Reference guide
Oyster Perpetual, 36 mm case

Rolex Datejust 36

Every generation of the 36 mm Datejust from 1945 to today, in production order, with the calibre inside and the reference numbers that belong to it.

11 generations65 referencesPrices collected Oct 2026

Origins

Rolex launched the Datejust in 1945 for the company's 40th anniversary. It was the first self-winding, waterproof chronometer wristwatch to show the date in a window on the dial. The first reference, the 4467, came only in 18k gold and on a new five-link bracelet made for the occasion, the Jubilee.

The earliest watches do not say Datejust. Dials of the 4467 and the 5030 read only Oyster Perpetual, which is why some collectors call them pre-Datejusts; auction houses and dealers still catalogue them as Datejusts. The name moved onto the dial in the early 1950s. The Cyclops date magnifier followed on the 6305 in 1953 to 1954, and the date that jumps at midnight arrived with calibre 1065 in the mid 1950s.

Rolex used the watch as a presentation piece from the start. Winston Churchill received a rose gold Datejust in 1947, and Dwight Eisenhower was given the 150,000th Rolex chronometer, a yellow gold Datejust engraved with his initials, in 1950 or 1951. Martin Luther King Jr. wore a yellow gold 1601 on a Jubilee at the Nobel ceremony in 1964.

On screen, Paul Newman wears a steel Datejust in The Color of Money. Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho puts a two-tone 16013 on Patrick Bateman; Rolex declined to take part in the film, so the watch on screen is a Seiko. Roger Federer wore the slate Wimbledon dial at his 2017 Wimbledon win.

It was never the cheap Rolex, but it was the attainable one. US list prices for a steel Datejust on an Oyster bracelet ran from $255 in 1957 to $495 in 1977, $2,350 in 1989, $3,575 in 2004 and $8,150 today.

Rolex Datejust 1601 — Ref. 1601. Steel with white gold bezel, /3 two-tone, /8 and /9 gold · Fluted bezel

The recipeBy 1959 the recipe was fixed. The 1600 family set the 36 mm case, the fluted, smooth or engine-turned bezel and the Jubilee or Oyster bracelet that every later generation kept. Since then the changes have been inside the case and in the details: quickset date in 1977, sapphire crystal in 1988, solid bracelets in the mid 2000s and the 70-hour calibre 3235 in 2018.

At a glance

Year ranges are the ones dealers and collectors use. Rolex does not publish production dates, so treat them as approximate to within a year or two.

One bar per generation, using collector dating. Most generations brought a new calibre; the Oysterquartz ran alongside the mechanical line for 25 years. Click a row to jump to its references.

In production without a break since 1945

The first Datejust1 Short-run successors4 Last of the old-school Ovettone4 Cyclops arrives3 Instantaneous date3 The 1600 family7 Five digits, quickset date9 Oysterquartz Datejust3 Sapphire crystal9 Six digits13 Current Datejust 369

References

Photos are web images found by searching for each reference number, credited where the source is known. Click one to enlarge. A photo shows one example of the reference, so dial and bracelet vary, and for a few rare early references the match could not be confirmed. Where sources describe a reference differently from its photo, the text follows the sources. If a photograph is yours and you want it credited or removed, write to me.

65 references, 11 generations

References · 1 of 11

The first Datejust, 1945 – 1949

Cal. A295

Bubble-back automatic with a slow date change around midnight. No Cyclops, and the dial does not yet say Datejust.

Case. 36 mm with a domed bubble-back, 20 mm between the lugs. Acrylic crystal, no Cyclops. About 1,000 made. Water resistance is given as 50 m or 100 m.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

4467

18k yellow gold (pink gold exists) · Coin-edge bezelAbout 1,000 made, the first 100 as a numbered series. The dial reads Oyster Perpetual only. Left-hand crown examples exist. Nicknamed Ovettone or Big Bubble Back.More photos

$10,000–30,000+

References · 2 of 11

Short-run successors, 1948 – 1951

Cal. A295

Same bubble-back movement. First steel-and-gold cases. Cases measure about 35.5 mm.

Case. 35.5 to 36 mm, with shorter lugs on the 5030. Acrylic crystal, no Cyclops.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

5030

Gold, or steel and gold · Smooth bezelShorter lugs than the 4467. Made for a year or two around 1948 to 1950. Black dials are far rarer than white.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

5031

Steel and gold · Engine-turned bezelThe engine-turned twin of the 5030 by one account, the two-tone version by another.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6030

Yellow gold · Milled bezelFrom about 1949. Case like the 4467, with a red or roulette date wheel. Extremely rare.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6031

Pink gold, yellow also recorded · Milled bezelCounterpart of the 6030. Left-hand crown examples are recorded. Extremely rare.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

References · 3 of 11

Last of the old-school Ovettone, 1950 – 1953

Cal. A296

Updated bubble-back automatic. Datejust begins to appear on the dial in this period.

