Best one and done Rolex?!

[luk4s83]

16710 hands down

[ArtNouveau]

This year marks 40 years since I bought my first Rolex. I’ve had 2 Datejusts, 2 Yachtmasters, 1 DeepseaSD, 2 OPs, 2 GMTs, and 4 SS Daytonas.
Any of them can be a one and done, of the ones I currently have the BLRO would probably be the GADA.

[nikolan]

228238 Onyx YG

[agsstructures]

116719

[JRell]

Originally Posted by Sergio_UKR

Depends on your lifestyle really.

Need something more dressy - Datejust Fluted on Jubilee
More sporty/travel - GMT BLNR
Mix of everything - Submariner Date

Close for me, but would move the sub date up to sport and BLNR on jubilee to a mix of everything. It really covers all 3. Dressy, sporty, travel, a mix of everything.

[wyguy]

A very tough decision.

Depends on a person's style. More 'dressy' then the DJ. More 'sporty" the sub or GMT.

The sub is WAY too boring for me (some say classic, I say boring). Five digit GMT is truly classic and versatile (bezels). Six digit GMTs have more heft, but I am not a fan of the poor bezel color (BLRO), polished bracelet, or cartoonish bezel fonts. I am a sucker for the BLNR blue, though. sigh.

[Calatrava r]

Any Oyster model.

[karleone]

Any Rolex can be a one and done but I had the chose it would be my black 116500 or white 126500

[GMT Aviator]

Easy

5 digit 16710 or the humble DJ.

Both, probably the best watches ever made.

Those would be my choices at least.

[subprimero]

Datejust.

[Cassian739]

Originally Posted by Mr Ben

For a daily, I want time, date, water resistance, GMT function, bracelet - preferably fully brushed and nothing too shiny or eye catching.

Explorer II - black dial… (Or maybe a 16710 if not picking from current lineup.)

I agree with this, love my Exp2 as a daily… But the Sub41 date is also amazing.

[Cassian739]

Originally Posted by Lever Escapement

How many Daytona owners have used the chronograph function more than twice ?

The Daytona has a chronograph?

[Jefferyasher]

sub - 14060m!

[Oxfordian]

My DJ could easily be my One and Done, it does just about everything I could possibly need from a watch.

It can be worn in the office, in the pub, out shopping, with a suit or jeans, worn for those smart occasions or casually, I can wear it on the beach, in the sea or in the pool.

In its most basic derivative - SS, Oyster and Smooth it is a brilliant understated watch.

My DJ is one watch that I just would not sell, it betters my Submariner and Sea Dweller which are fantastic watches in their own right, it is my One and Done watch.

[HogwldFLTR]

For me it would be the Skydweller in whatever form tickles you. I personally love mine on OysterFlex. It give you perhaps Rolex's most advanced calibre, a very iconic appearance, an annual calendar, and a GMT function with true quickset capability. I got to use the GMT while traveling recently and it was truly a breeze. When it's time to set the watch I greatly appreciate the Ring Command system!

[thenewrick]

OP silver/black
DJ silver/black/white

Oyster bracelet. Smooth bezel.

Size appropriate(likely smaller than you think).

[BigNasty66]

Originally Posted by Yacht-Master

Smurf.

+1

[Ferrari308]

This could be an endless topic - really!

I can only give you my experiences as an owner over the last three years or so. Like so many of you, I had wanted a Rolex since I was in high school. I was back and forth over which one to get. Eventually, I have been able to add a few more since that time. So, I can provide my own wearing experiences, so take that for whatever it might be worth to you.

I will add that around me very few people know of or notice any of them when I wear them. Maybe 2-3 people have noticed what I was wearing over the last three years.

Any single one of these could be a one and done for anyone. I just happened to put myself in the position to acquire a few more.

In my purchase order:

Daytona 116503 - What an amazing solid bit of metal! It is heavier and sturdier than my others. The build quality is exceptional and I KNOW when it is on my wrist. It's never obtrusive, but being two tone mine picks up scratches from time to time. Definitely an "end-game" piece.

