Regarded as one of the most iconic Rolex wristwatches since its initial introduction in the 1940s, the Datejust was the world’s first self-winding wristwatch with a date function. Released only in 18K yellow gold initially, Rolex only introduced stainless steel variants of the model in the 1950s alongside its two-tone counterpart. Still in production till date, the Datejust has enjoyed a diverse lineup over the years with iterations in various sizes, materials, and dials.

In 1988, Rolex introduced the ref. 16234, fitted with an upgraded cal. 3135. However, the most significant upgrade for this reference was the introduction of the sapphire crystal, differing from its previous model which utilized the traditional plexiglas.

The present example in stainless steel with an 18K white gold bezel ref. 16234, features a beautiful and rare blue sodalite dial with diamond-set indexes. Sodalite is a material that has been featured in other Rolex models such as the Daytona and Day-Date. Requiring extreme precision and delicacy to execute, Rolex hardstone dials are rare and unique as each hardstone dial will never be identical to another. Presented with the full set of accessories and offered in excellent overall condition, the present ref. 16234 is most definitely a sleeper as the demand for Rolex hardstone dials have always been a collector’s favorite.