Case. 36 mm bubble-back. The 6075 has a Super Oyster crown and is the last reference with the cut-off coronet on the dial.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

6074

Platinum per two sources, gold per a third · Smooth bezelLe Monde Edmond and Monochrome describe it as the platinum Datejust: two made in 1950, with platinum caseback and bracelet and a black honeycomb dial. One source instead calls it the smooth-bezel twin of the 6075.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6075

Gold, steel and gold · Fluted bezelFine milled bezel. Last reference with the cut-off coronet. Black dials are very scarce; one sold for €19,500 in 2021.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6104

Yellow or pink gold · Smooth bezelSmooth-bezel twin of the 6105. Left-hand crown versions exist. Very rare.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6105

Yellow or pink gold · Fluted bezelTransition dial: Swiss Made becomes Swiss, and Datejust appears in silver, red or black. Its diamond-marker dials hold the Datejust auction record at about €279,000.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

References · 4 of 11

Cyclops arrives, 1953 – 1956

Cal. A296 / 745

18,000 vph automatic. Le Monde Edmond, Phillips and BeckerTime give cal. A296 for these references, dealer listings give 745, and 645 and 743 also appear. First Datejust with the Cyclops date magnifier.

Case. 36 mm. Single listings give about 13.7 mm thick and 44 mm lug to lug. Acrylic with Cyclops from 1953 to 1954. Twinlock crown introduced in 1953.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

6304

Steel, gold, white gold, platinum · Smooth bezelFirst generation offered in steel. Broad hour markers are typical. One of the rarest smooth-bezel versions; one platinum piece is known.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6305

Steel, steel and gold, gold · Fluted bezelOften called the first steel Datejust. Widest dial range of any Datejust: honeycomb, Explorer-style 3-6-9, red Datejust script, diamonds. Eisenhower's gold watch is given as a 6305.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6309

Steel with gold bezel · Rotating Turn-O-Graph bezelFirst rotating bezel on a Datejust, from 1954. A US Air Force Thunderbirds pilot's gold example is said to have started the nickname. Pink gold with a black dial is the rarest version.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

References · 5 of 11

Instantaneous date, 1956 – 1959

Cal. 1065

First calibre whose date jumps instantly at midnight. Flatter caseback ends the bubble-back shape.

Case. 36 mm nominal, 35.7 mm measured. 11.8 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, 43.9 mm lug to lug. Acrylic with Cyclops. US list for a steel Datejust on Oyster in 1957: $255.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

6604

Steel, gold · Smooth bezelThe slimmer case ends the bubble-back. Dial text changes to Superlative Chronometer. Rare.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6605

Steel, steel and gold, gold · Fluted bezelFlat caseback and butterfly rotor. Honeycomb dials are common in steel and rare in white gold. One source gives cal. 1066.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

6609

Steel with gold bezel · Rotating Turn-O-Graph bezelExamples with the Thunderbirds emblem on the dial were awarded to pilots and reach six figures.More photos

$8,000–15,000+

References · 6 of 11

The 1600 family, 1959 – 1977

Cal. 1565 → 1575

Cal. 1565 at 18,000 vph, then cal. 1575 at 19,800 vph from about 1965, with hacking seconds from about 1972. Bridges are stamped 1560 or 1570. Acrylic crystal, no quickset.

Case. 36 mm, 11.7 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, 43 to 44 mm lug to lug, drilled lugs. Acrylic with 2.5x Cyclops, Twinlock crown. Water resistance is given as 50 m or 100 m. US list in 1968: $250 for a steel 1603, $350 for a steel 1601.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

1600

Steel, also two-tone and gold · Smooth bezelQuietly rarer than the 1601 and 1603. Solid gold examples often pass $10,000.More photos

$4,000–7,500+

1601

Steel with white gold bezel, /3 two-tone, /8 and /9 gold · Fluted bezelThe most common Datejust of its era and the best-known pie-pan reference. The fluted bezel is always gold. White gold is the rarest metal, and stone dials have sold above €170,000.More photos

€3,995–13,480

1603

Steel · Engine-turned bezelEngine-turned bezel, sometimes called bamboo. Mostly on Jubilee. US list price in 1968: $250.More photos

€4,090–6,250

1607

18k yellow gold · Bark finish bezelBark finish on the bezel and on the centre links of the Jubilee. Rare; one sold listing at €13,900.More photos

No sourced range

Three more references in this generation ·

References · 7 of 11

Five digits, quickset date, 1977 – 1988

Cal. 3035

High-beat automatic at 28,800 vph with quickset date. Crystal stays acrylic for this family.

