Datejust 80th Anniversary: Will Rolex Bring Back the Jubilee Dial?

Rolex reaches a double milestone in 2025: the 80th anniversary of the Datejust (1945) and the 120th anniversary of the brand itself (1905). In case you didn't know, Rolex loves anniversaries. They have a track record of celebrating milestones with eye-catching, often colorful designs (like the green-bezeled Kermit Submariner). 

As a matter of fact, Rolex celebrated the Datejust's 40th anniversary with a novelty . . . and it's safe to say it was eye-catching. The Jubilee Dial, pictured above and below, was the Datejust's 40th birthday present. The motif stayed in production (in its many forms) for almost another 40 years. Although recently discontinued, I think the Jubilee Dial could be making a return. 

A Look Back: The Jubilee Dial’s Origins

Image Source: Analog:Shift

In 1985, Rolex celebrated the Datejust’s 40th anniversary by unveiling the patterned Jubilee Dial. Not to be confused with the Jubilee bracelet, the Jubilee Dial displays a repeated “ROLEX” logo, creating a somewhat dizzying, almost hypnotic backdrop for the otherwise familiar Datejust dial.

This motif perfectly captured the ‘80s era of “logo-mania,” as Rolex expert Paul Altieri describes it, when luxury brands made no apologies for loud, front-and-center branding. The Jubilee Dial motif eventually found its way onto multiple Datejust, Lady-Datejust, and Cellini models before fading from the lineup around 2020–2021. The discontinuation made room for other unconventional designs, such as the palm and fluted motif dials.

Why 2025 Is a Prime Moment

Image Source: Swiss Watch Expo

The Crown has never been shy about leveraging anniversaries to launch celebratory models, and the Datejust is historically central to the brand’s identity. With eight decades of Datejust and 120 years of Rolex in the books, this feels like the perfect time for Rolex to release a nod to the past. If you ask me, the dial's somewhat recent discontinuation (after decades of production) feels intentional ahead of this anniversary: like Rolex knew its return was imminent.

Recent releases support the idea that Rolex remains open to daring dial designs. The 2023 Oyster Perpetual ‘Celebration Dial’ and Day-Date ‘Puzzle Dial’ both broke from the brand’s largely conservative design ethos, showing a willingness to embrace louder colors, patterns, and finishes. The same could be said for last year’s ice blue guilloche 1908.

Rolex has embraced these fun, louder designs in recent years. To me, the Jubilee dial scratches the same itch. By removing the Jubilee dial from the Datejust lineup, even for just a few years, Rolex can now introduce the motif to a new generation of collectors, not to mention please those who loved the original Jubilee. 

Potential Design Twists

If Rolex does bring back the Jubilee Dial, there’s plenty of room for modern twists. Perhaps we’ll see the first-ever green Jubilee Dial: entirely plausible given Rolex’s tendency to use green on anniversary models. Maybe they’ll adapt the repetitive “ROLEX” pattern with updated typography or integrate color gradients. You never know with Rolex; expect the unexpected.

Final Thoughts

While there’s no guarantee the Jubilee Dial will return, the timing and Rolex’s history of anniversary tributes make it a strong possibility. If not the Jubilee dial, I suspect we'll see something special added to the Datejust lineup. If you’re a Datejust die-hard, keep your eyes peeled for April 1st when Rolex unveils its new releases. It’s only a matter of months until we’re in Geneva covering these releases in person. Subscribe to our email newsletter and stay tuned for that coverage.

What do you think of the Jubilee Dial? Let us know in the comments below, and if you’re looking to customize your Rolex (Datejust or otherwise), check out our selection of curved-end straps for various models.