Day-Date

The Day-Date is Rolex's flagship dress watch, introduced in 1956. It was the first wristwatch to display the day of the week spelled out in full at 12 o'clock — complementing the date at 3 o'clock under the cyclops. It is produced exclusively in precious metals (yellow gold, white gold, rose gold Everose, platinum) and is inseparable from the President bracelet introduced with it.

Origin

Reference 6510/6511 (1956) was the launch reference, available only in 18k gold or platinum. The "President" nickname grew from the image of heads of state who wore it publicly in the 1960s and 70s — the bracelet style designed for it took the same name.

Character

• Day display at 12. The day of the week is spelled out in full (Monday, Tuesday), not abbreviated. Available in over 25 languages on order.
• Date at 3 under the cyclops. The canonical Rolex date treatment. See cyclops.
• President bracelet. Three semicircular elements per link, polished centre, brushed outers. Standard on Day-Date; rare on a small number of Datejust precious-metal references.
• Fluted bezel. Standard. Smooth bezels exist on certain variants.

Sizes and references

• Day-Date 36. Current 128xxx generation — 128238 yellow gold, 128239 white gold, 128235 Everose, 128206 platinum. 36 mm case, calibre 3255.
• Day-Date 40. 228xxx generation — 228238 yellow gold, 228239 white gold, 228235 Everose, 228206 platinum. 40 mm case, calibre 3255.
• Day-Date 41. The earlier Day-Date II, 218xxx series, 41 mm. Discontinued since 2015.

Materials

Always precious metal. A steel Day-Date does not exist as a Rolex production reference. The most distinguished contemporary configuration is the platinum 228206 with ice-blue dial — a colour reserved for platinum references and a quiet signal of provenance among collectors.

Versus the Datejust

The Day-Date is the precious-metal sibling of the Datejust, with the day-of-week complication added. The Datejust is offered in steel, Rolesor and precious metal — the Day-Date only in precious metal. Positioned distinctly above it, as the apex of the Rolex dress-watch hierarchy.

Market position

The Day-Date is the choice of classical collectors. Secondary-market premiums are moderate compared to the sports models; the Day-Date trades close to retail. Vintage references 1803, 18038 and 18238 in yellow gold with classic dial configurations are increasingly collected.

The platinum 228206 with ice-blue dial is the contemporary collector's Day-Date — and one of the pieces we prefer to keep in stock when available at our atelier in Munich.