Case. 36 mm, 12 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, 44 mm lug to lug, drilled lugs. 100 m, Twinlock crown. US list for steel on Oyster: $495 in 1977, $985 in 1980.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

16000

Steel · Smooth bezelThe plain steel entry of the family, on Jubilee or Oyster. Acrylic crystal.More photos

≈ CHF 5,600

16013

Steel and yellow gold · Fluted bezelDescribed as the first two-tone Datejust with quickset. Gold crown and centre links. In the novel American Psycho, Patrick Bateman wears one.More photos

€5,000–7,595

16014

Steel with white gold bezel · Fluted bezelA known Buckley-dial reference. Linen, tapestry and diamond dials also exist.More photos

€4,680–6,995

16018

18k yellow gold · Fluted bezelMostly on Jubilee, sometimes on a President bracelet. Stone and wood dials exist. One batch was made for the Saudi Police Force about 1980.More photos

€9,750–19,250

Five more references in this generation ·

References · 8 of 11

Oysterquartz Datejust, 1977 – 2003

Cal. 5035 (quartz)

In-house quartz at 32 kHz with 11 jewels and thermocompensation. Angular case with integrated bracelet and sapphire crystal. Steel left the catalogue about 2001, the gold-bezel versions by 2003.

Case. 36 mm angular case, 13.5 mm thick, integrated bracelet tapering from 24 to 16 mm. Sapphire crystal, 100 m. Late-1980s list: CHF 2,950 for the 17000, CHF 5,750 for the 17013. Under about 25,000 Oysterquartz watches were made in all.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

17000

Steel · Smooth bezelAbout 42 percent of Oysterquartz Datejusts. Last catalogued in 2001. The earliest dials, 1977 to 1979, carry no chronometer text.More photos

$4,100–6,300+

17013

Steel and yellow gold · Fluted bezelAbout 43 percent of production, on the two-tone integrated bracelet 17013B. Catalogued until 2003.More photos

≈ $5,700

17014

Steel with white gold bezel · Fluted bezelAbout 15 percent of production, the scarcest of the three.More photos

No sourced range

References · 9 of 11

Sapphire crystal, 1988 – 2005

Cal. 3135

28,800 vph, 31 jewels, about 48 hours of reserve, full balance bridge. Sapphire crystal becomes standard.

Case. 36 mm, about 11.8 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, about 43.5 mm lug to lug. 100 m, Twinlock crown. Lug holes on early examples, gone from the mid 1990s. US list for steel on Oyster: $2,350 in 1989, $2,975 in 1996.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

16200

Steel · Smooth bezelOne of the more available five-digit references. Mostly on Oyster.More photos

$5,000–7,500+

16203

Steel and yellow gold · Smooth bezelSmooth gold bezel, usually on the two-tone Oyster bracelet.More photos

No sourced range

16220

Steel · Engine-turned bezelLast engine-turned Datejust 36, a bezel Rolex no longer makes.More photos

$5,500–8,500+

16233

Steel and yellow gold · Fluted bezelMostly on the two-tone Jubilee 62523H. The Jubilee-motif anniversary dial of 1985 is often found here.More photos

€5,580–8,500

Five more references in this generation ·

References · 10 of 11

Six digits, 2005 – 2018

Cal. 3135

Same calibre, later with the blue Parachrom hairspring. Heavier case, solid-link bracelets, polished lugs. Start is given as 2004 to 2006, end as 2018 to 2020.

Case. 36 mm, just under 12 mm thick, about 44 mm lug to lug, no lug holes. 100 m, Twinlock crown. US list for steel on Oyster: $3,575 in 2004, $6,600 in 2012.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

116200

Steel · Smooth bezelOyster or Jubilee. Variants to look for: roulette date wheel, bull's-eye, floral and Jubilee-motif dials.More photos

$5,500–8,500+

116201

Steel and Everose gold · Smooth bezelSmooth Everose gold bezel. Replaced by the 126201 in 2018.More photos

No sourced range

116203

Steel and yellow gold · Smooth bezelDomed yellow gold bezel. Replaced by the 126203 in 2018.More photos

No sourced range

116231

Steel and Everose gold · Fluted bezelChocolate, pink and Wimbledon dials. Diamond-set versions run $15,000 to 18,000.More photos

$9,500–13,500+

Nine more references in this generation ·

References · 11 of 11

Current Datejust 36, 2018 – today

Cal. 3235

Chronergy escapement, about 70 hours of reserve, 31 jewels, rated to −2/+2 seconds a day. Two-tone versions came first in 2018, steel and white gold bezel versions followed in 2019.

Case. 36 mm, 11.5 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, 44.0 mm lug to lug, 118 to 124 g on the bracelet. 100 m, Twinlock crown, Chromalight lume. US list in 2026 from $8,150.

ReferenceCase, bezel and notesPre-owned

126200

Steel · Smooth bezelLaunched in 2019. The mint green dial trades at $10,000 to 13,000 against a list price of $8,150.More photos

€6,950–13,990

126201

Steel and Everose gold · Smooth bezelOne of the rarer smooth-bezel two-tones. Trades $2,000 to 5,000 below the fluted 126231.More photos

No sourced range

126203

Steel and yellow gold · Smooth bezelShown at Baselworld 2018.More photos

$15,050

126231

Steel and Everose gold · Fluted bezelLaunched in 2018 at €10,000. US list is now $17,550 to 18,350.More photos

€10,700–21,500

Five more references in this generation ·

About the pricesPrices are pre-owned market ranges collected in October 2026. Euro figures are asking prices on European listings, dollar figures come from US dealer guides. They move with dial, condition and papers, so use them as orientation, not as a valuation.

