The Best Rolex Blue Dial Watches From Vintage Classics to Modern Favorites

When you think of Rolex, the first colors your mind usually conjures up are green and gold, long the emblematic colors of the Swiss power brand and its world-famous “crown” logo. (Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf is said to have settled on these colors because they symbolized wealth and success.) Blue, on the other hand, is not a color that most watch aficionados readily associate with Rolex, though many will associate it with other watch brands, like Breguet, Breitling, and Rolex’s own little brother, Tudor. However, when Rolex does decide to do blue — whether it’s for dials, bezels, or some combination of both — it does so in a way that really speaks to the brand’s avid fan base. Over the years, some blue-dialed Rolex watches, in fact, are not only popular but have become recognized as classics. Here are seven Rolexes with blue dials — some discontinued and collectible, others still available in the current collection — that have demanded enthusiast attention. (Price estimates for the discontinued models on the list are courtesy of WatchCharts.)

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41, Ref. 126334 ($11,100)

Rolex released the Datejust in 1945, and the model is today regarded as one of the world’s most classically elegant dress watches. The Datejust brought two now-familiar elements to the world of watch design, one of which can be found throughout the watch industry, the other being still closely associated with Rolex. The first was the addition of a date display in a window at 3 o’clock. The second (which actually didn’t appear until 1948) was the “Cyclops” lens over the date window, which magnified the date numeral by a factor of 2.5 for greater legibility at a glance. Datejust models still adhere to this traditional design DNA today, though they now vary widely in their sizes, colorways, and other details, including the use of precious stones on the dials and bezels.

This 41mm Datejust combines Rolex’s “Oystersteel” (904L stainless steel) and 18k white gold for the construction of the case and bracelet, including the distinctive fluted bezel, another much-imitated hallmark of the Datejust family. Framed in that bezel is a sunray-finished, bright blue dial with white-gold applied indexes; behind the dial is Rolex’s in-house automatic Caliber 3235, with a bevy of patented technical elements that contribute to its chronometer-certified timekeeping precision. 

Rolex Submariner Date “Smurf,” Ref. 116619 ($37,370*)

Rolex developed the waterproof Oyster case in 1926, but took its capabilities to the next level in 1953 with the release of the Submariner, one of the very first watches purpose-built for scuba diving and the first commercial watch that was waterproof to 100 meters — a significant claim, as the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, which had preceded it to market, was tested only to the 91.44 meters that matched up to its name. Subsequent references of the Submariner achieved even more robust water-resistance ratings — 200 meters and eventually 300 meters, which is the standard for the model today. Now offered in a variety of colorways and materials (including precious metals), the Submariner is the template from which many other dive watches draw their inspiration. 

In 2008, Rolex introduced the first Submariner with a bezel made of Cerachrom, its proprietary ceramic material that is exceptionally scratch-resistant and fade-resistant; Cerachrom bezels have now replaced aluminum ones on most Rolex watches. The bright blue Cerachrom bezel and matching blue dial on one of the original models, Ref. 116619LB (for “Lunette Bleu,” above), with a case and bracelet of white gold, earned it the nickname “Smurf.” For the non Gen-Xers out there, the Smurfs were a ubiquitous pop culture presence in the 1980s — blue-skinned cartoon characters who lived in mushrooms and clashed with the evil wizard Gargamel,  who have since found their way to movie screens as well as toy boxes and theme parks. This now-discontinued white-gold Rolex is undoubtedly one of the priciest Smurf-related “toys” you could possibly want.

Rolex Milgauss “Z-Blue,” Ref. 116400GV ($9,930*)

As anyone who’s owned a mechanical watch knows, magnetism is the arch-enemy of a watch’s ability to run reliably and accurately. In 1956, Rolex took on the challenge of making a watch that could be counted on in high-magnetism situations with the release of the first Milgauss, whose signature innovation was a miniature “Faraday cage,” made of ferromagnetic material and placed inside the case to guard the movement from the ill effects of magnetic fields. Its name was a contraction of “mille gauss” — mille being “1,000” in French, gauss being the international unit of measure for magnetic field strength, named for German physicist Carl Gauss — which signified the watch’s unprecedented level of magnetic resistance.

The Milgauss, now discontinued, was always a niche item in the Rolex portfolio, but probably its most fan-favorite iteration was the so-called “Z-Blue” edition, which leaned into the model’s history in an avant-garde fashion, underscoring the orange lightning-bolt seconds hand with an eye-catching electric blue dial. Adding to the offbeat, sci-fi appeal was a blue-green-tinted sapphire crystal that bathed the dial in a ghostly pseudo-electronic glow. The model, containing the automatic, COSC-certified Rolex Caliber 3131, was one of only two Milgauss watches remaining in production when the model was taken out of circulation. 

Rolex Deepsea “D-Blue,”  Ref. 136668LB 

Rolex’s most extreme divers’ watch, the Sea-Dweller Deepsea, debuted in 2008, resurrecting the “Deepsea” moniker of a legendary prototype watch from 1960, which set a record for underwater watches on an expedition in the Bathyscaphe Trieste. The original, titanium-cased Deepsea (Ref. 116660) measured a hefty 44mm in diameter, boasted an unheard-of depth rating of 3,990 meters, and featured technological advances including Rolex’s patented Ringlock case construction and a rotating bezel made of Cerachrom, Rolex’s sturdy ceramic material.

