Rolex Datejust

Why We Love It It’s in the Datejust that one sees the purity of Hans Wilsdorf’s vision. Since its inception in the mid-1940s, the Datejust has been the bedrock of the Oyster Perpetual collection. More than the Submariner or the GMT Master—which, whatever they may look like now, had their genesis as tool watches—the Datejust is versatile. Simply put, there’s a Datejust for every environment, professional or casual. It’s been cast in steel, gold, or steel-and-gold (a combination Rolex calls Rolesor), with a signature bracelet that even has a name—the Jubilee. Yet it looks equally at home on leather paired with a tailored blazer, or on a nylon strap and a pair of chinos. This particular example is a Reference 1600 is fitted with a hard-to-find smooth bezel ring - perfect for the minimalist who prefers cleaner lines than the more commonly seen fluted or engine-turned options found on the 1601 or 1603, respectively. Its silver sunburst dial is in remarkably clean condition with fully intact and puffy luminous plots, and it retains a crisp case devoid of over-polishing like so many of its stablemates. Fitted to a 'nice and jangly' folded-link Jubilee bracelet or to a variety of leather strapping options, this 1600 Datejust is the perfect form-follows-function vintage Rolex...and a superb example of one, at that! The Story When you think of Rolex, your first thoughts may be the unmistakable GMT Master with its two-tone "Pepsi" bezel, the aviator's timepiece designed for Pan-Am pilots and transatlantic jet flights. Or you might imagine the form-follows-function Explorer I, the watch designed for mountaineers and tested under the most extreme conditions on earth. Mostly likely, you'll think of the Submariner, the legendary diver by which all others are measured. There's no denying that a Rolex Submariner is one of the most iconic watches of the last 60 years, but the same can easily be said about its sibling, the Datejust. Designed for the fluctuating conditions faced in everyday wear, the Datejust was the world's first wristwatch ever to incorporate a date function, and has been worn proudly by presidents, athletes and movie stars - and probably your grandfather. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; with perfect proportions, a robust automatic movement and timeless styling, the Rolex Datejust may simply be the most versatile and wearable watch ever designed.