What Will Rolex’s Datejust Book Uncover?

Last year Rolex broke with tradition: it published a book dedicated to one of its own watches. Oyster Perpetual Submariner: The Watch That Unlocked the Deep wasn’t just a handsome coffee-table volume. It contained production estimates for every Submariner, Sea-Dweller, and Deepsea reference—down to single-digit detail. For collectors who’d spent decades relying on educated guesses, that was a watershed moment.

Oyster Perpetual Datejust: A Watch That Made History

Now Rolex is following up with a Datejust volume, written by Nicholas Foulkes and produced with Wallpaper*. The 224-page, silk-bound book is available to pre-order for £100, with sales opening on 29 September via WallpaperSTORE*. Wider availability through select retailers and bookshops is expected in October.

Why Collectors Are Paying Attention

The Submariner book shifted scholarship because it replaced speculation with hard figures direct from Rolex. The new Datejust book mirrors that earlier project in authorship, publisher, and presentation—strong signs it may take the same approach. Rolex hasn’t confirmed whether production numbers will appear, but given the precedent, it’s a fair expectation. That’s why collectors are already paying attention, even before anyone has seen a copy.

The Scale of the Datejust

First introduced in 1945, the Datejust is Rolex’s longest-running model. In its 80 years it has appeared in multiple case sizes, in steel and precious metals, with smooth or fluted bezels, on Oyster and Jubilee bracelets, and in a vast range of dials. That breadth has always made the Datejust harder to study than Rolex’s more narrowly defined models. If Rolex does provide production estimates across references, it would give collectors a clearer sense of what’s common, what’s scarce, and where the true outliers sit—context that could reshape how the model’s history and value are understood.

The Bottom Line

For now, this is a pre-order announcement—but one with unusually high stakes. If the Datejust volume follows the path set by the Submariner book, it could reframe Datejust scholarship for years to come. The real test will come once copies land in collectors’ hands.