 April 2026
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	{{#seo:		{{#seo:
	\|title=Rolex ~~Bubbleback — Complete Reference Guide~~ — BezelBase		\|title=Rolex bubbleback — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges \| BezelBase
	\|description=Every Rolex Bubbleback reference from the 1933 original through the mid-1950s transitional era. Production histories, movement progression, dial variants, and collector context.		\|description=Every Rolex Bubbleback reference from the 1933 original through the mid-1950s transitional era. Production histories, movement progression, dial variants, and collector context.
	\|keywords=Rolex Bubbleback, Ovetto, Ovettone, Padellone, Oyster Perpetual, Monoblocco, Submarine Hermetique, 1858, 3131, 3372, 4467, 3666, 6098, 8171, 3525, 3003, 6105, Datejust, Precision, Cal. 520, Cal. 620, Cal. 630, Cal. 1030, vintage Rolex, collector guide		\|keywords=Rolex Bubbleback, Ovetto, Ovettone, Padellone, Oyster Perpetual, Monoblocco, Submarine Hermetique, 1858, 3131, 3372, 4467, 3666, 6098, 8171, 3525, 3003, 6105, Datejust, Precision, Cal. 520, Cal. 620, Cal. 630, Cal. 1030, vintage Rolex, collector guide
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	\|og_type=article		\|og_type=article
	\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:11:45Z		\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:11:45Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:37:~~10Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:51:18Z
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Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T02:51:18Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:51, 29 April 2026
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	\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:11:45Z		\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:11:45Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~27T13~~:39:~~02Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-29T02:37:10Z
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Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-29T02:37:10Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:37, 29 April 2026
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	\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:11:45Z		\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:11:45Z
	\|modified_time=2026-04-~~23T15~~:57:~~32Z~~		\|modified_time=2026-04-27T13:39:02Z
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Admin: Slop sweep: paragraph challenge + AI-tone scrub

2026-04-27T13:39:02Z

Slop sweep: paragraph challenge + AI-tone scrub

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:39, 27 April 2026
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	== First Bubbleback (1933–1935) ==		== First Bubbleback (1933–1935) ==

	The first production Perpetual. Cal. 520 (Hunter 8¾''') with a full 360-degree rotor. Early examples carry Didactic engravings ~~around the movement plate,~~ step-by-step service instructions in French ~~engraved~~ because ~~watchmakers~~ had ~~never seen~~ a Rolex automatic ~~before~~.		The first production Perpetual. Cal. 520 (Hunter 8¾''') with a full 360-degree rotor. Early examples carry the Didactic engravings: step-by-step service instructions in French cut directly into the movement plate because no watchmaker outside Aegler had ever opened a Rolex automatic.

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	== First Oyster chronograph (1939–1945) ==		== First Oyster chronograph (1939–1945) ==

	Rolex's first chronograph in the waterproof Oyster case. Italian collectors call it the ''Monoblocco'' (monobloc) or ''Barilotto'' (little barrel)~~, both referring to~~ the case machined from a single billet. ~~The reference delivered Rolex chronographs to~~ British POWs in Stalag Luft III during WWII; ~~Rolex~~ honored the orders ~~and~~ shipped the watches to the camps ~~with~~ payment ~~deferred to~~ after the war.		Rolex's first chronograph in the waterproof Oyster case. Italian collectors call it the ''Monoblocco'' (monobloc) or ''Barilotto'' (little barrel) for the case machined from a single billet. British POWs at Stalag Luft III ordered the reference during WWII; Wilsdorf honored the orders, shipped the watches to the camps, and deferred payment until after the war.

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	== Triple calendar flagship — Padellone (1949–1953) ==		== Triple calendar flagship — Padellone (1949–1953) ==

	The Bubbleback era's complication flagship. "Padellone" means "big pan" in Italian, an augmentative of ''padella'' ("pan")~~, following~~ the same ~~Italian~~ naming logic as Ovetto/Ovettone. Triple calendar (day, month, date) plus moonphase. ~~Unlike the Ovettone, the~~ Padellone's case is not a waterproof Oyster; ~~it uses a snap caseback because~~ the calendar mechanism would not fit a screw-down Oyster architecture.		The Bubbleback era's complication flagship. "Padellone" means "big pan" in Italian, an augmentative of ''padella'' ("pan") that follows the same naming logic as Ovetto/Ovettone. Triple calendar (day, month, date) plus moonphase. The Padellone case is not a waterproof Oyster; the calendar mechanism would not fit a screw-down Oyster architecture, so Rolex used a snap caseback.

