The Datejust 36 reference 126233 is the current-generation Yellow Rolesor Datejust in the classic 36mm case, combining Oystersteel and 18 ct yellow gold with a fluted gold bezel. It is a self-winding, date-displaying everyday watch and the direct successor to the reference 116233.
Rolex introduced this generation at Baselworld 2018. The update carried a subtly reworked case with redesigned sides and lugs, and a new movement, caliber 3235, replacing the caliber 3135 used in the previous generation.
Reference 126233 designates the specific build combining Oystersteel with yellow gold and a fluted bezel. The champagne diamond configuration on the Jubilee bracelet carries the dial code 126233-0017, with the same dial offered on the Oyster bracelet under 126233-0018.
The Datejust sits in the core of the Oyster Perpetual collection as a regular-production, non-limited model. It is offered in numerous dial, bezel, and bracelet combinations, of which this is one.
More Datejust Watches
2026 Rolex Datejust Green Ombre Dial Smooth Bezel Jubilee Bracelet Stainless Steel 41mm MINT CONDITION COMPLETE SET 126300
Rolex Datejust “Tuxedo” Black and Silver Dial 18K White Gold Fluted Bezel Stainless Steel Oyster 36mm MINT CONDITION COMPLETE SET 116234
2026 NEW UNWORN Rolex Datejust 41 Chocolate Brown Jubilee Two-Tone 18K Everose Gold Steel 41mm COMPLETE SET 126331
Rolex Lady-Datejust Champagne Linen Dial 18k Yellow Gold Fluted Bezel Jubilee Bracelet Two Tone Steel & Gold 26mm MINT CONDITION COMPLETE SET 69173
2026 Rolex Datejust Blue Dial Smooth Bezel Jubilee Bracelet Stainless Steel 41mm MINT CONDITION COMPLETE SET 126300
2026 NEW UNWORN Rolex Datejust 36 Mother of Pearl Diamond Dial Diamond Bezel Jubilee Two-Tone Steel 18k Yellow Gold 36mm COMPLETE SET 126283RBR-0009
Rolex Datejust 36 Grey Wimbledon Dial Fluted Bezel Jubilee Bracelet Two-Tone Rose Gold Stainless Steel MINT COMPLETE SET 126231
Rolex Datejust White Dial Fluted Bezel Jubilee Bracelet Two-Tone 18K Yellow Gold Stainless Steel 36mm MINT CONDITION 16233
2025 NEW UNWORN Rolex Datejust 36 Mother of Pearl Dial Diamond Hour Markers Diamond Bezel Jubilee Bracelet Two-Tone 18k Rose Gold Stainless Steel 36mm COMPLETE SET 126281RBR-0009
Rolex Datejust Champagne Diamond Markers Fluted Bezel Tridor President Bracelet 18k White Gold 31mm MINT CONDITION 68279B
Rolex Datejust 36 Silver Anniversary Jubilee Diamond Dial Two-Tone 18K Yellow Gold Stainless Steel 36mm MINT CONDITION COMPLETE SET 16233
2026 NEW UNWORN Rolex Datejust 41 Silver Dial Smooth Bezel Jubilee Bracelet Stainless Steel 41mm COMPLETE SET 126300
The dial is champagne coloured with a sunburst finish that shifts tone with the light. Hour markers are set with diamonds in 18 ct gold settings, positioned around the dial at every hour except 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock.
The 12 o’clock position carries the applied Rolex coronet, and the date aperture sits at 3 o’clock beneath a Cyclops lens. The hands are baton (stick) style in 18 ct yellow gold. Printed dial text reads Rolex, the coronet, Oyster Perpetual Datejust below the coronet, and Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified above 6 o’clock. A minute track runs around the dial edge.
The case is the round 36mm Datejust form in Yellow Rolesor, an Oystersteel middle case and caseback paired with 18 ct yellow gold on the bezel and crown. The case sides and lugs were refined for this generation. Rolex does not publish a case thickness or lug-to-lug figure for the reference.
The crystal is sapphire with a Cyclops lens over the date. The winding crown is a screw-down 18 ct yellow gold crown using the Twinlock double waterproofness system, sealing the case to a water resistance of 100 metres. The caseback is a closed, screw-down steel back.
