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Rolex Datejust 36 Rolesor (five-digit)

Reference 16013. A sheet to take with you: the numbers to check the watch against, what to look at, and what to ask. It does not authenticate anything and it does not tell you whether to buy.

Check the numbers

Measure or ask. A watch that does not match these is not necessarily wrong, but it is a question worth the answer.

Anything above marked not recorded is a gap in this catalog, not a property of the watch. Do not read a blank as a zero.

Before anything else

The two-tone Datejust is common enough that outright counterfeits are less of a risk than aftermarket parts. Diamond dials, bezels and bracelets fitted outside Rolex are the main thing to identify.

What to look at

1. case Fluted 18k yellow gold bezel
   Correct A solid gold fluted bezel whose flutes are evenly cut and whose colour matches the crown and the bracelet centre links
   Red flag Wear through to steel at the flute peaks, or a bezel whose gold tone does not match the crown and bracelet
2. crystal Acrylic crystal with cyclops
   Correct An acrylic crystal, correct for the five-digit generation, with the cyclops magnifying the date
   Red flag A sapphire crystal, which belongs to the later 16234 rather than to the 16013
3. movement Caliber 3035 quickset date
   Correct A 27-jewel cal. 3035 whose date advances from the crown in an intermediate position rather than by winding the hands round
   Red flag A date that can only be set by turning the hands past midnight, which points to an earlier non-quickset caliber and a mismatched case
4. dial Dial printing and index setting
   Correct Even printing with applied indices seated flush, and a dial code consistent with the reference
   Red flag Aftermarket diamond indices, uneven index feet, or printing that has been thickened by refinishing
5. bracelet Two-tone Jubilee bracelet and clasp
   Correct A Rolex-signed clasp with a code at or after the case date, and gold centre links matching the bezel in tone
   Red flag An unsigned clasp, a clasp code earlier than the case, or plated centre links wearing through at the edges
6. case Reference and serial between the lugs
   Correct A 16013 reference between the lugs at twelve and a serial at six, both legible
   Red flag A different reference, or numbers worn shallow by polishing

Known issues on this reference

• Aftermarket diamond-set bezels and dials are widespread on this reference and are often described as factory. They change the value considerably.
• Gold-plated aftermarket parts are sometimes fitted alongside genuine solid gold ones, so the gold on the bezel, crown and bracelet centre links should be checked as a set.
• Dial refinishing is common on forty-year-old Datejusts and is frequently not disclosed.

Parts that are commonly replaced

• Acrylic crystals are replaced routinely and carry no originality penalty.
• Jubilee bracelets stretch and are frequently swapped between Datejusts. A stretched bracelet is wear, not a red flag, but the clasp code should still make sense against the case.

Ask the seller, whatever the watch

• When was it last serviced, by whom, and is there paperwork?
• Has the case ever been polished?
• Which parts are not original to it?
• Do you have the box, papers and the original bracelet or strap?
• Why are you selling it?
• Can I see it in daylight, and can I take a photo of the caseback?

What this sheet is standing on

The specifications above are sourced to sothebys.com, sothebys.com, monochrome-watches.com. What else the catalog does not know.

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