Rolex Datejust Reference Numbers & Generations Explained

The Datejust is the backbone of the Rolex catalogue — introduced in 1945 as the first self-winding wrist chronometer to show the date in a window on the dial, and still the brand’s most recognizable dress watch more than 75 years later. Because the silhouette has barely changed, modern Datejust references look almost identical on a listing page yet differ meaningfully in movement, case proportions, bracelet construction, dial details, and price.

This guide maps the most-cross-shopped Datejust references in one place: the 36mm two-tone and smooth-bezel lines, the larger 41mm “Datejust II / Datejust 41,” and the vintage 26mm Lady-Datejust pair. If you are comparing two specific references, jump to the table for your size and generation.

How to read the references: the leading digits track the generation. The 162xx / 692xx numbers are the older (pre-2000s) families; 1162xx / 1163xx are the mid-2000s generation; 1262xx / 1263xx are the current generation. Most generational jumps boil down to a movement upgrade, an engraved rehaut, solid bracelet links, and a dial clean-up.

At-a-glance: The modern 36mm Datejust references

	16233	116233	116200	126200	116234	126234
Generation	Older	Mid-2000s	Mid-2000s	Current	Mid-2000s	Current
Years	Late 1980s–1990s	Mid-2000s onward	2004–2019	Current	2005–2018	2019–present
Case diameter	36 mm	36 mm	36 mm	36 mm	36 mm	36 mm
Bezel	Fluted yellow gold	Fluted yellow gold	Smooth (steel)	Smooth (steel)	Fluted white gold	Fluted white gold
Metal	Yellow Rolesor (two-tone)	Yellow Rolesor (two-tone)	Steel	Steel	Steel + white gold bezel	Steel + white gold bezel
Movement	Cal. 3135	Cal. 3135	Cal. 3135	Cal. 3235	Cal. 3135	Cal. 3235
Power reserve	48 h	48 h	48 h	70 h	48 h	70 h
Beat rate	28,800 bph	28,800 bph	28,800 bph	28,800 bph	28,800 bph	28,800 bph
Accuracy	—	—	−4/+6 s/day	−2/+2 s/day	—	−2/+2 s/day
Rehaut engraving	None	“ROLEXROLEXROLEX”	None	“ROLEX” pattern	“ROLEX” pattern	“ROLEX” pattern
Bracelet links	Hollow center	Solid (SEL)	Hollow	Solid three-piece (SEL)	Super Jubilee, hidden Crownclasp	Solid links, hidden clasp + microadjust
Water resistance	100 m	100 m	100 m	100 m	100 m	100 m
Lume	Tritium/Luminova (early)	Super-LumiNova	—	—	Super-LumiNova (green)	Chromalight (blue, ~8 h)

The 16233/116233 are the two-tone, fluted yellow-gold-bezel pair. The 116200/126200 are the all-steel, smooth-bezel pair. The 116234/126234 are the steel with fluted white-gold bezel pair. All three pairs share the 36mm Oyster case.

The Datejust 41mm “Datejust II / Datejust 41”

	116334 (Datejust II)	126334 (Datejust 41)
Years	2009–2016	2016–present
Case diameter	41 mm	41 mm
Case thickness	12.2 mm	11.7 mm
Lug-to-lug	49.5 mm	47.5 mm
Movement	Cal. 3136	Cal. 3235
Power reserve	48 h	70 h
Bezel	Thicker fluted	Slimmed-down fluted
Lugs	Thicker, angular	Softer, more tapered
Hour markers	Roman numerals (non-luminous), 18k gold	Luminous stick indexes, 18k gold (~8 h glow)
Dial options	Black, slate, ivory, champagne	Silver, white, champagne, mint green
Bracelet	Oyster only	Oyster or Jubilee
Clasp	Folding Oysterclasp + Easylink	Folding Oysterclasp + Easylink
Shock protection	Paraflex	Paraflex (+ Chronergy escapement)

At-a-glance: The vintage 26mm Lady-Datejust

	69173	69174
Production era	1980s	1980s
Case diameter	26 mm	26 mm
Metal	Yellow Rolesor (steel + 18k yellow gold)	White Rolesor (steel + white gold)
Gold elements	Crown, bracelet center links, bezel	Bezel only
Bezel	Fluted yellow gold	Fluted white gold
Movement	Cal. 2135	Cal. 2135
Power reserve	42 h	42 h
Crystal	Sapphire	Sapphire
Water resistance	100 m	100 m
Bracelet	Jubilee or Oyster	Jubilee or Oyster
Avg. market price	~$3,995	~$4,400

