Day Into Night

The Oyster Perpetual Datejust has long been an archetype of the classic Rolex, but its latest iteration shows the manufacture's mastery of an altogether different kind of art: the dance of light and shade

- By Mae Fabella

The grand unveilings at this year's Watches and Wonders saw Rolex once again commanding the world's attention. Among a cohort of exceptional novelties, the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31 in 18 carat yellow gold entices with its fiery red ombré dial, capturing the fleeting glory of twilight. The concentric gradient, reintroduced to the catalogue in 2019, finds its most evocative expression yet-a mesmerising chiaroscuro where the fire at its centre transitions to a deep darkness at its edge, enhanced by ten diamond-set hour markers and a bezel set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds.