Rolex DateJust with a discount

Hi Guys,
I was talking watches with my father in law and he showed me his old DateJust from the 80s. It's a tiny 31mm watch that was classed as a Gents watch. It does make us think if size really matters and what size men's watches are or should be.

This is the Rolex DateJust
Ref. 68273
31mm Wide
Automatic Movement
Cal. 2135
Sapphire Crystal

INSTAGRAM
@barkandjack

GEAR

#Rolex #DateJust #BarkAndJack

[liulife]

This is the exact Rolex my father has! I never recalled it looking small on his wrist. Concerns on sizing should really ever only be on whether it's suitable on the wearer and not whether it falls into a 'mens' category or not.

[jims]

Go back into watches a year or two ago and have begun to talk watches with my customers - the number of these small Rolexes out there is amazing. Sitting in a drawer, never serviced(to much money), not running but kept. Men bought them as a status piece right before retirement or they were bonus gifts - worn a few years and then put away.

[joshcullum]

It really doesn’t look silly, I’d adore that watch. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I suppose.

[drwallet]

Discounts were normal then... apart from Steel Daytona’s! We used to refer to steel & gold as steel & yellow metal. I’ve always known this to be because the ‘trade’ should not describe gold as gold unless it was hallmarked and because it is used with steel in the article it can’t be hallmarked.
B/W = bracelet watch.👍
Edit: Just to clarify, the ‘gold’ is solid gold but I think it contravenes the hallmarking act to describe it as so.
I used to wear that size back in the day and occasionally a bubble back.... wow I was so cool!😂

[Keninho]

My dad had one in the late 80's too. The way I look at it is the watches are so small that they were worn for the bracelet - taking watches as jewelry to another level. This was especially popular in Asia.

[Cull_Obsidian]

My dad bought a 16750 GMT1 pepsi from Paris in 1982 and got a 15% discount on it. I have the watch, box, papers and receipt still!

[tkotmk]

i have a exact same model in 36mm my father purchased in Sept '89. He bought it, kept in the original box, stored in the vault. I got it from him the other day, has everything and it's a dead stock, with all the papers and original receipt. It's so awesome to see all the papers, it even came with Rolex calendar of 1989!!!

[WhosAGoodDogue]

I prefer the small size of this watch, as I have small arms and a tiny wrist. A large faced ''normal'' mans watch looks like a dinner plate on my wrist. In the past, I have even been known to wear a ladies watch - the same style and colour as the mens version, but just because it's a smaller dial and looks in proportion to my wrist.

[derekhicks]

In 1988 I walked into a jewelry store called Mappins, (gone now) in my local shopping mall, bought a gmt master 16700 for 1800.00 cdn, that included a 15% discount, walked out with the watch. Had to go back a week later to pick up the warranty paper which they'd sent to Rolex Canada to have my name printed on it. Except for the price, which seemed like alot of money at the time, it was no different than going into a store and buying a shirt. I miss the 80's :)

[markmcdonnell]

Great seeing vintage watches in this setting. Side note, I love my 36mm OP with white grape dial. Not as vintage sized as a 31 but the 36 is such a perfect size for a skinny wrist like mine.

[watchesgiggles]

Love seeing older Rolex watches having the complete sets. Such a nice story they tell....

[thenexthobby]

A Datejust is still a potential one-watch collection. It just works pretty much anywhere, appropriately.

[frdscious]

My old Seiko Quartz I had for my 18th is 31mm and I wore it for 30 years until the date wheel stopped working. I took an age to choose it and always loved it. Never thought it small. Currently looking to restore it.

[edwri]

I much prefer all of the old packaging, boxes, booklets, certificate, much more interesting vs the stuff you get now.

[Fischi]

These kind and size of Rolex watches are still hard to sell. You can tell by looking in the window of any dealer - they are plenty on display. They don't give discounts, due to being threatened by Rolex. Instead they sell to the grey market - especially in Japan small sizes are still popular. You get great deals in the grey / second hand shops around Ueno, Nakano, etc.

[markwalton]

Every watch out now is huge. I grabbed a 31mm oyster perpetual because theyre cheap and trends always go full circle.

[Joacimbylehn]

I think the 31 mm looks surprisingly good actually.

[planetdee]

What is even better than the story of box and papers is when you randomly find the box and papers to your dad's 1987 Datejust which you did not know you had (I had the watch). The story it told was a lot. The price, the date it was purchased, reference number info. As far as the 20% discount, I purchased my modern 116234 at 15% off and no tax which is pretty much 20%. This was in 2016. The DJ is my grail watch.

[SoCalWatchReviews]

Really enjoyed this more laid back type of video, takes me back to your earlier videos! This watch is so charming, and although it’s 31mm, it actually doesn’t look bad on your wrist!

[maxlyca]

Back in 1997 I got a 10% off my Rolex Explore 2 polar dial from Watches of Switzerland and I got £150 off a Rolex submarine from Frazer Hart back in 2003 and I never forget as they a few steel sport Rolex in the window. Amazing how times have changed.