Rolex Wimbledon Review: The Tennis Dial Datejust

The Rolex "Wimbledon" Datejust is a relatively recent fan-favorite among Rolex enthusiasts, with a distinctive design blending classical elegance with the spirit of sporting competition — much like the game of tennis that it celebrates. Here is what you should know about the Rolex Wimbledon watch, from the history behind it to the modern elements that can help you recognize one Wimbledon version over another. 

[toc-section heading="Datejust Origins"]

The Datejust model that underpins the Rolex Wimbledon editions is not only one of the oldest and most enduringly popular models from Rolex but also one of the most significant and influential wristwatches in the world. When it debuted in 1945, the Rolex Datejust was the first watch that combined the robustness of the Crown's waterproof Oyster case (introduced way back in 1926) with the user-friendliness of its self-winding "Perpetual" movement (unveiled in 1931) — hence ushering in the telltale descriptor "Oyster Perpetual" that is now a ubiquitous presence on many Rolex watch dials. 

The Datejust was also the first watch to feature the now-widely adopted date display at 3 o’clock, the first automatic (i.e. self-winding) watch with a quick-change function for that date display, and the first to be mounted on Rolex’s now-famous five-row Jubilee bracelet. A few years later, in 1948, came the first Datejust with the bubble-shaped “Cyclops” lens directly above the date aperture, which magnified the date numeral by a factor of 2.5 for greater legibility at a glance. Rolex filed for a patent on the Cyclops lens in 1952. Legend has it that Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf came up with the feature after his wife lamented to him how difficult it was for her to read the date on her watch, and that the idea came to him after a droplet of water fell onto his watch’s crystal over the date window while he was washing his hands in the bathroom. 

The first Datejust (Ref. 4467), originally only offered in yellow gold and containing the chronometer-certified, self-winding Caliber A295, established the familiar aesthetic of the Datejust models — including those that have garnered the "Wimbledon" nickname — most notably the fluted bezel and clean, elegant dial with triangular indexes. The earliest models used a bright red numerical font for the date, an element that was eventually abandoned as the Cyclops lens became common throughout the line. The Datejust has been a mainstay in the Rolex collection ever since, all the while evolving and upgrading to more advanced movements as Rolex expands on its horological savoir-faire. It's still available in many iterations of its original 36mm case size, but Rolex has expanded the models's appeal by adding some larger-dimensioned models —  the Datejust II in 2009, and then the Datejust 41 in 2016, both of which featured a more contemporary case size of 41mm and contained Rolex’s in-house, COSC-certified perpetual Caliber 3136. And it is from this Datejust series that the Wimbledon models have emerged. 

[toc-section heading="When Rolex Met Wimbledon"]

How did Rolex become associated with Wimbledon, the world's most famous grand slam tennis tournament, in the first place? It was merely an outgrowth of a tradition of high-end sports sponsorships that can be traced all the way back to the brand's earliest days and to the marketing savvy of its founder. One of Wilsdorf's most legendary initiatives was a partnership with British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze, who famously wore a Rolex Oyster watch in her 1927 bid to become the first woman to swim the English channel. Another was Rolex supplying Explorer watches to accompany Sir Edmund Hillary’s milestone summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Rolex became the official timekeeper of auto racing’s Daytona 500 in 1962 (naming its famous chronograph watch after the race a year later), kicking off a long string of motorsport sponsorships. 

In 1967, Rolex teamed up with golf legend Arnold Palmer (and eventually also Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player), establishing a long tradition of sponsorships in that sport, its major tournaments (like the Masters) and its stars of yesterday and today, including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. In 1978, Rolex added tennis to its sponsorship repertoire, starting with the Championships at Wimbledon, and shortly thereafter partnering with other major tournaments, the ATP and WTA tours, and international stars like Roger Federer, who has been photographed wearing many a Rolex watch during one of his many championship trophy presentations — including the model we call the Rolex Wimbledon. 

[toc-section heading="The First Generation"]

[image-with-caption image="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0278/9723/3501/files/Rolex-Wimbledon-Datejust-II-sothebys-2.jpg" caption="Photo by Sotheby's"]With the launch of the Datejust II collection in 2009 came the first iteration of the timepiece we now call the Wimbledon. As noted above, the Datejust 41 was simply a larger version of the original 36mm Datejust, and undoubtedly a market reaction by Rolex to an era in which tastes in the watch enthusiast community were trending definitively (albeit, as we now know with hindsight, temporarily) toward larger watches. The first Datejusts to be tagged with the “Wimbledon” nickname were Ref. 116333 (two-tone “Rolesor” with yellow gold and steel) and Ref.116334 (all steel). What made these particular models special was their use of a distinctive slate-gray sunray dial and applied, black-enamel Roman numeral hour markers (an option on some other Datejust models) outlined in green. The latter element, evocative of the world-renowned grass courses on which Wimbledon players compete at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, are the strongest visual link to the tournament while still being relatively subtle in the grand scheme of the watch’s design. 

The Wimbledon models featured the hallmark fluted bezel of the Datejust collection and the date magnifying Cyclops lens. Inside the case is the Rolex “perpetual” Caliber 3136, with a 48-hour power reserve, a movement that would be superseded in just about every respect by the one in the second generation of Wimbledon models. Also setting this original model apart from its successor is the curious lack of luminous treatment on the aforementioned Roman numeral markers; the only luminous detail on these references is the bar-shaped index at 9 o’clock. Rolex produced these watches from 2009 through 2016; on the secondary market, a pre-owned one can run you from $10,000 to $15,000 or more. 

Acknowledging the popularity of the first-generation Wimbledon Datejust, Rolex now offers the Wimbledon dial option — slate-gray sunburst dial, green-outlined enamel Roman numerals (still non-lumed), 3 o’clock Cyclops lens — in numerous materials and material combinations, from all stainless steel (Ref. 126300) to three different two-tone “Rolesor” combinations in steel-yellow gold (Ref. 126303), steel-white gold (Ref. 126334), and steel-Everose gold (Ref. 126331). Also in the realm of cultivating more choices, the Datejust 41 Wimbledon models are available on either the classical, three-link Oyster bracelet and the more elegant five-link Jubilee bracelet, whereas the original Datejust II versions were offered only on the Oyster. Smooth bezels, rather than the more traditionally fluted ones, joined the Wimbledon portfolio as well. The Datejust 41 Wimbledon models are actively on the market, priced by Rolex from just over $8,000 to around $14,500. 

[image-with-caption image="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0278/9723/3501/files/Rolex-Wimbledon-Datejust-Bonhams-2.jpg" caption="Photo by Bonhams"]In 2018, Rolex added what many probably figured was the inevitable Wimbledon line extension into the smaller, more traditional 36mm size (now called the Datejust 36). These smaller models feature the same tennis-inspired dial design, the same Caliber 3135 movement, and the same array of steel and precious metal combinations. The Datejust 36 “Wimbledon” has also opened up the sub-family to diamond-set bezels, as on some of the models pictured here. The MSRPs of the current 36mm models can range from about $7,450 to upwards of $20,000 for diamond-set Rolesor versions. You can learn more at rolex.com