Brands & Collections

Day-Date

Rolex's flagship dress watch, introduced in 1956 as the first wristwatch to spell out the day of the week in full alongside the date. Produced exclusively in precious metals (gold or platinum), traditionally on the President bracelet.

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 alongside the date at 3 o'clock. It is produced exclusively in precious metals (yellow gold, white gold, rose gold Everose, platinum) and is most associated with the President bracelet that was launched with it.

Origin

Reference 6510/6511 (1956) was the launch reference, available only in 18k gold or platinum. The "President" nickname came from the presidents and heads of state who wore it publicly in the 1960s and 1970s; the bracelet style designed for it took the same name.

Defining features

Day display at 12 o'clock: the day of the week spelled out in full (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) rather than abbreviated. Available in over 25 languages on order.
Date at 3 o'clock under cyclops lens: the standard Rolex date treatment.
President bracelet: three semicircular pieces per link, polished centre and brushed outers on most variants. 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 modern references

Day-Date 36: current 128xxx generation (128238 yellow gold, 128239 white gold, 128348RBR diamond, 128235 Everose, 128239 white gold, 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 (older Day-Date II): 218xxx series, 41 mm, discontinued 2015.

Material configurations

Always precious metal. Steel Day-Date does not exist as a Rolex production reference. The dressier proposition is the platinum reference (228206) with ice-blue dial (the platinum-only colour) and fluted or smooth bezel.

Versus Datejust

The Day-Date is the Datejust's precious-metal sibling with the day-of-week complication added. The Datejust is offered in steel, Rolesor, and precious metals; the Day-Date is precious metal only. The Day-Date sits at a higher price point and represents Rolex's flagship dress-watch positioning.

Market position

The Day-Date is the watch of choice for traditional luxury dress collectors. Secondary market premiums are modest compared to sports models; Day-Dates trade closer to retail at authorised dealers and on the secondary market. Vintage Day-Dates (1803, 18038, 18238) in yellow gold with classic dial configurations are increasingly collected.

The platinum 228206 with ice-blue dial is the modern collector's Day-Date.

Glossary entries are editorial reference, not legal, tax, or financial advice. See our disclaimer for the full notice.