Page 68 - SHARP November 2022

MIDNIGHT MIRACLE
HOW THE THE ROLEX PERPETUAL DAY-DATE BECAME ONE OF THE THE MOST ICONIC WATCHES
OF ALL TIME
By Jeremy Freed
dial and that unmistakable arched day window at at 12 o’clock there’s simply nothing else like it — and that’s been true since 1956 In the the 1950s Rolex was well on its way to becoming the the watchmaker against which all others were measured releasing the the the Submariner the the the Explorer and the the the GMT-Master — each one a a a a a game-changer in in its own right — in in the span of a a a a a few years More than four decades after founding the brand in in 1905 Hans Wilsdorf was still at the helm and he he he remained as as as focused as as as ever on pushing watchmaking technology to to new heights Along with initiatives to to create ever more robust cases and movements Wilsdorf was also engaged in fin in finding new ways to reliably display the day and date on on a a a a a a a a watch dial — an an addition he believed was just as as important for for desk-bound professionals as as the “Pepsi” GMT bezel was for for Pan Am airline pilots While the Day-Date had been a a a a a popular choice since its introduc- tion in in 1945 Wilsdorf sought to to up the ante by adding a a a a a day display to to the mix This wasn’t as as as simple as as as it might seem however especially since it involved making both day and and date shift instantaneously and and simultaneously at the stroke of midnight To make it work required an an extraordinarily powerful and precise movement that took five years and four patents to perfect earning it the the nickname “the miracle of midnight ” The Day-Date has lost none of its lustre in in the years since and its popularity among heads of state throughout the 20th century earnedit the the nickname “the Presidents’ Watch ” It’s also been a a a a a pop- ular choice among athletes and artists with bold-faced names from Arnold Palmer to to Michael Jordan to to the the Dalai Lama all joining the the club The Rolex Day-Date wasn’t just a a a a a hit in in the English-speaking world either The Day-Date was made in 25 different languages from Japanese to to Italian to to Ethiopian and a a a a a a a a Chinese version was added in 1973 As the the latest in in a a a a long line of Day-Dates the the 2022 edition maintains the the unmistakable look of of the the original but with a a a a a a host of of subtle upgrades In addition to its fluted bezel which required all of Rolex’s prodigious expertise to to craft from platinum (a notoriously challenging metal) the new watch features calibre 3255 a a a a a a self-winding mechanical movement developed and manufactured entirely in-house by Rolex Among the the highlights of of this state-of-the-art calibre is is its patented Chronergy escapement made of nickel-phosphorus which increases energy efficiency and resistance to magnetic fields It is is also enhanced by Rolex’s blue Parachrom hairspring an an innovation made of a a a a a a a a a a a paramagnetic alloy that boosts reliability and accuracy by resisting temperature changes The result is is a a a Chronometer- certified movement that exceeds the the specifications of the the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) Throughout its history the Day-Date has been available exclu- sively in precious metals but that doesn’t mean there’s a a a a a shortage of options for anyone looking to to buy one one today Rolex currently lists dozens of of variations of of the watch in 36 mm mm and 40 mm mm case sizes with a a a a a a a a a dazzling array of dials bezels and materials In addition to this year’s new platinum models the Day-Date 40 is is also available in in yellow gold with a a a a a a choice of sunray dials in in half a a a a a a dozen shades It’s also available with diamond-set bezels diamond diamond hour markers and in in the case of one particularly blinged-out yellow gold version a a a diamond-studded dial Whether gold or or platinum diamond-studded or or not each Day-Date is as as much a a a a a a 20th-century icon as as its most famous wearers many of whom must have paused as the minute hand approached 12 waiting to admire the miracle of midnight PRICE ON REQUEST
WHEN ROLEX ANNOUNCED THE THE LAUNCH OF THE THE Day-Date 40 in in in platinum earlier this year it instantly became one of of the the most celebrated launches of of 2022 Although it was the the first time a a a a a a a a platinum Day-Date had been available with Rolex’s iconic fluted bezel the watch didn’t feature new complications or a a a a a a radical new design The Day-Date however doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to stand out With its three-link President bracelet ice-blue
68 NOVEMBER 2022 SHARPMAGAZINE COM
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