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Old 17 July 2020, 07:47 PM   #1
Oxfordian
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Day Date - Why?

Apologies for having to ask this but why is the DayDate deemed to be Rolex's top dog?

To me this is nothing but a simple watch, it has just the Day, Date and Central Seconds as complications, nothing overly difficult as these features can be found in many watches costing just a few hundred £'s.

Is the attraction simply because the watch is only available precious metal and therefore its availability is limited?

To me a PM Sky Dweller should be the No1 due to its massively superior complications.

What am I missing on the Day Date, can owners help me out please.
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Old 17 July 2020, 07:52 PM   #2
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The watch is elegant, dressy, sophisticated, well balanced and it is a holy grail piece. The president bracelet was a unique feature in a time where bracelets where not great or good lokking to say the least.
The price makes it hard to buy for normal humans and in the past it gained a lot of prestige because of the people wearing them (just like RM, AP and PP now)

And, for me, my dad had one and that is why I will always think fondly of it. I have a Sky-Dweller but it is much more sportier and not comparable.

Awesome piece!
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Old 17 July 2020, 07:55 PM   #3
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Not an owner but i assume it is the PM thing you mentioned. They would lose their luster if there was TT and SS models available.

SkyD in PM is definitely superior with it's annual calendar & ring command bezel complications but has zero history (& available in other metals) which is a pretty big thing for Rolex.

It will always be the flagship model. If every world leader starting wearing a PM SkyD I still don't think it could knock the DD of it's perch.
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Old 17 July 2020, 07:59 PM   #4
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It was a big deal when it came out decades ago because it was the first watch to show the day emblazoned in full at the top of the dial. Kind of resting on its laurels these days, but it is a classic. For me the full day display is a bit cumbersome compared to the Seiko-style three-letter day and date at 3 o'clock, which is more subtle, but has larger letters, more than one language option per watch, and came out a few years after the Rolex, on very cheap watches. Interestingly Seiko offered the quickset day/date function from the late 1960s, about 20 years before Rolex.
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Old 17 July 2020, 08:45 PM   #5
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If you’re interested in complicated movements you are posting about the wrong brand. Rolex movements even the Sky Dweller and YMII (more impressive movement then the Sky Dweller IMHO) are quite boring compared to other brands. Plus the oyster bracelet on the Sky Dweller is very underwhelming. Now if they put the President bracelet (or its own unique bracelet) on the Sky Dweller and only made it in PM you might be onto something. Since that’s not the case the Rolex Day Date will always be the flagship watch of Rolex.
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Old 17 July 2020, 09:04 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oxfordian View Post
Apologies for having to ask this but why is the DayDate deemed to be Rolex's top dog?

To me this is nothing but a simple watch, it has just the Day, Date and Central Seconds as complications, nothing overly difficult as these features can be found in many watches costing just a few hundred £'s.

Is the attraction simply because the watch is only available precious metal and therefore its availability is limited?

To me a PM Sky Dweller should be the No1 due to its massively superior complications.

What am I missing on the Day Date, can owners help me out please.
Would not call the Sky Dweller a watch with massively superior complications, many many other watches have far more complications, some other brands have complications for complications sake.And watches like the DD in proportion to total sales sell far more units than the Skydweller.
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Old 17 July 2020, 09:12 PM   #7
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Am not an owner as to me the Day Date and I would add the Date Just have no appeal especially when you add a fluted bezel. And I say that irrespective of the metal, St St, gold or platinum. Add the ultimate bling ie diamonds and sorry its even worse. When I see them I automatically think of cheap Seiko and Citizen lookalikes. But I can't argue they are the Rolex iconic watches and I assume will always be so. Many who aspire to own a Rolex their first choice is the Day Date or Date Just due to its iconic status.
I prefer their sports and professional watches by far but its just my opinion and as someone who's next purchase will likely be a YMll maybe I have a strange tastes when it comes to watches...
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Old 17 July 2020, 09:19 PM   #8
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Very fair question OP, and I am an owner. Not sure about the top dog stuff.

