While Rolex’s Daytona, Submariner, and GMT-Master get all the headlines, it’s the relatively humble Lady-Datejust that qualifies as the brand’s best-selling watch of all time, and by a long shot. 
It was the perfect watch for the common person, and fake Rolex decided early on to ensure it was also the perfect watch for women. Starting in the mid-1950s, the Datejust was available in various sizes, with the smallest 26mm version being named the Lady-Datejust.
The 26 mm model lasted from 1957 until 2015. It may have undergone many changes during that time, with significant variations in the materials used and the movement inside, but the size remained the same.
The original Rolex Lady-Datejust 65XX series lasted until 1970. All of the engineering experiments had already been done on the full-size men’s watches, so the tiny ladies’ watches could benefit from the initial trial and error – any remaining issues have been resolved over the last decade or so.
In 2015, Rolex finally decided to increase the size of its Golden Goose to match modern tastes.
In an era where it is increasingly common for women to wear watches traditionally considered “male sized,” 36mm and above, the brand increased the Lady-Datejust from 26mm to 28mm. This was done in 2012 by incorporating the 31mm model into the collection and retaining the 34mm Date.
The replica Rolex Datejust‘s phenomenal success can be attributed largely to the same factors as the men’s watch. Its simplicity and elegance have made it the little black dress of the watch world – it is the copy watch every well-dressed woman should own, backed by one of the industry’s biggest and most reliable names.
Like most of what Rolex produced in the 1950s, its style was so well judged from the start that it remained virtually unchanged.
The increase in size from 26mm to 28mm is just another typically thoughtful change that keeps the watch subtly in tune with its contemporary audience without losing the sheer sophistication for which it is known.
It remains the standard by which all other luxury women’s watches are measured and will continue to be the number one choice for decades.