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The 36mm two-tone line: 16233 vs 116233

Both references are 36mm yellow Rolesor (Rolex’s two-tone steel-and-18k-gold) Datejusts with a fluted yellow-gold bezel, 100m water resistance, and the COSC-certified Caliber 3135 (28,800 bph, 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring). The differences are evolutionary:

• Case finish: the 16233 pairs brushed lugs with polished case sides for a more subdued, vintage look; the 116233 moved to fully polished surfaces throughout.
• Lug profile: the 16233 has slim, tapered lugs; the 116233 has broader lug shoulders for more wrist presence at the same 36mm diameter.
• Rehaut: the 116233 introduced the engraved “ROLEXROLEXROLEX” inner-bezel ring (an anti-counterfeiting and design detail); the 16233 has none.
• Bracelet: the 16233 uses hollow center links (lighter, but prone to stretch and rattle over time); the 116233 uses solid links with solid end links (SEL) — heavier and more rigid.
• Clasp: the 16233 has a basic flip clasp (the so-called “tuna can”); the 116233 uses the modern Oysterclasp or the hidden Crownclasp, and adds tool-based micro-adjustment without removing links.
• Lume: early 16233s used tritium (“T SWISS T” on the dial), with a switch to Luminova around 1998 and Swiss Super-LumiNova by 2000; 116233s use Super-LumiNova throughout.

A note on accuracy standards: Rolex tightened its “Superlative Chronometer” rating to −2/+2 seconds per day in 2015 (from the COSC −4/+6) and extended the warranty from two to five years. Because both of these references predate or straddle that change, accuracy depends on the individual watch’s production year rather than the reference itself.

The 36mm all-steel smooth-bezel line: 116200 vs 126200

Both are 36mm all-steel Datejusts with a smooth bezel and 100m water resistance. This is a true generational jump driven by the movement.

• Movement: the 116200 uses Caliber 3135 (48-hour reserve, −4/+6 s/day). The 126200 uses the next-generation Caliber 3235 (introduced 2015; 14 patents; over 90% new components; Chronergy escapement ~15% more efficient; 70-hour reserve; −2/+2 s/day). Both share 28,800 bph and a 28.50mm movement diameter, and both keep Rolex’s instantaneous midnight date change.
• Case: the 116200 has thicker, fully polished lugs that read more “square”; the 126200 has thinner lugs and flatter case sides for a more balanced, vintage-16xx-inspired profile.
• Rehaut: the 126200 has the engraved “ROLEX” rehaut; the 116200 does not. (The engraving became standard across Oyster models by 2008 and was refined from block letters to a finer etch in 2015.)
• Bracelet & clasp: the 116200 has hollow links and a Crownclasp; the 126200 has solid three-piece links, solid end links (SEL) for a seamless case-to-bracelet transition, and an Oysterclasp with the 5mm Easylink comfort extension.
• Weight: the 126200 weighs roughly 123.6–123.8 g on the bracelet — more substantial on the wrist.
• Dials: the 116200 was offered in a wide variety (silver, black, concentric circles, floral motifs, “Jubilee” logo dials, and some “Bull’s Eye” two-zone dials with roulette date wheels); the 126200 takes a cleaner approach with no railway/minute track (the color-shifting blue dial is a highlight).

The 36mm steel + white-gold-bezel line: 116234 vs 126234

Both are 36mm steel Datejusts with a fluted white-gold bezel, 100m water resistance, the Twinlock screw-down crown, a laser-etched coronet at 6 o’clock, and the engraved “ROLEX” rehaut. Again the headline is the movement.

• Movement: the 116234 uses Caliber 3135 (48-hour reserve). The 126234 uses Caliber 3235 (70-hour reserve, Chronergy escapement ~15% more efficient with a skeletonized escape wheel and thinner pallet stones, nickel-phosphorus components for better magnetic resistance, Paraflex shock absorbers, Parachrom hairspring, −2/+2 s/day).
• Dial: the 116234 has “railroad tracks” (a minute track) and a sought-after “Roulette Date wheel” option (alternating red/black numbers) with Super-LumiNova (green glow). The 126234 removes the railroad track and uses Chromalight (blue glow lasting up to ~8 hours).
• Case & lugs: the 126234 has more rounded, wider high-polished lugs versus the 116234’s thicker lugs, with rich brushed-and-polished contrast. The 126234 is cited at 36mm diameter, ~12mm thick, 43.3mm lug-to-lug.
• Bracelet: both offer Jubilee (five-piece link) or Oyster (three-piece link). The 116234’s “Super Jubilee” uses a hidden Crownclasp; the 126234 adds solid links, a hidden clasp, and microadjustment.

