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May 25th, 2023 
Awake Goy 
The Rolex Datejust is a pretty important fake watch in the history of the brand. I won’t pretend to be able to cover that history here. However, a quick recap is nice to provide the most basic background. The Datejust was introduced in 1945. The first model, Ref. 4467, was made from the 1943 Ref. 5026. The small seconds scale at 6 o’clock was omitted in favor of a central seconds hand. More importantly, an instantly changing date was added. The name “Victory” was considered but was deemed too political. It was not until 1953 that the name “Datejust” was placed on the dial. Since its introduction, however, it has been officially named “Datejust”.
The now iconic Jubilee strap was introduced in ’45 along with the first Datejust. For the sake of manageability, we’ll jump next to 1959. This was the year the 16xx collection was introduced. It was a typical Rolex Datejust with a pie-shaped dial and a non-speed date. In the 16xxx series, introduced in 1977, the pie dial disappeared and the fast and slow hands appeared. The last generation featured in my book was in 1988, with the addition of a sapphire crystal, among other updates. 
Once introduced, the Datejust was replica Rolex’s flagship model, available only in precious metals. That sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Indeed, that’s where the Day-Date currently stands. Starting in 1953, you’ll find examples in steel and two-tone. So whether you want all rose gold or yellow gold, a little two-tone, or plain steel, you’ll find it.
It’s not just the way the text is printed that’s different, and it’s the text itself. We all know the standard “Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified” text. But you can also find the rare “OCC” dials showing only “Officially Certified Chronometer”. Finally, I have a little gem for you, a prototype dial from 1970 with “Swiss” floating under the “SCOC” line.
There is an undeniable appeal in the variety you can find in the vintage Datejust field. I get a text from Mike every few months with some gorgeous vintage Datejust photos. He usually finds some rare dial color or other particularly collectible feature. A prime example is his recent vintage Datejust purchase, which features a lavender tassel-less dial.
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