The Top 5 Rolex Watches to Wear For Thanksgiving

Yes, the days are crazy short and the weather sucks, but if this time of year has any redeeming features, it’s the festivities—and we get the chance to give thanks for that, and everything else besides, on the 27^thNovember.

The annual celebration of overeating, chaos, political arguments and football—otherwise known as Thanksgiving—is upon us once again and the great day deserves to see us at our best. 

To that end, you’re going to need a fine watch to complement your outfit. Thankfully, here at Beckertime we know a thing or two about that and so we have put together a list of five surefire horological hits to wear around the groaning dinner table, all from the world’s finest watchmaker; Rolex.

The Rolex GMT-Master II

Thanksgiving is one of the country’s peak travel days, with folk jetting off to visit relatives, jetting off to avoid relatives or just generally jetting off.

For all that goodness, a watch that can help you stave off the worst effects of jetlag is practically a must. And that means a GMT.

Standing for Greenwich Mean Time, GMT was once the international standard of civil time; basically the whole world set their clocks by it. 

Although we’ve since moved on to UTC (Universal Coordinated Time), the most famous watch of its type was invented during the GMT era—Rolex’s GMT-Master.

Quite possibly the model with the most nicknames in watchmaking history, when you hear horology enthusiasts talking about Pepsi, Coke, Root Beer or Sprite, they’re not discussing their favorite beverages, they’re talking about the GMT-Master and its slew of different color bezels. Similarly, while they may be DC fans, Batman and Bruce Wayne are two others.

It is one of the most recognizable pieces ever made (in whatever livery you care to mention) and houses among the most day-to-day useful complications in the business outside of a date display. 

A second hour hand is geared to run at half the speed of the regular one which, used in conjunction with the 24-hour numerals running around the outside of that colorful bezel, lets the wearer track a second time zone—something which has been clinically shown to help with the more deleterious results of international travel. 

Like all of Rolex’s biggest hitters, the GMT has barely changed in appearance in decades, meaning a preowned model often represents the most bang for your buck. Check out the ref. 1167XX series, originating from the early 2000s and debuting Rolex’s new Cerachrom surrounds, guaranteed to look box fresh pretty much till the end of time.

The Rolex Datejust 

While there are, of course, the usual traditions involved with Thanksgiving, each family has their own individual ways to celebrate. For some it centers around over-indulgence in all things. For others, it may involve volunteering at the local food bank or VA center. Others simply use it as a warmup to the Black Friday sales the following day. The key is versatility.

One watch that adapts perfectly to literally every situation is Rolex’s signature everyman creation, the Datejust.

In continuous production now for exactly 80-years, the DJ has been the crown’s bestseller for almost that entire time, with fans flocking to the model for one reason; an almost unlimited amount of adaptability. At its most basic, the Datejust is an extremely simple and fuss-free piece. However, Rolex made the decision to use that as merely a foundation onto which customers could infuse their own specific personality with a practically boundless list of options. 

As well as a total of five different sizes, ranging from the 28mm Lady-Datejust up to the largest 41mm example, each one comes with an extensive selection of possible case materials, bracelet styles, bezel types and a bewildering assortment of dials. 

With the current crop, along with eight decades of past glories, there is a version out there to satisfy everybody’s tastes and at a price low enough to be surprising. 

As Rolex has never limited the supply of the Datejust to their retail network, there are a huge amount of models on the preowned market, their sheer number keeping prices down nicely. And, just as with the GMT-Master above, it is a watch that has stayed stylistically consistent since the 1950s. 

As such, vintage Datejusts are often a gateway into Rolex ownership, coming in at the sort of money you might pay for a decent Casio G-Shock! 

One of the all-time classics of watch design, the Datejust is the timepiece which can do it all. 

The Rolex Day-Date

While the Datejust might be the perfect watch if you’re not sure what to expect this Thanksgiving, its stalwart Classic Collection companion, the Day-Date, is the one for you if you’re headed to something a little more select. 

