What color dial?

[rhdegoo]

Hello all! First post so please be kind. I’m purchasing my first Rolex for my 40th birthday. I work in an extremely conservative field (corporate healthcare) so I want to go classic and dressy. I’ve decided on the 28mm datejust, star diamonds, yellow gold fluted bezel, and two toned jubilee band.

However I can’t decide on dial color. Does anyone have any actual pictures of either? Or any thoughts on what looks better? I tried on one two years ago, but I can’t remember what color the dial was. I’m ordering so won’t be able to see both beforehand. I tend to wear more yellow gold jewelry so was leaning towards the champagne but it doesn’t look quite right in the stock photo.

Thanks in advance for your opinions/assistance!

[Oyster Sauce]

Greetings and welcome. Assuming that the first image is silver and second is champagne, I don't think there is much difference in how they come across to the casual observer. Both are solidly two-tone. If you lean more toward gold jewelry, go for the champagne. I'm sure it'll look great - best wishes!

[jcapulet786]

Congrats on your hard work! Champaign looks awesome, personal preference though.

Very classy!

[Seddyspaghetti]

Welcome. Tough choice but I prefer the one on top slightly more because it seems more youthful in my opinion.

[Benzsiam]

For women, I saw one at the boutique, it looks very gorgeous.

It is 31mm TT yellow gold, fluted bezel, Olive dial with diamond markers, ref. no. 278273.

Most women wear bigger watches today.

From your pictures, silver and champagne dial are very popular also.

[Angi]

I personally feel like the silver dial is a better look on a women. Its a bit more subtle and also looks way better in person the that picture.But the same could be said about the champagne... I may have some real pics from my SA

[rhdegoo]

Thanks! Yes first is silver and second is champagne. Good to know that there isn’t much of a visual difference as I have friends who say the champagne dial will be “excessively blingy”... although at 28mm I’ve assured them that’s not the case (I’d love a 36 mm with an olive dial and oyster band, but that would raise eyebrows... I’m the youngest in my department by about 15 years).

[cbalster]

Here is one vote for the champagne dial. If you want to make the watch more conservative, then lose the diamonds I'd say. I am in the Bay Area and I have found most ADs offer deposits which are refundable if it doesn't work out for orders.

I purchased a DJ36 fluted/jubilee for my wife, full stainless with white dial. Initially we sought the silver dial but found it too dark in person and she felt it mismatched her skin tone. You may want to consider white dials. To me there is something special about Rolex white dials even though Blue gets all the air time around here. And I even have a DJ41 blue dial.

Also, I advise you to see a 28mm datejust in person. I find they are too small and you may want to consider the 31, 34 and 36 sizes. The ADs I have gone to in the Bay Area are Shreve, Rolex, and Kern's. I prefer Kern's overall but any of the 3 are fine.

[Angi]

Not the exact watch. But still gives you a bit of an idea


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[GST15]

I like the silver

[SRQrws]

Sounds like you have selected a very classic design that will look lovely. I lean toward the silver dial because the bracelet and bezel already have yellow gold to complement your other jewelry. The silver dial will tie in nicely with the diamonds and the stainless steel. Hope you enjoy your new Rolex!

[mk2jag]

the silver dial is a great choice because it looks white in some light and rose in other lighting. Its a bit more subdued which adds to the elegance of the watch. Your going to love whichever you end up with. The Rolex DNA makes every model special in their own right, thats what's so amazing about the brand.

[1995akcoop]

Absolutely nothing conservative about those two watches lol! Classic, yes, but far from conservative. That being said they’re both beautiful and I really like the champagne dial. Good luck. You really can’t go wrong


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[JerBear]

Welcome!

My advice is to try them on before you buy. I have fallen in love with many a watch online only to really dislike it on my wrist.

Originally Posted by rhdegoo

Thanks! Yes first is silver and second is champagne. Good to know that there isn’t much of a visual difference as I have friends who say the champagne dial will be “excessively blingy”... although at 28mm I’ve assured them that’s not the case (I’d love a 36 mm with an olive dial and oyster band, but that would raise eyebrows... I’m the youngest in my department by about 15 years).

My other advice is to get the 36 mm with olive dial and oyster band and raise those eyebrows!!

[PBJ1925]

Congrats on your milestone and success. I'd recommend stopping by a local AD to view and/or try on. For what its worth, my better half prefers the champagne dial between the two from the pics, but as some have noted may look vastly different in person.

[rhdegoo]

Originally Posted by JerBear

Welcome!

My advice is to try them on before you buy. I have fallen in love with many a watch online only to really dislike it on my wrist.



My other advice is to get the 36 mm with olive dial and oyster band and raise those eyebrows!!

I tried on all the sizes a few years back....agree the 28mm is tiny but it’s fine and looked fine on my wrist... I’ll layer it with a few skinny tennis bracelets.

Still considering raising the eyebrows!

[PatekSF]

Originally Posted by rhdegoo

I tried on all the sizes a few years back....agree the 28mm is tiny but it’s fine and looked fine on my wrist... I’ll layer it with a few skinny tennis bracelets.

Still considering raising the eyebrows!

Whatever you choose, please do NOT wear ANY bracelets ~ or anything, for that matter ~ on the same wrist.

You will quickly ruin your timepiece! It’s a big NO NO in the WIS community.

[RJRJRJ]

Originally Posted by JerBear

Welcome!

My advice is to try them on before you buy. I have fallen in love with many a watch online only to really dislike it on my wrist.

This. Your tastes or memory may have changed in just a couple of years. Fortunately you shouldn't have much trouble finding the right size to try on at an AD.

Originally Posted by PatekSF

Whatever you choose, please do NOT wear ANY bracelets ~ or anything, for that matter ~ on the same wrist.

