The Chronicles Of Rolex Datejust Dials

The Rolex Datejust is the single most versatile timepiece to ever grace the watchmaking industry. Rolex Datejust dials are the major reasons this timepiece will always stand out. These two statements are true, always was and always will be. 

First off, the overall styling itself is an emblem of agelessness. Then, these dials through their designs set the standard for what a watch should look like. This has been the case since the 1940s and Rolex doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon. There is a vast variety of numerous permutations of bezel type, metal, indexes, bracelets, and, most importantly, dial design. So, if you ever wonder why Rolex Datejusts are popular, it is because there’s a match for precisely anyone’s preference.

Rolex: A Master Of The Art With Dials

The reality remains that the leaves will come and go. Plus, the winds of change will blow them in and out of fashion. But, one thing that only seems to get better with age will always be texture and Rolex dial variety.

From linen dials to corrugated dials, and those bold-looking dial surfaces, Rolex never stops to amaze us. It’s always like these dials couldn’t possibly be the products of the most conservative watchmaker in the world. 

However, one fact to always consider is that Rolex has previous experience in this area. The proficiency and dexterity Rolex presents always supersedes others so much that people instinctively shower this watchmaker with encomiums. These dials are always really pleasingly completed with a different and enhanced version coming up in no time.

The Outstanding Rolex Datejust Dials

The cautious aesthetic style of the Rolex Datejust creates a blank canvas upon which wearers embed their tastes. You enjoy the freedom to just take this once revolutionary timepiece and make whatever suits you from it. 

With a few additions here and there, you can transform a sober and restrained dial into a splashy showboater. The good news is that there is enough variety available in the watch’s dial collection to satisfy everyone

Overall, the Rolex Datejust is one model that enjoys some of the most unfailing high sales in the watchmaking industry. This sale stretches over one of the lengthiest and steady production runs. This is one feat exclusive to this modern among other models in the Rolex catalog. 

Particularly, there have been a host of standout designs for the Rolex Datejust over the decades. What plays the central role in these outstanding looks are the various dial designs. The Rolex Datejust dials make up one element that holds the biggest effect on the watch’s identity.

In this post, we selected out of the many available, the top 10 Rolex Datejust dials through the years. Here we go!

• The Wooden Rolex Datejust Dials

Imagine a brand as notoriously conservative as Rolex is. Yes, that sort of nature went a little overboard in the 1960s and 70s. The product was a slew of cutting-edge and practical visuals that featured some of their biggest hitters. For example, the Submariner went all yellow gold with a blue dial. Also, the GMT-Master added on Root Beer coloring and nipples that served as hour markers. Lastly, the versatile Datejust went wooden with its dial.

Formed from burls, circular outgrowths with an unsymmetrical grain, Rolex borrowed tiny slices from birch, mahogany, and walnut trees. And with all these, the matchmaker created an entirely unusual dial design for both the versatile Datejust and the Day-Date.

Fitting very seamlessly with a solid yellow gold case and bracelet, this wooden dial added on a gorgeous warm aura and outstanding identity. Also, similar to most other wristwatches in the 1970s, this was a look that created something like a revival. That wooden dial would be a show-stopper in today’s pre-owned watch market.

• The Versatile Datejust With Meteorite Dials

Just like it was with the wooden dials, here is another material Rolex used scantily over the years to create a supreme one-off. It was a product of the 26,000kg Gibeon meteorite which crashed to earth in Namibia millions of years ago. This material was a discovery by Captain J.E. Alexander, a Scottish soldier, and explorer in 1838.

While it traveled around the universe, the meteorite revealed itself as a piece of molten planetary essence. In no time, this material gradually cooled and produced the iron and nickel abandons inside. These abandon then form the popular Widmanstätten designs.

What this means is that you cannot find two slices used as watch dials by Rolex and others that are similar. Hence, with these meteorite dials came a much prized exclusive product, model by model. Till this present day, this dial has featured several special models of the versatile Datejust. Not just the Rolex Datejust, even the Day-Date, the Daytona, and, most recently, the newly introduced GMT-Master II as well.

• The Rolex Datejust With Honeycomb Dials

This dial variant is one design not done by Rolex anymore. To be honest, the honeycomb dial is very much missed among Rolex lovers. In fact, Rolex used to deliver a whole variety of textures with this dial. Then, we used to have the linen-type finishes, the beautiful Florentine, and effects that looked like denim.

However, the honeycomb dial was probably the most outstanding. Little wonder it easily found its way onto other models in the brand’s catalog. This dial appeared on the Milgauss, where it functioned as further magnetic protection for the scientist’s time tool.

As for the versatile Datejust, this dial phased out within the first decade of production. So, those pieces still around are exclusive and incredibly valuable vintage discoveries.

• Logo Rolex Datejust Dials

Here is another style Rolex abandoned a while ago especially with them being one of the most recognizable watchmakers on earth. Nevertheless, the logo Rolex Datejust dials enjoyed its glory days as well.

According to history, an exclusive privilege actually distinguished this dial at the time. That was that a very select few stores enjoyed a special and exclusive privilege. They could add their own name on the dial of certain Rolex watches they had on sales. 

