By Kien Lee
In 2022, Rolex adds a delightful pink opal iteration to its Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust collection. The new 28 mm timepiece comes in an 18 ct white gold case and bracelet, a bezel set with 44 brilliant-cut diamonds, and a dial in a subtle pink shade of opal.
Made for slender wrists, the Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust collection in 28 mm offers the most options for women, with the same standard of excellence as all the models that have built its legend.
It is available in Oystersteel, in 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, or in Rolesor versions that combine Oystersteel and one of three varieties of gold (white, yellow and Everose). For those that prefer timepieces adorned with precious stones, the Lady-Datejust is available in myriad gem-set bezel and diamond paved dial combinations.
Related
Rolex, The Master of Foundry:
Uncovering the Source of the Shine
By setting up its own state-of-the-art foundry where it casts its gold, Rolex is able to consistently ensure the superlative quality of its most precious materials.: Read Story
A Mastery of Dial-Making
To create an elegant dial out of this precious stone, the opal must be cut into a wafer-thin sheet, requiring painstaking care. The dial is distinctive of the watch, one of its most important components, and is exceedingly complicated to manufacture.
The dial is the part of the watch that its owner glances at throughout the day to gauge the time. Given the constant scrutiny it receives, there is no room for even the most miniscule imperfection. Instead, it must constantly delight the wearer, hour after hour, day after day, no matter how many times they’ve looked upon it.
Rolex is renowned for creating dials that burst with life as light catches their surface, reflecting the personality of its wearer. Beyond beauty, the dial serves a functional purpose of course, and the challenge for dial designers and makers is to ensure the dial will accommodate all the watch’s function — which could include hour, minute, day, date, moon phase, seconds and other indications of time — within a small space, while maintaining precise standards of legibility.
In-house dial creation distinguishes an outstanding watchmaker, as this expertise requires the combination of various skills, including an artistic eye and prowess, mastery of cutting-edge technology, as well as the dexterity of a fine gemmologist.
Rolex is one of the rare watchmaking companies that have mastered in-house all the aspects of dial creation, with the multifaceted savoir-faire required to create dials from start to finish, from conception to reality.
Unparalleled Gemmology and Gem-setting
The magic behind the Rolex gem-set models that sparkle with exceptional intensity is down to the strict principles it adheres to. To adorn its timepieces with the most striking gemstones, the brand has its own in-house gemmologists and gem-setters.
Rolex is known for its attention to detail and impeccable quality control across all areas, and nowhere are these attributes more evident than in the company’s approach to the exacting standard and impeccable setting of gems.
Rolex uses only diamonds within the top grades of the Gemological Institute of America ("GIA") colour chart, in colour ranges D to G, which are the most colourless and are the highest grades on the diamond colour scale.
Demonstrating Rolex’s mastery of gem-setting, the pink opal Lady-Datejust features nine diamonds as hour markers and a diamond-embellished Roman numeral IX. Setting each one of these diamonds involves intricate holes being drilled into the delicate opal dial, with the ever-present risk that it will crack and the entire process will have to be repeated.
Appliques such as the Rolex crown, Arabic or Roman numerals, classic or professional hour markers hewn from 18 ct gold in geometric shapes, or precious stones in settings are among the options available across the Lady-Datejust collection as well.
Simply setting the 44 brilliant-cut diamonds that adorn the bezel is a meticulous, time-consuming process. With movements as precise as watchmakers, the gem-setter takes a diamond and places it into a groove in the bezel. If the gem is a fraction of a millimetre too high, he removes it, and then scoops an infinitesimal shaving of metal from the cavity with a graver. The stone is then reset, and the whole ritual is repeated if necessary, until each and every one of the 44 gems are all sitting at a height with no more than 2 hundredths of a millimetre in variance with each other.
Eventually, when the gem-setter is satisfied that the jewels are housed uniformly, he carefully pushes the surrounding metal into place so that it gently but securely embraces the gems. The setting is then given a final polish to highlight each stone's intense sparkle.
In-house Movement & Superlative Chronometer Certification
All current Lady-Datejust watches are powered by the calibre 2236 movement, which feature a Syloxi hairspring, patented and produced by Rolex.
This silicon hairspring remains up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks, and its patented geometry ensures the calibre's regularity in any position. The movement, which has achieved Superlative Chronometer certification, guarantees outstanding precision almost unheard of in smaller wristwatches.
Related
Rolex: A Mastery of Manufacture, A Perpetual Pursuit of Excellence
By keeping the entire production process in-house, this legendary watchmaker ensures perpetual perfection across each individual component of its timepieces.: Read Story
Designed for the discerning lady who represents elegance with precision, grace with resistance, and beauty with performance, the Lady-Datejust is a perfect alchemy of form and function and remains as the ultimate classic timepiece for women across generations.
