I went from a 44mm Breitling to a 36mm datejust. Was weird to start with but had owned many watches that size so I kept wearing it. Now it's just perfect, never in the way, still a great wrist presence and so comfortable. I still have no problems with larger watches but 36mm is great. Also had a Oyster Date 34mm for a few years but that was just a bit to fragile for me. Also had the new Air king 40mm 116900, great size but for me the 41 and 40 sizes look weird. The ratio bezel-dial is different. The bezel is much wider on the larger models, changing the classic look a bit too much for me. Still beautifull watches though. My favorite DJ's are the plexi and the latest 3235 versions. They both have the same narrow, sharp cut lugs. For me personally, that is the exact right datejust look.
Very interesting, that the Datejust were more expensive and luxurious than sport models. Recently one guy said, that a Datejust is a cheap entry model. I think he was just jealous. First of all it isn't cheap and second is not an entry model. It is a very fine model. Great video. Keep it up!
Totally agree.. for us no Rolex is entry level. It is always about your passion and every Rolex is a star. It is not always about the value, but about beauty. Also a Datejust was far from entry level NEW. It was more expansive then a 5513, 1016, Daytona in the 70s. The Datejust always has been the key watch for Rolex.
"Entry Level" is a perceived status that doesn't belong in any decision making process, whether choosing a lake home, an established company, or something as simple as a piece of jewelry. The expression is entirely subjective, and places your personal preferences on the sideline.
Entry level or not: to me the DJ was always and will be always the most beautiful Rolex ever. The shininess of the jubilee bracelet combined with the fluted bezel is just unbeatable
Totally agree... and as said, on old price lists, the Datejust was more expansive than the 5513, 1016, Daytona. In the Rolex line-up the Datejust has status and also is the back-bone of the brand in my opinion.
Fantastic videos on the DJ. You're videos on them persuaded me to take the plunge and trade in my more modern 41 OP and pick up a 1603 DJ and I couldn't be happier, the 36 suits me so much more on my 7 inch wrists and the vintage elements just give me so much more pride wearing it. Would love to see more, your channel should be far larger with the quality you output.
I was in the camp thinking that 36mm looked to small but something happened , it is now my favourite size. I love the date just in smooth bezel, silver dial, stick markers and plexiglass with cyclops!
Well, just to be different I'm going to ask "is the 36mm Datejust too big?". All my watches are vintage and most of them are 34mm or 35mm. My largest watch is a 1970 IWC Yacht Club, which is pretty much exactly Datejust proportions at 36mm and 43mm lug-lug. I have a 6 inch wrist. I wouldn't say that the Yacht Club is too big for me, but it's about the largest watch I would wear, and I do think that something like an Omega c-case Constellation (which is 34mm, 40mm lug-to-lug) looks better proportioned.
just note and remember datejust was suppose to be the larger size OP date/datejust for MEN , the smaller version is the same built and same look 34mm Rolex OP DATE (not datejust) .... only 31mm OP datejust is boy / unisex size and pure ladies rolex datejust was suppose to be 26mm (only recently upsized to 28mm) and rolex only these few years tries to keep up with industry already passed trend of wearing oversized watches (at least for men's watches) ... and introducing ladies design dial or bright colours datejust for even 34mm/36mm OP or datejusts. many independent watch channels also misleadingly claimed celebrities are wearing 36mm or 34mm rolex date/datejust but from actual photos sourced or taken on these actual celebrities , they are actually wearing the model ladies size rolex datejust at 28mm! the Late famous chef anthony bourdain's commonly worn BLUE dial rolex is also Men's OP date and not datejust at 34mm, we should all know how tall and large he is ...you should know ... definitely even 34mm rolex isn't that small or tiny or lady like , because it has lug to lug of around 42mm .... datejust will have even larger lug to lug ....maybe 45mm or 47mm , i can't remember.