Why is a new GMT Pepsi selling for twice retail everywhere? Simple answer to me is, the heart wants what the heart wants
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Old 17 July 2020, 09:21 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pim View Post
The watch is elegant, dressy, sophisticated, well balanced and it is a holy grail piece. The president bracelet was a unique feature in a time where bracelets where not great or good lokking to say the least.
The price makes it hard to buy for normal humans and in the past it gained a lot of prestige because of the people wearing them (just like RM, AP and PP now)

And, for me, my dad had one and that is why I will always think fondly of it. I have a Sky-Dweller but it is much more sportier and not comparable.

Awesome piece!
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Old 17 July 2020, 10:59 PM   #10
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Because chicks dig them

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Old 17 July 2020, 11:08 PM   #11
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You can ask that sort of question about any model!

However, Ill play ball.
DD is for me the top dog watch, not only as a Rolex model....as a watch in general.

The 2 complications it has is all I need in a watch, I dont need a chrono or a gmt function as much as I need to know what day or date it is.

From a wis perspective, the DD is iconic in so many ways.....Im not even gonna start to enumerate the why, tons of info on line. So, as a watch enthusiast one can understand the attraction.

Now, lets look at it from the current market perspective. Funny enough, the DD used to be the ultimate watch back in the day, presidents, politicians, entertainers.....a lot of them sported the famous “gold Rolex watch”! It was a status symbol.

Nowadays, the new Daytona, the new GMT became the top dogs....and mostly because attainability. People don’t wait for 5 years or pay 50% more to the greys because they desperately need a chronograph or the gmt functions.

I always wanted a DD and planned to get one later on in life.....but when no ss sport model was easily available anymore, it was a no brainer.
I got this puppy for less than what a Daytona costs in the shop.
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Old 17 July 2020, 11:10 PM   #12
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a stainless steel Day-Date? hmmm thinks DuFour......

(yes I know Tudor makes one)
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Old 17 July 2020, 11:25 PM   #13
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OP - have you ever worn one before? As soon as you put it on the wrist, there's just something special about it - the weight, the gravitas, the warmth (in YG or RG) and brightness (in WG/PT), I've not worn many watches that impart the same sense of quality or solidity as my platinum DD40. I also think the DD is among the most versatile watches in Rolex's entire catalogue - it can wear just as easily as a dress watch as it can with swim trunks poolside. The aesthetic is timeless - as a design, it just ages with such grace.

I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the fact that there's certainly a marketing component to this - but that can be said of most any Rolex reference (or any brand in general.)
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Old 17 July 2020, 11:31 PM   #14
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Thanks for the responses everyone, they are an interesting read and thought provoking. A few people mentioned about other brands but that wasn't the point of my question. I am curious about the reverence around the DayDate and why it appeals so much to so many.

Hopefully a few more members will chip in with their thoughts and comments.
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Old 17 July 2020, 11:37 PM   #15
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OP - have you ever worn one before? As soon as you put it on the wrist, there's just something special about it - the weight, the gravitas, the warmth (in YG or RG) and brightness (in WG/PT), I've not worn many watches that impart the same sense of quality or solidity as my platinum DD40. I also think the DD is among the most versatile watches in Rolex's entire catalogue - it can wear just as easily as a dress watch as it can with swim trunks poolside. The aesthetic is timeless - as a design, it just ages with such grace.

I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the fact that there's certainly a marketing component to this - but that can be said of most any Rolex reference (or any brand in general.)
Not worn one, but have seen in the AD's window a 36 and 40 both in YG, cannot remember the dial combinations. What struck me was that I almost missed them hidden amongst all the DateJusts and that sort of sowed the seed that prompted this thread.

Maybe next time I am in the area I will call in and try them on.
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Old 17 July 2020, 11:51 PM   #16
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... as these features can be found in many watches costing just a few hundred £'s.
Bah! That's funny. All a watch does is tell time. You can do all that for only a few hundred £'s. So why buy any Rolex?

It's all about marketing, my friend.
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Old 18 July 2020, 12:29 AM   #17
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Bah! That's funny. All a watch does is tell time. You can do all that for only a few hundred £'s. So why buy any Rolex?

