The Rolex Datejust
Rolex Datejust
Originally known as the “Jubilee”, for the being introduced concurrently with Rolex’s famous Jubilee bracelet. Demeaned in some circles as the ‘entry level’ Rolex; good for retirement gifts and 18th birthdays. The Rolex Datejust seems timeless, as if it formed the backbone of the Rolex organization itself; its iconic dial configuration, along with that of the Day-Date, often copied by lesser watch brands and counterfeiters. But what are the real origins of this legendary watch model? And how did it come to be so renowned?
At a time when no self-winding watches were capable of changing dates automatically after midnight, the Rolex Datejust stepped in and set the precedence for how date windows would function in mechanical timepieces. The first Rolex Datejust, the ref. 4467, was released in 1945 as the Oyster Perpetual Datejust. At the time, yellow gold was one of the preferred metals for watches and accordingly, the ref. 4467 was released in exclusively in 18k yellow gold. The watch was designed with practicality specifically in mind, elements like the simple date window, and the clean dial with three easy to read hands, are indicative of this effort, which was extremely well received by the market at the time. However, one of the most revered features of the watch, Rolex’s magnified date window, was not introduced until the 1950s.
The original 1945 release hosted the Rolex Caliber 710, which although accurate and robust, was difficult to service and was replaced rather quickly. Today, the Datejust hosts the Caliber 3235 and is often recognizable from a distance for its fluted bezel. The movement may have been changed over many times, but its fundamental design and function have remained the same since its inception. And as a true testament to its design prowess, the Datejust is also regarded as the basis for one other important Rolex model: the Turn-o-Graph, in addition to its own reverence. Going forward, the Datejust’s reputation will surely continue to grow, especially as other metal Rolexes became harder and harder to pry from the hands of ADs.