Rolex Datejust

This is not a Rolex Day-Date. Now, we know what you’re thinking. Such a regal and gold vintage watch surely must be a Day-Date. It’s on a President bracelet, no less! But sometimes even a brand as stolid and dependable (dare we even say predictable) as the Crown can surprise us. The Datejust is the linchpin of Rolex’s vintage watch collection, forming a bridge between its sports watches like the Submariner and dressier watches like the Cellini (and, yes, the Day-Date). Since 1945 it’s been the most Rolex of Rolexes, beloved of generals, presidents, and prime ministers. The stainless steel variants, such as the Reference 1601 dating from the 1960s to 1970s, are perennial favorites of collectors, able to be worn in any environment with just a change of clothes. And yet Rolex has always experimented with the Datejust . . . and has always offered it in gold.  In fact, upon the debut of the Datejust Reference 4467 in 1945, it was only offered in 18k gold. It wasn’t until the 1950s that Rolex started offering it in stainless steel. So that means that, alongside the presidential Day-Date, Rolex offered solid-gold Datejusts as less expensive—but no less refined—dress watches. Moreover, it’s in seeing the trademark Oyster case in gold that one truly appreciates the beauty of its lines. Take this Reference 1601, for example. It’s divinely decadent, refined and yet, because it’s a Datejust, rugged on the wrist. The lack of drilled lugs drive home that this is a dress watch, unlike its sportier steel brethren. Dating from 1969, this Reference 1601 features an elegant black pie-pan dial which sets off the applied gold stick markers to perfection. Though the President bracelet is comes on shows some slight stretching due to wear, we can’t imagine it on anything else. To do so would be sacrilege.   Read more on why we think gold Rolex offers a huge value proposition.