Short answer
Reference 52508 is the 18k yellow gold Rolex 1908, a 39 mm dress watch with a small seconds hand at 6 o'clock and the self-winding calibre 7140. Replica makers copy this reference often because the case shape is simple and the dial is easy to photograph. Four checks settle most cases: case weight, precious metal hallmarks, dial printing under magnification, and the movement itself. A Rolex service center gives the final verdict.
What reference 52508 is
Rolex added the 1908 to the Perpetual collection in 2023 as a formal leather strap line. Reference 52508 pairs an 18k yellow gold case with an intense white dial and a brown alligator strap. Rolex lists a 39 mm case, 18k yellow gold throughout, and the calibre 7140 with a 66-hour power reserve and a rate tolerance of -2/+2 seconds per day. Nothing on the watch is steel, and nothing on it is plated.
Tools you need
- A postal scale that reads to 0.1 g
- A 10x jeweler's loupe
- A watchmaker willing to open the caseback
- Photos of a documented genuine example for comparison
How to check a suspected replica
- Weigh the watch head without the strap and compare it to a documented figure. Gold runs near 15.5 g per cubic centimeter against 7.8 for steel, so a plated or steel fake reads far light for its size.
- Turn the watch over and look between the lugs and inside the caseback for Swiss precious metal hallmarks, including the St. Bernard dog head used for 18k gold, along with Rolex case engravings.
- Study the dial through the loupe. On a genuine guilloché dial the pattern is cut with even depth and spacing, and the applied numerals have crisp, polished edges.
- Watch the small seconds hand for one minute and count the steps. The calibre 7140 beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, so the hand advances in eight small jumps per second rather than sweeping or ticking once.
- Wind the crown and feel the action. A genuine 7140 winds with light, even resistance and the crown seats on clean threads.
- Inspect the strap and buckle. A genuine 1908 ships on alligator leather with a solid gold buckle carrying its own hallmark, not a plated base metal tang.
- Ask a watchmaker to open the caseback and compare the finishing, rotor engraving, and jewel count against known calibre 7140 images.
- Send the watch to a Rolex service center or authorized dealer for authentication when the value at stake justifies the fee.
Risk and legal status
- Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a criminal offense under 18 U.S.C. 2320, and importation of counterfeits is barred by federal law.
- US Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit shipments, and the buyer usually loses both the watch and the money.
- A replica carries no manufacturer warranty, no service support, and no resale market.
- Plated cases wear through at the lugs and crown within a few years of daily use.
If you already own one
Stop wearing it in water and have a watchmaker check the gaskets, since replica cases rarely seal to the depth claimed. If you paid by card or through a platform with buyer protection, file a dispute and keep the listing text and photos. Report sellers to the brand's legal team and to the platform, then treat the watch as costume jewelry rather than an asset.