In a nutshell, the model better known as the President took over flagship duties the moment it was released in 1956. From the very beginning, it has been aimed at life’s overachievers; the ones at the very top of their respective fields. Now, those fields used to be pretty well restricted to the more conservative end of the spectrum—business executives, chairmen of the boards, literal leaders of countries. These days, however, the Day-Date has transcended those moderate conventions and you are just as likely to see one on the wrist of elite sportsmen, Hollywood idols and more than a few hip-hop moguls—of both sexes. Yep, the President is worn by an increasing number of female highfliers, helped by the recent split into two sizes; the traditional 36mm and the newer 40mm. 

Only ever issued in the finest of precious metals, it might not have quite the breadth of variety as the Datejust, but there still are more than enough Day-Dates out there to satisfy just about everyone. 

If your tastes run to the understated, you can opt for a white gold piece with a simple monochrome dial and smooth domed bezel. Feeling a bit more flamboyant? Yellow gold with a champagne dial, fluted surround and diamond accents will float your boat. 

The quintessential winners’ Rolex, the President will get you knowing nods of approval everywhere you go this holiday season, whichever version you opt for.

The Rolex Submariner

Depending on location, this Thanksgiving holiday could well involve a touch of time on the water. While November is flirting dangerously with winter, those in the warmer climes often enjoy a day out on the waves, either fishing, kayaking, surfing or simply cruising—anything to work up an appetite for what comes next.

For those guys, a tough, waterproof watch is a must, and in particular, one iconic enough to earn its place at the dinner table afterwards.

Rolex’s Submariner is, quite simply, the most renowned, celebrated and emulated watch of them all. It is the archetype, the ideal of form following function, invented in the early ‘50s for the burgeoning sport of recreational Scuba diving and entering into horology folklore almost immediately. These days it is the model which most readily springs to mind when someone says the name ‘Rolex’ and it remains as popular and sought-after as ever.

Like all the greats, the Sub got its look sorted not long after its inception, meaning you can invest in one from the so-called vintage era and one of two things is likely to happen; those with no knowledge of watches will assume it’s new, while the enthusiasts will appreciate your love of the classics.

Pound-for-pound, arguably the best reference to go for is the legendary ref. 16610. The last iteration with aluminum inserts and the time-honored case silhouette, it is an all-time great and surprisingly affordable due to a glut of them on the market. 

What’s more, it is powered by perhaps the most accomplished mass-produced mechanical caliber of all time, the Cal. 3135, and the watch is sure to last several lifetimes. 

The Rolex Daytona

In many ways, the Daytona is the Datejust of the Professional Collection. 

Rolex’s top (and now only) chronograph, the model carries a lot of weight on its shoulders and so the brand has outfitted it with more options and variety than any of its other ‘tool’ watches.

What was once the underperforming black sheep of the family has, since 1988 and the implementation of an automatic movement, turned into an absolute phenomenon and quite possibly the most in-demand Rolex ever.

Although the model originally came about to command the racetrack, this Thanksgiving the Daytona makes not only the ideal wrist attire to dazzle fellow party goers, its industry-leading stopwatch might be the classiest way to make sure the turkey isn’t overcooked.

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The question is; which one do you choose? True to Rolex form, there are enough different examples in the portfolio, past and present, to appeal to as wide a cross-section as possible. 

The steel pieces with Cerachrom bezels caused the watch buying fraternity to lose its collective mind back in the 2010s and remains almost as popular today. But for those looking for a bit more pizzaz, why not treat yourself to the fan-christened John Mayer? The solid yellow gold model with the stunning green dial is as distinctive as it comes and is sure to be a conversation starter. Otherwise, the entryways into Daytona-dom are the beautiful Rolesor pieces, with steel case and outer bracelet links and gold crown, bezel and inner links.

Whichever variant you choose, the Daytona is among the most important and storied sports watches ever made and ownership grants access to an enviable elite.