Rolex Datejust 16008

The 16008 is a 36 mm Datejust in 18K yellow gold, with a smooth bezel and Cal. 3035. The earliest catalogue date is 1977; later records date examples to circa 1978 and 1979. The factory production span remains undetermined.

Core facts

Detail	Evidence
Reference	16008
Family	Datejust, five-digit generation
Case and bezel	Catalogued examples are 18K yellow gold with a smooth bezel.
Case size	The four reviewed catalogues give 36 mm.
Movement	Cal. 3035, automatic, 27 jewels in the exact-reference records.
Crystal	The 16008 is listed for crystal 25-295C, identified by a replacement-parts listing as sapphire. A five-digit Datejust guide describes the generation as acrylic; original fitment across the reference remains uncertain.
Dial examples	Champagne, obsidian, tiger’s-eye and one seller-described white painted-Roman dial. The factory dial list remains unknown.
Bracelet examples	Yellow-gold Oyster and Jubilee bracelets are recorded on individual watches. The records do not establish original delivery combinations.

Where it sits in the line

The 16008 pairs a smooth yellow-gold bezel with a solid yellow-gold case. A Datejust reference guide places it beside the fluted-bezel 16018; steel and two-tone Datejust references used other bezel and case combinations. Both gold references use Cal. 3035 in the five-digit generation.

Production outline

Antiquorum and Monaco Legend date individual examples to 1977. Christie’s assigns circa 1978 to a tiger’s-eye example, and Phillips dates an obsidian-dial watch to 1979. The factory endpoint and a complete serial sequence remain undetermined.

Movement notes

Antiquorum, Christie’s and Phillips identify Cal. 3035 with 27 jewels in their 16008 examples. The movement has a quickset date. See Movements for the caliber’s broader specifications and use across other references.

Dial map

The table records five dial configurations shown on the watches. Antiquorum also lists a loose champagne dial as an extra with its lot.

Dial description	Record	Limit
Champagne with applied gold batons	Monaco Legend, lot 273	One catalogued example.
Champagne sunburst with applied gold Roman numerals	Antiquorum, lot 163	Detailed description conflicts with the red-sunburst headline; an additional champagne dial is also listed.
Obsidian hardstone	Phillips, lot 16	One catalogued example; separate watch from the Monaco Legend images.
Tiger’s-eye	Christie’s, case 5'638'860	One catalogued example.
White painted Roman, called “Buckley” by the seller	Sold listing	Seller’s label for one example; originality and factory-wide use remain uncertain.

Antiquorum’s photographs appear champagne, but the catalogue text leaves the red-dial claim unresolved. A red 16008 dial remains unconfirmed.

Champagne dial described by Monaco Legend Auctions, lot 273
Obsidian hardstone dial catalogued by Phillips, lot 16; a separate watch

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes

The reviewed catalogues describe a 36 mm yellow-gold case and smooth bezel. Antiquorum calls the back screw-down and describes a gold crown; Christie’s also records a screw back and screw-down crown. These details match the examples in those catalogues.

Yellow-gold caseback of a Rolex Datejust 16008 — Caseback of the Monaco Legend Auctions example, lot 273.

A five-digit Datejust guide describes this generation as acrylic. The 16008 evidence is mixed. Esslinger’s parts chart lists 25-295C for 16008 and 25-135 for several steel and two-tone 16000-series references. Replacement-parts listings identify 25-295C as sapphire, and a sold 16008 listing specifies sapphire. The available record supports a sapphire-equipped example and a compatible replacement part. Factory installation and reference-wide use remain uncertain. Antiquorum describes a cyclops crystal but gives no material.

Antiquorum’s example is marked 16008 on the case body and 16000 inside the caseback. The auction house says the body and back were interchangeable at the factory. Keep that explanation attached to its documented watch. The inner-back stamp alone cannot identify a 16008.

Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes

The records show both Oyster and Jubilee bracelets in yellow gold. Phillips specifies an Oyster bracelet with end links stamped 76B; Christie’s lists a Jubilee bracelet; Monaco Legend describes a matching gold bracelet without a reference number. Its clasp photograph shows Rolex-SA and 750 stamps, marking that component as 18K gold. A sold listing describes a riveted Oyster bracelet on its painted-Roman example. These records document individual watches; original delivery and a complete fitment chart remain unresolved.

The same listing describes a box and papers for that watch. The reference’s packaging practice remains undocumented.

Bracelet on the Monaco Legend Auctions example, lot 273
Clasp detail from the same lot; the image does not establish original delivery

Historical market and auction record

Record	Catalogue details
Antiquorum Geneva, 14 May 2006, lot 163	Case 5,242,537; dated 1977; 18K yellow gold; 36 mm; Cal. 3035/27 jewels. The headline and detailed dial description conflict. Antiquorum reports 16008 on the case body and 16000 inside the back.
Christie’s Hong Kong, November 2019	Case 5,638,860; circa 1978; tiger’s-eye dial; Cal. 3035/27 jewels; 36 mm; Jubilee bracelet. A service invoice is dated 2018.
Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction Two, 31 May 2016, lot 16	Case 5,832,918; dated 1979; obsidian dial; Cal. 3035/27 jewels; 36 mm; Oyster bracelet with 76B end links (official results).
Monaco Legend Auctions, 20 October 2024, lot 273	Case 5,385,283; dated 1977; champagne dial; smooth bezel; Cal. 3035; 36 mm; yellow-gold bracelet.

This catalogue sample runs from 1977 to 1979. It leaves the production endpoint, full dial register and original bracelet options unresolved.

Gallery

Monaco Legend Auctions, lot 273; full watch
Champagne dial on the Monaco Legend example
Caseback of the Monaco Legend example
Bracelet on the Monaco Legend example
Clasp on the Monaco Legend example
Phillips, lot 16; separate obsidian-dial watch

Sources