Rolex Datejust Watch

Rolex Datejust Watches – Some of the most sought-after timepieces

Rolex introduced the Datejust in 1945 to commemorate the company’s 40th anniversary. The Datejust was the first self-winding watch with a date window on the dial. The date complication on this watch allowed the date to switch automatically at midnight. While it sounds common today, it was the Rolex Datejust that showed the watch industry how a date complication should work on a wristwatch.

The original Rolex Datejust watch ref. 4467 was only available in 18k gold. Even though it is considered the first Datejust, it was not until the 1950s that the Datejust brand actually started to appear on the dial. The ref 4467 featured a small bubble back winder with a deeply domed back. The first Rolex Datejust model was launched in the waterproof Oyster case and featured the signature fluted bezel and jubilee bracelet.

Since its introduction, Rolex Datejust has more or less followed the same design language. Over the years, the timepiece has received several updates and features making it even more desirable.

One of the major updates for the watch arrived first in the year 1954. Rolex added the Cyclops lens for the first time directly above the date window. It increased the legibility by 2.5 times. Since then, the cyclops lens became a standard for Rolex watches and it is also considered the brand’s trademark.

In 1955, Rolex introduced the Datejust ref. 1625, which was a turn-o-graph watch. Nicknamed ‘The Thunderbird’, the timepiece featured a gold turn-o-graph bezel, which allowed the watch to function as a stopwatch. The model was awarded to the United States Airforce pilots after they returned from some combat missions.

Moving towards modern design

In the year 1957, Rolex brought a new movement for the Datejust called the Caliber 1065. It was a much lighter and thinner movement when compared to its predecessor. This allowed Rolex to replace the original domed case back with a flat case back. It helped the watch in getting a slimmer profile.

The next major update to the Datejust was introduced in the late 1970s. Rolex introduced the Caliber 3035 movement, which allowed the modern Datejust watches to add the quickset date feature. With this, the timepiece allowed users to independently adjust the date display.

Around that time, the Swiss watch brand also introduced the Rolex Datejust watch ref. 16013. It is the classic Stainless Steel and Yellow Gold variant fitted with the iconic fluted bezel. This generation of watches still featured acrylic crystals but the sloped pipe hand style dial from the previous generation was gone. This was replaced by one with a completely flat surface like the ones still used today.

Improving the Datejust further

In 1988, Rolex introduced a new generation of the Datejust. The timepiece was now based around the Caliber 3135. It was quite similar to the previous generation in a lot of areas. But the new Caliber did bring a number of improvements that promised better timekeeping and reliability.

The new movement was introduced in reference 16233. It was not only the movement that got a drastic improvement but it was also the crystal, which was now made from scratch-resistant synthetic sapphire.

Introduction of the Datejust II

With the introduction of the Rolex Datejust II in 2009, the company brought a new 41mm version of the watch which was being offered alongside the standard 36mm version. Besides the larger dial, the Datejust was very much the same watch that people have come to love.

In order to fit the larger case, the reference 16333 came with the latest Caliber 3136 movement. The watch was also exclusively fitted with an Oyster bracelet. At the time, the 36mm model was being offered with either the Oyster bracelet or the Jubilee bracelet. The 41mm Datejust did fulfill the demand for a larger timepiece but it did not catch on immediately.

Over the years, the Rolex Datejust has become an overall refined wristwatch. Today, the Rolex Datejust is offered in four different sizes, 28mm, 31mm, 36mm, and 41mm.