Bigger, bolder, better
The Datejust lineup from Rolex has been the brand’s flagship collection since its inception in 1945. During the course of its history, the men’s Rolex Datejust was offered in countless style variations with an assortment of metal options, dial colors and materials, precious gems, hour-marker choices, and bracelet varieties. One design feature that remained unchanged was the 36mm size of the Datejust’s Oyster case — until 2009. That year, Rolex unveiled the larger Datejust II collection at Baselworld to meet the growing and persistent trend for bigger luxury dress watches.
Datejust II 116300
The Datejust II maintains similar style codes to the Datejust collection, however, its 41mm size lends a more contemporary and masculine look to the watch. This particular Datejust II ref. 116300 perfectly balances modern aesthetics with classic details. The 904L stainless steel case wears nice and large on a wrist and is topped with a sleek steel bezel. The watertight Oyster case is waterproof to a depth of 330 feet (100 meters) thanks to its screw-down fluted caseback coupled with the Twinlock screw-down crown.
Aesthetics
The Datejust II ref. 116300 sports a sharp black dial with luminous central hour and minute hands, classic Roman numerals hour markers, and one luminescent baton index at 9 o’clock. Of course, at 3 o’clock is the characteristic date window with the rapid setting instantaneous date function that the Datejust collection is famous for. And this wouldn’t be a Rolex Datejust II without the Cyclops lens attached to the sapphire crystal to magnify the date for easy reading.
Since the extra 5mm on the watch matters, you should take this watch with you so you can be living large with the Datejust II. In addition to its size, the bracelet synchronizes with the watch flawlessly.
Continuing the Rolex 116300’s appeal is the matching stainless steel Oyster bracelet with the flat three-piece links. The iconic metal bracelet is outfitted with well-thought-out details — such as the Oysterclasp with Easylink extension system to effortlessly increase the length by up to 5mm — to achieve optimal comfort. Fantastic to look at and comfortable to wear.
Housed within the Rolex Datejust II 116300 is the proprietary Rolex Caliber 3136 with a power reserve of 48 hours and fully equipped with the brand’s innovative mechanisms such as the blue Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers. What that ultimately translates to is a supremely reliable, precise, and robust COSC-certified automatic mechanical movement that won’t let you down.
Since it was introduced seven years ago, the Rolex Datejust II has been a top timepiece choice among Rolex’s dressier watches. Although part of the gent’s lineup, the Datejust II can also be worn by the ladies, as seen on the wrist of the beautiful Halle Berry. A classic Rolex design dressed in a bigger and bolder case is unquestionably a winning formula.
