Before I continue, perhaps join me for a brief & personal introspective… The older 36mm Datejust watches were and are of course very fine watches. Visually, to me, however they were just that: Old. I’m so used to seeing the 36mm Datejusts on elderly gentlemen, that it somehow never feels quite right when I try one on. It’s me, I know. Enter the 41mm: Just perfect. Everything is just a little bit bigger, everything feels (way) more solid, the clasp, the bracelet, the case, it really feels like what a modern Rolex should feel like. I know that makes little sense, but that’s just how it is. Note that while everything has been upsized a bit, the lugs and overall design is still slender, and not as boxy as you will see with the upsized Submariners etc… What could they possibly still tweak, I have no idea, c’est parfait.
Spot on review my friend. Great to read!
My words are mere decoration to frame your fantastic photographs my friend, absolutely stunning job (again). Thanks a lot for teaming up for this one!
Your name sounds familiar 😉
Fully agree with the old man vibe of the older 36mm version, I thought I was the only one! Nothing wrong with it, just not for me. Great write up of a modern classic and icon. Do I feel a sparkle of lust for one in that writing, Jan? 🙂
I have both old (36mm, yellow gold) and this 41 but with the blue dial. I like both, but wear the 41 the most by far. 36 I keep for sentimental reasons..
I think the clasp on the Jubilee looks great as it is. Where the Jubilee meets the case, you have the juxtaposition of the smooth case lines next to the rolling links of the bracelet. Rolex have designed the endlinks to make it look as though the bracelet is flowing directly out from the case, rather than making it look integrated. There is nothing jarring about the two textures – smooth and rolling – next to each other. Likewise, I don’t find anything jarring about those same two textures adjacent to each other where the bracelet meets the clasp. The smoothness of the clasp matches the smoothness of the case. The bracelet connects the two. The clasp need not match the bracelet exactly, although I appreciate that the polished center of the clasp lines up with the polished center links on the Jubilee, same as on the Oyster bracelet. On the Datejust clasp, there are even rounded edges on the latch-end, complementing the curves of the case. Rolex didn’t simply stick the Oysterlock sports clasp on there – with all its sharp, right angles – and call it a day. They have clearly put thought into the clasp’s aesthetic design.
Speaking of the Oyster bracelet, the clasp doesn’t exactly match it, either. While the Oyster links are longer and flatter than the Jubilee links, they’re still segmented, unlike the long, uninterrupted stretch of the clasp. Let’s not forget that the earlier, five-digit era Oysterlock clasps were cheesily stamped with a texture to mimic the links of the bracelet. It wasn’t a great look. Older Jubilee Oysterclasps made no attempt to match textures at all. They were just brushed chunks of steel. Today’s Oysterclasp is much more elegant.
Of course, some lament the fact that the hidden Crownclasp is no longer an option on the Jubilee, now being reserved exclusively for the President bracelet. I’ll grant that the complete lack of a visible clasp precludes any objections over it not matching the bracelet. There is also a certain elegance to it, befitting a flagship watch like the Day-Date. However, one gives up any micro-adjustability at all with Crownclasp. I’m not sure I’m ready to trade off comfort for aesthetic unity. Besides, I rather enjoy the way the Oysterclasp is a visual (and literal) counterbalance to the Datejust case.
If I have one complaint about the Oysterclasp on the Datejust (or any other Rolex other than a diver), it’s that it’s not a Glidelock. Rolex has now introduced a shortened version of the Glidelock on Yacht-master Oysterflex straps. It would be nice to have them on all models using an Oysterclasp. The Glidelock’s range and ease of adjustability is simply superior to the all-or-nothing 5mm Easylink, which is awkwardly combined with hidden micro-adjust divots that can only be adjusted with strap tool. That’s a functional concern, however, rather than aesthetic.