Rolex Datejust 16220 Panna dial Full Set

1996 | Stainless steel | Automatic | 36.0mm

The reference 16220 represents the Datejust at its most classically resolved — produced from 1988 to 2000, it brought together the 36mm Oyster case, the engine-turned bezel, the Jubilee bracelet, and calibre 3135 in what remains one of the most balanced configurations the model has ever worn. Nothing added, nothing missing.

This particular example carries a champagne "panna" dial — a warm, creamy gold tone that sits somewhere between ivory and yellow, and that was not the original configuration for this reference. The factory dial would have been silver; this dial was fitted at some point in the watch's history, and it transforms the overall character of the piece considerably, giving it a warmth that the standard steel-and-silver pairing does not achieve. Worth noting for the collector who values transparency as much as aesthetics — and worth noting equally that the result is genuinely compelling.

The watch presents in top condition, retaining its original stickers on the caseback — the clearest possible indicator that this example has been kept with exceptional care since leaving the retailer. Full set documentation accompanies it.

A 16220 in this state of preservation, with full set and stickers intact, is the kind of find that needs no further justification.