Rolex · Lady-Datejust 26 · 79173 · box and papers · pre-owned on Amazon
The Lady-Datejust with an opal dial and diamonds at six and nine.
Cacholong is a milky white opal, cut thin enough to make a dial, and Rolex used it on a small number of Lady-Datejusts; under a lamp it flashes faint colour where a white lacquer dial would stay flat. This one has diamond-set Arabic 6 and 9 numerals, gold batons between, in a 26mm steel case with an 18k yellow gold fluted bezel on the two-tone Jubilee bracelet. Serial Y, so about 2002, with its branded box and papers. Pre-owned through a Luxury Stores reseller, graded Excellent.
- Case
- 26mm, Oystersteel, 18k yellow gold fluted bezel, 100m
- Movement
- Calibre 2235 automatic, quickset date, about 42 h
- Dial
- Cacholong white opal, diamond-set 6 and 9, gold batons, Cyclops date
- Bracelet
- Two-tone Jubilee, steel and 18k gold, Oysterclasp, about 7 inches
- Comes with
- Branded box and papers; serial Y68xxxx (about 2002)
- This unit
- Excellent; light scratching to hardware
What a cacholong dial is
Rolex has made Datejust dials from meteorite, mother of pearl, lapis, onyx and a short list of other stones, and cacholong is one of the rarer ones: an opaque white opal from Central Asia, sliced thin and set into the dial plate. It reads as white until light hits it at an angle, when the surface shows a faint play of green and rose the way the inside of a shell does. No two are the same.
On this dial the 6 and 9 are Arabic numerals set with small diamonds, a Rolex dial style of the late 1990s and 2000s, with gold batons at the other hours. The hands and the crown at twelve are gold to match the bezel.
Reading the listing
The seller gives the reference, 79173, which is the Lady-Datejust of the 2000s in steel with a yellow gold fluted bezel: calibre 2235, sapphire crystal, quickset date. The serial prefix Y puts it around 2002. It comes with its branded box and papers and is sized to about a 7 inch wrist. Condition is Excellent with light scratching to the hardware, which is a worn but cared-for watch.
Every figure here comes from the listing and from Rolex’s published description of the 79173, not from handling the watch.
Buying it pre-owned on Amazon
Rolex is pre-owned only on Amazon. This unit is sold by What Goes Around Comes Around through Amazon Luxury Stores, authenticated by the seller with Amazon’s 30-day return window on top; it is one piece, and when it sells the listing goes away, so the second button opens the live search for two-tone Lady-Datejusts.
Two-tone Lady-Datejusts have resold close to what people paid for them for a long time, sometimes more, sometimes less, and stone dials tend to carry a premium; that is a pattern, not a promise, and nothing here is investment advice.
Specs
- Reference
- 79173
- Case size
- 26mm
- Case material
- Oystersteel with 18k yellow gold fluted bezel (yellow Rolesor)
- Movement
- Automatic, Rolex calibre 2235, quickset date
- Caliber type
- Rolex 2235, chronometer certified
- Crystal
- Sapphire Crystal, Cyclops
- Water resistance
- 100m (10 ATM)
- Power reserve
- About 42 hours
- Complications
- Date
- Origin
- Swiss Made
Specifications as published by Rolex. We research from manufacturer documentation and published sources rather than hands-on testing. Researched 2026-09-12.
Verdict
A full-set two-tone Lady-Datejust with a cacholong opal dial and diamond 6 and 9, pre-owned on Amazon: the ladies’ Rolex, in a dial that makes it not just another one.
Strengths
- Cacholong opal dial with diamond-set numerals, a rare factory dial
- Box and papers included, serial from about 2002
- Steel with a gold fluted bezel on the Jubilee, the classic two-tone
- Amazon’s return window on top of the seller’s authentication
Trade-offs
- 26mm; small by today’s standards, even for a ladies’ watch
- About 2002; service history not stated
- Stone dials are fragile in a fall; treat it as jewellery
- One unit; when it sells, it is gone
Buy it if
Someone who wants the two-tone ladies’ Rolex with a dial that is actually rare, and wants the papers with it.
Skip it if
You want a 28 or 31mm case, all steel, or a plain dial for daily wear.
FAQ
An opaque white opal. Rolex sliced it thin for a small number of Datejust dials; it looks white until light catches it, then shows faint colour like the inside of a shell.
Compare
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CartierLady-Datejust 26 79173 (two-tone, cacholong dial with diamond 6 and 9, box and papers) vs Tank Américaine small model (18k yellow gold)Sources
- Rolex Lady-Datejust, official collection page
- Amazon Luxury Stores listing (What Goes Around Comes Around, pre-owned), read 2026-09-12
Researched and last updated 2026-09-12. We do not test watches in hand; every figure above is traceable to the manufacturer or the sources listed here.
Rolex Lady-Datejust 26 79173 (two-tone, cacholong dial with diamond 6 and 9, box and papers)
Reference 79173 · $10,000–$25,000
Prices and availability change; the band above is a research figure, so check the current listing.
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