You Owe Yourself a Vintage Datejust

You deserve a vintage Rolex Datejust. Here’s why.

I’ve definitely done an intro like this for an article before, but look man, the world is still burning. I know a few of you Americans and Australians are allowed to actually go outside now, and maybe you’re back in the office (remember offices?) or back on the job. Over here in Canada, I’m still locked down, confined to the infinite clicking of Slack notifications and Zooms that could have been emails. And like us watch-idiot-savants do, I’m daydreaming about Datejusts.

(Image courtesy of huy- on Reddit)

First, getting this out of the way, we do have vintage Datejusts in the shop. Fantastic ones. They’re bread-and-butter for watch shops like us. But I’m not actually here to sell those to you (Danny doesn’t pay me enough for that), I’m here to make an emotional appeal for the idea of a Datejust.

It’s overrated, right?

Think of a watch. What’s the first watch that comes to mind? Maybe a Rolex Submariner. What does the Submariner owner wear around the house? A Datejust. It’s an emblem of an era that trims a watch down to its bare essentials, then jazzes it up. 

The Datejust was Paul Newman’s first Rolex. THAT Paul Newman, of the ranch dressing and the Paul Newman Daytona. If you, like me, are a bit tired of hearing about the Paul Newman Daytona, just know that when Paul Newman was tired of the Paul Newman Daytona, he put on a Datejust.

But yeah, it kind of is overrated. The Rolex Datejust has been around since 1945, and it’s still being made today, giving us an absolute madhouse of a back catalog to look at. A watch that’s been around this long is a mainstay for a reason, and with (arguably) few changes to the line over the decades, the reason can only be that it’s a good watch. Such a manic production run gives us some really interesting variations to look for — and so in an overrated category, there are countless hidden gems. 

The romance of choice

So, what makes a Datejust worth wearing? It’s all about the variety. Since there are so many to choose from, you’re left with some amazing finds in varying degrees of rarity, from colored dials to Harrison Ford-approved Buckley dials to classic silvers. The world of Datejusts is a treasure trove of different patinas, dials and nuance, neatly packed into an infinitely wearable and generally unchanging silhouette.

The 34-36mm case just works. The jubilee bracelet just works. And if the bracelet doesn’t work for you, it’s so easy to put it on a good strap. Any option you pick has depth, character, maybe some scratches and a surprisingly reliable movement for an old watch. And whether you love or hate date windows, you know you’re wearing the originator of a date window. And if you keep forgetting what the hell day it is, the Datejust has you sorted.

You deserve a Datejust because its style will long outlast us, and you get an opportunity to write more of a story onto an object that’s already got more of a story than nearly every other watch out there. 

The heft of the Crown

You know Rolex. Everyone knows Rolex. And no matter where you stand on the brand, it’s hard to deny its pull. And it’s even harder to deny the appeal of a relatively-under the radar piece of exquisitely-made vintage design from one of the world’s most recognized brands. If a story doesn’t sway you, Paul Newman doesn’t sway you, god forbid I bring up my last point.

A Datejust holds value. I said it, I’m sorry. I personally have no interest in watches as investments — I buy what I love, wear it, and sometimes let it go if it doesn’t spark joy for me after a while. But somewhere in my silly heart, it’s satisfying and somewhat comforting to know that if I or someone I know is ever in a bind, I can let the watch go to take on some more stories and be able to buy coffee again. 

You deserve a Datejust.

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