When the first Rolex Datejust was introduced in 1945 – the year of the brand’s 40th anniversary – it entered history as the first automatic water-resistant certified chronometer with a date on the dial. The “Cyclops” was added in 1955 in order to magnify the date display two and a half times, making the indication more legible and clear, and this feature became one of the most recognisable hallmarks of Rolex in general.

In 2018, Rolex introduced the new generation of the Rolex Datejust 36. This line of watches offers the characteristics of the original and iconic Rolex Datejust in a more modern design and, of course, includes certain innovations. One of the most significant differences is the movement – the Datejust 36 has the honour of carrying inside it the new calibre 3235, which has an increased power reserve of up to 70 hours, a seriously improved automatic winding system, in which the rotor is now on bearings and its efficiency has been increased. As for lubrication, the reversing wheels, being one of the problematic zones from the point of view of friction, have a special coating. The new 3235 has numerous built-in patents and more than 90% new components, and in addition it is twice as precise as the official COSC chronometer.

It is no coincidence that the Datejust is the most popular and recognisable model of the brand after the cult Submariner – and the Datejust 36 allows this popularity to be presented in a contemporary interpretation. This particular watch comes in a wonderful and hard-to-find combination – a blue dial, which Rolex call Bright Blue, a fluted white gold bezel and a Jubilee bracelet.

The detail of this watch, as indeed of all modern Rolex watches we have had the opportunity to examine and present, is truly impressive. A closer look reveals jewellery-level craftsmanship, while the overall impression is very aristocratic. Starting with the incredible dial and moving on to the iconic sapphire crystal with “Cyclops” – in this case, a high-grade sapphire has been used, which wonderfully complements the overall presence of the watch.

Of course, separate attention must be paid to the case and bezel – an incredible combination of brushed 904L steel of the highest class with solid 18-carat white gold. As you know, Rolex pay special attention to the steel they use and, for this purpose, have their own foundries for the production of all their alloys.

The bezel is in the brand’s characteristic “fluted” style, which gives the watch an incredible presence and has nothing in common with the other Datejust with the “smooth bezel” – they are simply different watches. This one has a striking presence on your wrist, and the fact that the bezel is made of 18-carat gold further reinforces the overall impression!

The bracelet also deserves attention – in this case, we are talking about the new Jubilee bracelet with a solid clasp made from a single piece of steel, not from bent sheet metal as with most brands. The only thing it lacks, but only in our opinion, is the GlideLock clasp of the Sub, although here we do have the so-called EasyLink, which allows micro-adjustment by an additional 5 mm. The lug width is 20 mm, and this particular bracelet has 10 links and will fit a wrist of up to 18 cm.