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Isn’t a Datejust pretty much perfect?

vibe
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Like a lot of you, I am a watch lover with a bunch of fun pieces in the mix. I bought this 1970 Datejust back in 2020 after obsessing about the ghost dial variants for a while. It is pretty much the perfect watch for me, robust and classy. Whilst not a 1016. The 1600 has a sporty no-nonsense look that makes it look more low-key than my 114270. I am also a freak for vintage IWC, but I have come to evaluate any watch I am looking at against my one Rolex Datejust 1600.
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styggpyggeno1
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No - not perfect.

Not the best at anything but I agree on it being an overall contender for the most versatile vintage watch.

It ticks many if not all boxes. It is vintage (this one from 1967), it has a grey semi matte stepped dial, it is waterproof for real (regularly tested to 100m), it has a warm glowing plexi glass, there are spare parts in abundance - and it is as good as cash if stranded in a little village in Peru and you need to get out.

Alternating between an oyster bracelet, a jubilee bracelet or a leather strap you can use it at board meetings, for the beach and swim, tinkering with cars, etc. Suit, jeans, shorts, etc. You can be any age using it. Man or woman and/or anything in between. A versatile watch - but not perfect. 😉

edit... It would have been even better without the "wart" for instance.

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Edited:
 
Dan S
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I'm also a fan of the 4-digit DJs. I especially like the engine-turned bezel. And then, of course, there is the freaky one with the turning bezel.

rolex_silver_djs.jpeg IMG_4798.jpeg rolex_1625.jpeg
 
blufinz52
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Dan S Dan S
I'm also a fan of the 4-digit DJs. I especially like the engine-turned bezel. And then, of course, there is the freaky one with the turning bezel.

rolex_silver_djs.jpeg IMG_4798.jpeg rolex_1625.jpeg

Lovely watches 🥰
 
NT931
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Dan S Dan S
I'm also a fan of the 4-digit DJs. I especially like the engine-turned bezel. And then, of course, there is the freaky one with the turning bezel.

Love that linen dial 1603!

I recently got a blue dial 1600, which is somewhat more low-key than the very recognisable bezel of the 1601.

It's quite patinated, but I rather like the patina on the dial and especially the date wheel!

C56B1A94-35B4-475B-B837-3357B50862EB.jpeg


I also found the DJ book by Thomas van Straaten quite useful reading too
 
blubarb
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It's not a vintage piece I know, but one day it will be if not in my life time. I don't like fluted bezels they can look a little flamboyant and extravagant to my conservative mind. The Rolex Datejust 126200 Blue Stick 36mm Oyster ticks all the boxes plus versatility for me. Would be my only modern/new watch that's not an Omega if I can get it retail. 😁
Screenshot 2023-12-03 at 11.28.34 pm.png
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blubarb
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styggpyggeno1 styggpyggeno1
No - not perfect.

Not the best at anything but I agree on it being an overall contender for the most versatile vintage watch.

It ticks many if not all boxes. It is vintage (this one from 1967), it has a grey semi matte stepped dial, it is waterproof for real (regularly tested to 100m), it has a warm glowing plexi glass, there are spare parts in abundance - and it is as good as cash if stranded in a little village in Peru and you need to get out.

Alternating between an oyster bracelet, a jubilee bracelet or a leather strap you can use it at board meetings, for the beach and swim, tinkering with cars, etc. Suit, jeans, shorts, etc. You can be any age using it. Man or woman and/or anything in between. A versatile watch - but not perfect. 😉

edit... It would have been even better without the "wart" for instance.

53371217457_d9025893da_k.jpg

Very cool looking dial! 😎

"This is what I would call a perfect watch. That isn’t to be confused with “the best watch ever”, it’s just absolutely perfect at being what it is. This is an incredibly versatile piece, even more so than its fluted bezel brother because it’s not as overt but maintains its visual attractiveness through a well polished bezel and center links. It’s incredibly accurate, between +-2 seconds per day." Some guy on reddit.
 
vibe
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Some incredible examples on here. One thing that is great about the datejust is that the bezels are easy to swap (on the 4 digit ones at least). So you can swap the fluted bezel for an engine turned or smooth one in minutes. Can also go with an oyster bracelet for a sportier look or a jubilee for more classy elegance. You can also fit a 1018 crystal if you don’t like the cyclopse. To me the cyclopse on the plexi crystal is much more subtle than those on sapphire crystals.
 
slique12
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What no one has mentioned yet are the perfect case proportions and sublime comfort on the wrist. Without those, the 4 digit DJ would simply not be the versatile, all rounder watch that it is. And of course, the fact one can have it with so many dial, bezel and bracelet options in SS and two tone means there is flavor for everyone.
 
S.H.
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Dials on those 160x are nice but the older movement, meh. Having a prominently displayed date and no quickset is not practical and does not feel right to me at all.

My "perfect" all rounder Rolex is my 15010: still fitted with a plexi, more modern movement with quickset. And I think I prefer the 34mm case / 19mm strap form factor.

IMG_20231101_221200.jpg
 
vibe
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But non-quickset is the price you pay for a stepped dial.
 
Losi11
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The 4 digit Datejust are great. They are made well and feel great on the wrist. Mine runs +4 sec a day consistently.
Also the only Rolex I own, so I guess I am biased. 😉 You can wear it casually without it looking out of place which is a plus for me. I put mine on a suede strap occasionally.
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alexsofluffy
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While I would argue the Explorer is more versatile, there’s something undeniably classic about a DJ. Lack of a quickset date is annoying though, not gonna lie…
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joeshoup
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The four digits are great, but I'm addicted to the quickset date. What I love about these is how wildly different the aesthetics can be in exactly the same movement and case. Here are my two examples, about as opposite as two DJs can be...

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effovex
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Beautiful examples!

While I don’t think I’m a ‘classic’ datejust person, I absolutely want to pick up a 4 or 5 digit turn-o-graph (can’t live without some sort of timing feature on my watches).

Those references would be the 1625 and 16264, I believe.
 
efauser
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Dan S Dan S
I'm also a fan of the 4-digit DJs. I especially like the engine-turned bezel. And then, of course, there is the freaky one with the turning bezel.

rolex_silver_djs.jpeg IMG_4798.jpeg rolex_1625.jpeg
Stainless Thunderbird is the only Rolex that really trips my trigger.
 
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