So over the last couple years, my watch tastes in general have been veering away from larger modern watches to smaller vintage/neo vintage size and Aesthetics. 

This includes Rolex as well. When I originally got into collecting a decade ago I only really knew the modern 6 digit references and even got a Yachtmaster 40mm  ref 126622 as my first new watch from the brand. And I was looking at a 6 digit GMT Master II or another model in the future as well. 

This started to change when my dad passed away within the past year, and I inherited in mid 90s production year Datejust ref 16220. First this solidified my appreciation for the DJ in the classic 36mm size and also wearing men's watches in the 36-38mm sizes in general. Also I was cooling on my YM 40mm, despite being a gorgeous watch, I wasn't wearing much over the past year, which made it an easy decision to trade it in when I picked up a new TT DJ for my wife. 

 I shopped around for a replacement for my YM and eventually found my 5 digit Explorer II ref 16570, which I absolutely love. It fits my current tastes of lower key luxury + functional tool watch style. Ive got to play with and wear many other modern 6 digit references and with a few exceptions (Daytona for example) I find them too big, bulky and shiny for my current prefs. 

I think in the future, if I do add any more Rolex to my collection, I will continue to focus on later model year 5 digit models, but for now this pair meets most of my needs 👍🏽

Who else only collects the 5 digit models?