The 41mm line: 116334 (Datejust II) vs 126334 (Datejust 41)

Rolex launched the larger Datejust II (116334) at Baselworld 2009, discontinued it in 2016, and replaced it with the Datejust 41 (126334). Both are 41mm, but they wear differently.

• Movement: the 116334 uses Caliber 3136 (a 3135 derivative with a larger mainplate and an oversized date wheel sitting ~1mm further from dial center; 48-hour reserve). The 126334 uses Caliber 3235 (14 patents, 90%+ new components; Chronergy escapement; ~30% better overall energy efficiency from an upgraded gear train and thin-walled high-capacity barrel; 70-hour reserve). Both use the Paraflex shock-absorption system.
• Case: the 116334 is 12.2mm thick with a 49.5mm lug-to-lug; the 126334 is 11.7mm thick with a 47.5mm lug-to-lug. Same 41mm diameter, but the Datejust II wears bigger and blockier while the Datejust 41 wears more refined.
• Bezel & lugs: the 116334 has a thicker, more prominent fluted bezel and thicker, angular lugs; the 126334 has a slimmed fluted bezel and softer, more tapered lugs.
• Dial: the 116334 uses 18k gold Roman numerals (non-luminous) in conservative colors (black, slate, ivory, champagne); the 126334 uses 18k gold luminous stick indexes (~8-hour glow) and adds options like silver, white, champagne, and the distinctive “mint green.” Both keep the Cyclops date lens at 3 o’clock.
• Bracelet: the 116334 came only on the Oyster bracelet; the 126334 offers Oyster or the dressier five-link Jubilee. Both use the Folding Oysterclasp with Easylink.

The 26mm Lady-Datejust line: 69173 vs 69174

Two 1980s Lady-Datejust references, both 26mm (the standard Lady-Datejust size until Rolex moved to 28mm in 2015), both on the in-house Caliber 2135 (introduced 1983; 28,800 bph; 42-hour reserve; Quickset date; sapphire crystal; 100m water resistance; Oyster case). The defining difference is the metal:

• 69173 — yellow Rolesor: steel with 18k yellow gold on the crown, bracelet center links, and the fluted bezel. Warmer, more traditional two-tone look.
• 69174 — white Rolesor: steel with white gold appearing only on the fluted bezel. More understated.

Both came in a wide range of dials (champagne, white, black, blue sunburst, silver, plus luxury versions in mother-of-pearl, lapis lazuli, or malachite, and diamond or Roman-numeral markers) and on either the Jubilee (five-link) or Oyster (three-link) bracelet.

Which Datejust should you buy?

• Want a two-tone, fluted-bezel 36mm? The 116233 is the more modern build (solid bracelet, engraved rehaut, better clasp); the 16233 suits buyers who prefer the lighter, slimmer vintage feel and the older dial.
• Want all-steel and the latest tech? The 126200 gives you the 70-hour Caliber 3235, solid SEL bracelet, Easylink, and tighter accuracy. The 116200 is the value entry point to a Datejust.
• Want the white-gold fluted bezel in 36mm? The 126234 is the better daily wearer (70-hour movement, Chromalight, solid links/hidden clasp); the 116234 appeals to those who want the discontinued railroad-track dial or roulette date option.
• Want a larger 41mm? The 126334 (Datejust 41) is the more refined and better-equipped pick (70-hour movement, slimmer profile, Oyster or Jubilee, luminous indexes). The 116334 (Datejust II) is for those who specifically want the bigger, blockier sports-watch presence — pre-owned only.
• Buying a vintage 26mm Lady-Datejust? Choose by metal/finish: warm two-tone 69173 vs. understated 69174. Specs are identical.
• Across the board: if you want the latest movement and the cleanest dial, choose a current “126xxx” reference; if you want value or a specific vintage detail, the older references deliver authentic Datejust character for less.

Market notes

Secondary-market prices move constantly, so treat figures as directional, not advice. As referenced at the time the source material was written: the steel 116200 averaged about $6,328 pre-owned against a 126200 retail of about $7,250; the Lady-Datejust 69173 traded around $3,995 and the 69174 around $4,400 (with diamond/stone-dial variants commanding premiums). The discontinued references (16233, 116200, 116234, 116334) are pre-owned only and can carry collector appeal as transitional designs; original box and papers can add meaningfully to value.

Frequently asked questions

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