In 2012, Rolex played a role in another ocean-diving milestone, when movie director James Cameron made the world’s first solo descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench inside a one-man submersible called the Deepsea Challenger; affixed to the exterior were three specially developed Rolex Deepsea Challenge prototype watches, which survived the record-breaking 10,908-meter plunge. Two years afterward, coinciding with Cameron’s documentary film about the mission, Rolex introduced the popular “D-Blue” version of the Deepsea to the market, notable for its gradient blue-to-black dial and the line of bright sea-green text for the model name “DEEPSEA.” The Rolex Deepsea “D-Blue” in stainless steel boasts the astounding 3,900-meter water resistance of its predecessors, includes a helium-release valve for compression diving, and contains Rolex’s Superlative Chronometer Caliber 3235, with a 70-hour power reserve. 

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Ref. 134300

The classic everyday Rolex in a blue dial is perhaps the most accessible model on this list. The Oyster Perpetual in blue dial seen here measures 41mm wide with 100m of water resistance on an oyster bracelet. The dial is referred to by Rolex as "Med Blue" which is a deep, oceanic hue that makes for a highly legible backdrop. Inside is the Caliber 3230 which has a healthy 70-hour power reserve. At $6,650 this is one of the most attractive and approachable Rolex models out there.

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Platinum Ice Blue, Ref. 126506 ($79,300)

Rolex became the official timekeeper of the Daytona 500 race in 1962 and introduced the racing-inspired Ref. 6239 Cosmograph, nicknamed the “Daytona,” one year later. The watch, notable for its three-register dial and engraved tachymeter bezel, has been produced in various versions ever since, forever linked to the high-performance world of motorsport and consistently one of the most coveted watch models in the world. For the Daytona’s 50th birthday in 2013 (and again for its 60th in 2023), Rolex released a special anniversary edition of the iconic model, with a case made of platinum and an unusual (and, at the time of the first release, somewhat controversial) ice-blue dial with chestnut brown subdials and bezel. The bezel of the 2013 model was one of the first made of Cerachrom, Rolex’s exclusive, patented, ceramic-based material that is virtually scratchproof and highly resistant to corrosion and UV rays. The major upgrade in the 2023 version was inside the 40mm platinum case: Rolex’s Superlative Chronometer Caliber 4131, with a new cutout gold rotor and an array of high-horology finishing, all of which can be viewed from a sapphire crystal in the caseback — still a rarity for the Crown despite being adopted as common practice by many other luxury watch brands.

Rolex Perpetual 1908 Platinum Ice Blue, Ref. 52506 ($31,500)

The Perpetual 1908, launched in 2023, is the successor to Rolex’s stylishly dressy Cellini collection and a tribute to the elegant watches of Rolex’s early 20th Century days. Its name comes from the year that Hans Wilsdorf renamed Wilsdorf & Davis, the watchmaking firm he’d founded with his partner, as Rolex Watch Company Ltd. and moved the formerly London-based company to Geneva, Switzerland, where it has been based ever since. The Perpetual 1908 is recognizable for its finely fluted, domed coin-edge bezel, curved, chamfered lugs, and retro-style numerals and hands on the dial. One year after the model’s debut in white and yellow gold, Rolex unveiled a Perpetual 1908 in a platinum case and an artisanal ice-blue dial with a guilloché rice-grain motif. The delicate, eye-catching geometrical pattern blossoms in the manner of a rosette on the surface of the dial, which also employs another type of hand-applied guilloché, a crimped, filet sauté pattern, for the minute track. Like its gold-cased predecessors, the watch’s dial hosts distinctly stylish Arabic applied numerals at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock and faceted hands. The case measures 39mm in diameter, with a coin-edge bezel and fluted lugs, and contains the self-winding Perpetual Caliber 1704, with a 66-hour power reserve. Also like its predecessor, it comes mounted on a dressy leather strap, here in matte brown with Rolex's double-folding "Dualclasp" in the same platinum as the case.

Rolex Day-Date 36 Rose Gold Turquoise Dial, Ref. 128235 ($53,900)

The Rolex Day-Date, introduced in 1956 with Ref. 6510 and 6511, was the first wristwatch that displayed both the date (in the now-familiar 3 o’clock position under the Cyclops lens) and the day of the week (in a curved window above the Rolex logo at 12 o’clock). The Day-Date’s 36mm gold Oyster case had the fluted bezel emblematic of its stylistic predecessor, the Datejust, and housed the automatic Caliber 1055.

The Day-Date, which is today available in a wide variety of sizes and interpretations for both men and women, has been famously nicknamed the “President” since at least the 1960s, when President Lyndon B. Johnson wore one regularly in office. In 2023, Rolex unveiled new versions of the Day-Date 36 with eye-catching precious-stone dials. The one that makes this list is the Ref. 128235, which uses Rolex’s proprietary Everose gold for its case and bracelet and features a stunning turquoise dial, with natural veining enhancing the light blue tones to make each dial unique. The applied Roman numeral markers, a longtime fixture of the Day-Date, are here set with 24 diamonds, while the intermittent applied indexes are set with 32 diamonds. The understated case houses the Rolex self-winding Caliber 3255. You can learn more at rolex.com