Movements

Click a calibre to filter the references that use it. Empty cells mean I found no reliable figure.

In the Datejust 36	Beat rate	Jewels	Reserve	Date	Hacking	Notes
1945 to c. 1951	18,000 vph			Slow change near midnight	No	Bubble-back rotor needs the domed caseback. Two sources list the 4467 as cal. 710.
c. 1950 to 1956	18,000 vph	18		Slow change	No	Updated bubble-back automatic.
c. 1953 to 1956	18,000 vph			Slow change	No	Introduced in 1952. Named for the 6305 by dealers; auction houses give A296.
c. 1956 to 1959	18,000 vph			Instant jump at midnight	No	Butterfly rotor. Flatter movement that ended the bubble-back case. Also reported as 1066.
1959 to c. 1965	18,000 vph	26	about 42 h	Instant, no quickset	No	Bridge is stamped 1560. Microstella regulation.
c. 1965 to 1977	19,800 vph	25 or 26	about 48 h	Instant, no quickset	From 1971 to 1972	Bridge is stamped 1570. Set the date by winding the hands past midnight. Made until 1981 for other models.
1977 to 1988	28,800 vph	27	42 to 50 h, sources differ	Quickset from the crown	Yes	First Rolex calibre with quickset date. Balance cock, not a bridge.
1977 to c. 2003	32 kHz quartz	11	battery, 2 to 3 years	Quickset	Yes	Thermocompensated quartz, Oysterquartz only. Chronometer-certified from about 1979.
1988 to c. 2019	28,800 vph	31	48 to 50 h	Instant, quickset	Yes	Full balance bridge. Blue Parachrom hairspring from 2000 or 2005, sources differ. About 20 million made across all models.
2018 to today	28,800 vph	31	about 70 h	Instant, quickset	Yes	Chronergy escapement, rated to −2/+2 seconds a day. Introduced in 2015, in the 36 mm case from 2018.

Weak points and service

A295, A296, 745. No longer serviced by Rolex, and parts are hard to get. Budget for a specialist.
1065. The point from which servicing becomes practical, according to one buyer's guide.
1565 and 1575. The barrel bridge and centre wheel run without jewels and wear; the repair is to fit bushings. Weak date springs give a slow date change. Rolex does not supply parts to independent watchmakers, and genuine parts are getting scarce. Service every 5 to 7 years.
3035. The rotor axle and its jewels wear faster than on the 3135. The quickset can leave the date hanging half way. Dial feet often break during service.
5035. Parts are very hard to get, and a failed circuit can end the movement. Rolex service runs about $800 to 1,500, independents $500 to 1,000.
3135. The best-supported calibre for parts. Its common fault is rotor axle wear after ten or more years without service: the loose rotor scrapes the bridges and sheds metal dust.
3235. A reported low-amplitude fault: after one to three years the watch loses 10 to 30 seconds a day and the reserve drops to 30 to 40 hours. The cause given is lubrication at the second wheel pivot. It is repaired under the five-year warranty; sources differ on whether Rolex has acknowledged it.
Cost. A Rolex service for a steel Datejust 36 runs about $800 to 1,100, independents 30 to 50 percent less. Rolex recommends service about every ten years and gives a two-year service warranty.

Design by era

What changed on the outside, generation by generation. Use it to check that the parts of a watch belong to the same period.

