Rolex is introducing the new generation of its classic Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust, featuring an updated design in a 41 mm case and the new Rolex calibre 3235, a movement at the forefront of watchmaking technology. The new Datejust 41 is offered in yellow or Everose Rolesor versions – a combination of 904L steel and either 18 ct yellow or Everose gold – with a wide selection of dials.
The new Datejust 41 carries the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2022, which ensures singular performance on the wrist.
Rolex’s Datejust is the archetype of the classic watch thanks to functions and aesthetics that never go out of fashion. Launched in 1945, it was the first self-winding waterproof chronometer wristwatch to display the date in a window at 3 o’clock on the dial, and consolidated all the major innovations that Rolex had contributed to the modern wristwatch until then. Aesthetically, the Datejust has spanned eras while retaining the enduring codes that today still make it one of the most recognized and recognizable of watches.
Rolesor, the combination of gold and steel on a Rolex watch, has been a signature feature of the brand since 1933, when the name was registered. It is an auspicious meeting of two metals: one, noble and precious, attractive for its lustre and stability; the other, highly resistant, known for its strength and reliability. All of these qualities perfectly mirror the elegance and performance that come together in a Rolex watch. The Rolesor concept is simple: the bezel, the winding crown, as well as the centre bracelet links are made of 18 ct yellow or Everose (Rolex’s exclusive patented pink gold alloy) gold; the middle case and the outer links of the bracelet are made of 904L steel. Introduced on the Datejust in 1948, Rolesor contributed largely to the legendary status of this wristwatch.
The Oyster case of the Datejust 41, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet), is a paragon of robustness, proportion and elegance. The characteristically shaped middle case is crafted from a solid block of 904L steel. The fluted case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool that allows only Rolex watchmakers to access the movement. Fitted with the Twinlock double waterproofness system, the winding crown screws down securely against the case. The crystal, with a Cyclops lens at 3 o’clock for easy reading of the date, is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire. The waterproof case provides optimum protection for the Datejust 41’s high-precision movement.
The Rolex Datejust 41 is equipped with calibre 3235, a new-generation movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. This self-winding mechanical movement is at the forefront of watchmaking. A consummate demonstration of Rolex technology, with 14 patents, it offers fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetism, convenience and reliability. It incorporates the new Chronergy escapement patented by Rolex, which combines high energy efficiency with great dependability. Made of nickel-phosphorus, it is also insensitive to magnetic interference.
An optimized blue Parachrom hairspring is fitted to the oscillator, thetrue heart of the watch. Patented and manufactured by Rolex in an exclusive paramagnetic alloy, it is also up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks. A Rolex overcoil ensures its regularity in any position. Calibre 3235 is equipped with a self-winding module via a Perpetual rotor. Thanks to a new barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of calibre 3235 extends to approximately 70 hours.
The new Rolesor Datejust 41 is available on an Oyster or Jubilee bracelet. Both bracelets, combining 904L steel and 18 ct gold, benefit from the new concealed attachment beneath the bezel, which ensures seamless visual continuity between the bracelet and case. They are equipped with a folding Oysterclasp and also feature the ingenious Rolex-patented Easylink rapid extension system that allows the wearer to easily increase the bracelet length by approximately 5 mm, for additional comfort in any circumstance.
The Rolex Datejust 41 is covered by the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015. This exclusive designation testifies that the watch has successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria, which exceed watchmaking norms and standards. The certification applies to the fully assembled watch, after casing the movement, guaranteeing superlative performance on the wrist in terms of precision, power reserve, waterproofness and self-winding. The precision of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer after casing is of the order of −2/+2 seconds per day, or more than twice that required of an official chronometer. The Superlative Chronometer status is symbolized by the green seal that comes with every Rolex watch and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee. Superlative Chronometer
A new-generation mechanical movement with 14 patents that embodies the brand’s new standards of performance with its precision, power reserve, reliability, resistance to shocks and magnetism, as well as the ease and convenience of its adjustment.
A compelling example of avant-garde watchmaking technology, this self-winding mechanical movement is entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. It is backed by 14 patents and a number of innovative technological solutions relating not only to component design but also to processes involving new technologies that push back the limits of existing production methods. More than 90 per cent of the movement parts have been redesigned and optimized, from those that produce and store energy (self-winding module and mainspring) to the regulating organ responsible for precision (oscillator), the gear train and the escapement. The escapement, which transmits the impulses required to maintain the oscillator’s steady beat, is enhanced by a major innovation patented by Rolex under the name Chronergy.
Rolex engineers devised and patented a new escapement that optimizes the efficiency of the Swiss lever escapement, the standard technical solution in Swiss watchmaking, but which has seen only limited evolution over the last 50 years. While favoured by watchmakers for its great reliability, the Swiss lever escapement has always suffered from low efficiency, relaying to the oscillator barely more than a third of the energy it receives from the mainspring via the gear train.
The result of extensive research, the geometry of the new Rolex Chronergy escapement improves the efficiency of this key component by 15 per cent. Almost half of calibre 3235’s increased power reserve can be ascribed to the escapement itself. Made of nickel-phosphorus, the Chronergy escapement is, furthermore, insensitive to magnetic interference.
Like all Rolex watches, the models equipped with calibre 3235 benefit from the Superlative Chronometer certification redefined by Rolex in 2015. This exclusive designation testifies that they have successfully undergone a series of tests conducted in the brand’s own laboratories according to its own criteria, which are more stringent than watch-making norms and standards. These tests are carried out on each fully assembled watch, after casing the movement, in order to guarantee superlative performance on the wrist.
The precision of every movement – officially certified as a chronometer by COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) – is tested a second time by Rolex after being cased, to ensure that it meets criteria for precision that are far more exacting than those for an official chronometer. The tolerance for the average rate of a Rolex Superlative Chronometer after casing is of the order of −2/+2 seconds per day. Its precision is tested by Rolex using an exclusive methodology that simulates the conditions in which a watch is actually worn and is much more representative of real-life experience. The certification testing is carried out using state-of-the-art equipment specially developed by Rolex. The entirely automated series of tests also checks the waterproofness, the self-winding capacity and the power reserve of every Rolex watch. These tests systematically complement the qualification testing upstream during development and production that ensures the watches’ reliability, robustness, and resistance to magnetism and shocks.
The unique way in which Rolex watches are designed, manufactured and tested, together with the exclusive innovations from which they benefit, push back the limits of performance for mechanical watches and make Rolex the benchmark for watchmaking excellence. The Superlative Chronometer status is symbolized by the green seal that comes with every Rolex watch and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.