The history of the Rolex Datejust
LOFTIt doesn't get as much attention as the Submariner , GMT-Master , or Daytona , but it's far more important to the success the crown-toting brand has had over the years. In fact, it's arguably the most iconic watch in history. Not the first, not the most complicated, not the most expensive, but definitely the most important. You can't talk about Rolex, or the Swiss watch industry, without talking about the Datejust . It's the watch that brought luxury to the masses, the one that brought the product into popular culture, and the one that, through sales, has sustained the billions of Swiss francs that allow Rolex to continue developing more and better products.
One of the world's longest-running collections turned 75 in 2020, and despite not breaking auction records, it remains, for 99% of people, the only watch they'll ever need. Elegant yet indestructible, luxurious yet simple. A symbol of success, not ostentation. All this and more is the legend of the Datejust.
In 1945, to celebrate its 40th anniversary – the Jubilee – Rolex created this watch that, at the time, was a true technical revolution in the industry, capturing all eyes and beginning to cement what would become Rolex's reputation as the master of mass production, on a gigantic scale but with artisanal quality.
If the Sub was made for diving and the Daytona for driving cars, this watch was made to be worn all day, every day, for a lifetime... or for many lifetimes, actually.
It was the first watch that combined very useful attributes that until then did not exist together:
- Waterproof.
- Self-winding.
- It displayed the date on its dial.
Its first version, the 4467 , was 36mm in size and featured a gold case and the Jubilee bracelet with a fluted bezel. In other words, it was basically the same watch you can buy today in 2021. A perfect recipe doesn't have to be altered, and the symbols of this watch have transcended generations like no other, generating countless copies and "homages" over the years.
The first models didn't have the magnifying glass, or cyclops, on the dial, which only arrived 10 years later, in 1954. Since then and until today, the cyclops magnifies the date 2.5 times. 2.5 magnification, no more, no less, and it's been the same for 75 years. There's nothing more Rolex than that detail. Loved and hated, it's an iconic detail, often imitated and even adopted by the brand's other collections.
Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Rolex improved its calibers (as it often does), added the quick-change date window (if you've ever tried an older one without a quick-change date window, you'll appreciate how wonderful this upgrade was), and improved its timekeeping accuracy. Even in the 1970s, in the midst of the quartz crisis, with the Japanese winning hands down, Rolex introduced the Oysterquartz . The brand's first battery-powered watch, featuring an integrated bracelet design and the best quartz movement then known. Often battered, it's now slowly becoming a classic, as its secondary market values indicate.
Today, there are more than 50 variations of the Datejust, which is the foundation of the Rolex collection and by far the best-selling. It's the best-selling model among men and women alike. What other collection can say that?
Available in steel, steel/gold, gold, with stones in the bezel or dial, hundreds of different dials and sizes from 28 mm to 41 mm. Oyster or Jubilee bracelets, smooth or fluted bezels. Etc., etc., and thousands of etc. Then, we have endless options to give it a distinct character according to each person's preferences. And as if that weren't enough, there's a parallel industry dedicated to modifying, pimping, or bussing down these watches to make them truly one-of-a-kind.
Everyone should own a Datejust at least once, ideally the 36-mm one. It's one of the few watches that looks perfect on any wrist. It's incredible, and it sounds difficult, but it's true: IT LOOKS GOOD ON EVERYONE ! If you don't believe us, try it and you'll see. Now all that's left is to find the one that best represents you and let yourself be enamored by this little marvel that for 75 years has been shouting at us, with a voice 2.5 times louder, that the days go by without stopping, so it's better to enjoy the here and now.
We are celebrating this week at LOFT with a special Datejust .
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