Why We Love It
There are certain watch designs that have become, for lack of a better word, timeless.
The Rolex Datejust, introduced in 1945, has been worn by presidents and luminaries, and there's a good reason why. Its beauty and elegance is regarded as a horological classic, its relentless timekeeping unparalleled, and its versatility makes it at home in both casual and luxury environments.
Vintage Datejusts may not be the most difficult Rolex model to locate, but it is becoming more and more difficult to find examples that are not over-polished AND that have untouched dials.
Here we have a Datejust Reference 1601 with a crisp 36mm stainless steel Oyster case. Additionally, it features a non-luminous "Wide Boy" dial with wider than average hour marker indices and a non-luminous handset.
What more could you want from a classic piece for everyday wear?
The Story
We've said it over and over again - the Datejust may just be the perfect watch.
Coupling perfect proportions, simple dial layouts, and robust movements, Rolex's most prolific model is an icon of timekeeping that has been in continuous production for decades. Moreover, the Datejust is all the watch that just about any of us really need.
The beauty of the Datejust is that it is the ultimate do-anything, go-anywhere watch. Equal parts sporty and dressy, the Datejust wears just as well with jeans as it does with a suit, and thanks to the signature Oyster case and tough-as-nails movement, it’s ready for anything that you can throw at it.
In production continuously since 1945, the original Datejust was the world's first wristwatch to incorporate a date disc and aperture at the 3:00 position. The cyclops magnifier over the date window was introduced in 1954, and as we all know has became a signature Rolex design cue.
Since then, date windows at 3:00 have become commonplace, and the Rolex cyclops magnifier bubble has become a hallmark of the brand. Datejusts have proudly been worn by presidents, athletes and movie stars (and probably your grandfather), in a testament to how timeless and versatile the watch truly is.
Where so many watches can be a little too big here, or a little too small there, the Datejust is just right, embracing the wrist with its thin and tapering 36mm case. And while recent horological trends have favored large wristwatches, the age of the giant watch is behind us (thankfully), making more reasonably sized watches, like the original Datejust, a pleasantly stylish option that fits the bill.
There's a magic to the Datejust's simple design, a timelessness that speaks to how true style never dies.
