The President — precious metal only, the day spelled in full, and the Stella dials of the 1970s.
Introduced
1956
Family
Day-Date
Current ref.
228238
Calibre
3255
The Day-Date is Rolex's flagship of prestige: never offered in steel, always in 18 ct gold or platinum, with the weekday written out in an arc above the dial. Its association with heads of state gave both the watch and its semi-circular three-link bracelet the “President” name.
The line is also a canvas for rare dials — lacquer “Stella” colours, hardstone, and gem settings — which drive an unusually wide value spread.
History
The original 6511/6611 of 1956 introduced the spelled-out day. The 1803 and later 18038 (the first with a sapphire crystal and quickset day, 1977) cemented the format. The “President” nickname followed the bracelet and the watch's high-office associations.
In the 1970s and 80s Rolex made vivid lacquer “Stella” dials in colours like turquoise and coral, now highly collectible. The modern 228238 (40 mm) and 128238 (36 mm) run calibre 3255.
Reference table
A selective map of the references collectors ask about most — not every variant, but the ones that anchor the line.
| Reference | Years | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1803 | 1959–1977 | 36 mm | Classic vintage President, acrylic crystal |
| 18038 | 1977–1988 | 36 mm | First sapphire crystal, quickset day |
| 118238 | 2000s–2019 | 36 mm | Modern 36 mm, calibre 3155 |
| 228238 | 2015–present | 40 mm | Current Day-Date 40, calibre 3255 |
| 128238 | 2019–present | 36 mm | Current Day-Date 36 |
| 228206 | 2015–present | Platinum | Platinum Day-Date 40, ice-blue dials |
Years are approximate production windows. Verify the reference and serial against the watch in hand before relying on any figure.
Nicknames
Each nickname maps to a reference and a story. Tap through for the Naples reference guide on each.
In Naples
Naples is a settled, well-travelled collector town, and the Day-Date fits a Gulf-coast life of flights, boats, and Fifth Avenue South dinners. We are a reference, not a dealer — this is context for buyers, not a storefront.
Day-Date FAQ
The nickname comes from its semi-circular three-link “President” bracelet and the watch's long association with heads of state. Rolex itself uses the President name for the bracelet.
No. The Day-Date has only ever been made in 18 ct gold or platinum — never steel. That exclusivity is central to its position as Rolex's prestige flagship.
Stella dials are vivid single-colour lacquer dials Rolex made for Day-Dates (and some Datejusts) mainly in the 1970s and 80s, in shades like turquoise, coral, and oxblood. Original examples are highly collectible.