You will quickly ruin your timepiece! It’s a big NO NO in the WIS community.

It's her watch and she should wear it how she likes. Who cares what the WIS community thinks?? Lol

[Jack T]

To me the champagne is more 'out there' than the silver, and diamonds are more 'out there' than not.

My wife has the 31mm TT with a white dial and Romans - it is fabbo without being bling or showy.

[gtnator]

I know you said you’re going to order so won’t be able to see in person before hand. However, I highly recommend you go to multiple ADs snd at least see the color dials you like in any size, even men’s. You should be able to find a few examples out there.

My wife was debating between some similar dial colors snd said seeing them in person snd in various lighting made a huge difference. Good luck.


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[Boopie]

Congrats! I’m a woman with thin wrists who’s worn a Rolex for the past 20 years. I just got my 3rd one last month. Here are some random thoughts:

Absolutely try it on first. You’ll see so many people here saying the watch “sings” to them. To someone who doesn’t “get” watches except as something to tell time, that sounds silly, but it’s true. I’ve seen and tried on so many watches that look amazing on other people or in photos, but not on me. Dial color, bracelet color and style, smooth v. fluted bezel, and size are all super-important. For style, I love Roman numerals; my husband does not.

Our skin undertones, warm or cool, have a huge effect on what looks good on us. What kind of jewelry do you prefer, gold or silver? Silver tones look best on me, so I have stainless steel watches. For fun I’ve tried on my husband’s TT black face Submariner and his 16710 Pepsi bezel GMT. Lucky for him I have tiny wrists, or they’d be mine. The YG would work for me on a two-tone, but not as a primary metal. The Rolex Rose gold does absolutely nothing for me. On others it’s amazing. See what works on you. If you like the TT, see if you prefer the Rose gold or yellow gold. Your skin tone may also affect what kind of dial works best for you.

As an automatic watch, the Rolex wears thicker on the wrist than most ladies’ watches do. I would suggest that you try on the 31 mm size, and perhaps even consider a 34 mm. For 20 years I’ve worn the 29 mm platinum/SS Yachtmaster. I haven’t noticed any other woman wear that watch, and it’s since been discontinued. Because of its bezel it wears larger than its stated size. I wouldn’t want to wear anything smaller on my wrist (more on that below).

A few of my friends have the ladies’ DateJust two tone. One has the smooth bezel with Oyster bracelet. It looks feminine and modern on her.

I also have my mother in law’s 1979-era classic ladies’ President, champagne dial and fluted bezel. It the yellow gold DJ on a President bracelet. Given her coloring, the yellow gold looked way better on her than it does on me. I wear it on special occasions. It’s just slightly smaller than what you’re considering, and even though my daily watch is the 29mm Yachtmaster, her watch is really, really tiny...forget about reading the date (with its open 6 and 9, even!). I also find that the champagne dial, while gorgeous, is also hard to read. It’s not a watch I’d want to wear every day to work because of the size and legibility issues. So, it is one of the most iconic ladies’ Rolex watches, and as objectively beautiful as it is, it doesn’t “sing” to me.

Finally, my 20-year-old YM is now in the shop at an RSC for an overdue service. I decided to find a used 36mm Datejust to wear to “tide me over.” I didn’t want to buy something I’d never wear again. Because I have only sons and no daughters, and I already have two ladies’ watches, I decided to take the plunge into a man’s watch size, as one of my sons can wear it one day too. It’s a 16200 stainless steel, silver dial, smooth bezel with Roman numerals. I love the color combination, and find it absolutely stunning. If I had found a similarly priced and configured white dial DJ, that would have been a contender too. It is much larger than I’m used to, but it certainly doesn’t look “too big.” It’s also very legible (the silver sunburst does have enough contrast with the hands), which is helpful for work. By the time my Yachtmaster is back from the RSC my eyes will have adjusted to this bigger watch, so it may be on my wrist for quite a while. The prices on used DJ are relatively good (it and my Yachtmaster together are worth less than either my husband’s Sub or GMT). So, this is a long way of saying don’t be afraid to try on a larger size.

Finally consider not just your job but your overall lifestyle. Maybe you’ll wear the Rolex to work, and wear a sports watch on the weekend. I wear my YM and my DJ to work and “to play.” I think most here do wear their Rolex all the time, unless the day calls for jackhammering.

To answer your question, as between those two watches only, if you had my mother in law’s skin tone, I’d say get the champagne dial. For me, I’d get the other one with the silver dial.

Anyway, as we say, try them on and buy the one that “sings to you”! Have fun with it!

[RolexRog]

When I got my first datejust, a used 1990 with a silver dial - the dial had discolored over time to where it looks like a very beautiful "pale" champagne - so nice.

Both of these watches make a bold statement. But if you really want to "throw your weight around", then you go with the gold dial ;)

[77T]

Originally Posted by rhdegoo

However I can’t decide on dial color. Does anyone have any actual pictures of either? Or any thoughts on what looks better?

You’re right to hesitate on such an important choice. This is a milestone moment - you need to be sure it’s right for you. As some others said - go see the dial colors on 28mm TT Lady DJ’s even if they don’t have the starry Diamond plots.

I agree that the champagne just hasn’t the je ne sais quoi. I wish the gold dial color was an option to match the YG in the TT bracelet. Come to think of it, there needs to be a rose gold dial to match that TT choice.

Much success in your quest.


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[jimcarver]

I think you are overthinking the raised eyebrows. Non watch people won't even notice it or if they do they probably won't realise its a Rolex.

I'd defo go for the 31. My wife is small and wears my old 36mm two tone...no one notices that either.