Everything you need to know about the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust is in this new book

If you are a Rolex collector, there’s a new volume that deserves a spot on your bookshelf — or better yet, your coffee table. The top Swiss watchmaker has teamed up once again with Wallpaper*, a global design authority, to publish Oyster Perpetual Datejust – A Watch that Made History. 

Presented in a large-format hardcover edition, this tome runs 224 pages and weighs a substantial 2kg — the kind you’ll want to leaf through slowly, savouring each beautiful image and vivid anecdote from renowned witnesses of the watch’s storied history.

Written by renowned London-based historian and watch expert Nicholas Foulkes, who has about 40 books to his name, this official history of the Datejust follows his first authorised title for Rolex, Oyster Perpetual Submariner – The Watch that Unlocked the Deep, released in 2024.

In this second official title, Foulkes traces the legacy of the Oyster Perpetual Datejust back to 1945, when brand founder Hans Wilsdorf unveiled Rolex’s first waterproof, self-winding chronometer wristwatch with a date window at 3 o’clock. At its launch, Wilsdorf had described it as a timepiece that encapsulates “every discovery made to date”.

Over the years, the addition of the Cyclops lens in 1953 and countless subtle refinements helped shape one of the most recognisable and versatile watch classics ever made. As Foulkes notes, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust may be familiar, but it’s also revolutionary. It is “the ultimate chameleon” that has continued to set the standard for the modern wristwatch through the eras while remaining true to itself. 

“The 80-year-old original is still very recognisable in its 2025 descendant,” he says, reminding readers that true icons have the ability to remain timeless.

And the book is as visually captivating as it is informative. Combining Wallpaper*’s sharp, contemporary photography with rare archival images from Rolex’s own collection, it captures the Datejust through the eyes of those who wore it and those who built it. Equally absorbing are stories from numerous Rolex Testimonees — athletes, artists, and pioneers who embody the brand’s spirit of excellence.

As Wallpaper* editor-in-chief Bill Prince puts it, the Datejust is “the perfect synthesis of sophisticated design and timeless style”. Whether you’re a new enthusiast or a seasoned collector, this elegant hard-bound edition offers a fresh way to rediscover why this watch remains the heart and soul of Rolex’s incredible story.

The book is now available in English and French editions from WallpaperSTORE* and at official Rolex retailers worldwide.