A WOMAN’S WORLD
In addressing the desire of modern women for feminine yet rugged watches that combine elegance with unerring accuracy, Rolex has created a legacy of classics
WHEN, IN 1905,THE German-born businessman Hans Wilsdorf founded the watch company that, some three years later, took on the now-revered name of Rolex – it was a very different world from that of today. At that time, women were permitted to vote in almost no country on the planet; indeed, until the outbreak of the First World War some nine years later, when an exodus of hundreds of thousands of male workers to the battlefields suddenly necessitated a huge influx of females into the workforce, a woman’s place was generally regarded in “polite” society as being in the home.
Yet in 1927, following vast societal upheavals resulting from the first global war that brought hitherto-unknown independence to millions of women – and, just as importantly, after the Rolex company had developed the world’s first commercially viable waterproof watch – Wilsdorf broke from convention by inviting a young swimmer to wear one of his new “Oyster” timepieces as she was attempting a remarkable feat. That swimmer, named Mercedes Gleitze, was a female typist from the English coastal town of Brighton, and she made history shortly afterwards by becoming the first woman to swim across the English Channel to France. Rightly, Wilsdorf had realised that the newly emancipated woman wanted to control her destiny, which partly involved managing her own time – and doing that required the same levels of precision as were demanded by her male counterparts.
Ever since that watershed, women achievers have been closely involved with the Rolex brand. Over the years, their ranks have included sportswomen, musicians, actors and film directors, writers, fashion designers, architects, scientists, health professionals and conservationists – in other words, women from all walks of life who excelled in their chosen fields. And as if to mark their inexorable rise and achievements, not to mention the growing power and influence of the female sex, Rolex increasingly turned its attention to developing timepieces of the highest standard that would audaciously reflect those very attributes.
When wristwatches for men first appeared more than a century ago, they were considerably smaller than those of today – indeed, by current standards many would be considered more suitable for women. By the end of the Second World War, however, they’d generally grown to a size – typified by the revolutionary 36mm Rolex Datejust, which made its first appearance in
1945 – regarded as too large for female wrists.
Rolex therefore set about creating a watch that would address both technical and cultural challenges: it would be “ladylike” in proportions and appearance, yet it would also address the active and independent lifestyles increasingly enjoyed by women.
The result was Lady-Datejust, which eventually appeared in 1957 with a diameter of just 25mm – in other words, a radically downsized Datejust, though the task of offering identical accuracy and features such as waterproofing, automatic winding and, of course, the signature date window, had involved far more than simply shrinking the parts. Today the Lady-Datejust is firmly established as the ultimate classic women’s watch and a pillar in the Rolex line-up. Now in a larger 28mm size, it comes in a wide variety of versions, materials and dial colours – indeed, it’s no coincidence that the Lady-Datejust is Rolex’s best-selling collection.
This year saw the unveiling of one of the enduringly elegant Lady-Datejust’s most fabulous incarnations ever: in yellow gold, the watch’s Oyster case, bezel, dial and President bracelet are entirely paved in a sparkling symphony of brilliant-cut diamonds. Yet in spite of its dazzling femininity, this Lady-Datejust is in every respect a Rolex: its self-winding Perpetual mechanical 2236 calibre features a magnetism-resistant
Syloxi silicon hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, offers Superlative Chronometer accuracy of +2/-2 seconds-a-day, and provides a power reserve of 55 hours. Waterproof to 100 metres, it’s as at home in the ocean depths as it is in the most glamorous social settings.
Equally elegant and feminine is the range of 31mm-diameter models in the Oyster Perpetual Datejust collection, which for 2022 has been augmented by three stunning new references, all of which feature new dials with a striking motif of 24 flowers, which stand out from each other thanks to sunray, matte and grained finishes. The first, in Rolesor, features its case and outer Oyster bracelet links in stainless steel, with fluted bezel, crown and central bracelet links in white gold. The Azzurro blue dial is set with 24 diamonds, with white gold hands and gem-settings.
Next comes a version in full yellow gold on a three-piece President bracelet, whose bezel is set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds. The effect is completed by an olive-green gloss dial set with 24 diamonds; the gem-settings and hands are in yellow gold. The third in the trio is a new reference in Everose Rolesor, also on a President bracelet. Here the case and bracelet outer links are in stainless steel, with bezel, crown and central bracelet links in Everose (pink) gold; 46 brilliant-cut diamonds adorn the bezel, while a further 24 diamonds on the dial are set in Everose, which is also used for the hands.
As with all current Rolex watches, these new additions to the Datejust 31 line are powered by self-winding 2236 calibres of advanced technical sophistication. Each features a silicon hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, and provides the highest Superlative Chronometer standards of accuracy and a reserve of around 55 hours.
Whether in the form of the Lady-Datejust or the Datejust 31, these new ladies’ timepieces adhere faithfully to legacy stretching back through the decades, providing today’s woman with an unmistakeable dash of classic glamour and elegance on the wrist, while ensuring peerless accuracy and reliability, day in and day out, no matter how energetic or active her lifestyle may be.