Lapis Dial 1601/8 Rolex Datejust

Here’s a hot take to some: stone dials suit the Datejust even better than a Day-Date. If you’ve been into the more formal side of Rolex for any time at all, most roads lead to vintage Day-Date. But stone dials are the only place where a Datejust stands on equal footing with the Day-Date, spec for spec. Obviously, you get more stone real estate. If what you love is rock, there’s more here than AC/DC. But there’s also an extra layer, someone had to really, really love the Datejust to consider buying one of these in the 70s.

Stone dial Datejust MSRP was perilously near the entry level Day-Dates, which were then at their height of being marketed through power with all the ‘The presidents’ watch’ ads, or the more modern ‘A Rolex will never change the world, we leave that to the people who wear them’. A stone dial, gold Datejust nearly doubled the retail ask of the 1601, so to invest that much in what was considered by many an inferior model meant you were being very deliberate about wanting the simpler option. This is a watch of someone who could’ve gone Day-Date, but liked the one aperture alone. The main stones you should know for Datejust mirror Day-Dates with onyx, malachite, tiger’s eye, and lapis, but with one difference. There’s also a red jasper which never appeared in Day-Dates at least as far as we know today. Material for material, most will agree that the Datejusts are lesser produced than their Day-Date peers. Some were even sold on President bracelets, though not this one.

Collector’s tastes have changed. As stone dials have become quite desirable in recent years, Datejusts are being pull in lock-step with Day-Dates. Values were around 20-25K in 2017, but great examples have roughly doubled that in the intervening years and show no signs of letting up. Stone dials are here to stay, but people are no longer just finding out about stone Datejusts. They are the ultimate 1601s, the only thing which could possibly argue are Oman stone dials. After all, it’s not like there’s a Stella 1601 to argue. The Datejust is widely estimated to account for over 1/3 of all Rolex sales. It is the very heart of all that is Wilsdorf, even if we all like to debate the histories of the professional offerings. This is the very essence of Rolex made as opulent as it can possibly be. Something about that philosophy is lovely.

This example clears aces out of the gate. The stone is uncracked, entirely whole as we love to see. These are fragile watches, be warned. The date wheel on this example appears super warmed which is pleasing. And its on a solid gold Jubilee, which has a charm all its own. The case appears really very sharp with a light to moderate degree of surface wear, exactly what you want to see in vintage. In comes from a well-regarded London retailer.