Thank you for the excellent video. But there is something you left out. How much is approximately to service these watches? Either from Rolex or an independent watch maker? Thanks in advance
Depends on what you have done. the new bracelet alone costs $1150.00. I purchased my watch in 1989. I had my watch serviced, face changed new hands, etc, $2500.00. Work done by Rolex ( Pennsylvania ). I had work done 2 years ago.
I have a 17cm / 7 inch wrist, i had the 41 , i thought it was too big. I “downgraded” to the 36 and I’ve never been happier. The 36 feels more nimble. The 41 felt like a tank on the wrist. The 36 feels like I’m wearing nothing.
I agree with everything you say but, the Date just 36 Dome aka smooth bezels are not rare at all. They're also cheaper than a fluted bezel... Good video though...
You see less domed bezel than fluted bezels around in our experience. Also trends change. A few years ago, a ref. 1600 smooth bezel was more valuable than a 1601 or 1603. Now the 1601 is mor trend...
Question: Is there still people out there who take the risk of purchasing a luxury watch without papers? I finde that hard to believe what you're pitching in your video
Hi there, yes most VINTAGE watches are sold without papers, as they normally don't have them anymore. 60/50/40/30 year old watches mostly don't have the papers anymore. original owners lost them over the years. Did not care about them after warranty was over. With vintage watches 80-90% of the watches are without papers. So it always is important to buy the seller and buy from trusted and experienced sellers.
Yes, over here in Asia, with paper and without paper have different price, still a lot of people buying it. Just open the case and check the movement before buying. This is what we do here
Most of the vintage watches come without papers. The older the watch, the less will still have papers and become more expansive when papers are still around. About 20-30% extra value. Remember when people bought these in the 70/80s... they had like a 1 year warranty. After that the papers became just not really important for original owners back then. The box in the 70s was also used as cigarette box. Broken after years of use. So most vintage Rolex have lost their papers a long time ago. The papers are not a proof of originality anymore. It is a knowledge about these watches, details like lume, dials, serial ranges etc. Way more important. Buy the seller with vintage watches.
Vintage is only of the watch is yours, otherwise its just second hand. People stop pretending it sounds better, it is second hand if you buy an old watch that was for example from your neighbour.
36 mm has always been the classic mens size. And the last 5 years we see more and more men wearing them again. 95% of the ones we sell go to men. The trend of big watches is long gone... But of course it always is personal. If it is not for you, no worries, there are always other watches.
Men wore 36 for decades, nothing to do with having girl wrists, James gandolfini who was a big guy wears a 36 day date in the sopranos and it looks fine....
36mm is absolutely perfect.
I went from a 44mm Breitling to a 36mm datejust. Was weird to start with but had owned many watches that size so I kept wearing it. Now it's just perfect, never in the way, still a great wrist presence and so comfortable. I still have no problems with larger watches but 36mm is great. Also had a Oyster Date 34mm for a few years but that was just a bit to fragile for me. Also had the new Air king 40mm 116900, great size but for me the 41 and 40 sizes look weird. The ratio bezel-dial is different. The bezel is much wider on the larger models, changing the classic look a bit too much for me. Still beautifull watches though. My favorite DJ's are the plexi and the latest 3235 versions. They both have the same narrow, sharp cut lugs. For me personally, that is the exact right datejust look.
Very interesting, that the Datejust were more expensive and luxurious than sport models.
Recently one guy said, that a Datejust is a cheap entry model. I think he was just jealous.
First of all it isn't cheap and second is not an entry model. It is a very fine model. Great video. Keep it up!
Totally agree.. for us no Rolex is entry level. It is always about your passion and every Rolex is a star. It is not always about the value, but about beauty. Also a Datejust was far from entry level NEW. It was more expansive then a 5513, 1016, Daytona in the 70s. The Datejust always has been the key watch for Rolex.
