From the desk · November 5, 2026
Classic Rolex style, a warm gold-and-steel finish, and a custom blue dial that makes this vintage Datejust impossible to overlook.
Some watches just pull you in the moment you see them. This one does it with colour.
That deep custom blue stick dial is the centrepiece — cool, clean, and just a little unexpected on a vintage piece from 1980. The applied hour markers catch the light beautifully, and paired with the fluted yellow-gold bezel, the whole face has a warmth and elegance that photographs simply cannot do justice. This is the kind of watch that earns compliments at the dinner table.
The steel-and-yellow-gold combination is one of the most enduring looks in watchmaking, and this Datejust wears it naturally. The fluted bezel shines in solid yellow gold, the case and Jubilee bracelet blend steel with gold accents, and the result is something that reads as polished without trying too hard. It works with a suit, a blazer, or a rolled-up sleeve on a weekend. That versatility is part of why two-tone Datejusts from this era have held collector attention for decades.
Rolex introduced the Jubilee bracelet specifically for the Datejust, and it remains one of the most comfortable five-link bracelets ever made. On a 36mm case, it sits close to the wrist, moves with you, and gives the whole watch a dressy-but-wearable personality. After more than forty years, this bracelet still feels like it was made for exactly this watch — because it was.
This is a pre-owned piece from around 1980, sold as-is in used condition, and it comes without its original box or papers. That is entirely normal for a vintage Rolex of this age — most collectors expect it, and it has no bearing on the genuine appeal or wearability of the watch itself. What matters most is that it has been checked on the bench here at My Watch Dealer before it was listed, so you know the movement is in good shape.
The dial has been customised — the blue stick configuration is not the original Rolex factory dial for this reference — and that is worth understanding going in. For some buyers that is a deal-breaker; for others, a custom blue dial on a gold-bezelled two-tone Datejust is exactly the personality they were looking for. Either position is completely reasonable.
At $6,899, this sits at a fair entry point for a wearable, good-looking vintage two-tone Datejust. The reference 16013 is a well-regarded chapter in the Datejust story — produced through the 1970s and 1980s, it used a quick-set date movement and a plastic (acrylic) crystal, both period-correct details that vintage purists appreciate.
Every watch sold at My Watch Dealer comes backed by a two-year store warranty covering the movement, a MyLuxApp-certified written appraisal, and a presentation box. Returns are accepted within seven days of delivery on unworn pieces, and shipping is insured overnight with signature required.
This 1980 Datejust carries forty-five years of history on the wrist — and a blue dial that makes it feel entirely its own.
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