Pick 26, 31 or 36 mm, then the gold and the dial, and read the reference before you buy
Choose the size first, and check it against the reference. The 36 is the full Datejust, the size bought most here, and men wear the same watch. The 31 is the mid-size, and the Lady-Datejust is the small one, as much a bracelet as a watch. Take two-tone on the Jubilee unless you only wear white metal. The sale is final on every watch, so put each question to the desk before paying.
26, 31 or 36: Lady-Datejust 26mm, Datejust 31 or Datejust 36 for women
Put the 36 on first. It is the Datejust's original size and still the one men and women share, so every 36 we have also sits on our men's Datejust page. If its lugs hang past the sides of your wrist, step down to the 31, a full watch in a smaller case. The 26 is the Lady-Datejust, small enough to stack beside a tennis bracelet, though many of our titles call it Datejust 26mm.
The reference: reading a ladies' Datejust number like 69173 or 278274
The reference tells you the size and the metal before any photo does. On the older five-digit watches, 69 opens a 26, 68 a 31 and 16 a 36. Six digits mean a later watch, with 179, 178 and 116 for the same sizes, and 278 or 126 marks the current line. The last digit is the metal. A 3 is steel and yellow gold, a 4 steel with a white gold bezel, an 8 solid yellow gold and a 1 steel and Everose. Most listings here print one.
Two-tone or gold: a two-tone Jubilee or an 18K gold President Datejust
Take two-tone for the Datejust look people know on sight. About two in three of the Datejusts sold here were steel with a yellow gold bezel and center links. Nearly every two-tone and steel one we have rides the Jubilee, the five-link bracelet made for the Datejust. A steel Datejust with a fluted bezel wears it in white gold, and it suits white gold or silver jewelry. Solid 18K yellow gold is the dress version, and ours mostly comes on the President, rounded links closing on a hidden clasp.
The dial: champagne, Roman or a diamond dial on a ladies' Datejust
Champagne goes with everything, so start there if you are unsure. Roman numerals give the face a dressier look than stick markers, and a diamond dial goes further. Rolex made some Datejust dials with diamonds, and jewelers set others after the watch left the factory, which resell as custom pieces. A few of our listings name aftermarket work on the dial, the bezel or the bracelet. Where a listing is silent, ask the desk which kind it is.
Card or papers: box and papers on a pre-owned women's Datejust
Read the card-and-papers line in the description before you fall for a dial. Where a 26 kept its paperwork, it is usually the old paper certificate. On a 31 it is more often the Rolex warranty card, the plastic kind of recent years. Most of our 36s come as the watch alone, and nearly every listing here sells the box apart, as an add-on. Our watch team examines every watch in person before we list it. Every watch is final sale, so settle the size and the papers first. Put Datejust questions to the live chat, or to 212-872-9692 by text or call, answered from 10 AM ET. Watches in stock ship tracked, most often two to five business days after the order.