The classic watch of reference. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 in Oystersteel and white gold, 36 mm case, bright black dial and a Jubilee bracelet.

There is something powerful about having time on your side, which is precisely what you will have with these Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date and Oyster Perpetual Datejust models. The new models we are presenting in this article reflect the strong personalities of the wearers yet convey a sense of poise and purpose effortlessly. Of course, the effortless part only applies to wearing the watches, because they have gone through decades of refinement and development to get them to the status of the modern horological icons they are today.

To get a little more granular here, we are looking at two gem-set Day-Date 36 models in 18 ct Everose gold, one fitted with an Eisenkiesel dial and the other with a mother-of-pearl dial; for the Datejust, there are also two options vying for your attention. One Datejust is in 36 mm with a bright blue fluted motif dial, while the other is a 31 mm gem-set model with mother-of-pearl dial. You only need to feel any of these four watches against your skin to understand, but ahead of that, we will present the case for each of the models featured here. There are also elements common to all Day-Date and Datejust models that we will cover, briefly.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date

This refined, exclusive metal bracelet with semi-circular three-piece links was created in 1956 for the launch of the prestigious Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date.

The Day-Date holds the unique distinction in the brand’s catalogue of being the only model offered exclusively in precious metals. At its launch in 1956, it was meant as the most prestigious watch, befitting only the worthiest wrists. It went on to live up to its billing, appearing on the wrists of the world’s most prominent individuals and visionaries. This included, famously, US President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, leading the Day-Date to be called the President’s watch. It is equipped with the President bracelet, which debuted with the watch in 1956, but when Johnson was photographed wearing the watch, the name President’s watch stuck. More recently, women such as Jennifer Aniston and Victoria Beckham have been spotted wearing the Day-Date watch.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 in 18 ct Everose gold with an Eisenkiesel diamond-set dial and a President bracelet

The extraordinarily fetching Eisenkiesel dial seen here in the Day-Date 36 is entirely new in watchmaking this year, making Rolex the first brand to use this decorative stone. Nothing expresses strength and power quite like being a ground-breaker, which the wearer of this watch will be. Eisenkiesel is a type of dark quartz with striped inclusions of iron oxide, making each dial truly one-of-a-kind. The discs of stone produced for the dials are cut from a block of raw material, with each disc individually selected by Rolex designers – only those whose colour and structure fully meet Rolex’s strict aesthetic criteria are selected. This pairs well with the resplendence of the diamond-set Roman numeral hour markers in the 36 mm case endowing the watch with quiet sophistication.

What is entirely contemporary here is the self-winding calibre 3255. Developed and manufactured by Rolex, calibre 3255 boasts 14 patents and, thanks to its barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of this movement extends to approximately 70 hours (more than enough to get through the weekend) and an accuracy of +/-2 seconds a day.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 in 18 ct Everose gold featuring a white mother-of-pearl diamond-set dial and a President bracelet

The mother-of-pearl stone dial provides a stunning backdrop to this Day-Date 36 watch, with its combination of round and baguette diamond hour markers. The 36 mm model is thus bestowed with a commanding presence on the wrist, like the exclamation mark on a well-made point. Like its companion model with Eisenkiesel dial, this Day-Date model is also in 18 ct Everose gold and is distinguished by the President bracelet, which was created for this collection in 1956. You can always recognise the President bracelet by its three solid semi-circular links that provides complete reliability and comfort, along with the concealed Crownclasp. Like all Rolex watches, the Day-Date is covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust

Today, more than ever, the Cyclops lens is an inseparable part of the aesthetics of the Oyster collection. It continues to evolve and perpetuate the brand’s singular care for the wearer’s comfort.

The Datejust is a classic and robust watch suitable for daily wear; it is capable of reflecting strength of character too, as this series of stories will show. To begin with, the Cyclops lens, which takes its name from the one-eyed giants of Greek mythology, was patented by Rolex in the early 1950s and introduced for the first time in 1953 on a Datejust model. This innovation makes it appreciably easier for the reading of the date and has become a signature feature that classic watch lovers look out for. On the other hand, the Datejust can be restrained or unabashedly bold with the large variety of configurations available, as its owner wishes.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 in Oystersteel and 18 ct white gold fitted with a bright blue fluted motif dial and an Oyster bracelet

New for 2021, this Datejust 36 model showcases a bright blue fluted motif dial, matching the signature fluted bezel design. The fluted motif emphasises the pattern found on a range of Rolex bezels that has become one of the brand’s signature aesthetic styles. This recognisable style adds heft to any owner’s personality.

Launched in 1945, the Datejust was the first self-winding waterproof chronometer wristwatch to display the date in a window at 3 o’clock on the dial. The watch consolidated all the major innovations that the brand had contributed to the modern wristwatch until then. The Datejust has spanned eras while retaining the enduring aesthetic characteristics that make it so instantly recognisable.

The new versions of this 36 mm watch are equipped with calibre 3235, a movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex that was released in 2015 and has been fitted on this model since 2018.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 in 18 ct white gold featuring a white mother-of-pearl diamond-set dial and a President bracelet

Diamonds add just the right amount of lustre to this Datejust 31 from all the elements, including the 18 ct white gold of the 31 mm case and President bracelet, to distinguish the owner in meetings and professional settings. Alongside the diamond-set hour markers on the mother-of-pearl dial, the bezel is also fully set with 36 diamonds, whose elegance belies the gemmology expertise and gem-setting skills at the Rolex manufacture. The gem-setters work with tweezers to handle trapeze-cut diamonds, each the size of a pinhead. To get each diamond to sit at the right height on the bezel, they must manually excavate a tiny bit of metal from the cavity. This process is then repeated, three times on average, until the table of the stone – its topmost facet – is perfectly aligned with its neighbour. Furthermore, in terms of the dimensions of the diamonds, Rolex tolerates variances of no more than 2 hundredths of a millimetre, which is around a quarter of the diameter of a human hair. Once finished, 36 diamonds will form the perfectly uniform, radiant circle of the watch’s gem-set bezel. This bezel alone illustrates the wide range of skills and know-how mastered in-house by Rolex.