A palm-motif dial Rolex Datejust 36 channels the excitement of summer.

Who’d have thought a 36 mm stainless-steel watch could be so transporting? Gaze down at your wrist; you’ll find not only hours, minutes and the date, but dreams of tropical waters, sultry breezes and swaying palms. This Datejust 36, with an etched palm motif on its dial, makes any hour a happy one, the perfect antidote for the endless hours spent at home. Who hasn’t spent the last year dreaming of traveling any place but here?

When you picture a Rolex (rolex.com), the Datejust might be the first watch that comes to mind. First launched in 1945, the classic Datejust found its namesake as the first watch with a date window at the 3:00 position. The magnifying lens over the date aperture arrived in 1953, with an instantaneous date change added in 1956. Multidirectional setting was introduced in 1977 (the crown can be turned forward or backward to set the time), a helpful feature given to all Datejust models in 1983. The newest iteration bears all the classic Rolex hallmarks, like the legendary functionality of the water-resistant Oyster case, along with the Oyster or Jubilee bracelets.

Rolex Datejust 36 Palm Motif Dial

The classical styling lends itself to reinterpretation. Previous versions featured everything from colorful dials with flowers to zebra stripes set with more gemstones than you ever thought possible. Yet, for 2021, the palm motif just hits different. Available in either green, steel or gold, the three etched dials come mixed with various metals, all paired with Oyster bracelets. Some lucky models even have optional diamond bezels. If 2021 were a watch, a year brimming with potential for adventure, it would be the Palm Motif Datejust 36. Rolex, take me away!

The cyclops lens date window gives the Rolex Datejust 36 its name, the palm motif dial its unexpected charm.