Feature	1945 to 1959	1600 family, 1959 to 1977	160xx, 1977 to 1988	162xx, 1988 to 2005	1162xx, 2005 to 2018	1262xx, 2018 on
Dial markers and hands	Applied dagger, arrow or triangle markers with alpha hands. Honeycomb and gilt dials	Pie-pan dial with dagger markers and alpha hands at first; baton markers and stick hands from the mid 1960s	Flat dial. Stick, Roman, Arabic or diamond markers	Stick, Roman, Arabic or diamond markers in many colours	Same styles. Roulette date wheel on some	No minute track on plain dials. Palm and fluted motif dials from 2021
Chronometer text	Chronometre, then Officially Certified Chronometer. Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified from 1956 to 1957	Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified	Same	Same	Same	Same, with −2/+2 seconds a day behind it since 2015
Date wheel	Black, then all red, then roulette (alternating red and black) from 1947. Open 6 and 9	Black. Closed 6 and 9 in the 1960s, open again from about 1970	Black	Black	Black; roulette revived on some dials, 2004 to 2018	Black
Crystal	Acrylic. Cyclops from 1953 to 1954	Acrylic with Cyclops	Acrylic with Cyclops	Sapphire with Cyclops. Laser-etched coronet at 6 from 2002 to 2004	Sapphire with etched coronet	Sapphire
Case	Bubble-back with domed caseback until c. 1956, then flat	Flat caseback, drilled lugs	Same case shape, drilled lugs	Lug holes until the mid 1990s	Thicker, fully polished lugs, no lug holes	Slimmer, more tapered lugs and flatter case sides
Thickness	About 13.7 mm as a bubble-back, 11.8 mm from 1956	11.7 mm	12 mm	About 11.8 mm	Just under 12 mm	11.5 mm
Crown	Screw-down Oyster crown. Twinlock from 1953	Twinlock	Twinlock	Twinlock	Twinlock	Twinlock
Water resistance	50 m or 100 m, sources differ	50 m or 100 m, sources differ	100 m	100 m	100 m	100 m
Setting the date	Hands only	Hands only	Quickset	Quickset	Quickset	Quickset
Lume and text at 6	Radium, "Swiss"	Radium to the early 1960s, then tritium, "T Swiss T" or "Swiss – T < 25"	Tritium	Tritium to c. 1998, Luminova "Swiss" 1998 to 1999, then Super-LumiNova "Swiss Made"	Super-LumiNova, "Swiss Made"	Chromalight with a blue glow, "Swiss Made"
Bezels offered	Coin-edge, fluted, smooth, engine-turned, rotating	Smooth, fluted, engine-turned, bark, rotating	Smooth, fluted, engine-turned, bark, rotating	Smooth, fluted, engine-turned, bark, rotating	Smooth, fluted, diamond-set, rotating until 2011	Smooth, fluted, diamond-set
Jubilee bracelet	Solid gold only at first	Folded-link 6251H with 55 end links, c. 1959 to the early 1970s. US-made oval-link versions also exist	62510H in steel, 62523H in two-tone: hollow centre links, solid outer links, 455 or 555 end links	Same 62510H and 62523H	Solid Super Jubilee 63200 or 63600 with solid end links and concealed Crownclasp	Solid links, Oysterclasp with 5 mm Easylink
Oyster bracelet	Riveted 6635 and 7205 from 1954	Riveted 7205, then folded 7835 from 1967	Solid-link 78350 and 78360 from 1975	78360 with 558B end links	Solid 72200 with Easylink	Solid 72600 series with Easylink
Serial location	Between the lugs at 6	Between the lugs at 6	Between the lugs at 6	Between the lugs at 6	Lugs and rehaut from 2005, rehaut only from 2008	Rehaut

Dial types collectors name

Pie-panOuter edge slopes down like an upturned pie tin. On 1950s references and the 1601; replaced by flat dials with the 160xx family in 1977.

HoneycombWaffle-textured dial of the 6305 and 6605. Black examples are a small fraction of production and have been listed at six figures.

GiltGlossy black dial with gold printing, on 1950s references such as the 6605.

Roulette dateDate wheel alternating red and black numerals. From 1947 on early references, revived on some 1162xx dials from 2004 to 2018.

LinenCross-hatched, fabric-like texture, about 1962 to 1992. Silver and champagne are common, slate and blue less so.

Wide boy1601 and 1603 dials with hour markers twice the usual width, about 1969 to the mid 1970s.

SigmaSmall σ marks beside the text at 6 mean gold markers and hands. 1970s into the early 1980s.

BuckleyPrinted Roman numerals in place of applied markers, about 1970 to 1990. Named after dealer John Buckley. Brings a 15 to 25 percent premium; blue is very rare.

Stone and woodLapis, malachite, jasper, onyx, tiger eye and burl wood, mostly on gold watches. Few survive, and the best have sold for six figures.

TapestryFine vertical ridges across the dial, from the late 1970s to about 2005.

Jubilee motifRepeating ROLEX lettering across the dial, released in 1985 for the model's 40th year. Also called the anniversary or computer dial.

Tiffany-signedRetailer name on the dial, 1950s to 1990s. Adds several thousand dollars; fakes exist.

WimbledonSlate dial with green-outlined Roman numerals. First on the 116234, still in the range.

Palm and fluted motifEmbossed patterns on the 1262xx range from 2021. The olive green palm dial ended in 2024 and now brings a premium.

Date a watch

The serial number is engraved between the lugs at 6 o'clock, so the bracelet has to come off to read it. From 2005 Rolex also engraved it on the inner bezel ring (the rehaut), and from 2008 only there. The reference number sits between the lugs at 12 o'clock.

Type a serial to estimate the production year.

Serial charts are collector estimates, so read the result as plus or minus a year.

Show the full serial table

Serial from	Year
302,459	1945 (first run)
367,946	1946 (first run)
529,163	1947 (first run)
628,840	1948 (first run)
726,639	1952 (first run)
855,726	1953 (first run)
23,000	1954
97,000	1955
133,061	1956
224,000	1957
328,000	1958
399,453	1959
516,000	1960
643,153	1961
744,000	1962
824,000	1963
1,008,889	1964
1,100,000	1965
1,200,000	1966
1,538,435	1967
1,752,000	1968
1,900,000	1969
2,241,882	1970
2,589,295	1971
2,890,459	1972
3,200,268	1973
3,567,927	1974
3,862,196	1975
4,115,299	1976
5,000,000	1977 to 1978
5,737,030	1979
6,434,000	1980
6,520,870	1981
7,100,000	1982
7,400,000	1983
8,070,022	1984
8,614,000	1985
8,900,000	1986
9,400,000	1987
R + 6 digits	1987 to 1988
L + 6 digits	1989
E + 6 digits	1990
X + 6 digits	1991
N + 6 digits	1991
C + 6 digits	1992
S + 6 digits	1993 to 1994
W + 6 digits	1995
T + 6 digits	1996
U + 6 digits	1997 to 1998
A + 6 digits	1999
P + 6 digits	2000
K + 6 digits	2000 to 2001
Y + 6 digits	2001 to 2002
F + 6 digits	2003 to 2005
D + 6 digits	2005 to 2006
Z + 6 digits	2006 to 2007
M + 6 digits	2007 to 2008
V + 6 digits	2008 to 2009
G + 6 digits	2010
8 mixed characters	2011 on

