Day-Date

Unprecedented watchmaking prowess

Day-Date Majesty
Day-Date evolution

The union of elegance and innovation

At its launch, the Day-Date was the first wristwatch to combine all Rolex’s latest watchmaking innovations: a self-winding, waterproof chronometer with the date and day of the week spelt out in full – available today in 26 languages. Made exclusively of precious metal and accompanied by its emblematic President bracelet, the Day-Date is available with multiple dials that make it the ideal canvas for self-expression.

Day and Date

Instantaneous day and date
A midnight miracle

Presented in 1956, the Day-Date was a world first. The first watch to indicate the day of the week spelt out in full. Worn by many world leaders, the Day-Date is available with a bespoke day display in a wide choice of languages.

The President bracelet
A predestined name

President bracelet
Created specially for the Day-Date in 1956, the elegant and imposing President bracelet is inherent to the standing of the watch. Immediately recognizable, this 18 ct gold or 950 platinum bracelet with three semi-circular links provides complete reliability and comfort.
The crownclasp
The President bracelet is fitted with a concealed Crownclasp, opened with a hinged Rolex crown – the final aesthetic and functional touch to this bracelet. It includes ceramic inserts inside the links to enhance its flexibility and longevity.
Fluted bezel

The fluted bezel
A close-guarded secret

Originally, the fluting of the Oyster bezel had a functional purpose: it served to screw the bezel onto the case helping to ensure the waterproofness of the watch. It was therefore identical to the fluting on the caseback, which was also screwed onto the case for waterproofness, using specific Rolex tools. Over time, the fluting became an aesthetic element, a genuine Rolex signature feature. Today the fluted bezel is a mark of distinction, always in gold or platinum.

Since 2022, the Day-Date in 950 platinum features a fluted bezel crafted from the same precious material – a first for Rolex and an innovation that was as much technical as aesthetic, for the process of creating the fluting had to be adapted to ‘the noblest of metals’. Producing fluting with the perfect shape and sparkling surfaces was a technical feat.

A diversity of dials
Faces of excellence

Recognizable at a glance with their arc-shaped day window at 12 o’clock, Day-Date dials are available in a host of designs, materials, finishes and colours expressing the wide-ranging dial-making expertise mastered by Rolex in-house.

Decorative stones, diamonds, pearlized mother-of-pearl, meteorite, enamel, or sunray or ‘ombré’ finishes – the variety of techniques employed in a dial’s creation, whether reliant on traditional craftsmanship or the latest technology, allows us to compose many different faces, each with its own personality.

Some Day-Date dials feature enamelled Roman numerals and hour markers set with diamonds or coloured sapphires. Others are distinctive for their faceted, deconstructed Roman numerals and faceted index hour markers – each of which is painstakingly positioned and individually attached by hand.

Foundry

The Rolex foundry
Mastering precious metals

Gold Rolex watches possess a truly captivating radiance, born of years of experience in perfecting the use of this precious metals. Only by controlling the whole process can Rolex guarantee a peerless, enchanting lustre on its watchcases and bracelets alike.

Rolex exclusively uses 18 ct gold, a princely alloy composed of 750‰ (thousandths) of pure gold, plus exactly the right mixture of elements including silver and copper necessary to produce the different types of 18 ct gold: yellow, white and Everose, Rolex’s pink gold alloy. Exclusive formulas ensure exceptional durability, polishability – and an extraordinary sheen that lasts for generations.

Rolex foundry

Calibre 3255
A superlative movement

The Day-Date 36 and the Day-Date 40 are equipped with calibre 3255, a movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. At the forefront of watchmaking technology, this self-winding mechanical movement led to the filing of several patents and offers outstanding performance, particularly in terms of precision, power reserve, convenience and reliability.

Calibre 3255