"Entry Level" is a perceived status that doesn't belong in any decision making process, whether choosing a lake home, an established company, or something as simple as a piece of jewelry. The expression is entirely subjective, and places your personal preferences on the sideline.
Entry level or not: to me the DJ was always and will be always the most beautiful Rolex ever. The shininess of the jubilee bracelet combined with the fluted bezel is just unbeatable
Totally agree... and as said, on old price lists, the Datejust was more expansive than the 5513, 1016, Daytona. In the Rolex line-up the Datejust has status and also is the back-bone of the brand in my opinion.
Because you can get them easy = entry. Everyone wants a sub, gmt or daytona
I went for the Datejust 41mm.. The 36mm looked fine on my 19,5cm wrist - but I'm 1,94m (6'4+) tall so it looked to small compared to the rest of me..
36 mm was the only size since 1940. Sold so many of date just was always the perfect size, even presidential. Blue is always
Fantastic videos on the DJ. You're videos on them persuaded me to take the plunge and trade in my more modern 41 OP and pick up a 1603 DJ and I couldn't be happier, the 36 suits me so much more on my 7 inch wrists and the vintage elements just give me so much more pride wearing it.
Would love to see more, your channel should be far larger with the quality you output.
So simple, yet such a timeless piece of Americana.
Indeed, the best "Americana" is always made in Switzerland...😕
i just bought a gold rolex date 34mm... can you guys do videos on gold rolexes and straps?
I have a 19.05cm (7 ½") wrist and the 36mm is not problematic in any way
Two tone date just 36 or all steel which holds better value ?
Both have been quite the same. In the past steel was stronger, but last years also steel/gold sells well and holds value well. Vintage ones.
I was in the camp thinking that 36mm looked to small but something happened , it is now my favourite size. I love the date just in smooth bezel, silver dial, stick markers and plexiglass with cyclops!
Totally with you. 36 mm is all you need!
Always good to get it from ur AD if you can. Then the prices for the diff colours will all be the same.
I like the engine turn bezel ，very unique
How does the 16234 rank amongst vintage datejusts? Are there better options in that 4-5k price range? For a neutral dial fluted
In that line there is not so much difference in ranking.. so just buy what you enjoy most!
Well, just to be different I'm going to ask "is the 36mm Datejust too big?". All my watches are vintage and most of them are 34mm or 35mm. My largest watch is a 1970 IWC Yacht Club, which is pretty much exactly Datejust proportions at 36mm and 43mm lug-lug. I have a 6 inch wrist. I wouldn't say that the Yacht Club is too big for me, but it's about the largest watch I would wear, and I do think that something like an Omega c-case Constellation (which is 34mm, 40mm lug-to-lug) looks better proportioned.
I have a 34 mm datejust. It's perfect for me.
just note and remember datejust was suppose to be the larger size OP date/datejust for MEN , the smaller version is the same built and same look 34mm Rolex OP DATE (not datejust) .... only 31mm OP datejust is boy / unisex size and pure ladies rolex datejust was suppose to be 26mm (only recently upsized to 28mm) and rolex only these few years tries to keep up with industry already passed trend of wearing oversized watches (at least for men's watches) ... and introducing ladies design dial or bright colours datejust for even 34mm/36mm OP or datejusts. many independent watch channels also misleadingly claimed celebrities are wearing 36mm or 34mm rolex date/datejust but from actual photos sourced or taken on these actual celebrities , they are actually wearing the model ladies size rolex datejust at 28mm! the Late famous chef anthony bourdain's commonly worn BLUE dial rolex is also Men's OP date and not datejust at 34mm, we should all know how tall and large he is ...you should know ... definitely even 34mm rolex isn't that small or tiny or lady like , because it has lug to lug of around 42mm .... datejust will have even larger lug to lug ....maybe 45mm or 47mm , i can't remember.
Thank you for the excellent video. But there is something you left out. How much is approximately to service these watches? Either from Rolex or an independent watch maker?