Dial text at 6 o'clock

Text	Lume	Period	What a mismatch means
Swiss	Radium	Until the early 1960s	On a later watch this text can also be Luminova, see below.
T Swiss T, Swiss – T < 25	Tritium	Early 1960s to c. 1998	Tritium text on a watch made after 1998 means a swapped dial.
Swiss	Luminova	1998 to 1999	Expect it on watches with U and A serials.
Swiss Made	Super-LumiNova, then Chromalight	2000 on	On a watch from before 2000 it marks a later service dial.

Clasp code

From 1976 to 2010 the inside of the clasp blade carries a letter code for the year and a number for the month. It dates the bracelet, which should sit within a year or so of the watch. An extra S marks a service replacement.

Type a clasp code to read its date.

Gold bracelets often have no readable code, and US-made bracelets used two-digit years instead.

Show the clasp code table

Year	Code
1976	A or VA
1977	B or VB
1978	C or VC
1979	D or VD
1980	E or VE
1981	F or VF
1982	G
1983	H
1984	I
1985	J
1986	K
1987	L
1988	M
1989	N
1990	O
1991	P
1992	Q
1993	R
1994	S
1995	T or W
1996	V
1997	Z
1998	U
1999	X
2000	AB
2001	DE
2002	DT
2003	AD
2004	CL
2005	MA
2006	OP
2007	EO
2008	PJ
2009	LT
2010	RS
2011 on	Three random characters

Other markings

Marking	Where	What it tells you
Reference number	Between the lugs at 12 o'clock	The model. Its last digits must match the bezel and metal on the watch.
Serial number	Between the lugs at 6; on the rehaut from 2005, only there from 2008	The production year, through the lookup above.
Quarter and year, such as III.65	Inside the caseback, until about 1972	Roughly when the case was made. Casebacks were swapped at service, so it supports a date but does not prove it.
Small coronet etched in the crystal	At 6 o'clock, from 2002 to 2004 on	Original sapphire of the period. An etched S marks a service replacement crystal.
ROLEX ROLEX ROLEX and serial	Engraved on the rehaut, from 2005	Its absence on a watch after about 2008 is a warning sign.
Marks under the crown coronet	On the winding crown	A dash means a steel or two-tone Twinlock crown, two dots gold, one dot platinum.
Hallmarks: 750, Helvetia head, St Bernard head	Caseback, mid-case and clasp of gold watches	18k gold. The St Bernard head is used from 1995.
Bracelet reference and end-link number	Inside the last link and on the end links	Whether the bracelet type belongs to the generation; see Design by era.

Buying and selling checks

Originality and condition move the price of a Datejust more than the reference does. A refinished dial can cut the value by half or more. Check these points before pricing or buying one.

Reference against the watchThe reference between the lugs at 12 must match what you see. The last digits encode bezel and metal, so a 16234 with a smooth bezel has had parts changed.

Serial against the generationRun the serial through the lookup above. The year must fall inside the production span of the reference.

Movement behaviourPull the crown to the middle position. A 1600-family watch has no quickset; 160xx and later do. Hacking seconds arrived in 1972.

Dial text and lumeThe text at 6 o'clock must fit the year. Lume on the dial and hands should have aged the same way; bright white lume on an old dial is a relume or service part.

Dial originalityLook for uneven printing, inconsistent letter spacing and lume plots that do not match the period style. These are signs of a refinished dial.

Case conditionLug edges should be crisp and even. Rounded, thinned lugs and soft bevels mean heavy polishing, which cannot be undone.

CrystalAcrylic is correct up to the 160xx family, sapphire from 162xx on. A swapped crystal is minor, but tells you the watch has been opened.

BezelFluted bezels are always gold, white gold on the steel models. Aftermarket diamond bezels and dials lower the value.

BraceletCheck stretch by holding the watch sideways and letting the bracelet hang. The bracelet type, end links and clasp code should fit the year of the watch.

Papers and serviceBox, papers and service records add value and make the checks above easier. A recent Rolex service can also mean replaced hands or dial.

