The Rolex Datejust Buying Guide

The most expensive Rolex Datejust ever sold at auction was a Reference 6305 from 1955 that once belonged to Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. While Adenauer, the godfather of the modern German state, is a titan of post-WWII European politics, he’s no Paul Newman, and that distinction says a lot about the Rolex Datejust.

Launched in 1945, the Datejust represented everything Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf believed a modern watch should be, and laid the groundwork for everything from the Submariner and Day-Date to the modern Land-Dweller. Despite all of this, and being worn by everyone from Martin Luther King Jr. to Roger Federer, it still doesn’t stir the emotions of collectors in anywhere near the same way as coveted models like the Daytona or GMT-Master.

Wait, why is the Rolex Datejust such a big deal?

As the (deep breath) first self-winding waterproof chronometer wristwatch with a date window on the dial, the original Datejust was handsome, robust, accurate, and highly functional—and so it remains today. Without the Submariner’s connotations of adventure, the Speedmaster’s Paul Newman connection, or the Day-Date’s association with world leaders, however, it never attained the cachet of Rolex’s most coveted models. Still, after 80 years in continuous production it contains everything there is to love about a Rolex watch.

Makes sense. How has it maintained that reputation?

“It deserves its place among the pantheon of great Rolexes because it either introduced or cemented many of the hallmarks of design language for Rolex,” says Yoni Ben-Yehuda, the head of watches at Material Good, citing hallmarks like the Jubilee bracelet, the fluted bezel, and the Cyclops magnifier. “It’s also effortlessly chic and is perfectly contextualized in any collection.”

Got it. Should I buy one old or new?

Newer Datejusts have more robust bracelets, larger bezels, and blockier cases, which makes them more durable and solid-feeling, says Perri Dash, the co-host of the Wrist Check podcast. That said, the cool factor of vintage references like the 1601 cannot be denied. “The improvements enhance the watch’s ability to handle the daily grind, but for many a collector this also increases the yearning for vintage,” he says.

“There’s a romantic quality to old Datejust watches with their stretchy and noisy bracelets, and scuffed, unpolished cases. They conjure up feelings of what it must have been like to take a meeting on a car phone in the back of your limo in the ’80’s.”

5 Datejusts Every Rolex Fiend Should Know

The ’60s-Era Stunner

Rolex Datejust Ref. 1603 Watch

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The Quartz Classic

Rolex Datejust Ref. 17013 Watch

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The Breezy Grail

Rolex Datejust Ref. 126200 Watch

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The ’80s Banker

Rolex Datejust Ref. 16220 Watch

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The Wimbledon Favorite

Rolex Datejust Ref. 126334 Watch

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The Rolex Datejust Ref. 4467

The first Datejust, released in time for Rolex’s 40th anniversary in 1945, had a 36mm yellow gold case and the first Jubilee bracelet. While 1945 Datejusts are rare, particularly those with their original gold bracelets intact, Ref. 4467s from subsequent years can be found in the mid-five-figure range. Nicknamed “Ovettone” for its egg-shaped bubbleback case, their other hallmark features include alternating black and red “roulette” date numerals, and arrowhead-shaped “alpha” hands.

The Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph “Thunderbird” Ref. 6609

The name “Datejust” was added to the dial in the 1950s, along with a bunch of important changes to its design. These included the famed “Cyclops” date magnifier, Rolesor (a.k.a. two-tone) options, and a new, slimmer case. Among the lesser-known additions to the line was the “Turn-O-Graph,” with a rotating bezel that effectively turned the Datejust into a stopwatch. The “Turn-O-Graph” never really caught on, but thanks to an endorsement by the US Air Force’s Supersonic aerobatics team, the Thunderbirds, the Ref. 6609 remains one of the more unusual and collectible early Datejusts.

The Rolex Datejust Ref. 1600/1601/1603

The early 1960s launched an era of unprecedented Datejust plurality, and the Ref. 1600, 1601, and 1603 were its vanguards. Available in gold, steel, and Rolesor, with several interesting dial permutations including linen and onyx, this generation established the look that would define the Datejust for decades to come.

Among its most distinguishing features is a “pie pan” dial with a pronounced bevel on the outer edge. Because these were produced in untold numbers for nearly 20 years, they are among the most affordable vintage Datejusts out there. (Pro tip: the last digit of each reference number indicates its bezel style: 0 for smooth, 1 for fluted, and 3 for engine-turned.)

The Rolex Datejust Oysterquartz Ref. 17000/17013/17014

By the late 1970s, quartz (a.k.a. battery-powered) watches were upending the long held watch industry power structure, and brands like Seiko and Casio were on the rise. Rolex, like many of the big Swiss brands, responded with its own quartz lineup, the most famous of which was the Datejust Oysterquartz. Despite being the quirky kid in the family, the much-maligned Oysterquartz received a bump in 2025 thanks to the release of the Rolex Land-Dweller, which has a similar-looking integrated bracelet design. Notably, the Oysterquartz (or ‘OQ’ to its fans) was one of the first Rolex models to feature a sapphire crystal.

The Rolex Datejust Ref. 16200/16233/16234/16220

If you’re after an ideal mix of vintage looks and modern reliability, take a look at the five-digit Datejusts launched in the late ’80s. Aside from having roughly the same proportions as earlier models, this generation offers the modern advantages of scratch-resistant sapphire crystals, beefier 904L steel, and a quick-set date. And that’s to say nothing of an improved Caliber 3135 movement that would power the Datejust until 2015. As with previous generations, the last one or two digits indicate the bezel type (smooth = 16200; fluted = 16233/16234; and engine-turned = 16220).

The Rolex Datejust “Palm Leaf” Ref 126200/126233

Messing with the essential design of the Datejust is a bit like putting sunglasses on the Mona Lisa, but Rolex does like to have fun with its dial every now and then. Opinions were mixed when these palm leaf dial variants dropped in 2021, but between their launch and their discontinuation in 2024, they’ve become some of the more collectible contemporary Datejusts.

The Rolex Datejust “Wimbledon” Ref. 126334/126333

Released in 2016 as a successor to the short-lived Datejust II, the Datejust 41 is the biggest model in the Datejust family. While purists may prefer the time-honored 36mm size, the larger case is the only one available in Rolesor with a slate gray and money green dial, a.k.a. the Wimbledon. Named in honor of the famed (and Rolex-sponsored) British tennis tournament, it got an added boost of cachet when Roger Federer wore a yellow gold Rolesor Ref 126333 Datejust after clinching his record-breaking eighth Wimbledon singles title in 2017.