Rolex 16200 Datejust Watches

Rolex Datejust 16200 Price

At Watch My Diamonds, Rolex Datejust 16200 watches range from $7,099 to $8,999 across 2 priced listings.

Rolex no longer makes the 16200, so each watch is priced on its own merits: whether the dial and hands are original, how much the case has been polished, the state of the bracelet, the service history, and whether the box and papers are present. A complete watch with an unpolished case and its original dial is the one collectors pay more for.

Rolex Datejust 16200 Specifications

Reference	16200
Production	1988 to the mid-2000s
Case	Oyster, 36 mm, screw-down case back
Case material	904L stainless steel
Bezel	Smooth (domed), polished stainless steel
Crown	Screw-down, Twinlock double waterproofness system
Crystal	Scratch-resistant sapphire, Cyclops lens over the date
Water resistance	100 m / 330 ft
Movement	Calibre 3135, Manufacture Rolex, self-winding mechanical, certified chronometer
Frequency	28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve	Approximately 48 hours
Functions	Center hour, minute and seconds hands; date at 3 o’clock with rapid setting; stop-seconds
Bracelet	Jubilee (five-piece links) or Oyster (three-piece links) in stainless steel, with hollow end links and a folding clasp
Luminescent material	Tritium until about 1998, then Luminova and, from 2000, Super-LumiNova

Is the 16200 Made of 904L Steel?

Yes, the case is. Rolex first used 904L steel in 1985 and moved its steel watches over to it during the following years; the alloy resists corrosion better than the 316L steel used before, and Rolex now calls it Oystersteel. The 16200 belongs to the first generation of Datejusts with 904L cases. On early examples the bracelet was still 316L; Rolex moved the bracelets to 904L later in the production run.

How to Read the Reference: 16200, 16220 and Their Siblings

In the five-digit Datejust 36, the last two digits of the reference tell you the bezel and the metal. The fourth digit is the bezel: 0 for smooth, 2 for engine-turned, 3 for fluted. The last digit is the metal: 0 for steel, 3 for steel and yellow gold, 4 for steel and white gold. So 16200 reads as a smooth bezel on an all-steel watch.

Reference	Bezel	Metal
16200	Smooth, steel	Steel
16220	Engine-turned, steel	Steel
16234	Fluted, 18 kt white gold	Steel and white gold
16203	Smooth, 18 kt yellow gold	Steel and yellow gold
16233	Fluted, 18 kt yellow gold	Steel and yellow gold

The 16200 and the 16220 are the same watch apart from the bezel: the same steel case, the same calibre 3135, the same bracelet options and the same period of production. The smooth bezel of the 16200 makes it the plainest Datejust of its generation. The engine-turned bezel of the 16220 has fine radial grooves that catch the light, and the 16234 adds the familiar fluted bezel, in white gold, to the same steel watch. Retail prices are from rolex.com for the United States, before tax, as of September 2026. The 116200 kept the 36 mm case, the smooth steel bezel and the calibre 3135, but moved to heavier bracelets with solid links and solid end links, and later examples have ROLEX engraved around the inner bezel ring. The 126200 has a slightly redrawn case and the calibre 3235, with about 70 hours of power reserve and a precision of −2/+2 seconds a day after casing. If you like the 16200 but want a newer watch, see our Rolex Datejust 116200 and Rolex Datejust 126200 collections, and for every other reference, our Rolex Datejust reference guide.

16200 Dials

Rolex offered the 16200 with a long list of dials. Silver, white, black and blue are the most common, and salmon is among the rarer colors, with baton (index) hour markers or Roman numerals. The dial color and markers of each watch are listed on its card above. To compare the 16200 with other Datejusts in the same color, browse our silver dial Datejusts and chocolate dial Datejusts.

What to Check Before Buying a 16200

• The dial. Check that the dial and hands are original and match the watch’s age. The markings at 6 o’clock tell you the luminous material: “T SWISS T” or “SWISS T<25” means a tritium dial from before about 1998, “SWISS” alone a Luminova dial from 1998 or 1999, and “SWISS MADE” a Super-LumiNova dial from 2000 on. Many older watches were fitted with a replacement dial and hands during a Rolex service. That is not a sign of a fake, but collectors pay more for the original dial.
• The case. Steel shows polishing clearly. Look at the lugs and the sides of the case: sharp edges and well-defined lug profiles mean little polishing, while rounded, thinned lugs mean the case has been polished many times.
• The bezel. The smooth steel bezel scratches easily and can be refinished, but repeated polishing flattens its dome. Check the profile from the side.
• The bracelet. Bracelets of this period loosen with wear, which collectors call stretch, and the five-piece Jubilee is more prone to it than the Oyster. Hold the watch by the case with the bracelet level: a noticeable sag means the pins and links are worn. Check too that the bracelet is a Rolex one, since replacement bracelets are common on watches of this age.
• The serial number and papers. The serial number is engraved between the lugs at 6 o’clock. It should match the papers and place the watch within the 16200’s years of production, from 1988 on.
• The service history. The calibre 3135 is a robust movement, but a watch of this age should have been serviced. Ask when, and by whom.

Every watch we sell is inspected and authenticated in house before it ships.

Rolex Datejust 16200 FAQs

When was the Rolex 16200 made?

From 1988 until the mid-2000s, when the six-digit 116200 replaced it. Rolex does not publish production dates for individual references, so the serial number is the best guide to the year of a particular watch.

Is the Rolex 16200 made of 904L steel?

The case is 904L stainless steel, the alloy Rolex now calls Oystersteel. On early examples the bracelet was still 316L steel; later bracelets are 904L as well.

What movement is in the Rolex 16200?

The calibre 3135, Rolex’s self-winding chronometer movement. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, has about 48 hours of power reserve, and has a rapid-set date and stop-seconds for precise time setting.

What is the water resistance of the Rolex 16200?

Rolex rated it water resistant to 100 m / 330 ft with the crown screwed down. On a watch this age the condition of the gaskets matters more than the original rating, so have it pressure tested before you swim with it, especially if you do not know when it was last serviced.

What is the difference between the Rolex 16200 and the 16220?

Only the bezel. The 16200 has a smooth, domed steel bezel and the 16220 an engine-turned one. Both are all steel, with the same 36 mm case, calibre 3135, bracelet options and period of production.

What is the difference between the Rolex 16000 and the 16200?

The movement. The 16000, made from 1977 to 1988, has the calibre 3035 with about 42 hours of power reserve. The 16200 has the calibre 3135, with a full balance bridge and about 48 hours. Both are all-steel Datejust 36 watches with a smooth bezel.

What replaced the Rolex 16200?

The 116200 in the mid-2000s, with the same calibre 3135 and heavier solid-link bracelets, and then the 126200 in 2018, with the calibre 3235 and about 70 hours of power reserve.