When the first Rolex Datejust was introduced in 1945 – the year of the brand’s 40th anniversary – it entered history as the first automatic water-resistant certified chronometer with a date on the dial. The “Cyclops” was added in 1955 in order to magnify the date display two and a half times, making the indication more legible and clear, and this feature became one of the most recognisable hallmarks of Rolex in general.
In 2018, Rolex introduced the new generation of the Rolex Datejust 36. This line of watches offers the characteristics of the original and emblematic Rolex Datejust in a more modern design and, of course, also includes certain innovations. One of the most significant differences is the movement – the Datejust 36 has the honour of carrying inside it the new calibre 3235, which has an increased power reserve of 70 hours and a seriously improved automatic winding system, in which the rotor is now mounted on a bearing and its efficiency has been increased by 15%. As for lubrication, the reversing wheels, one of the problematic areas from the point of view of friction, have a Teflon coating. The new 3235 contains 14 built-in patents and more than 90% new components, and in addition, it is twice as accurate as an official COSC chronometer. The other point is the Everose Rolesor alloy used – this is how the brand designates its watches in which the patented rose-gold alloy is used, first introduced only with the Daytona.
It is no coincidence that the Datejust is the most popular and recognisable model of the brand after the cult Submariner – and the Datejust 36 allows this popularity to be presented in a contemporary interpretation. This particular watch comes in a superb and relatively hard-to-find combination – Slate dial with luminous markers, rose gold and an Oyster bracelet.
The detail of this watch, as indeed of all modern Rolex watches we have had the opportunity to examine, is truly impressive. A closer look reveals jewellery-level craftsmanship, while the overall impression is very aristocratic. Starting with the incredible dial – in the watch presented here, this is the so-called “Slate dial”, used by Rolex in only a small number of models, while the luminous coating is the brand-specific Chromalight, applied in this case to the hour markers and the hands. Moving on to the classic sapphire with “Cyclops” – in this case, the highest class of the brand’s sapphire has been used, which has allowed the overall height of the watch to be reduced compared with its predecessors. Of course, separate attention must be paid to the case and bezel – an aesthetic combination of brushed 904L steel of the highest class with faceted polished edges and details in certain places; as you know, Rolex pay special attention to the steel they use and, for this purpose, have their own foundries for the production of all their alloys, combined here with 18-carat rose gold. The bezel is in the brand’s characteristic “fluted” style, which gives it a distinctive presence and has nothing in common with the other Datejust with the “smooth bezel” – they are simply different watches. This one has a killer presence on your wrist, while the fact that the bezel is made of 18-carat gold further reinforces the overall impression. In this particular case, Rolex’s new alloy is used – Everose – the name given to the brand’s rose gold.
And of course, the bracelet, strap, chain or whatever you prefer to call it – as one would expect from a Rolex, it is genuinely good... In this case, we are talking about the new bracelet with a solid centre link made of 18-carat gold and a massive clasp made from a single piece of steel, not from bent sheet metal as with most brands. The only thing it lacks, but only in our opinion, is the GlideLock clasp of the Sub, although here we do have the so-called EasyLink, which allows micro-adjustment by an additional 5 mm. The lug width is 20 mm, this particular bracelet has 10 links and will fit a wrist of up to 18 cm.
