Rolex pairs this meteorite dial with baguette-cut diamond hour markers, making this a ritzy yet classy timepiece. Adding decorative elements, like diamonds, makes it challenging to retain the masculine identity of a watch, but the subtlety of the diamond hour markers makes it work. Of course, the dial has windows for the day of the week at 12 o’clock and for the date at 3 o’clock. In fact, when the Rolex Day-Date watch was originally introduced in 1956, it was the first wristwatch that had a dial which indicated both the date and the day of the week.

The Day-Date 40 is available only in gold or platinum, and it has what some consider to be Rolex’s most enduringly classic design. Yes, some watch enthusiasts might argue that their most iconic design is the Submariner—but given that mainstream audiences tend to recognize the Day-Date and Datejust more readily, that honor should be given to the “Rolex President.”

I found the meteorite dial to be a beautiful and compelling addition to the Rolex Day-Date 40 theme. Rolex uses only top quality materials, especially for its higher-end collections, so you get a fantastic piece of natural material that is both legible and useful. One of the appeals of this watch is the accumulation of rare materials in one product, as it combines 18ct white gold, diamonds, and meteorite, all of which are considered precious materials. While the actual market scarcity of these materials can be debated, one of the purposes of integrating these materials together is to enhance the inherent worth of the watch.

White gold is a very luxurious material, but it often doesn’t appear to be more than steel. The added weight of white gold means that it wears differently from steel, but unless you happen to be around a watch enthusiast who knows that the <strong>Day-Date 40 only comes in gold and platinum, the watch could easily be mistaken for stainless steel.