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Ska

Rolex Datejust Vignette ETA 2836-2 Review by Skathewatch

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Ska

Here is the first example of what will hopefully become my standardised format reviews.

 

DEALER: MARY (WATCHINTERNATIONAL)

MODEL: ROLEX DATEJUST

VARIANT: VIGNETTE DIAL WITH DIAMOND MARKERS

MOVEMENT: SWISS ETA 2836-2 AUTOMATIC

PRICE: $190

BRACELET: ROLEX JUBILEE

 

 

1. Overall Look/Feel

 

For the price this watch is very impressive. Its not on the same level as a Noobfactory Sub or the Ultimate DSSD but its about half the price at best. For its price-point however this is a miraculous rep. Very weighty despite its diminutive form. The vignette dial is very classy and the addition of a tasteful amount of bling (which is only visible to the wearer really) really sets it off. The quality of the finish is great for the most part with only a few areas of improvement which I'll touch upon later.

 

djmain1.jpg

 

Unlike Rolex's divers watches the Datejust is available almost exclusively in precious metals. There is in fact only one current model which is made from stainless steel however over the years there have been so many variants of the DJ that its almost impossible to spot a fake easily without some serious scrutiny. This is the genius of of this rep.

 

djmain2.jpg

 

djmain3.jpg

 

 

2. The Dial and Hands

 

djface2.jpg

 

The gen dial is slightly darker as far as I can see, however as we all know, judging from photo to photo is basically meaningless. However the Gen dial does give us a good comparison with the font, markers and text reproduction.

 

picture.GIF

 

Rep:

djflatface.jpg

 

The dial font appears to have been reproduced very well indeed, it is crisp and cleanly printed. The text itself is correct and is well positioned.

 

djcyclopsdiamond.jpg

 

Date windows haven't been a problem on Rolex reps for a long time but its worth mentioning that the beveling is the usual over-rounded effort disguised nicely by the cyclops.

 

The cyclops itself is nicely applied, straight, central to the datewheel and without traces of excess glue or any misting. The datewheel font is of course wrong in the usual fashion.

 

The hands are pretty accurate to the newer style gen. I personally prefer the older, more slender hands like in the photo above but thats just me.

 

djdialcrown.jpg

 

I haven't tested the lume yet but I'm sure its fine. There's not much point when only the hands are going to light up.

 

The diamante hour markers are a real triumph, and under the crystal they're never going to get dirty or lose their shine so everyone will think they cost the about the same as a small family car.

 

3. The Crystal and AR coating

 

djflat1.jpg

 

The crystal is sapphire according to Mary. The water droplet test appears to confirm this and it looks like it if you know what I mean. It sits a little high for my taste but its uniformly seated all round and perfectly clear.

 

djselcrystal.jpg

 

The crystal is viewable and glare-free from all angles just like the Sub, this watch was very easy to photograph unlike the UPO for example which is a nightmare. It's so good in fact that I assumed until corrected by KBH (thanks man) that it had a double AR coat when in fact it's a completely uncoated crystal. Amazing.

 

4. Bracelet and Clasp

 

The jubilee bracelet is much better looking in reality than it appears in photos. Understated, classy and in my opinion the perfect middle ground between a bracelet and a mesh.

This particular example is much heavier than it appears which really adds to the gen-feel of this watch. Its heavier in fact than the old LV style sub bracelet.

 

djflatbracelet.jpg

 

The bracelet was shipped separately to the watch so on arrival I immediately resized it. This was made easy by the excellent screw-in bars. I also found the bracelet to be very nicely oiled (not stiff like so many have reportedly been.)

 

djclaspside.jpg

 

The SEL fit is very good indeed however the springbars were a little long for the lug width and so they had to be bent a little in order to fit properly. Nothing noticeable however.

 

djspringbar.jpg

 

djclaspback.jpg

 

My only criticism of the bracelet is with its consistency of finish. Some of the links are beautifully machined and polished, others are quite ragged. The worst example being on the lower SEL where it meets the case. There is an area of either mis-casting or corrosion which would have been simple to rectify but which has been left in a very conspicuous place.

 

djbezelsel.jpg

 

djbezelsel2.jpg

 

The clasp on the other hand is fantastic in all respects. Tight with a satisfying click and a very well machined mechanism.

 

djclasphinge.jpg

 

djclaspmech.jpg

 

Overall I do like this bracelet, but more for its looks than quality. Its worth noting that if you do the "gen" test and hold the bracelet on its side it stays nicely horizontal and doesn't sag like cheaper ones.

