Datejust--acquired taste or is it just not for me?

[BuLlEt 1]

 

Hi. I was recently looking for a watch that wasn't a dress watch in the strictest sense (thin, white dial, bar or Roman numerals, no complications, etc) but is formal. My search narrowed down to Datejust, Aqua Terra, maybe the Portofino, a few Longines, etc.

I passed by a local Rolex dealer to see a Datejust in person, and I did not like how it looked.

The 36mm was not so thin that it felt like a small watch, and the indices and the writing looked cramped inside the small dial

The 41mm was a good size but the bezel looked too humongous.

The 39mm are just not my thing. I don't like how they added the coloured squares above the hour markers--seemed like a flashy thing and very un-Rolex-like.

If anything I might go for the 41mm, but I'm not 100% sure about it. This isn't exactly when I picked up a Tissot that I didn't like at first and grew to like.

Did anyone have a similar experience with their Datejust?

Thank you

[wyiuesdf 0]

 

I agree the bezel doesn't scale well onto to DJii. Some folks are hoping they bring out a smaller one like they did with the DD. The fluted bezel is a nicer size IMHO.

 

[logdesigbag 0]

 

For me, it was an acquired taste. I should specifiy that I do not yet own one, but want one.

I am also disappointed that the sizes jump from 36mm (tad too small) to 41mm (slightly too big). I would love a 38-39mm, especially if they produced a jubilee / president bracelet for them!

 

[Pettye 0]

 

They do have the 39mm size now, but the dial's not what I expected from Rolex. If they slimmed down the movement a bit, got rid of half the text on the dial, I would be all over the DJ in a heartbeat

 

[todd 0]

 

The 36cm DJ does wear bigger than one would think. Still looks awesome.

 

[Jeffpas 2]

 

I have a small wrist, so 36 mm is fine for me. I guess for a lot of guys it might seem small. But yeah, the case is definitely chunkier than the raw dimensions suggest.

Personally I think the dial is perfectly balanced. I don't like the DJ II dial dimensions at all; especially for the baton marker version. They are way too big.

 

[Jason213 0]

 

It's all relative to your wrist size, I do think the new 36mm DJs can accommodate up to 7.5" wrists without looking strange.

 

[Wcqq 0]

 

There is no 39mm datejust, I would own one if there was. There is the Explorer is 39mm and the new Oyster perpetual I 39mm

 

[Tom 2]

 

I agree about the DJ models, although I think the new 39mm OP is a great alternative, and is probably what I'd get. I wish the contrast color on the blue dial weren't green, but I think all of the other dials look great.

 

[Zerone 2]

 

It has taken me a while, but at this point the idea of a 36mm Datejust is very appealing. I own a couple of larger watches (GS SBGE029, Rolex Explorer II) and I am pretty tired of thick and big.