Ah, Rolex: a brand that needs no introduction. It’s the household name in haute horology; you may not know jack about watches, but you’ve heard the name Rolex! And you may even be familiar with its top-selling model, the Datejust, which is a favorite of Hodinkee adviser Cara Barrett: “To me, it is the perfect watch,” she declares. “If anyone ever asks me what watch they should buy, I suggest the Datejust 99 percent of the time. It’s clean, classic, can be dressed up, dressed down, and it will last for-literally-ever.”
This is all a testament to Rolex’s history, best-in-class manufacturing, and its established-beyond-reproach reputation. So, yes, the Datejust. As Barrett mentions, it’s a tried-and-true starter watch (or, if you’re like me, it’s a great second watch). I own a vintage, two-tone 26 mm Datejust with a champagne dial, the same one Carmela wears on The Sopranos. Then there are bigger, sportier models like the Rolex GMT or the Submariner, worn by stars like Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Aniston. Rolex’s watches vary in size and complication, but despite how they’re labeled on the Rolex website, they’ve all been culturally solidified as gender-neutral. Honestly, there’s nothing sexier than a lady wearing a “men’s” Rolex.
Specs:
- Oystersteel and white gold case (31 mm diameter)
- Fluted bezel
- Silver-set dial with diamonds
- Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal case
- Cyclops lens over the date
- Perpetual, mechanical, self-winding movement
- Center hour, minute, and seconds hands
- Instantaneous date with rapid setting
- Stop-seconds for precise time setting
- Jubilee, five-piece bracelet link
- Concealed folding Crownclasp
- Waterproof up to 100 meters