The Datejust 41 is the full-size version of Rolex’s Datejust line, the automatic, date-displaying dress watch that has anchored the Oyster Perpetual collection since 1945. Reference 126303 is the Yellow Rolesor configuration: a 41 mm Oyster case combining Oystersteel and 18 ct yellow gold, fitted with a smooth yellow gold bezel. It carries the current-generation caliber 3235.
The Datejust 41 replaced the Datejust II and was introduced across the Rolesor (two-tone) references in 2016, with the steel references following in 2017. It brought the case up to 41 mm from the previous 36 mm standard, along with the newer movement and a redesigned case and bracelet.
This example is fitted with the slate grey dial and green Roman numerals, the configuration collectors call the “Wimbledon” dial. The dial first appeared on the Datejust II in 2009 and carried over to the Datejust 41 when that model replaced it. Rolex has never used the name “Wimbledon” in its own literature, listing the dial only as slate with Roman numerals.
Within the Datejust 41 lineup, 126303 sits as the smooth-bezel Yellow Rolesor reference, positioned below the fluted-bezel Yellow Rolesor 126333 and above the all-steel 126300.
The dial is slate grey with a sunray finish that shifts from a lighter metallic grey in direct light toward a darker charcoal in dimmer conditions. The layout carries applied Roman numerals in black enamel, each outlined in green, set at eleven of the twelve hour positions and following the curve of the chapter ring.
The nine o’clock position is a single applied Chromalight baton rather than a Roman numeral, and it is the only luminous marker on the dial. The Roman numerals themselves carry no lume. The four is printed as IIII in four strokes. The hour and minute hands are luminous, filled with Chromalight for a blue glow in low light.
The date sits at three o’clock, framed by a window and magnified by the Cyclops lens on the crystal. A printed minute track runs around the dial perimeter. The Rolex crown sits at twelve.
Printed dial text reads ROLEX with the crown logo, then OYSTER PERPETUAL DATEJUST, with SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED above six o’clock and SWISS MADE at the base of the dial.
The case is the 41 mm Oyster case in Yellow Rolesor, a combination of Oystersteel for the middle case and 18 ct yellow gold for the bezel and crown. The case uses a monobloc middle case with a screw-down case back and screw-down winding crown. Light reflects off polished lug and case flanks against the brushed surfaces of the bracelet.
The bezel is smooth and domed, made of 18 ct yellow gold, fixed and non-rotating. It is decorative rather than functional.
The crystal is scratch-resistant sapphire with a Cyclops lens over the date. The winding crown is a screw-down Twinlock crown in yellow gold, with two sealed zones when screwed down. The case back is solid and screw-down. Water resistance is 100 metres.
The bracelet is the Oyster, a three-piece link design in Yellow Rolesor with brushed steel outer links and polished 18 ct yellow gold centre links. On this reference the Oyster bracelet carries the 72613 bracelet reference, tapering to the case at a 21 mm lug width.
The clasp is a folding Oysterclasp with a safety catch. It includes the Rolex Easylink comfort extension, which allows the wearer to lengthen the bracelet by approximately 5 mm without tools.
Reference 126303 is offered in two bracelet configurations under separate dial suffixes: this Oyster version and a Jubilee (five-piece link) version. This example is the Oyster.
The watch runs the Rolex caliber 3235, an automatic, self-winding movement manufactured in-house. It holds 31 jewels, beats at 28,800 vph (4 Hz), and provides an approximate 70-hour power reserve.
The movement uses the Chronergy escapement, a paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring, and Paraflex shock absorbers. It is certified as a Swiss chronometer by COSC and tested again by Rolex after casing to the Superlative Chronometer standard, rated to a precision of -2/+2 seconds per day.
Functions are centre hours, minutes, and seconds, plus an instantaneous date with rapid setting. Pulling the crown to the first position allows the date to be set independently; the second position sets the time with a stop-seconds function for precise synchronisation. The date changes instantaneously at midnight.
The case middle, bracelet outer links, and case back are Oystersteel, Rolex’s corrosion-resistant stainless steel. The bezel, winding crown, and bracelet centre links are 18 ct yellow gold. The combination of the two is what Rolex trademarks as Yellow Rolesor.
The crystal is sapphire, with the Cyclops magnifier over the date. The Roman numerals are applied and finished in black enamel with green outlines; the nine o’clock baton and the hands use Chromalight luminous material. The clasp and Easylink components share the Oystersteel and yellow gold pairing of the bracelet.
The overall material character is a two-tone dress watch: warm gold surfaces set against the cooler tone of steel, with a sapphire crystal and gold-based dial furniture chosen for durability and resistance to tarnishing.
A full set for a 2025 example of this reference includes:
Older version
Newer version
A 2025 example of this reference falls in the changeover window and would normally carry the Gen 2 redesigned box, though early-2025 stock can overlap with the Gen 1 box. Reference 126303 did not ship with a commemorative or reference-specific box, so a period-correct full set is judged on the box generation matching the watch’s year rather than on any special edition packaging. A service-replacement box, if the original was not retained, will be the standard current Rolex box of the service date rather than the era-matched generation.
A 2025 example was sold with Rolex’s standard five-year international guarantee, valid from the date of purchase and honoured through the authorised Rolex network. Coverage is documented on the credit-card-format guarantee card. Since mid-2020 this is the current card generation, carrying the reference, serial, and purchase date, with updated security design and much of the purchase detail held electronically rather than printed on the card face.
Older version
Newer version
Rolex moved to the five-year international warranty for purchases from July 2015, replacing the previous two-year term, so a 2025 example carries the five-year term. A 2025 example carries the Gen 2 card design within the Gen 3 current-set presentation. The dealer-completed card, dated and tied to the serial, is what establishes the sale date and remaining coverage. A blank, undated, or photocopied card does not serve that function.
Reference 126303 remains a current catalogue reference. The specific slate dial with green Roman numerals is one of several dial configurations offered under the reference.
The 41 mm Oyster case gives the Datejust 41 a fuller presence than the 36 mm Datejust while keeping the same overall proportions. It suits medium to larger wrists and wears as a versatile watch that moves between formal and everyday settings.
The Oyster bracelet is the more solid and understated of the two bracelet options for this reference, with the Easylink extension adding roughly 5 mm of on-the-fly adjustment for comfort as wrist size changes through the day. The two-tone construction and smooth gold bezel keep the watch dressier than a sport Rolex, while the 100 metre water resistance and screw-down crown make it robust for daily wear.
The slate dial with green numerals gives the watch more colour interest than a plain silver or black Datejust dial while staying neutral enough for office and formal use.
Reference 126303 is constant in three respects across every example: the 41 mm Yellow Rolesor Oyster case (Oystersteel with 18 ct yellow gold), the smooth yellow gold bezel, and the caliber 3235 movement. It varies by dial and by bracelet, with each combination carrying its own dial suffix after the base reference.
Dials. The reference has been offered with several dials, including the slate dial with green Roman numerals seen here, champagne, silver, white, and black dials, mother-of-pearl, and diamond-set hour marker versions. This example carries the slate dial with green Roman numerals and the single luminous baton at nine o’clock.
Bracelets and straps. The reference is offered on both the Oyster (three-piece link) and Jubilee (five-piece link) bracelets, each in Yellow Rolesor. This example is on the Oyster.
Neighboring references. The slate green Roman “Wimbledon” dial also appears on separate references whose specifications do not carry across to 126303: the all-steel smooth-bezel 126300, the Yellow Rolesor fluted-bezel 126333, the steel and white gold fluted-bezel 126334, and the Everose Rolesor 126331. These are distinct references with different case metals or bezels.
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