1985 ROLEX PRESIDENT LADY-DATEJUST BURL WOOD DIAL 18K GOLD MODEL 69178

When Rolex opted to add its famous President bracelet to certain precious metal models of the Lady Datejust, it was almost as if they knew that the future would, in fact, be female. It was clear to them that the days of the boys club would one day be a thing of the past.

Released in commemoration of Rolex’s 45th anniversary, the Datejust found instant celebrity status that has persisted across decades. Combining a watch that has found its way into the collections of Jennifer Aniston and Rihanna, with a bracelet that received its name after being spotted around the wrist of Lyndon Johnson, the Presidential Lady Datejust marries the elite with the elegant. But the addition of an exotic burl wood dial to this particular makes for a rare, blatantly visual amalgamation of the natural and the technological, as if to further the watch’s theme of a world in flux. It also comes as a happy coincidence that this timepiece was crafted in 1985; the same year Whitney Houston rocketed to superstardom with the release of her self-titled debut album while embodying an elegant, distinguished brand of feminine power.

The original men’s Datejust may have been a celebration of the many successful years Rolex had put behind it, but the Presidential Lady Datejust has found its true identity as a timepiece for our time.