We always get this question from our customers since both watches look pretty much the same. The difference between the Rolex Datejust (Ref. 16200, 16000, 1600) and the Rolex Date (Ref. 15200, 15000, 1500) is that the Datejust case measures 36 mm while the Date measures 34 mm. In other words there is a 2 mm difference in size. Also the bracelet of the Datejust is 20 mm in width while the Date is 19 mm. Apart from the 2 mm difference in case size and 1 mm on the bracelet both watches look the same.

Rolex Date

Rolex Datejust

In 1945 Rolex came out with the first wristwatch featuring a date display with a Cyclops lens that magnify the numbers. This watch is the self-winding Oyster Perpetual Datejust.

The Datejust watch is 36 mm width while the Datejust II, released during Baselworld 2009, is 41 mm width both elegant, self winding, with fluted bezels, Oyster bracelets and waterproof to 100 meters or 330 feet. This increment of the size is due to what the market is asking for. Nowadays, women are using bigger watches so men’s  watches need to be larger in consequence of that.

Now you can see the 36mm Datejust watches being considered to be unisex, although for many men it is still the right size. Now, women have more options including different case sizes, dials and bracelet sizes.

In conclusion we can say, that a few millimiters do make a big difference in design.

Rolex Datejust

Rolex Datejust II

The Rolex model Yacht-Master is one of the most well-known sport watches in the world. Not so long ago Rolex introduced their new adaptation of the Rolex Yacht-Master. Even though both watches are similar in some way , there are certain characteristics that differentiate them. The material available, some features, and gender have changed to make the Yacht-master II one of a kind.

The Yacht-Master is available in Stainless Steel, Two Tone, and Yellow Gold ; the newer model comes only in White Gold or Yellow Gold. Both of the watches come with bezels in Platinum and Yellow Gold bidirectional. Yet the Gold bezel on the Yacht-Master II comes with a ceramic insert instead of the gold insert that comes with the Yacht-Master.

The Yacht-Master II has all the features the older model has plus a few additional features. One of the great features is the Easylink patented system created by Rolex. It facilitates to extend the size of the bracelet of up to 5mm with great comfort. The most exceptional of the features is the programmable 10 minute countdown timer that is intended for Regattas. . Also with the new technology called Triplock system there is no need to worry about water leaking inside the watch . It completely seals the watch creating a new layer of protection. The Triplock is displayed on the crown by three dots below the Rolex symbol on the crown. The Yacht-Master II comes with the Blue Parachrom Hairspring, which is an oscillator hairspring made of ferromagnetic alloys and makes this watch more resistant to impacts and magnetic fields.

The Rolex Yacht-Master II is available only for Men’s at a size of 44 mm while the Yacht- Master is available at Men’s , Midsize, and Ladies at sizes of 40 mm , 35mm, and 29mm respectively . This increase in size is due to the new trend of bigger watches, making the latest Yacht-Master II a heavier watch.

Both models are for sure stunning timepieces, and both are presently being fabricated by Rolex. It is a hard choice between the classic look and more conservative size, or the oversized and more updated model. There is another decisive factor that may contribute to the decision since the Yacht-Master II is higher priced than the Yacht-Master. For instance the Yellow Gold Men’s Yacht-Master Approximate Retail value is $25,000 while the Yacht-Master II Men’s 18k is priced at $33,650 .

In 1905 Hans Wilsdorf a 24-year-old manufacturer from Germany, and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis founded “Wilsdorf and Davis” in London.

Rolex Submariner

The lack of capital was not a limit for them to start the business. At the beginning they imported Swiss movements, dials and cases to England so they can ship them later to their costumers.

Rolex was registered in 1915 in Switzerland by Hans Wilsdorf, who had an excellent business vision. Rolex Watch Company Ltd. was established in 1919. His business goal was to give the world the most precise wristwatch they could ever imagine so it could compete with the pocket watch.

The origin of the name is unknown. Wilsdorf just wanted a name easy to be pronounced in any language. He never confirmed the rumors that the name of Rolex came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning “exquisite clockwork” or that the name was an imitation of the sound of a watch being wound or that the name was just made up. Some people say that the name was given by his business partner Alfred Davis who was a Rolls Royce lover, so he mixed the beginning of this brand Rol and the end of TIMEX, a popular watch brand at that time, to have as a result the word ROLEX.

After Wilsdorf death in 1944, his wife established the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation which would have all his Rolex shares go directly to charity.

Messina Jewelers is presenting this chart to make easier the searching of a Rolex year.  With this chart our customers can find the year of the Rolex watch they have bought or they already owned, by the serial number. This would also make the searching easier for the watch sellers.

The serial number of a Rolex watch can be found engraved between the lugs of the lower part of the case by releasing the bracelet. This engrave is done with very fine lines which catch the light like a cut of a diamond edge.

engraved serial number on the lower part of the case