Submariner 16610 - An absolute icon of a watch. Never out of place, never out of style. It is timeless in that regard. Absolutely at home in a dive suit or a tux or shorts and a T-shirt, or anywhere else that you could imagine. You simply cannot go wrong with it.

Datejust 1601 - Ok, so I got one of these, then bought another one because I liked it so much. There is a certain vintage charm with these. Mine are from 1969 and 1976. The drawback to these is the non-quickset, but stylistically, the watch design language is very similar across Datejusts, so again, it's never out of style or out of place.

Oyster Perpetual 1014 - Plain simple three hander. It is, again, a simple watch but can be worn anywhere for anything. I wouldn't go diving or do too much risky with this one, but it's a great piece to have and could fit the bill of one and done depending on your lifestyle.

GMT Master ii - 16710 - Uses the same design language as the 16610. Even a black bezel version would be hard to tell the difference to the average person. This gives it a very similar feel and heft. I have a blue/red bezel on mine right now. I tend to wear a lot of blues and reds, so it's absolutely perfect for me. It has quickly become a favorite of mine, probably ahead of the Submariner.

Day-Date - 18238 - my latest addition. This is another "end game" watch. I won't comment on this one too much as I have only worn this one out once so far. But knowing where this one is in the heirarchy of Rolex and it's history this would be a one and done very easily.

There are advocates out there for the Explorer I & II or the Yacht-master or the Sky-Dweller or the SD. The case could fit for any Rolex and be 100% accurate. I can only relate my experiences and hope that YOU find the perfect Rolex for YOU!

Good Luck!!!


PDG

[1911 Man]

Either the Datejust (with a smooth bezel and Oyster bracelet), or Explorer 1, or Oyster Perpetual would be the easiest to pair with any outfit, dress up or casual. But if you find you rarely dress up, then something sportier like a Sub or GMT is awesome.

But honestly, I think we overthink these things a bit. Ever since James Bond wore a Sub with a suit, some have cried foul, but really it looks just fine. In fact, I see so many people in high end suits wearing smart watches now, that I think a Sub or GMT with a suit looks much better.

Plus, the color on the dial or bezel is probably much too small to really clash with any outfit. In the Jesse Stone series, Tom Selleck wears his Pepsi GMT with everything. He has a very rugged look in those films, often wearing a lot of earth tones with blue jeans. I think the Pepsi GMT looks great despite the fact that it doesn't "match" anything he wears.

I saw a picture of Price William wearing his famous blue dial Seamaster with an olive green flight suit, and another photo of a BLNR on the wrist of someone wearing an olive green flight jacket, and I thought the blue and olive green pairing worked nicely.

My point being, get what speaks to you most, and enjoy it. Because you'll probably just end up buying a second one anyway.

[Stan Cooper]

For me, it would be a 16710 GMT-Master II. 95% of the time, it's on my wrist with one of several different bezel inserts depending on how I plan to spend my day.

[ukwatchguy1]

Thank you for all the replies so far very interesting!

I think my current thought is whether to keep the BLNR jubilee as my one and done or to change back to a black steel sub date 126610LN, yes they are very popular/ common but also I guess for a reason and a true classic.

The BLNR has the extra pop with colour and jubilee but the only things annoying me a little with it is the lack of glidelock and the bezel numbers being quite a lot larger than say a sub bezel markings.

If I had a sub though, I would want to add a DJ aswell, could go just DJ but then to me I have to have a Rolex sports piece really.

My Apple Watch gets majority of daily wear and some weeks I may not wear the Rolex at all or just once etc, the less I wear a nice watch the more I appreciate it I find

[AF_Rob]

SS Sub Date.

Since I’m not a “one and done” guy, I don’t own one.


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[JPMickB83]

1st Place: Explorer 1 (39mm Mk II)
2nd Place: Day-Date 36 (WG)
3rd Place: Batman