As you would guess, not just any old vendors got such a privilege. The limited personalized varieties that occasionally come up for sale are mostly co-branded. This co-branding is mostly with the likes of Cartier, Tiffany & Co. And in a case where you’re really fortunate, you get that with the celebrated Venezuelan jeweler Serpico Y Laino.

This privilege was only a little flourish. Yet, it was the only thing that distinguishes the watches from the standard-issue models. Also, it provides a noticeable prestige that is most often seen in the asking price of the wristwatch.

• Rolex Datejust Timepieces With Jubilee Dials

The Rolex Datejust hit the watch market in 1945 in celebration of the brand’s 40th year in operation. With the debut of this wristwatch came a new type of bracelet. This bracelet was a sophisticated five-link offering named the Jubilee.

Then, in 1985, the Rolex Datejust itself turned 40. That year, Rolex chose to celebrate the event with what these Jubilee dials.

Some other Rolex fans call it the Anniversary dial. These Rolex Datejust dials captioned the name ROLEX repeatedly etched all over the watch’s face. This dial gave the watch a perfect look in the eyes of the logo-obsessed 80s. Since then, the dial remains a popular item in Rolex’s collections. So much that it is still a piece in the modern Rolex lineup.

• Chevy Rolex Datejust Dials

We can term this as some amalgamation of the logo dial and Rolex’s in-house Jubilee dial. In 1986, Chevrolet tasked the watchmakers to come up with something in celebration of the car marque’s 75th year. Rolex chose the Datejust ref. 16018 for the celebration and fitted it with a grandly crafted yellow gold dial. This new dial featured the Chevy badge in a consecutive pattern all over its entire exterior.

With 75 also being a diamond anniversary, the hour markers were crafted from 10 handset gems. There was the 12 o’clock and three o’clock being the Rolex coronet and date window respectively. Plus, the watch went to dealerships with outstanding sales records.

Incredibly unique, the Chevy Datejusts were tremendous collectors’ pieces. These watches exemplify a flourishing alliance between two titans of industry.

• The Versatile Rolex Datejust With Khanjar Dials

To understand this dial variant of the versatile Rolex Datejust is to understand a little bit of history. In 1970, Qaboos bin Said al Said came to power having overthrown his own father in a palace coup. Qaboos bin Said al Said is still the Sultan of Oman presently. 

He received his education at England’s Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Afterward, with the help of the British, he came to power. So, as a token of his gratitude, he tasked Rolex to build many timepieces. These timepieces would be gifts to his followers. 

Then, the models chosen included the Day-Date, the Oyster Perpetual, the Sea-Dweller, a few Daytonas, and, more commonly, the versatile Datejust. These timepieces got decorations on the dial with the emblem of the Sultanate of Oman. That was the khanjar, a short, ceremonious dagger with a hooked blade.

Furthermore, the khanjar was usually in red or white and less typically in gold or green. Also, the watch cases would carry an inscription indicating their origin. Presently, these unusual pieces are especially sought after as collector’s pieces.

• Pie Pan Rolex Datejust Dials

If there is any reason why the Rolex Datejust enjoys special longevity is its lasting design style. When you consider all the pieces in the Rolex catalog, here continues to be the least visually varied over the years.

To pin down the era of a Rolex Datejust is to consider the use of Rolex’s so-called pie pan dials. Just as the name implies, this dial outlines a downward sloping edge around the perimeter. The result is the face having the appearance of an inverted dish.

Shortly after, the dial got replaced with the now-standard flat dials. This happened in 1977 when the new five-digit Rolex Datejust series debuted. This change was perhaps in a bid to make it appear more exacting. The little intersection creates a trick of the eye which makes the watch look smaller than it was.

• Diamond Paved Rolex Datejust Dials

This dial lost its majestic flagship status to the Day-Date less than 10 years into its production run. Truly that sounds like a piece of bad news. Yet, the Datejust never lacked luxurious touches, and the most popular area to assert this over time has been the Lady-Datejust collection. 

The lady Datejust first debuted in 1957. Since then, these scaled-down grand versions of the men’s model remain the most commercially thriving collection of Rolex watches. Particularly, the recent range is incredibly vast, with a puzzling variety of dial options. However, a few of them are distinctive. These come fitted to the 31mm models. 

These include several pieces with dials paved with some 262 hand-cut diamonds. Also, they come inlaid with a mob of mother-of-pearl butterflies. You can get them in any of the three tangs of 18k gold providing a modern take on an all-time classic.

• Rolex Datejust Concentric Dial

Here is another somewhat new addition to the never-ending series of Rolex Datejust dials. These are the concentric dials with duplicative circular designs. These dials add that desirable depth and texture to the versatile Datejust 

Rolex presents quite a number of unique styles which can all fit in as being concentric dials. Some of these dial styles come with a single solid color with engraved detailing. This variant radiates out from the heart of it. Then, there are also unique examples comprising three personal segments. These segments feature all the dial text harmonizing with the circle motif.

Presently, this might not be an option in the current lineup. Yet, they deliver an incredibly economical pre-owned bargain.

Conclusion

There are various Rolex Datejust dials out there with distinct design iterations. What we are certain of is that there will always be one that suits your taste. Here are our top 10 dials on the versatile Datejust. You can make your pick.