A Datejust
Transformation
Rolex Finds New Ways to Reinvent the Datejust.
“In 1910, a Rolex watchwas awarded the first official Swiss certificate
granted to a wristwatch by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne”
A classic watch is always a wise choice and Rolex has played an important role in creating timepieces that are also functional, versatile and iconic. This year, the Datejust collection is revamped with a newer version, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust II Rolesor. This new model updates the classic Datejust design with a 41mm case, fluted bezel and water resistance to 100 metres.
A New Datejust
The COSC-certified movement has a power reserve of forty eight hours, and owes its reliability to the Parachrom hairspring, which is highly resistant to shocks and magnetic fields and new Paraflex shock absorbers.This new timepiece is also crafted from a Rolesor, a combination of stainless steel and white gold. The time on this watch is presented on a black dial, which includes
accents of luminescent-coated yellow gold hands and Arabic hour numbers.
The watch also includes a magnified date indicator at the three o’clock position.Meanwhile, the Easylink extension link that fits the steel and gold Oyster bracelet provides more comfort for the wearer. Like every Rolex dial that proudly displays terminology revealing a chronology of its achievements, the dial on this watch says it all: “Oyster” – the first waterproof and dustproof
wristwatch designed and manufactured by Rolex in 1926. “Perpetual” relates to the fact that this was the first freely rotating rotor created in 1931, which resulted in a much more energy-efficient wristwatch.
This self-winding mechanism allows the watch to run continuously, as every flick of the wrist winds the movement and is the system at the origin of every modern automatic watch. The “Datejust” date display debuted in 1945 and became an extremely useful complication, providing the first wristwatch with an automatically changing date on the dial; the first to show two imezones at once; and the first watchmaker toearn chronometer certification for a wristwatch. Sixty years later, drawing these elements together, the new Oyster Perpetual Datejust II Rolesor in the 2009 collection is simply a great watch that remains eternally modern. It has been subtly redesigned over time, making it a versatile watch that still looks luxurious. Rolex fans will also be delighted with this exquisite addition to the range of the Oyster Perpertual Datejust family that comes with options of yellow or white Rolesor case, fluted bezel in yellow or white gold and dial options in slate, white, black or rhodium.
"The Oyster is meticulously designed,
with absolute attention to detail in the pursuit of perfection."
Dating back in time
The classic history of Rolex is inextricably linked to the pioneering and visionary spirit of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder. Born in Bavaria in 1881, he entered the world of Swiss watchmaking in the early 20th century when the pocket watch was the order of the day. Wristwatches at the time were not very precise, they were considered more as items of jewellery with particular appeal to women, and were produced only in small quantities. Inventive and curious by nature, Hans Wilsdorf foresaw the immense potential of the wristwatch. In 1905, his dream turned to reality when he founded a company in London specialising in the distribution of timepieces in the UK and in the countries of the British Empire. In 1908, Wilsdorf coined Rolex as brand name for his creations. In 1910, a Rolex watch was awarded the first official Swiss certificate granted to a wristwatch by the Official Watch Rating Centre in Bienne. Four years later, the Kew Observatory in London awarded the Rolex wristwatch a class “A” precision certificate. Besides successfully determining the values of a high level of handcrafted quality, the greatest possible precision and a robust design, Wilsdorf also declared water resistance to be one of his main goals.
This was achieved by carefully sealing a screwed-in crown with a thread and gasket, and utilising a form-locking crystal, named the “Oyster”. The inspiring name was used to portray the image of a hermetically sealed case that is airtight, waterproof and dustproof, to provide optimal protection for the movement inside. The Oyster is meticulously designed, with absolute attention to detail in the pursuit of perfection. All the raw materials, whether platinum, gold or steel, are treated as precious metals and subject to the most rigorous tests. A Rolex Oyster features an exceptional finish and has unique radiance.
Shrewd sporting sponsorship
The success story of Rolex was also due in part to the brand’s canny strategy in attaching itself to countless newsworthy events in order to promote the performance of its watches. Rotor Perpetual 1931 For example, the sponsorship of Mercedes Gleitze’s eighth attempt to become the first British woman to swim the English Channel in 1927 was particlarly effective, helping to raise worldwide brand awareness of both Rolex and the Oyster. Wilsdorf tied a gold Oyster watch (with the word “Precision” engraved on the dial) around Gleitze’s neck just before she started her swim. Water conditions in the Channel, as reported by The Times of London, were brutal, with temperatures ranging from 53 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Although Gleitze failed to cross on this attempt and had to be pulled from the water unconscious, Rolex nonetheless succeeded in its objective. When she reached the shore, the Rolex Oyster on her neck was still functioning perfectly after ten long hours in the freezing cold water.
After the event, an advertisement was published on the front page of London’s Daily Mail newspaper on November 27, 1927. The ad featured a picture of Gleitze with the banner headline: Rolex Introduces for the First Time the Greatest Triumph in Watchmaking. Other headlines in the ad featured the terms moisture-proof, water-proof, heatproof, vibration-proof, cold-proof and dust-proof. Following this headline-grabbing introduction of the Oyster as the world’s first truly impermeable case, Rolex has been making water-resistant watches ever since. Every watch that Rolex introduced to the market subsequently (except divers’ watches which had an even deeper rating) had a guaranteed water-depth rating of 330 feet.
Early sports models included the Rolex submariner and the Oyster Perpetual Sea Dweller 2000 in 1971. Another sports model is the Rolex GMT Master II, originally developed at the request of Pan Am Airways to assist pilots in transcontinental flights . The Explorer and Explorer II were developed specifically for explorers to navigate rough terrain such as the world-famous Everest expeditions. While the customer has demanded quality and performance, Rolex consistently has come through and been up to the test.
