Another "review watch" for me. I wanted to see this, because I've never seen a decent Day-Date/DateJust replica. I asked Chris to get one for a review and he said "sure, just pick your model". Once again, the blue (or actually turquoise) dial was the most attractive for me. Another reason I wanted to write this article was that there has never been a decent review of a replica DJ/DD. Quite weird, considering how popular and well known this watch is. Time to change that, and have some serious DD/DJ conversation!
The Day Date is actually the "top model" of Rolex, and it's only available in precious metals. This article tells pretty much everything about the history of the DD, and why it earned the nickname "President".
The band is called "Presidential" bracelet, and it's completely different from the Jubilé that's commonly used on the DateJust. It's quite flimsy and lightweight in typical Rolex fashion.
This turquoise dial variation is only available in platinum (as a gen), but the replica is (of course) completely made of stainless steel. There are DD's made in yellow, pink and white gold as well. White gold doesn't actually look that much different from SS, but naturally it makes the watch significantly heavier. The gen WG versions weigh over 170 grams, which is a lot for a watch this small! I don't have the weight numbers for the platinum version, but I believe it might be in the same range.
There have been rumors of "white gold plated" replicas, but I believe they're just that... rumors. Our "bling expert" jfreeman wrote an excellent description of the white gold:
"Rolex has a proprietary process to manufacture white gold and rose gold that will never change color. Most all white gold jewelry and watches are plated with rhodium except Rolex. White gold is achieved by mixing gold with nickel. Without the rhodium it will always have a yellow tint. The process Rolex invented is heavily guarded but produces white gold that is brighter than any other and will never fade. I have white gold jewelry that is turning yellow due to the rhodium wearing off.
With that said there is no such thing as white gold plating. It is chemically impossible unless you have the proprietary formula from Rolex. Seeing that Rhodium is the most expensive metal in the world, currently trading at around $6,000 per ounce, it is highly unlikely that a replica manufacturer is plating anything with rhodium."
The watch diameter is only 36 millimeters, and the small size looks a bit old-fashioned next to these huge modern watches. Smaller size is probably the biggest reason why DD and DJ have never been big sellers among our membership.
However, DD and DJ are very good sellers for Rolex, and these models are extremely popular in Asia, where men are (generally) smaller, and have smaller wrists. I actually took a few wristshots of the DD but it admittedly looked a bit "out of place" on my '8 wrist, so I decided to post some on my fiancé's wrist. She's a small woman and I think this watch looks great on her.
How about the accuracy then?
Of course the weight is off, because I chose this particular replica (that only has a platinum gen counterpart). There are probably more accurate replicas in the DateJust line, but none of them look as good as this (imho). And one thing that's very characteristic for the whole DJ/DD line is the HUGE variation of different dials. There are hundreds of them. I'm not an expert in these models, but I've noticed how difficult it has always been to "spot" the reps in the DJ/DD line (even for our senior members). RobbieG just recently posted a Rolex dial reference, which shows the current dials on production. On top of this, there are tons of "unofficial" variations, which (again) makes identifying the reps even tougher.
Here is the gen counterpart (on the right). As you can see the Roman numerals are a bit thicker on the gen, and the crown seems to be a 6mm twinlock (same as Exp and GMT). It's a bit different on the rep. The day font and other dial details are actually very close. Isn't it funny how much off center the gen datewheel is!?
Here's a better photo of the rep daywheel (with MONDAY set on). The watch is really beautiful. The lugs and bracelet middle links have been polished to mirror finish.
So, after seeing this watch... am I a believer?
Yes and no. When the Day Date was first introduced to the Rolex lineup in 1956, the standard watch size was different. Admittedly this watch represents a "different era" in many ways, including the history it carries. Personally, I wouldn't wear a watch this small, but then I'm a big man with thick wrists. There are bigger classic dress models, such as Omega Aqua Terra, that I personally consider better alternatives for me. On the other hand, this blue Day-Date is among the most beautiful watches I have seen.
The watch has some flaws, but it's still very believable and substantial replication. This is definitely the most gorgeous version in the whole DD/DJ lineup and I wouldn't even consider any other variation. This particular turquoise dial is simply stunning, and Day Date is definitely a prestigious looking dress model for any smaller man (or woman).
