Rolex Date 15037 vs Datejust 16013

Size, mainly. The Oyster Perpetual Date is the 34mm version of the same idea: an automatic Rolex with a date window under a cyclops. The Datejust is 36mm. In the five-digit era both used caliber 3035, so the movement, the quickset date and the sapphire crystal are identical. The Date reads Oyster Perpetual Date on the dial; the Datejust reads Oyster Perpetual Datejust.

The 15037 is a particular Date: 14k yellow gold rather than 18k, which Rolex used for the American market where 14k was the customary standard. The 16013 is the two-tone Datejust, with a steel case and a gold bezel, crown and bracelet centers.

Two millimeters sounds like nothing and looks like a lot. The 34mm Date sits like a classic mid-century watch and suits a wrist under about seven inches, or anyone who likes a smaller watch. The 36mm Datejust is the size most people think of as normal for a Rolex dress watch. Try both if you can; buyers are often surprised which one they prefer.

Weight is the other difference. The 15037 is solid gold, so despite the smaller case it feels substantial on a gold bracelet. The 16013 is mostly steel and lighter for its size.

Yes. The 15037 is yellow all over: case, bezel, crown and bracelet. The 16013 is two-tone, with a steel case and steel outer bracelet links against a gold bezel and gold center links. Read the dial and one says Date, the other Datejust. If you have a caliper, 34mm against 36mm settles it. The reference is engraved between the lugs at twelve as on every Oyster.

Do check the hallmark on the 15037. A 14k case will be marked as such on the caseback or lug, and this distinguishes it from the 18k 15038.

The 16013 was one of the best-selling Rolex references of the 1980s and is easy to find. The 15037 was made for one market in a metal Rolex used only for that market, so it turns up far less often, and a 15037 with a factory diamond dial, like the one we sold, is a genuinely uncommon watch. Neither is rare in the sense a gilt Submariner is, but the 15037 is the one you will search for.

Factory diamond dials on either reference should be verified. Aftermarket diamond dials are common and are worth much less than a Rolex-set one.

Buy the size that fits. If 34mm works on your wrist, the 15037 gives you solid gold, a sapphire crystal and a quickset date at a price that is often close to a two-tone 36mm watch, because the market discounts the smaller size. If you want the standard Datejust look, the 16013 is the obvious choice and there are enough of them that you can be selective on condition and dial.

The examples below show actual sale prices from our own inventory, including the 15037 with a factory diamond navy dial.

The 16013 moves with the broad two-tone Datejust market, which is large and liquid but not scarce. The 15037 has the support of its gold content and the interest of being an American-market piece, and the factory diamond examples have their own following. Our view is that the 16013 is easier to sell and the 15037 is harder to replace, which is a different thing from holding value.

On both, dial originality and case condition decide the outcome. A gold case that has been polished round loses more than the reference difference is worth.