Rolex Datejust II · Reference 116300
Rolex Datejust II 116300
Known as Datejust II
The 116300 is the all-steel Datejust II, the reference that took the classic 36mm Datejust and blew it out to a full 41mm case for the 2009 to 2017 run. Steel case, steel smooth polished bezel, steel Oyster bracelet, no gold anywhere on this one. That is the whole point of the 116300 in the lineup: it is the entry into the bigger Datejust for a buyer who wants the size and the presence without paying for a fluted white-gold bezel or a two-tone build. We see these cross the counter constantly on 47th Street, usually from a first Rolex owner who bought bigger in the 2010s and is now trading up or trading sideways into a Datejust 41 or a sports model. It sits at 41mm on the wrist but wears larger than its successor because the Datejust II case is thicker and squarer through the lugs. If you want a steel do-everything Rolex with a date, a clean dial, and a case you can actually see from across a table, this is the reference that does it for the least money in the current market.
Produced: 2009 to 2017
In stock at Ultimate Diamond
3 pieces on the counter right now.
Specifications
- Case Size
- 41mm
- Case Material
- Oystersteel (904L stainless steel)
- Bezel
- Smooth polished domed steel bezel
- Crystal
- Scratch-resistant sapphire with Cyclops date lens (2.5x magnification) at 3 o'clock
- Dial Options
- Offered in black, white, silver, blue, rhodium, and diamond-set configurations, with both index and Roman numeral layouts
- Movement
- Rolex Caliber 3136, self-winding mechanical, made specifically for the Datejust II
- Movement Details
- The 3136 is a larger-mainplate version of the 3135, built to carry the bigger date wheel the oversized dial needs. Blue Parachrom hairspring for magnetic and thermal resistance, plus Paraflex shock absorbers, which the standard 3135 never got.
- Beat Rate
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Jewels
- 31 jewels
- Power Reserve
- Approximately 48 hours
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, seconds, instantaneous date at 3 o'clock
- Water Resistance
- 100 meters (330 feet)
- Crown
- Screw-down Twinlock crown
- Bracelet
- Steel Oyster bracelet with folding Oysterclasp; offered only on the Oyster, never a Jubilee
Market & Value
The 116300 is one of the better values in steel Rolex right now, and that is exactly why it moves. Clean used examples generally trade in the $8,000 to $10,000 range, with standout dials, full sets, and near-mint pieces pushing toward $12,000 to $13,000 depending on box, papers, and condition. The floor here is set by the fact that the Datejust II was discontinued in 2017 in favor of the slimmer Datejust 41 (reference 126300), so supply is fixed and no more are coming off Rolex's benches. Two things soften demand versus the current 41: the Datejust II case is chunkier and reads more dated to some buyers, and the 3136 movement carries a roughly 48-hour power reserve against the 70 hours of the 3235 in the 126300. That gap is precisely why the 116300 is cheaper, and for a lot of buyers that is a feature, not a flaw. You get a genuine 41mm steel Rolex with the same Parachrom hairspring for materially less than the current model or a waitlisted sports piece. When we write checks on these, dial and completeness drive the number more than anything: a full set with a desirable dial gets our strongest offer.
What to Know Before You Buy
Get the caliber right first: the Datejust II runs the 3136, not the 3135. A lot of listings and even some dealers print 3135 out of habit, and it is wrong. The 3136 has the Paraflex shock system and the larger mainplate; if a seller insists it is a 3135, that tells you how carefully they know the watch. Second, know that the 116300 came only on the Oyster bracelet, so any Datejust II you see on a Jubilee has an aftermarket band, and that matters for value. Third, this is a 41mm case that wears bigger than the number because of the Datejust II's thicker, more slab-sided profile through the lugs, so try it on before you assume 41mm reads the same as a Datejust 41. Fourth, watch the dial: black and white index dials are the volume sellers, while blue, rhodium, and the Roman-numeral dials tend to bring stronger money. On authentication, check that the caseback is unengraved, the crown logo is crisp, the Cyclops magnifies cleanly at 2.5x, and the date snaps over instantly at midnight rather than crawling. Serial and case-reference numbers are engraved between the lugs on watches of this era, and full box and papers add real dollars on resale.
Rolex Rolex Datejust II (116300, 116333, 116334) Buyer's Guide, Specs and Prices | Ultimate Watch Encyclopedia
Read the full guide →Buying or selling a Rolex Datejust II 116300?
Ultimate Watch buys and sells the Datejust II 116300 on 47th Street. We have been at 19 W 47th Street since 1959, and steel Datejusts are bread and butter for us: we buy them most weeks and we always have examples to sell. If you own a 116300 and want a real number, bring it in and we will inspect the movement, dial, and bracelet in front of you and write you an offer on the spot. No mailing your watch to a website and waiting. If you are buying, come see the dials in person, because a blue or rhodium 116300 in the metal is a different watch than a phone photo. Call us or request an offer to get started.