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Admin: Lexical slop sweep: filler adverbs, load-bearing, stands as, breadcrumb, register

2026-04-27T13:31:22Z

Lexical slop sweep: filler adverbs, load-bearing, stands as, breadcrumb, register

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:31, 27 April 2026
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	== First Datejust / Ovettone (1945–1949) ==		== First Datejust / Ovettone (1945–1949) ==

	The 4467 launched in 1945 to mark Rolex's 40th anniversary. It is the first automatic wristwatch with a date window, the first watch to carry the Jubilee bracelet, and the origin of the fluted Datejust bezel. 36mm case (the "Big Bubbleback"), 18K gold only, ~~approximately~~ 1,000 units produced with the first 100 sold by souscription through a Swiss newspaper at CHF 975 each.		The 4467 launched in 1945 to mark Rolex's 40th anniversary. It is the first automatic wristwatch with a date window, the first watch to carry the Jubilee bracelet, and the origin of the fluted Datejust bezel. 36mm case (the "Big Bubbleback"), 18K gold only, about 1,000 units produced with the first 100 sold by souscription through a Swiss newspaper at CHF 975 each.

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Admin: SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

2026-04-27T04:03:42Z

SEO: og:image + image_alt + og_type + timestamps

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:03, 27 April 2026
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	\|description=Every Rolex Bubbleback reference from the 1933 original through the mid-1950s transitional era. Production histories, movement progression, dial variants, and collector context.		\|description=Every Rolex Bubbleback reference from the 1933 original through the mid-1950s transitional era. Production histories, movement progression, dial variants, and collector context.
	\|keywords=Rolex Bubbleback, Ovetto, Ovettone, Padellone, Oyster Perpetual, Monoblocco, Submarine Hermetique, 1858, 3131, 3372, 4467, 3666, 6098, 8171, 3525, 3003, 6105, Datejust, Precision, Cal. 520, Cal. 620, Cal. 630, Cal. 1030, vintage Rolex, collector guide		\|keywords=Rolex Bubbleback, Ovetto, Ovettone, Padellone, Oyster Perpetual, Monoblocco, Submarine Hermetique, 1858, 3131, 3372, 4467, 3666, 6098, 8171, 3525, 3003, 6105, Datejust, Precision, Cal. 520, Cal. 620, Cal. 630, Cal. 1030, vintage Rolex, collector guide
			\|image=Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp
			\|image_alt=Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s
	\|type=article		\|type=article
			\|og_type=article
			\|published_time=2026-04-17T21:11:45Z
			\|modified_time=2026-04-23T15:57:32Z
			\|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
	}}		}}

Admin: Tighten family page for faster reading

2026-04-23T15:57:32Z

Tighten family page for faster reading

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:57, 23 April 2026
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	= Rolex Oyster & Bubbleback =		= Rolex Oyster & Bubbleback =

	The Bubbleback is ~~the~~ Oyster ~~Perpetual’s first act~~. ~~Rolex patented the 360-degree Perpetual~~ rotor ~~in 1931–1933, and the movement that carried it~~ was too thick for a flat case~~. The solution was to dome~~ the caseback over the ~~rotor alone~~ and ~~leave~~ the ~~rest of the watch in the silhouette of the 1926 Oyster~~. Production ~~ran~~ from 1933 ~~through~~ the mid-1950s, ending when ~~the Cal~~. 1030 ~~made the~~ flat ~~caseback~~ possible~~. In between, Rolex produced roughly 172 reference variants per The Vintage Rolex Field Manual~~. Italian collectors ~~distinguish~~ the standard 32mm ~~Bubblebacks (''~~Ovetto~~'', "little egg") from~~ the 36mm ~~Big Bubblebacks that begin with the first Datejust (''~~Ovettone~~'', "big egg")~~.		The Bubbleback is Rolex's first Oyster Perpetual family. The automatic rotor was too thick for a flat case, so Rolex domed the caseback over the movement and created the profile collectors now call Bubbleback. Production runs from 1933 into the mid-1950s, ending when cal. 1030 makes a flat back possible. Italian collectors call the standard 32mm case Ovetto and the 36mm cases Ovettone.

