Sign In
(817) 503-2334
Contact Us
By:
The Top 5 Rolex References From Iconic Movies: The Rolex Datejust ref. 16013 from American Psycho
Even if he hadn’t been a ruthless serial killer—possibly (sorry, spoiler alert)—American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman would still have been one of the most iconically repulsive characters ever to grace the silver screen.
Played by Christian Bale in possibly his greatest non Gotham-based outing, Bateman is an individual without a single saving grace or positive attribute. Narcissistic, image-obsessed and an emotional dead-end, the character lacks any semblance of empathy or remorse and his entire life instead revolves around his all-consuming fixation on control, status and appearances.
Taken from Brett Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel of the same name and brought to life in the 2000 Mary Harron-directed movie, American Psycho is a satirical critique on the yuppy culture of the 1980s and the effects of capitalism without conscience, toxic masculinity and the dehumanizing effects of consumerism.
Yet, somehow, it still manages to be eminently enjoyable to watch and even hilariously funny in places.
Who is Patrick Bateman?
Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? In his famous monologue, we discover that no one really knows who Patrick Bateman is. Including himself. “There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me… I simply am not there.”
So, although on the surface he would appear the ultimate Wall Street success story; high powered investment banker, attractive, wealthy, fashion-conscious and socially connected, in reality he is nothing more than a hollow shell in a Valentino suit. Or, worse than that, the existential void may or may not be a sociopathic and psychopathic killer.
In fact, the entire film revolves around a lack of identity. Bateman himself is an unreliable narrator, to the extent we are left unsure whether or not he has actually committed the terrible acts he claims. In addition, he is mistaken for other people throughout the course of the movie, an observation on the society he moves in and its preoccupation with nothing deeper than surface level interactions.
And, whether it was intentional or not, that idea of being interchangeable is displayed perfectly in the character’s choice of timepiece.
Bateman’s Rolex
In Ellis’s novel, we get to read a lot about Bateman’s tastes. The author, in a neat mechanism which displays the superficiality of his protagonist, describes in lengthy detail his love for Armani overcoats and Oliver Peoples glasses, Brooks Brothers shirts and Ferragamo ties. We learn about Aveda shaving products and Kiehl’s cleansers, Vidal Sassoon hair gel and Ralph Lauren cologne. We know which restaurants he frequents (Dorsia, Nell’s, Pastels), what he drinks (Cristal, Stolichnaya, Dom Pérignon), and even the magazines he reads (GQ, Esquire, Vanity Fair).
Key to it all, though, is the watch. No city trader in the ‘80s was properly dressed without one particular model, as essential to the overall armor as the Gucci shoes or Calvin Klein briefs. We’re talking, of course, about the Rolesor Rolex Datejust.
Rolex patented their own two-tone blend of metals far earlier than you might imagine. The combination of steel case and outer bracelet links, coupled with yellow gold bezel, crown and inner links was trademarked in 1933. It first made it to the Datejust collection in 1948, three years after the watch debuted. Since then, Rolesor has spread extensively through the collection, but to many, the Datejust is the most fitting application and always will be.
By the American Psycho timeline, 1987, the Datejust would have been in its fourth generation, the first with five digit reference numbers. Released originally in 1977, the 160XX differed from its predecessors primarily through its movement which introduced the high beat 28,800vph frequency and the convenience of a Quickset date.
This being Rolex’s everyman offering, there were countless different styles of this iteration to be had, with everything from utilitarian steel up to full gold—something no longer available with the current Datejust.
But Bateman’s model was the massively popular ref. 16013, often cited as the quintessential example.
Except, with delicious irony, the watch Christian Bale wears in his portrayal of the odious anti-hero only looked like a Rolex.
Rolex Draws a Line
For hopefully obvious reasons, Rolex were somewhat against allowing the film’s producers to use one of their watches to supplement a psychotic murderer’s wardrobe.
Instead, recognizing its significance to the character, costume designer Isis Mussenden was forced to hunt around for its nearest equivalent in order to maintain the illusion.
The model she settled on, the Seiko 5 SNXJ90, was so similar the deception went unnoticed for 20-years.
As with the Rolex, the Seiko was another two-tone creation, and in the same format as Rolesor. It was also a near-comparable size, coming in at 38mm over the ref. 16013’s 36mm, and featured an identical fluted bezel and Jubilee-like five link bracelet.
However, in 2020, a remastered 4K edition of American Psycho was released, and the upgraded picture quality unmasked the producer’s little secret. Now, eagle-eyed viewers could see (if they were quick) that the winding crown was in an odd position, no longer at the traditional 3 o’clock but slightly further round at the 3.8. Furthermore, Bateman’s watch had a day-date complication rather than just a date, and there was no Cyclops lens over either window.
Seiko released their ‘homage’ (I can’t spell counterfeit) with a sunburst silver dial, but they also launched the SNXJ92, again a two-tone model, with an even more appropriate champagne-colored dial. Why Mussenden didn’t opt for that example we don’t know, but the piece she chose was good enough to fool most people for two decades.
It was also brilliantly apropos. What better way to sum up the shallowness of Bateman than to outfit him with something which appears to be the real thing until you study it in any depth?
The Bateman Datejust Today
The Rolex Datejust has been the brand’s biggest seller practically since its inception.
The epitome of the ‘something for everyone’ watch, there are so many different configurations of metal type, bezel, bracelet, size and dial that it is impossible to not find one which speaks to your tastes.
But the yellow Rolesor is undoubtedly the most celebrated visual and it has been a staple for more than 70-years. The current iteration, the ref. 126233, is still the archetypal Datejust look, whether on the Oyster or Jubilee, with white or gold dial or with fluted, domed or even diamond surround.
It is, undoubtedly, the most timeless and enduring of all of Rolex’s watches—which is saying something—and has been sported by some of history’s most illustrious figures. Eisenhower and Churchill were Datejust wearers, as were Reagan and Biden. Warren Buffet wore one in his younger days before switching to the Day-Date, and even Paul Newman had a few when he wasn’t wearing the most expensive Daytona ever sold.
And, a fact sure to delight the murderous Mr. Bateman, a certain Giorgio Armani is known to be a big fan.
Featured Photo: Art by Oriol Mendivil for BKT Archive.