It's all about marketing, my friend.
I can accept an element of marketing, after all Rolex are the masters, but I rarely see anything from Rolex on the DD.

Even if you accept that Rolex have pushed the watch into our consciousness it cannot be the only thing that makes people spend £30k+ on a new watch. All I am trying to do is get a better understanding of what draws owners in, what is so special about this watch.

These watches are not over hyped, social media driven, SS Professional models, the DayDate is, dare I say it, old school classic.
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Old 18 July 2020, 12:38 AM   #18
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[QUOTE=jltait;10754987]Because chicks dig them

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Old 18 July 2020, 12:42 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oxfordian View Post
Apologies for having to ask this but why is the DayDate deemed to be Rolex's top dog?

It has just the Day, Date and Central Seconds as complications, nothing overly difficult as these features can be found in many watches costing just a few hundred £'s.
.
Hhahaha, now I read again whats you posted initially

I believe you got yourself a new DJ a while ago, right?
How could you spend sooo much on such even simpler watch!!!!?? Its just a watch with date......and made out of steel. Just saying...
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Old 18 July 2020, 01:12 AM   #20
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It was a big deal when it came out decades ago because it was the first watch to show the day emblazoned in full at the top of the dial. Kind of resting on its laurels these days, but it is a classic. For me the full day display is a bit cumbersome compared to the Seiko-style three-letter day and date at 3 o'clock, which is more subtle, but has larger letters, more than one language option per watch, and came out a few years after the Rolex, on very cheap watches. Interestingly Seiko offered the quickset day/date function from the late 1960s, about 20 years before Rolex.
True. You still have that ss dd Tudor? That one is amazing.
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:04 AM   #21
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So the Sky Dweller has one more complication than the Day date? How is this massively superior?

Quote:
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the DayDate is, dare I say it, old school classic.
This is what appeals to me, precisely. But I could easily say the same about the Datejust. Both classics.
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:05 AM   #22
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if you don't understand the beauty and elegance of the DD president bracelet then you won't be able to appreciate the DD
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:09 AM   #23
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Because it is called President/King and worn by them.

Same for ppl liking Hugo “Boss”.

The name, status and symbol matter period.
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:16 AM   #24
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IMO DD is an iconic piece when you think of the name/word Rolex or the brand.

one of my many grail watches YG DD 36mm w/ champagne dial
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:20 AM   #25
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The Datejust and the Day-Date have been worn by some of the most famous people throughout history. Churchill fought and won WWII with a 36mm Datejust. MLK Jr. wore a Day-Date. The list goes on and on. These watches have a lot of history, and were quite innovative when introduced. This can also be said for a 200m submariner and the GMT Master complication, as well as the original waterproof Oyster. They all kept good time in the eras where one relied on a wristwatch to keep good time before there were phones, etc.

The Skydweller lacks history and the annual calendar is not innovative relative to other movements. It sure does look nice on the hefty wrist of an obese oligarch though from what I have seen.
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:25 AM   #26
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if you don't already "get" it and understand it, then obviously it's not for you....
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:28 AM   #27
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I think you're missing the history of the DD vs the Skydweller. Sure the Skydweller is impressive as far as complications go, but there is a reason the DD is called the Presidential Rolex.
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:30 AM   #28
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:31 AM   #29
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Quote:
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I can accept an element of marketing, after all Rolex are the masters, but I rarely see anything from Rolex on the DD.

Even if you accept that Rolex have pushed the watch into our consciousness it cannot be the only thing that makes people spend £30k+ on a new watch. All I am trying to do is get a better understanding of what draws owners in, what is so special about this watch.

These watches are not over hyped, social media driven, SS Professional models, the DayDate is, dare I say it, old school classic.
Its becoming quite obvious, that with all the examples given by other people commenting on your thread, that with the amount of history to be read about the watch and to most, the elegance, the beauty and statement this watch makes, that you simply don't get it or don't want to get it. That's fine...no one is saying you have to like this watch but regardless, it is the iconic Rolex timepiece......
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Old 18 July 2020, 02:49 AM   #30
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If you have to ask.....
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