The clichés applied to these watches are endless: iconic, archetypal, essential … and the list goes on. What can be said about the Rolex Datejust that hasn’t already been said? Quite a bit actually when presented with the opportunity to look at a cross section of the watch’s evolution firsthand. Most Time+Tide readers will know that the Datejust model goes all the way back to 1945 and in this article we are going to look at the Datejust starting in the second half of the 20th century and continuing to present day, as the three watches we have on hand represent a combined 50 of the total 75-year Rolex Datejust history. A Comforting Reward in 1970: The Reference 1601 By 1970, the Datejust had established itself through the post-war period as the go-to watch to celebrate middle-class success. I know from personal research that the 1601 in this particular article was gifted by the first owner’s wife to him in celebration of his retirement from a long career in the defence department of the Canadian government. Imagine if you will, a man in his mid-60s, who has served his country for decades, opening the gift-wrapped box and seeing the glint…
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