Steel and 18K gold: pick the model, the case size and the generation before you buy
Start with the two-tone Datejust 36 in yellow gold on a Jubilee bracelet. That is the classic steel and gold Rolex, and the 36 was the case bought most here in the year. Take the 41 if your wrist is bigger. Next, read the reference, which dates the generation, and whether the card or papers come with it. Every watch is final sale, so bring your questions to the desk before paying.
Two-tone: what a steel and gold Rolex is, Rolesor and Everose
Two-tone means one watch in Oystersteel and 18K gold, and Rolex calls it Rolesor. The gold is on the bezel, the winding crown and the middle bracelet links, and the case and outer links are steel. Yellow gold is the classic pairing, and most two-tone watches bought here in the year were yellow. Everose is Rolex's own rose gold, warmer against the steel. Gold is softer than steel, so on a pre-owned watch the bezel and center links show wear first.
Case size: two-tone Datejust 36 or 41, women's 26 to 31 mm
Choose the 36 for a wrist under about 7 inches, or for the look most people know. The 41 fills a bigger wrist and reads modern. Nearly every 36 here wears the Jubilee. The 41 comes on the Jubilee or the flatter Oyster. The older Lady-Datejust is 26 mm. Its current case is 28 mm. The Datejust 31 is the step up from there.
Reference: 16013, 16233, 116233, 126233, 126333 and 126331
Read the reference before the dial, because it tells you the generation. On the two-tone Datejust 36, the 16013 is the older five-digit watch, and the 16233 followed it with a newer movement. The 116233 came next, and today's watch is the 126233. The 16233 and the 116233 were the two references bought most here in the year. On the 41, the 116333 is the Datejust II and the 126333 is the current watch. On a modern reference the last digit names the gold, 3 for yellow and 1 for Everose, as on the 126331.
Sport models: two-tone Submariner, GMT-Master II and Sky-Dweller
Most two-tone buyers in the year took a Datejust, and the sport models were few. The two-tone Submariner with a blue dial and blue bezel is the one our listings call Bluesy. The two-tone GMT-Master II, made to show a second time zone, comes with a black bezel, the grey and black one titled Zombie, or the brown and black Root Beer in Everose. The Sky-Dweller adds an annual calendar. Most sport models here wear the flat Oyster bracelet, and some GMTs come on the Jubilee.
Papers and buying: card, box, diamonds and final sale
Nearly every description states if the Rolex card or papers come along, and the box is an add-on on most of them. Current references usually come with the card, while older ones often come as the watch alone. Some diamond watches here are marked aftermarket, set after the watch left Rolex, so ask which kind you are buying. Watches are final sale, so raise every question on the live chat before checkout, or call or text 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET. A watch in stock is shipped tracked once paid, normally inside two to five business days. If the reference you want is missing here, the desk can look for one through the trade.