The Journal

Of all the models in Rolex’s 120-year catalogue, the Datejust stands out as one of its most enduring creations – second only to the Submariner in its ubiquity. Introduced in 1945 to mark the brand’s 40th anniversary, the Datejust showcased a deceptively simple innovation that would go on to shape modern watchmaking: the date window. The inaugural reference 4467 was the world’s first self-winding chronometer wristwatch to display the date automatically – a feature so commonplace today that it’s easy to forget it once marked a technical breakthrough.