The Delight Of A Diamond Dial Rolex

While often fully accepted on a lady’s watch, diamonds on a men’s watch are often a topic of hot debate in Western Europe. While everybody is, of course, entitled to their own opinion, a dash of diamonds can be a welcome addition to any collection, in particular the more established. The most subtle way to do this is by opting for a diamond dial. In particular, Rolex has been known to offer this option, most notably in the DateJust and Day-Date collections, but also some of the Sports models have, or have been, available with a diamond-set dial.

A classic diamond-set dial on a vintage Day-Date with a special finish on the bezel and bracelet

When it comes to diamond-set dials, Rolex prefers that form and function are balanced, so the hour markers are replaced with these precious stones. The most traditional way that Rolex does this is by using brilliant-cut stones, whose shape is more or less round, and setting them in a square setting in which four prongs secure the stone. This ensures that quite a bit of light can enter the stone, achieving the fire and scintillation diamonds are so well known for. To add a bit of variety, the six and nine o’clock positions usually feature a baguette-cut diamond. As the name already indicates, is this cut style rectangular making it look more substantial. As it has fewer facets, its play of light is a bit more understated. Sometimes we can also find such a stone at the three o’clock position, but as many Rolex models have a date function, it is usually absent.

Rolex only uses a very high quality of diamonds on their watches

The quality of diamonds that Rolex uses is very high, and to be technical usually in the ‘Very Slightly Included’ range and near colorless. This means that the diamonds will look what most people will call white. When set on a yellow or pink gold dial/watch, the color might be slightly more yellow, but this is due to the effect of the surrounding colors and only noticeable if you would compare it next to the same watch in white gold or platinum.

A stunning diamond and sapphire-set dial on a two-tone Rolex Submariner. These watches are often referred to as ‘Sultan’ Submariners.

Whether a diamond-dial Rolex is something for you is a question that can only be answered after you try it. Some still do not like it, but a surprising number of men actually enjoy the look more than they initially thought. Perhaps this is the ‘Miami Vice’-effect, as it might be too much in your mind, but it still looks so cool when you put it on. Here there is also a subtle difference between the older Rolex models and the newer ones. Diamond-dials on the older models are usually easier to adjust, as the vintage vibe mellows the overall look, and these watches have simply been cooler for a more extended period of time. They are also often of a smaller diameter, which suits a diamond dial perfectly as it makes a more understated appearance.