Luxury

Venerable Creation

The archetype of the modern watch, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 is the perfect example of a truly timeless timepiece thanks to functions and aesthetics that never go out of style.
Text by Bill Lindsey | April 18, 2018 | Luxury

Born in 1945, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust was the first self-winding waterproof chronometer wristwatch to display the date in the window at 3 o’clock on the dial — thereby earning its now iconic name. It consolidated all the major innovation that Rolex had contributed to the wristwatch until then: Chronometric precision, a self-winding mechanism and, of course, the date on the window which had previously been indicated by hand-pointing markings on the circumference of the dial. In 1953, the famous Cyclops Lens was added to the crystal, magnifying the date for easy reading. In 1956, the date change became instantaneous and today takes place within a few milliseconds at midnight. The new Datejust 41 is equipped with a cutting-edge movement, caliber 3235, a self-winding mechanical movement that is at the forefront of the art of watchmaking. It has 14 patents and offers fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks, convenience and reliability. The state-of-the-art Chronoenergy escapement combined with new barrel architecture extends the power reserve of the 3235 to approximately 70 hours. The waterproof (to 330 ft.) Datejust 41 is an enduring symbol of the robustness and elegance that Rolex is renowned for; KirkJewelers.com.