Rolex Bubbleback homages
Vintage Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback designs.
32 mm across2 homages
See two to start with
How to recognise one
Five marks make the look. The count says how many of the 2 homages keep each one.
Engine-turned bezel
0 of 2 keep it. A broad bezel cut with fine radial ridges all the way round.
Raised Arabic numerals
0 of 2 keep it. Raised, gold-toned Arabic numerals mark all twelve hours.
Numbered minute track
1 of 2 keep it, 1 not compared yet. A fine minute track runs round the edge with numbers every five minutes.
Central seconds hand
1 of 2 keep it. A thin orange seconds hand sweeps from the centre of the dial.
Large knurled crown
2 of 2 keep it. A big knurled crown sits at 3, proud of the case.
Each close-up covers about 12.5 mm of watch, using the listed case width and estimated photo edges.
Two to start with
Picked from the record by marks kept, price and size, each sold under its own maker's name, not as a Rolex.
Baltany S4029 central-seconds Bubbleback
about £167 $223, seen 27 Sep36 mm
Closest look. Keeps 3 of the 5 marks of the Bubbleback, more than any other homage here.
Baltany S4028 California-dial Bubbleback
about £140 $187, seen 27 Sep36 mm
Lowest price. The lowest price listed for a close look here.
Original specifications
Sizes and specifications apply to the version named below. Other versions can differ.
Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback
explicit comparator alias; reference 2940 dimensions vary across documented examples
| Specification | Value | Sources and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case width | 32 mm | shop.hodinkee.com One cited source. Hodinkee Shop identifies a 1946 ref. 2940 and reports 32 mm width. |
| Lug to lug | 38.5 mm | 1946 Rolex Vintage Mens WWII Era Bubbleback, Ref. 2940 | Connoisseur of Time One cited source. Selected for this exact 1946 specimen because the body explicitly states lug tip-to-tip. Hodinkee lists 39.3mm “height” without endpoint method, so it remains a distinct unselected case-span claim. |
| Thickness | 12.8 mm | shop.hodinkee.com One cited source. Hodinkee Shop reports 12.8 mm thickness for the 1946 ref. 2940. |
| Lug width | 17 mm | shop.hodinkee.com One cited source. Hodinkee Shop lists a 17 mm lug width for the 1946 ref. 2940. |
Sources and unconfirmed details
- Oyster Perpetual Bubbleback ref. 2940 | Sotheby’s, read 2026-10-07T07:53:21Z
- Rolex Bubbleback 2940 Production & Dial Guide | Rolexopedia, read 2026-10-07T08:05:00Z
- shop.hodinkee.com, read 2026-10-07T10:12:00Z
- 1946 Rolex Vintage Mens WWII Era Bubbleback, Ref. 2940 | Connoisseur of Time, read 2026-10-07T10:30:00Z
3372Shown in the photograph
Read original photo dealer Shopify product JSON. Exact image CDN path matches manifest and title identifies1947 stainless steel3372.
| Specification | Value | Sources and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case width | 32 mm | Craft and Tailored1947 Rolex3372 Bubble back One cited source. Exact photographed reference specifications. |
| Lug to lug | Not confirmed | Do not transfer39mm from another1944 specimen without evidence of same-case dimensions. |
| Thickness | Not confirmed | Original pictured listing does not state thickness. |
| Lug width | Not confirmed | Original pictured listing does not state lug width. |
| Movement calibre | Not confirmed | No suitable exact-reference body-read source found. |
| Water resistance | Not confirmed | No suitable exact-reference body-read source found. |
| Power reserve | Not confirmed | No suitable exact-reference body-read source found. |
Sources and unconfirmed details
- Do not transfer39mm from another1944 specimen without evidence of same-case dimensions.
- Original pictured listing does not state thickness.
- Original pictured listing does not state lug width.
- No suitable exact-reference body-read source found.
- No suitable exact-reference body-read source found.
- No suitable exact-reference body-read source found.
- Craft and Tailored1947 Rolex3372 Bubble back, read 2026-10-07
More about the Bubbleback
Lay a homage over the BubblebackAny of the 2, laid over the original at one scale
Lay a homage over the Bubbleback
Slide to fade from one watch to the other and compare the case shapes. The figures below describe the version shown in the photograph.
32Rolex Bubbleback
36Baltany S4028 California-dial Bubbleback
36Baltany S4029 central-seconds BubblebackPhotos use listed case widths and automatic case-edge readings. The readings have not been manually audited. Photo proportions stay unchanged. Perspective and lug length can differ.Photos use listed case widths and automatic case-edge readings. The readings have not been manually audited. Photo proportions stay unchanged. Perspective and lug length can differ.
Rolex Bubbleback photo: 3372. Baltany S4028 California-dial Bubbleback photo: S4028 blue California dial, tan leather.36 mm, 4 mm wider than the Bubbleback
Rolex Bubbleback photo: 3372. Baltany S4029 central-seconds Bubbleback photo: S4029 black dial, black NATO.
3372, specifications and sources
| Measure | Bubbleback | Baltany S4028 California-dial Bubbleback |
|---|---|---|
| Case width | 32 mm | 36 mm |
| Lug to lug | Not listed yet | 44 mm |
| Thickness | Not listed yet | 13.6 mm |
| Lug width | Not listed yet | 18 mm |
| Movement | Not listed yet | Seagull ST1701 |
| Power reserve | Not listed yet | Not listed yet |
| Water | Not listed yet | 200 m |
| Price | Not tracked here | about £140 $187, seen 27 Sep |
Side view
Copies
- Large knurled crown
Not compared yet
Gives it away
- Broad dark ring round the dial in place of a ridged steel bezel
- Roman numerals above and Arabic below, like the 2940 California dial
- Small seconds subdial at 6 in place of central seconds
No difference noted