Rolex Datejust

This is a TTTTDJ! A teeny-tiny two tone Datejust aka the first Rolex I've ever owned aka a CERTIFIED CLASSIC. Its automatically changing date window (get it? DATEjust) was revolutionary tech when it initially dropped in the '40s, and it remains ever-relevant today. Hodinkee advisor Cara Barrett tells me that she stans the Datejust: “To me, it is the perfect watch,” she declares. “If anyone ever asks me what watch they should buy, I suggest the Datejust 99 percent of the time. It’s clean, classic, can be dressed up, dressed down, and it will last for-literally-ever.” Can't argue with that, folks. 

THE BASICS:

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust reference 69173 

DATE OF BIRTH: Circa 1992 

MATERIAL: Stainless steel and 18kt yellow gold case and jubilee bracelet, gold dial  

SIZE: 26MM aka TEENY TINY

MOVEMENT: Powered by a Rolex, Swiss-made, twenty eight jewel automatic calibre 2130. 42 hour reserve, COSC-certified. 

CONDITION: Original condition, polished case presented in very clean condition.

BOX/PAPERS: No/no

THE NITTY GRITTY:

A classic and clean example of the smallest watch in the line up of the Datejust collection. An early 1990’s version, so this features a sapphire crystal. It has a quick set date function, making it more practical.  

The dial color is the ‘standard’ for this model, in two-tone and a gold dial. The luminous material used on the dial is tritium here that was used up until the end of the 1990’s, hence the “T Swiss T” marking at the base of the dial. It is all original and remains untouched and in excellent condition featuring all lume plots intact, which have remained very close to their factory white color. This will continue to evolve over time, and they will become even more attractive – part of the beauty of tritium.

The serif printing of the text and chapter ring is encased in a frame and set with Roman numerals all in black, which really pop from the dial, and are complemented by the triangular shaped stick markers that have fine trenchline running through the center. The classic, eighteen carat gold baton hands are fitted and also contain the original luminous material, which matches the plots perfectly, and respond the same under ultraviolet light.