The Optional Luxury Of The Rolex Day-Date

In a time when you are among the lucky ones to get your hands on a new Rolex at a dealer or boutique, almost any Rolex, you forget that once the pleasure of purchasing one of their watches was a tailor-made experience. In particular with the Day-Date, this was almost like buying a car. The first and most important choice you had to make was which type of precious metal you preferred. This set the stage for the rest of the watch, adding even more character by selecting the dial of your choice.

The language of the day makes a difference

Rolex has always been a brand that was very focussed on dials when it came to their more formal-styled watches. For the Day-Date, this went from obvious choices such as silver, black, and gold to more exotic colors and materials like the famed Stella dials or those made from semi-precious stones. Next up is selecting which language the day wheel should be. English has always been the most popular choice, making other languages often more collectible.

The character of a Day-Date certainly changes when put on a strap

For quite some time, the signature President-bracelet was optional. This was quite clever of Rolex because, on a strap, the Day-Date almost becomes another watch altogether. It gives it a slightly more understated look, becoming more of a refined dress watch and less ‘Miami Vice.’ Another upside is that it was available for a lower price than a Day-Date with a gold bracelet, making it an interesting option for a wider group of clients.

This clasp has not always been the standard

Even with the bracelet itself, there was a time when you had something to choose from, mainly regarding the closure. While the Presidents-bracelet is now nearly synonymous with the hidden clasp, with only the Rolex crown telling you where to pull to open it, for quite some time, it was delivered on a standard clasp. While the hidden clasp was more expensive, the standard clasp, like they also put on their DateJust models yet for the Day-Date in precious metals only, comes with its own appeal. The old-style Rolex crown remains a captivating detail, and the fine adjustment can provide more convenience. While we would love to travel back in time and more-or-less custom order a Day-Date, we now have the pleasure that there is a wide variety of vintage models to choose from.