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.
Today, however, we will turn your attention to a model that is not so popular nowadays, but was quite famous and respected in the past – the Turn-O-Graph. Originally created as a watch with a practical timing function and sharing the same roots as the famous Submariner, this model today has the unfortunate karma of being one of the few discontinued models of the brand. Initially released as a separate series, its later editions became part of the Datejust line – and this is yet another unique feature of the model. And of course, the most important distinction from all other Datejust models is the bezel – in this model it is functional, rotating, and thanks to this it can perform timing functions.
The model presented today is part of the penultimate series, launched in the 1990s, and here, as with other Datejust models from the same era, the movement is the same – the Turn-O-Graph has the honour of carrying inside it the calibre 3135 – a Rolex in-house movement, COSC-certified chronometer, with 48 hours of power reserve and operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour.
This particular watch comes in a wonderful and extremely hard-to-find combination – Sodalite dial with 10 diamonds, 18-carat white gold bezel and Oyster bracelet.
Rolex is one of the few watch manufacturers that produce their dials in-house, and exotic procedures are their “home” speciality. Rolex have used materials such as meteorite, malachite, lapis, wood, porcelain and countless others. Few of them can rival the depth of the sodalite blue dial presented today, not least because, thanks to the structure of the grey calcite vein inclusions, every single dial is unique in its natural “design”, and enriched with diamond markers, the combination becomes truly one of a kind.
The detail of this watch, as indeed of all modern Rolex watches we have had the opportunity to present, is truly impressive. A closer look reveals jewellery-level craftsmanship, while the overall impression is very aristocratic. Starting with the incredible dial and moving on to the classic sapphire crystal with “Cyclops” – in this case, a high-grade sapphire has been used, which wonderfully complements the overall presence of the watch.
Of course, separate attention must be paid to the case and bezel – an incredible execution in 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. The bezel has a design unique to the model – a combination of the characteristic “fluted” style and smooth surfaces with minute indications applied, while the fact that it is made of 18-carat white gold and fully functional further reinforces the overall impression!
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 an Oyster bracelet, which wonderfully complements the sporty-elegant character of this rare and very interesting representative of the Datejust family.
