Datejust II 116334 Azzurro Dial

[anmomin15]

Background:
The Rolex Datejust 2 was my first Rolex. Back in 2015 when the boutiques were still filled with pretty much every stainless steel model you could imagine, I walked in and tried on a few pieces doing some research on what model I might want. I passed up the likes of submariners and GMTs for this Datejust ii. The Azzuro blue dial paired with the fluted white-gold bezel made the other models disappear in my eyes. Looking at resell on a few of those pieces now gets me thinking but I have no regrets picking the datejust up as my first luxury timepiece.

History:
The Datejust was unveiled originally in 1945 for Rolex's 40th anniversary and was the first wristwatch that had an automatically changing date which was a huge innovation at the time. The watch has remained relatively the same since then and has marginal updates throughout the years. The Datejust 2 was launched in 2009 and replaced in 2016 with the Datejust 41 with an updated movement and different proportions.

Technical:
The heart of the Datejust 2 is the 3136 self-winding, mechanical movement. The watch has a 48 hour power reserve. The 3136 features a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers which offers better resistance to shocks and extreme conditions compared to the previous movement.

Design
This piece is beautifully designed. It is quintessentially Rolex with the fluted bezel and the iconic cyclops.

The Datejust wears nice and bold on the wrist. It measures 41mm across and 12mm thick. It is constructed with arguably one of the best stainless steel in the market, 904L. It goes to show how much Rolex cares about reliability and construction. The watch is also rated at 100m water resistance.

The bezel is solid white gold and is made in house at Rolex. Originally, the fluted bezel was functional and was used to screw on the bezel to ensure a water tight seal. Over time, the fluting became an aesthetic element and a Rolex signature.
Although I would have preferred a jubilee bracelet if it were available, the oyster bracelet has grown on me a ton. It's very comfortable and really adds to the versatility of this piece. The jubilee bracelet on a Datejust might feel out of place on shorts and a tee but the oyster fits right in without being too dressy. The polished edges and center links are a stunning details when light reflects off of it. It comes with a fully polished clasp. The Easylink system provides an additional link's worth of adjustment perfect for bipolar Texas days.

My favorite part of this watch is the dial. The Azzuro blue sunburst dial is breathtaking. In direct sunlight, the shade of blue is very bright and transforms to a darker blue indirect light. The white gold Rolex crown, hands, and roman numerals are applied to the dial and provide a great contrast. It's capped by a durable sapphire crystal glass with the iconic cyclops providing 2.5x magnification for the date. The sunray finish on Rolex dials is a method in watchmaking of achieving pure metallic color dials. Silver-plating is mostly used as a base layer for the sunray finish, where further colour is added to the prepared dial. Sometimes colours such as champagne are achieved through electroplating with more than half a dozen different metals.

Overall/TLDR:
The Datejust II is an all around great watch that goes well with anything. It's a classic Rolex that you cannot go wrong with. I have no regrets with this purchase and it will forever have a place in my watch collection.

5-Minute Video Review

Here's a video I made on the subject too if you want to see more high quality shots/footage of the watch and a slightly more in-depth review. Hope this helps!

[Kostas]

very nice watch, great video too...

[anmomin15]

Originally Posted by Kostas

very nice watch, great video too...

Appreciate the kind words. That dial literally looks good in any lighting. Yours looks mint!

[Gerardus]

Thanks for sharing and compliments for the good write-up. BTW I own a DJ116333 from april 2015 but i doubt if my cyclops provides a 2.5x magnification. Compared with my subs I would say 1.5x
Just a detail for me, love the 334/333 models!

[anmomin15]

Originally Posted by Gerardus

Thanks for sharing and compliments for the good write-up. BTW I own a DJ116333 from april 2015 but i doubt if my cyclops provides a 2.5x magnification. Compared with my subs I would say 1.5x
Just a detail for me, love the 334/333 models!

Appreciate the kind words!

Apparently the magnification is all over the place with the cyclops so I might be mistaken in that writeup and video. I believe it's been discussed a few times somewhere on this forum but will need to dig it up!