The first officially authorised history of Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Datejust watch has been charted in a new book titled Oyster Perpetual Datejust – A Watch that Made History. The hefty tome is a collaboration between the storied watchmaker and global design authority Wallpaper*, and marks the second book in an ongoing series documenting Rolex’s iconic watches, following the success of the Oyster Perpetual Submariner – the Watch that Unlocked the Deep, which was published last year.
Available in English and French, the new 224-page publication was written by historian and watch expert Nicholas Foulkes, and chronicles the history of the Datejust. Foulkes highlights its significance as Rolex’s first waterproof, self-winding chronometer wristwatch with a date window – a timepiece that Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf described, at its launch in 1945, as ‘every discovery made to date’.
Alongside new and original photography, and historical images from Rolex, the monograph dives deep into the Datejust launch 80 years ago, and the addition of the Cyclops lens in 1953, and features Rolex testimonees highlighting the company’s partnerships with athletes and figures from the arts world. With individual access to the Rolex archives, Foulkes describes it as an honour to be entrusted to write the official history of a watch he considers Rolex's ‘most representative timepiece’.
‘The Datejust has always occupied a special place in the history of watchmaking, its essential aesthetic qualities acknowledged as the perfect synthesis of sophisticated design and timeless style,’ says Wallpaper* editor-in-chief, Bill Prince.
‘In this absorbing and meticulously researched book, Nicholas Foulkes brings this enduring icon to life, illuminating not just its technical achievements, but also the lasting impression it has made on generations of watch lovers worldwide. This collaboration between Rolex and Wallpaper* offers readers an invitation to rediscover a modern classic through fresh insights, previously unseen imagery, and a narrative as compelling as the watch itself.’
‘Oyster Perpetual Datejust – A Watch that Made History’ is available for international purchase: online exclusively at WallpaperSTORE*, for pre-order from 9 September and to buy from 29 September.
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