Rolex Datejust

The Rolex Datejust

The Datejust is the Rolex most people own: a round Oyster case, a date window with the Cyclops lens, and a bezel and bracelet you choose. It was the first wristwatch to change its date automatically at midnight, launched in 1945 for the company's fortieth anniversary, and it has outsold every other Rolex since.

The choices are the point. Three sizes, steel or two-tone, a fluted or smooth bezel, a Jubilee or Oyster bracelet, and dozens of dials. Every Datejust on Dialist is listed by a verified dealer and covered by buyer protection. Start with the Datejust 41 or the Datejust 36.

Eighty years of one design

The Jubilee bracelet was designed for the first Datejust in 1945, and the Cyclops lens over the date followed in the early 1950s. The 36 mm case was the only size for men until 2009, when the 41 mm Datejust II arrived; Rolex replaced it in 2016 with the slimmer Datejust 41, references 126300 and 126334, on the calibre 3235.

The Datejust 36 moved to the same movement in 2018 with the 126234 family, and the 31 mm size took the current case in 2018 as well. All three sizes share the 70-hour calibre 3235 today, which is what separates the current references from the five-digit watches that came before them.

The Datejust is also where Rolex puts its dial experiments: the slate dial with green Roman numerals that collectors call the Wimbledon, mother-of-pearl and fluted motifs, and the diamond-set versions.

What to know before you buy

1. 01

   Sizes

   41 mm is the current men's default; 36 mm is the classic that fits any wrist and has the widest choice of references; 31 mm is the original 1945 proportion. Under about 7 inches of wrist the 36 is the safer pick.

2. 02

   Bezels

   The fluted bezel is white gold on steel models and matches the case on two-tone and gold, which is why it costs more. Smooth is steel on the 41; the 36 and 31 steel references use a domed bezel. Diamond-set bezels are the dress end.

3. 03

   Bracelets

   Jubilee is the five-link bracelet the watch was designed around, dressier and more comfortable. Oyster is the three-link sports bracelet. Gold references can carry the President. Rolex sells most references on either, so pick the one you will wear.

4. 04

   Materials

   Steel is most of the market. Two-tone pairs steel with yellow or rose gold, or adds a white-gold fluted bezel to a steel case; two-tone references have been the strongest sellers in recent years. Full gold is rarer and dressier.

5. 05

   Movements

   Five-digit references run the calibre 3135 with a 48-hour reserve; six-digit references from 2016 run the 3235 with 70 hours and a Chronergy escapement. All are chronometer certified, and the date jumps instantly at midnight.

Popular references

• 12633441 mm, fluted white gold bezel
• 12630041 mm steel, smooth bezel
• 12623436 mm, fluted bezel
• 12620036 mm steel, domed bezel
• 27827431 mm, fluted bezel
• 12633341 mm yellow two-tone
• 12633141 mm rose two-tone
• 11623436 mm, 2004–2018
• 16234

Frequently asked questions