	[[File:Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp\|thumb\|center\|500px\|alt=Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s\|Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s]]		[[File:Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp\|thumb\|center\|500px\|alt=Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s\|Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s]]

Admin: Hero swap + caption source attribution (automated)

2026-04-19T17:50:45Z

Hero swap + caption source attribution (automated)

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:50, 19 April 2026
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	The Bubbleback is the Oyster Perpetual’s first act. Rolex patented the 360-degree Perpetual rotor in 1931–1933, and the movement that carried it was too thick for a flat case. The solution was to dome the caseback over the rotor alone and leave the rest of the watch in the silhouette of the 1926 Oyster. Production ran from 1933 through the mid-1950s, ending when the Cal. 1030 made the flat caseback possible. In between, Rolex produced roughly 172 reference variants per The Vintage Rolex Field Manual. Italian collectors distinguish the standard 32mm Bubblebacks (''Ovetto'', "little egg") from the 36mm Big Bubblebacks that begin with the first Datejust (''Ovettone'', "big egg").		The Bubbleback is the Oyster Perpetual’s first act. Rolex patented the 360-degree Perpetual rotor in 1931–1933, and the movement that carried it was too thick for a flat case. The solution was to dome the caseback over the rotor alone and leave the rest of the watch in the silhouette of the 1926 Oyster. Production ran from 1933 through the mid-1950s, ending when the Cal. 1030 made the flat caseback possible. In between, Rolex produced roughly 172 reference variants per The Vintage Rolex Field Manual. Italian collectors distinguish the standard 32mm Bubblebacks (''Ovetto'', "little egg") from the 36mm Big Bubblebacks that begin with the first Datejust (''Ovettone'', "big egg").

	[[File:Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp\|thumb\|center\|500px\|Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s]]		[[File:Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp\|thumb\|center\|500px\|alt=Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s\|Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s]]

	== Pre-Oyster / Submarine (1922–1926) ==		== Pre-Oyster / Submarine (1922–1926) ==

Admin: Paragraph-challenge pass: context, clarity, research-backed fixes

2026-04-18T17:43:55Z

Paragraph-challenge pass: context, clarity, research-backed fixes

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:43, 18 April 2026
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	= Rolex Oyster & Bubbleback =		= Rolex Oyster & Bubbleback =

	The Bubbleback is the Oyster ~~Perpetual's~~ first act. Rolex patented the 360-degree Perpetual rotor in 1931–1933, and the movement that carried it was too thick for a flat case. The solution was to dome the caseback over the rotor alone~~, leaving~~ the rest of the watch in the silhouette of the 1926 Oyster. Production ran from 1933 through the mid-1950s, ending when the Cal. 1030 made the flat caseback possible. In between, Rolex produced roughly 172 reference variants per ~~the~~ Vintage Rolex Field Manual. Italian collectors distinguish the standard 32mm Bubblebacks (''Ovetto'', "little egg") from the 36mm Big Bubblebacks that begin with the first Datejust (''Ovettone'', "big egg").		The Bubbleback is the Oyster Perpetual’s first act. Rolex patented the 360-degree Perpetual rotor in 1931–1933, and the movement that carried it was too thick for a flat case. The solution was to dome the caseback over the rotor alone and leave the rest of the watch in the silhouette of the 1926 Oyster. Production ran from 1933 through the mid-1950s, ending when the Cal. 1030 made the flat caseback possible. In between, Rolex produced roughly 172 reference variants per The Vintage Rolex Field Manual. Italian collectors distinguish the standard 32mm Bubblebacks (''Ovetto'', "little egg") from the 36mm Big Bubblebacks that begin with the first Datejust (''Ovettone'', "big egg").

	[[File:Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp\|thumb\|center\|500px\|Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s]]		[[File:Bubbleback_vintage_poster.webp\|thumb\|center\|500px\|Vintage Rolex Bubbleback — the Oyster Perpetual with the domed caseback, produced 1933 through the mid-1950s]]
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	== First Bubbleback (1933–1935) ==		== First Bubbleback (1933–1935) ==

	The first production Perpetual. Cal. 520 (Hunter 8¾''') with a full 360-degree rotor. Early examples carry Didactic engravings around the movement plate: step-by-step service instructions in French, engraved because watchmakers had never seen a Rolex automatic before.		The first production Perpetual. Cal. 520 (Hunter 8¾''') with a full 360-degree rotor. Early examples carry Didactic engravings around the movement plate, step-by-step service instructions in French engraved because watchmakers had never seen a Rolex automatic before.

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