 

5. Bezel and Case

 

The case itself is nice, well finished and nowadays pretty accurate like most Rolex reps. Nothing new here.

 

djstand.jpg

 

The bezel on this thing is AWESOME, perfect really and a great classic design. Its beautifully finished and looks the nuts. Nuff said.

 

djcrownbezel.jpg

 

The rehaut engraving is deep and crisp, with serial no. F714983.

 

djserialrehaut.jpg

 

7. Crown

 

djcrown1.jpg

 

The little crown is nicely done, a little less well than the sub or an omega (but it is smaller) It still looks great and winds very smoothly. I'm a little terrified of unscrewing this one too often however as it feels a little flimsy at that point and I don't want another stripped thread on my hands.

 

djcrown2.jpg

 

8. Official Markings accuracy

 

I must confess I haven't bothered to check the gen for references regarding this heading but all the markings on the watch look great and there are enough to convince most rolex civilians should you ever need to!!

 

djclaspetch.jpg

 

djclaspetch2.jpg

 

djclaspcrowndetail2.jpg

 

The crystal engraving was a bitch to photograph but here she is. Now this will silence most non-believers (if you can actually get them to see it)

 

djbezelcrystal.jpg

 

djbezelcrystal2.jpg

 

djclaspback.jpg

 

djclaspcrowndetail.jpg

 

dj18kcaseback.jpg

 

9. Movement

 

I haven't taken the back off this one as I don't have the correct tool yet. So I'll add a section to this review later.

 

Suffice to say the sweep is very smooth as it should be for an ETA, and it keeps time to within 6 seconds per 24 hours.

 

Overall I'm impressed with this watch, especially for the price. It looks great on the wrist and despite its flaws has a certain charm to it which you just don't get with a Sub or YM.

 

djflatface.jpg

 

Ok Hope you enjoyed this review. Thanks for reading. :lol:

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Member X

Great review :lol:

 

I've never really considered the vignette dials but they look 'classic' and are something I would consider now :thumbsup2:

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KBH

Excellent review and a very good looking watch. I would check the double ar though, as Rolex DJ's don't come with ar on their crystal.

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JoeyB

Very nice, and very good review!

 

That exact Jubillee bracelet is what I used on my 6542. One of the things I've never liked about Rolex was their cheap look/feel stamped clasps on all their line. I love the new 'Glide-Lock' and put one on each of my newer GMTs, and this 'hidden clasp' Jubillee now looks as though it belongs on a several thousand dollar watch. I like it very much and have another coming for another vintage watch.

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gB.

Awesome ska! You are a reviewing and photo-taking machine! :lol:

 

Only feedback would be to take some photos of what the watch looks like in real life, on the wrist or in natural light, or non-light box setting. This feels very catalog-ish, although really appreciate the great macro shots!

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skintrade

Top quality review, thanks for taking the time.

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AustinTech

Love the review SKA. Incredible pics and you hit the high points, which is what we want to hear! Stuff like - how does it feel on the wrist, overall quality, what bugs you, close to gen, etc.

 

Looks great!

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Ska

@KBH. You're right! You know the crystal was so easy to photograph - even in direct light that I assumed it must have been AR'd.

 

Thanks for the heads up - review modified.

 

@ everyone else thanks for the great comments. Any other suggestions more than welcome!

 

Love the idea of doing some "in the wild" shots. Good call!

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mrtepax

wonderful review as usual, a pleasure to read it!

wonderful watch as well, and...judging from your avatar, it must look gorgeous on a wrist like yours :bounce:

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Ska
wonderful review as usual, a pleasure to read it!

wonderful watch as well, and...judging from your avatar, it must look gorgeous on a wrist like yours :bounce:

 

Lol - Thanks!

 

If only it would fit over my wetsuit! :Jumpy:

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GC

I base a review on one thing, if I want the watch after reading the review... in this case I do!

 

Phenomenal! Added to the great review, some of the best photog I've seen... EVER, bar none.

 

Bravo!

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Ska

GC - Coming from you thats one hell of a compliment. (and sadly untrue) as I aspire to have your photographic skill one day in the distant future!

 

But thanks anyway, means alot.

 

P.S When's the old RWG/RWI photo comp happening?

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nunu78

Wow gr8 review and nice watch.

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N.Rico

impressive watch.

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YaYoGakk

LOL This has done nothing to ease my want for a DJ! haha Great review!

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ml700

damn! whicch i could rewind time and cop this

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