The bezel is 18 ct yellow gold, fluted, and fixed. On this reference the fluting is a decorative feature rather than a functional scale, so the bezel does not rotate or time an event.
The bracelet is the Jubilee, a five-piece link design in Yellow Rolesor with polished centre links in 18 ct yellow gold flanked by Oystersteel outer links. It was the bracelet created for the original Datejust launch in 1945.
The clasp is a concealed folding Oysterclasp incorporating the Easylink comfort extension, which allows the wearer to lengthen the bracelet by approximately 5mm without tools. Reference 126233 is offered in two bracelet configurations: this dial code uses the Jubilee, while the matching champagne diamond dial on the Oyster bracelet is coded 126233-0018.
The watch runs on the Rolex caliber 3235, a self-winding mechanical movement introduced in 2015 and used across the current Datejust and several other lines. It winds bidirectionally via a Perpetual rotor and holds a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
The movement contains 31 jewels and beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). It uses the Chronergy escapement in nickel-phosphorus, a blue Parachrom hairspring with a Rolex overcoil, Paraflex shock absorbers, and a variable-inertia balance regulated by gold Microstella nuts.
Functions are centre hours, minutes, and seconds, an instantaneous date at 3 o’clock with rapid setting, and a stop-seconds function for precise time setting. The date is quickset by pulling the crown to the intermediate position and turning it.
The caliber is a Superlative Chronometer: certified by COSC before casing, then tested again by Rolex after casing to a precision of minus 2 to plus 2 seconds per day.
The case body, caseback, and outer bracelet links are Oystersteel, the corrosion-resistant alloy Rolex uses across its Oyster line. The bezel, crown, and centre bracelet links are 18 ct yellow gold, which Rolex casts in its own foundry.
The crystal is synthetic sapphire with a Cyclops lens over the date. The dial furniture centres on the diamond hour markers, set in 18 ct gold settings, with 18 ct yellow gold hands.
The overall material character is a two-tone dress-leaning build: steel for structure and everyday durability, gold for the bezel, crown, and bracelet centres, and diamonds set into the dial.
A full set for this reference’s production era includes:
Older version
Newer version
The Datejust 126233 was delivered with the standard Rolex packaging used across contemporary collections, so its box tracks the brand-wide generations rather than a reference-specific design. The changeover was market-dependent, and dealers exhausting earlier stock mean the transition period was not sharp. Mixed-era packaging on its own does not indicate a mismatched set.
At original sale this reference carried the Rolex five-year international guarantee, which applies to all Rolex watches purchased from 1 July 2015 onward. Because the reference launched in 2018, every example shipped with the five-year term. Coverage is worldwide through official Rolex retailers and service centres, documented on a plastic guarantee card, dated and activated by the authorised dealer at the point of sale, which is the primary authenticity document for the watch.
Older version
Newer version
The card generation depended on production and delivery timing, so examples near the changeover may carry either format. The guarantee card is the key authenticity and full-set document for this reference. A dealer-stamped, dated card is expected on a complete example, while a blank, undated, or photocopied card is a warning sign. The card should be retained regardless of whether the coverage period has expired.
The 36mm case is the original Datejust size and reads as a mid-size watch by modern standards, suiting smaller to medium wrists and sitting comfortably under a cuff. The published diameter is 36mm with a 20mm lug width; Rolex does not publish a thickness or lug-to-lug figure, so exact stance on the wrist is best judged in person.
The Jubilee bracelet is supple and tapers into the case, which makes the watch wear closer to a dress piece than a tool watch. The Easylink extension gives about 5mm of tool-free length adjustment for daily fit changes.
The two-tone build with a diamond-set champagne dial leans dressy and formal. It suits a wearer who wants a compact, precious-metal-accented Datejust for everyday and business wear rather than sport use.
Reference 126233 is the Yellow Rolesor, fluted-bezel Datejust 36 of the current generation, and it exists in many dial and bracelet combinations under different dial suffix codes. The constants across the reference are the 36mm Yellow Rolesor case (Oystersteel with 18 ct yellow gold), the fluted yellow gold bezel, and the caliber 3235 movement.
Dials
Bracelets
Neighbouring references
These are separate references, and their specifications do not carry across to 126233.
Personalized, end-to-end service to help you buy, sell, and trade with ease