Thanks in advance
Depends on what you have done. the new bracelet alone costs $1150.00.
I purchased my watch in 1989.
I had my watch serviced, face changed new hands, etc, $2500.00.
Work done by Rolex ( Pennsylvania ).
I had work done 2 years ago.
A service by an independent will be around 350-400 euro normally.
Which model would you recommend? I can’t decide between 16030/16014, and 16220/16234 ?
I am plexi all the way!!! Way lighter, more comfy and warmer. So 16030/16014 for me.
What is the model of this datejust with white dial?
i am interested in the one in the cover of this video
I have a 17cm / 7 inch wrist, i had the 41 , i thought it was too big. I “downgraded” to the 36 and I’ve never been happier. The 36 feels more nimble. The 41 felt like a tank on the wrist. The 36 feels like I’m wearing nothing.
where do you buy those leather bracelets that you show in the video?
That is easy. in our shop at bulangandsons.com. we have like 200 different straps available.
In our shop at bulangandsons.com. We have like 250+ different watch straps available.
I agree with everything you say but, the Date just 36 Dome aka smooth bezels are not rare at all. They're also cheaper than a fluted bezel... Good video though...
Actually smooth bezel is indeed more rare compared to the fluted.
Actually, neither are rare. Tons of both on the gray market.
Hi there, we are talking mainly vintage Datejust, and their smooth bezel is rarer. Reference 1600 and 16000 is rarer then the other ones.
You see less domed bezel than fluted bezels around in our experience. Also trends change. A few years ago, a ref. 1600 smooth bezel was more valuable than a 1601 or 1603. Now the 1601 is mor trend...
I have my 1987 16030 box and all papers.
I don't agree with that. I'm 196 cm tall and my wrist is 18.5 cm. The Datejust in 36 doesn't fit anymore, so I have the 39.5 cm version (41cm)
Ever since I bought a watch from AMZWATCH , My question is if it's this hard to tell them apart, what is the point of owning an authentic watch?
Question: Is there still people out there who take the risk of purchasing a luxury watch without papers? I finde that hard to believe what you're pitching in your video
Hi there, yes most VINTAGE watches are sold without papers, as they normally don't have them anymore. 60/50/40/30 year old watches mostly don't have the papers anymore. original owners lost them over the years. Did not care about them after warranty was over. With vintage watches 80-90% of the watches are without papers. So it always is important to buy the seller and buy from trusted and experienced sellers.
Yes, over here in Asia, with paper and without paper have different price, still a lot of people buying it. Just open the case and check the movement before buying. This is what we do here
Most of the vintage watches come without papers. The older the watch, the less will still have papers and become more expansive when papers are still around. About 20-30% extra value.
Remember when people bought these in the 70/80s... they had like a 1 year warranty. After that the papers became just not really important for original owners back then. The box in the 70s was also used as cigarette box. Broken after years of use. So most vintage Rolex have lost their papers a long time ago.
The papers are not a proof of originality anymore. It is a knowledge about these watches, details like lume, dials, serial ranges etc. Way more important. Buy the seller with vintage watches.
Vintage is only of the watch is yours, otherwise its just second hand. People stop pretending it sounds better, it is second hand if you buy an old watch that was for example from your neighbour.
36mm is too small unless you have a girl wrist
Most girls I see today have blue hair, 42" waists, and 8.5" wrists. But sure...
low IQ comment
36mm is for sophisticated men who don't question their masculinity, and who are very proud of the size of their penis.
36 mm has always been the classic mens size. And the last 5 years we see more and more men wearing them again. 95% of the ones we sell go to men. The trend of big watches is long gone... But of course it always is personal. If it is not for you, no worries, there are always other watches.
Men wore 36 for decades, nothing to do with having girl wrists, James gandolfini who was a big guy wears a 36 day date in the sopranos and it looks fine....
🤍🖤🤍 Thank you for sharing your knowledge
My pleasure!!