The Rolex reference 4467 is the original Datejust, launched in 1945 to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary. It was the first self-winding chronometer wristwatch to show the date in a window on the dial, placed at 3 o’clock. The 36 mm waterproof Oyster case was offered only in 18k yellow gold, with a domed “bubble back” caseback housing the automatic movement, a ribbed or fluted bezel and a centre sweep seconds hand. A circa 1946 example sold by Phillips is fitted with the automatic calibre A295. The date changed gradually shortly before midnight on these early watches; the instantaneous change came in 1955, the same year the Cyclops magnifying lens was added over the date.

For the launch Rolex created the Jubilee bracelet, named for the anniversary, which remains closely tied to the model. According to Phillips, the first hundred pieces were sold by correspondence through an insert in the Geneva newspaper Tribune de Genève, each with a sequential number engraved between the lugs. The Datejust name only appeared on the dial in the 1950s. The model grew into a large family, including the 1953 Turn-O-Graph with a rotating bezel, mid-size and ladies’ versions, the Datejust II in 2009 and the Datejust 41 in 2016.

Phillips calls the 4467 an absolute milestone in the history of Rolex, and collectors value it as the root of one of the most recognisable watch designs ever made. Good examples remain relatively accessible for such a historic piece: the circa 1946 gold 4467 with an untouched ivory patina dial sold at Phillips for CHF 20,160 against an estimate of CHF 15,000 to 25,000. The Datejust has been the brand’s best selling collection for much of its life. The reference 4467 is no longer produced, but the Datejust line continues today in sizes from 28 mm to 41 mm in steel, two-tone and solid gold.