Renewed Appreciation for my 40 Year Old Datejust

[lencap]

Greetings!

I’ve posted earlier about my journey into watches, especially my original 1981 36MM TT DJ with black dial and Jubilee band. I’ve been wearing it lately as my son returned it to me as a gift to match my wife’s same year vintage ladies version. If you’d like the full story you can check out my earlier posts.

I’ve been wearing a Tudor Black Bay 58 since buying it new shortly after its initial release. That watch replace a Omega Speedy Pro that I wore happily for many years. The switch to Tudor was primarily to get a watch that was better matched for daily retirement wear, fully waterproof unlike the Speedy, and a bit smaller and a better fit on my wrist.

Surprisingly the Tudor began to feel heavy on my wrist - likely due to the difficulty of adjusting the metal links for a good fit in warmer summer weather. The band was either a bit too loose or too snug - the lack of a micro adjustment made it annoying.

When I switched to my 36mm DJ all was well. The smaller watch isn’t really that much smaller in use. The 58 has a diver’s bezel that reduces the size of the dial face, making the actual dials between the DJ and 58 much closer in size. The smaller DJ case fits easily on the wrist without needing micro adjustments since the weight and balance are far easier in actual use. I’m also enjoying the “vibe” of the 40 year old TT DJ. It’s far from inconspicuous, but with the black dial it’s a classic look that doesn’t shout on the wrist. I had tried the current 41 DJ at a local AD and the difference between them is far greater in feel and use than the 5mm difference would suggest. I’ve realized how important balance and weight are to a comfortable watch - something Rolex gets inherently right more than almost anyone else. Despite that history, I’ve found lately that the newer models, while still well designed, are creeping into higher weight/sizing that, for me, is becoming less comfortable.

I don’t have a point to make, or suggest that everyone should downsize their watch, but, for me, wearing the 36mm DJ seems perfect for warmer summer wear, and will likely remain as winter beckons. I guess they call it a classic for a reason.

Give the smaller sizes a try - you may be pleasantly surprised. I certainly was. And I really enjoy that my wife has worn her watch daily for 40 years, making it a perfect pairing for us enjoying them together again.

[Oxfordian]

I love the idea of having and wearing just one watch every day, but I don’t know if I could do that, I like mixing things up and trying different watches.

But congrats to you if you can do this, your wife has proved that it can be done so kudos to her.

[Jackie Daytona]

I feel similar with my 16750. My first and have worn it for a really long time prior to adding other watches. I love my newer ones, but every time I put my 16750 back on it just feels perfect.


We need pictures of said DJ…

[OrangeSport]

36mm DJs and OPS wear really well, IMO...

[Gerardus]

Originally Posted by OrangeSport

36mm DJs and OPS wear really well, IMO...

This ^~^