What moves the price

Factor	Effect on price
Box and papers	Plus 10 to 25 percent; some dealers quote 20 to 40 percent for a full set
Unpolished case	Plus 15 to 30 percent on vintage, 10 to 15 percent on modern
Over-polished case	Minus 15 to 25 percent, up to 45 percent in bad cases
Refinished dial	Minus 50 percent or more
Aftermarket diamonds, custom dial or bezel	Minus 40 to 60 percent
Non-original bracelet	Minus 25 to 40 percent
Buckley dial	Plus 15 to 25 percent
Tiffany-stamped dial	Plus several thousand dollars
Repair costs to budget	Bracelet stretch repair from $350, Jubilee rebuild $300 to 1,200, dial replacement $500 to 1,000, fluted gold bezel $1,000 to 2,500, full service $800 to 1,100

What is rareRarest: the platinum 6074, diamond-dial 6105s, the stepped-bezel 6305-2, any 1950s reference in white gold or platinum, Thunderbirds with the squadron emblem, white gold 1601s and stone or wood dials. Scarce but findable: the bark-finish 1607 and 16078, the Morellis-finish 1611, the white gold 16019, the integrated-bracelet 1630, the Oysterquartz 17014 and the discontinued palm dial. Common, and priced on condition alone: 1601, 1603, 16013, 16200, 16233 and 16234.

Reading the codes

Last digit: metal

0: Steel
1: Steel and Everose gold (six-digit era)
3: Steel and yellow gold
4: Steel with white gold bezel
5: Everose gold
6: Platinum
8: 18k yellow gold
9: 18k white gold

Second-to-last digit: bezel

0: Smooth (16000, 16200, 126200)
1: Fluted in the 160xx family (16013, 16014)
2: Engine-turned (16220)
3: Engine-turned on 16030, fluted from 162xx on (16233, 126234)
4: Diamond-set on 1162xx (116243, 116244)
5 / 6: Rotating Turn-O-Graph (16253, 16264, 116264)
8: Diamond-set on 1262xx (126284RBR)

The meaning of this digit shifted between generations, so read it together with the family prefix.

Prefix: generation

16xx: Cal. 1565 / 1575
160xx: Cal. 3035
170xx: Oysterquartz, cal. 5035
162xx: Cal. 3135, sapphire crystal
1162xx: Cal. 3135, solid-link bracelets
1262xx: Cal. 3235

Sub-variants

6305-1: Broader fluting on the bezel
6305-2: Stepped bezel, one of the rarest Datejusts
1602, 1605: Gold variants with Florentine-finish bracelet and with the triangular "piranha" bezel

Suffixes

/3 /8 /9: Four-digit metal suffix: 1601/3 two-tone, 1601/8 yellow gold, 1601/9 white gold
RBR: Bezel set with round brilliant diamonds

36 mm references not in the catalog above

Reference	Metal	Bezel and bracelet
116135	Everose gold	Fluted, on leather strap
116138	18k yellow gold	Fluted, on crocodile strap with gold folding clasp
116139	White gold	Fluted, on leather strap
116188	Yellow gold	Diamond bezel, on leather strap
116189	White gold	Diamond bezel, on crocodile strap
116241	Steel and Everose gold	Diamond-set bezel. Single source
116185, 116199, 116208, 116285	Not found	Listed by one dealer as 36 mm men's Datejusts, without details

The catalog also leaves out the 41 mm Datejust II and Datejust 41, the 31 mm and Lady-Datejust sizes, and the many gem-set and special-order versions of the references it does list.

Milestones

Date	Event
1945	Datejust launched as ref. 4467 in 18k gold for Rolex's 40th anniversary, on the new Jubilee bracelet.
1947	Winston Churchill receives a rose gold Datejust. Roulette date wheels appear.
c. 1948 to 1950	Refs 5030 and 5031 add new case shapes and steel-and-gold cases.
1950	Two platinum Datejusts made as ref. 6074.
1950 or 1951	Dwight Eisenhower is given the 150,000th Rolex chronometer, a yellow gold Datejust.
Early 1950s	The word Datejust appears on the dial.
1953	Twinlock crown introduced.
1953 to 1954	Cyclops date magnifier introduced on the 6304 and 6305, the first Datejusts in steel.
1954	First Datejust Turn-O-Graph, ref. 6309.
c. 1955 to 1957	Calibre 1065 brings the date that jumps at midnight; the bubble-back case ends. Dial text becomes Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified.
1959	The 1600 family sets the lasting form of the 36 mm Datejust.
1964	Martin Luther King Jr. wears a gold 1601 at the Nobel ceremony.
c. 1965	Calibre 1575 raises the beat rate to 19,800 vph.
1971 to 1972	Hacking seconds added.
1976	Clasp date codes begin.
1977	Calibre 3035 with quickset date in the 160xx family; pie-pan dials end. Oysterquartz Datejust launched.
1985	Jubilee-motif anniversary dial for the model's 40th year.
1988	Calibre 3135 and sapphire crystal in the 162xx family.
Mid 1990s	Lug holes disappear.
1998 to 2000	Tritium lume replaced by Luminova, then Super-LumiNova.
2002 to 2004	Laser-etched coronet added to the crystal.
2004 to 2005	Six-digit 1162xx family with solid bracelets. Turn-O-Graph relaunched for its 50th anniversary with red seconds hand.
2005	Serial and ROLEX engraved on the rehaut.
2009	Datejust II adds a 41 mm case beside the 36 mm.
2011	Turn-O-Graph discontinued. Clasp codes and serials become random.
2015	Five-year warranty and the −2/+2 seconds a day standard for all Rolex watches.
2016	Datejust 41 replaces the Datejust II and brings calibre 3235.
2018	Datejust 36 moves to calibre 3235 as the 1262xx family, two-tone first.
2019	Steel 126200 and white gold bezel 126234 follow.
2021	Palm and fluted motif dials.
2024	Olive green palm dial discontinued.

