For me, at least, the new Rolex Constant 1908 was one of the biggest surprises at this year’s watch show. Everyone knew the Cellini line wasn’t the big hit it was thought to be from the start. But I don’t think many people suspected that Rolex would discontinue the line altogether. As usual, people were more focused on predicting the next stainless steel sports watch, and people would be put on a waiting list. Yes, there are some “new” sports watches this year, but the one that caught my eye was the release of the Rolex Eternal 1908.
To be honest, I wasn’t that familiar with the Cellini line when it still existed, so when I first saw 1908, I thought it was a brand-new watch. But while many of its parts were developed from scratch, the 1908’s 39mm case is very similar to the one Rolex used for the Cellini’s time, date and dual time zones.
This feeling is also due to the fact that the case was slimmed down considerably. The Cellini Time used to be 11.1 mm thick, but the new 1908 is only 9.5 mm thick. That’s an impressive reduction in thickness for a watch that wasn’t originally heavy. This is, of course, thanks to the new, slimmer 7140 automatic movement.
Almost everything on the dial is in the right place and well-proportioned. Only two things are not, but I’ll get back to those in a minute. First, the railway-style track of the minute and small seconds hands holds everything together nicely, unlike the open design on the previous Cellini dial.
Then, on the wrist, the 1908 feels very nice and somehow familiar. Rolex’s previous offerings don’t directly inspire the watch, but it still has a vintage vibe to it. It makes you feel like you’ve seen this watch several times before. I also really like the fact that it’s not the most decent of formal watches. Even with the rather plain small seconds hand at 6 o’clock, the yellow or white gold numbers still keep it somewhat sporty.
Another thing that accentuates the sporty feel is the super matte, almost anthracite black dial. No sparkle, no shine, no nothing, and I like it. The white dial, on the other hand, has a silvered look and reflects a lot of the light it catches.
Just like the platinum version of the replica Rolex Daytona, the 1908 model has a transparent case back through which you can see the new, thinner 7140 movement. Thanks to the 18k gold rotor, I think the display-style case back suits this watch well. However, the movement’s finishing, while nice, is not jaw-dropping. In the end, I don’t think the back display case adds much value, but it is a nice option.