Where the sources disagree

The catalog uses the version most sources give. To date an individual watch, rely on its serial number and movement, not the reference alone.

Question	Version A	Version B
End of the 4467	1948 (WristBuzz)	About 1949 (WatchGuys, Monochrome); into the 1950s (Robb Report, BeckerTime)
Calibre of the 4467	A295 (Le Monde Edmond, WatchGuys, BeckerTime)	Cal. 710 (Monochrome, Watches.co.uk, Grand Caliber)
What the 5031 is	Engine-turned twin of the 5030 (Monochrome)	The two-tone version (Watches.co.uk)
What the 6074 is	Platinum, two made in 1950 (Le Monde Edmond, Monochrome)	Smooth-bezel twin of the 6075 in gold or two-tone (Ancienne)
First dial signed Datejust	6074 and 6075, about 1950 (Ancienne, Craft + Tailored)	6105 (Le Monde Edmond, Robb Report); 1954 (Gear Patrol); 1957 (Analog:Shift)
First Cyclops	1953 to 1954 on the 6304 and 6305 (Rolex, Watches.co.uk, Gear Patrol)	On the 6104 (Monochrome); with the 6604 and 6605 (BeckerTime)
Calibre of the 6305	A296 (Le Monde Edmond, Phillips, BeckerTime)	745 (dealer listings); 645 (WristBuzz)
Calibre of the 6605	1065 (Le Monde Edmond, BeckerTime, Watches.co.uk)	1066 (WristBuzz, one dealer listing)
Instant date, cal. 1065	1955 (Grand Caliber, Wikipedia)	1956 (Le Monde Edmond, Monochrome); 1957 (Gear Patrol, Watches.co.uk)
Water resistance before 1977	50 m (WristBuzz)	100 m (WatchGuys, Monochrome)
Start of the 1600 family	1959 (WatchGuys)	1960 (WristBuzz)
First hacking seconds	1971 to 1972, on cal. 1570 (WristBuzz, Quill & Pad)	With the 1560 and 1570 from the start (Analog:Shift)
Crystal of the 160xx family	Acrylic until 1988 (WatchGuys, Bob's Watches, Monochrome)	Sapphire by the end of the run (BeckerTime, WristBuzz)
Reserve of cal. 3035	42 h (Bob's Watches, BeckerTime)	48 h (Grail Watch, WristBuzz); about 50 h (WatchGuys)
Start of the 162xx family	1988 (WatchGuys, Monochrome)	1989 (BeckerTime, Wrist Whisperer)
Parachrom hairspring in the 3135	2000 (BeckerTime, OTTUHR)	2005 (WristBuzz)
Start of the 1162xx family	2004 (Gray & Sons, WatchGuys)	2005 (Watches.co.uk); 2006 (WristBuzz); 2009 (5D Watches)
Calibre of the 16263 and 16264	3135, as for all 162xx references (BeckerTime)	3035 (SwissWatchExpo)
End of the Oysterquartz	2001, last catalogue for steel	2002 (Analog:Shift); 2003 (BeckerTime)
126200 and 126234 launch	2019 (WatchGuys, Rob's Rolex Chronicle)	2018 with the family (WristBuzz)
Eisenhower's Datejust	Presented in 1950 (Rolex)	1951 (The Jewellery Editor, Rolex Magazine)

Prices and sources

About the prices

Collected in October 2026. Euro ranges are the lowest and highest asking prices on Wristler's European listings for that reference, so they include outliers such as diamond dials and unworn full sets. Dollar ranges are the typical pre-owned ranges US dealers publish. Rows marked as an era, family or all-gold guide share one published range across several references and are the least precise. Rows with no sourced range are rare or thinly traded references for which I found no reliable figure. Retail prices are US list prices for 2026.

Origins

At a glance

References

The first Datejust, 1945 – 1949

Short-run successors, 1948 – 1951

Last of the old-school Ovettone, 1950 – 1953

Cyclops arrives, 1953 – 1956

Instantaneous date, 1956 – 1959

The 1600 family, 1959 – 1977

Five digits, quickset date, 1977 – 1988

Oysterquartz Datejust, 1977 – 2003

Sapphire crystal, 1988 – 2005

Six digits, 2005 – 2018

Current Datejust 36, 2018 – today

Movements

Weak points and service

Design by era

Dial types collectors name

Date a watch

Dial text at 6 o'clock

Clasp code

Other markings

Buying and selling checks

What moves the price

Reading the codes

36 mm references not in the catalog above

Milestones

Where the sources disagree

Prices and sources

About the prices

Sources